Seychelle filters

The only personal water filtration system capable of up to 99.99% reduction in all four areas of contamination!

• Aesthetic
• Microbiological
• Chemical
• Dissolved Solids

How It Works

Through medical technology Seychelle created a uniform 2-micron absolute pore size for the assured reduction and removal of the above contaminants. The high-tech porous plastic micro-filter is impregnated with both the finest granulated activated coconut Carbon available and Seychelle's exclusive adsorbing media for superior analyte removal capability.

In addition, the controlled 2-micron filter contains thousands of Omni-directional pores that result in a "tortuous path" for superior analyte reduction.

Seychelle's exclusive Ionic-Adsorption Micro-Filtration coordinates all processes of contaminant reduction by Adsorption, Absorption, chemical bonding, chelation, and depth filtration.

All Seychelle filters, from the smallest to the largest are extensively tested by only the highest quality, independent state approved laboratories certified to test under the strictest EPA/ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 and 53.

The Educated Alternative

"We are effectively and positively providing the solution to the public's concerns by taking water filtration to a whole new level of sophistication... via technological advancements and unsurpassed performance. The independent lab tests prove beyond a doubt that we have a product line to be trusted." - Carl Palmer, President and CEO
  

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On Sale:$34.99

The Seychelle Water Bag is the perfect product when you need a continuous supply of water. It holds up to 2 gallons of water and makes great-tasting drinking water. The Water Bag comes complete with a handy carrying case with a strap, which you can hang from a tree, car door or simply hold conveniently in your hand. The bag produces up to 100 gallons of great-tasting water which is equal 757 half liters of bottled water!

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On Sale:$31.99

Seychelle Water Filtration Bottle 28oz 
 The 28oz Seychelle Water Filtration Bottle provides great-tasting, fresh water wherever you are. Ideally suited for situations where the drinking water source is questionable or not disinfected, it comes with an attractive insulator sleeve.

The 28oz Advanced Seychelle Water Filtration flip top bottle is the perfect solution for those traveling to foreign countries where safe drinking water is at a premium.
The insulator sleeve attaches to a belt or backpack, and is great for any outdoor use: walking, hiking, biking, travel, camping or emergency preparedness!

The bottle produces up to 100 gallons of great-tasting water; and is equal to 757 half liters of bottled water! For the 75% of the water consumed away from home, this is the perfect portable product!
Key Features:

• Now with BIOSAFE®, removes up to 99.99% of bacteria, virus, contaminants and pollutants found in drinking water sources using its proprietary Ionic Adsorption Micron Filtration System.
• Contains Iodinated Resin (EPA Reg. # 35917-2) and other proprietary media which effectively reduces virus and bacteria to six logs (99.9999%).
• Produces up to 100 gallons of filtered water or more depending upon the quality of the source water.
• Has a screw on/off fill from the top cap for easy filling.
• 28 oz size is compact, light weight and easy to use!
• Tested by Independent laboratories using EPA/ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 and 53.
• Environmentally safe! Does not pollute the countryside!
• Reusable - made of FDA approved low density polyethylene #4 plastic - Will not leach! BPA free!
• Filter is replaceable.

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On Sale:$14.99

The Seychelle Pure Water Straw with Advanced filter is a technological breakthrough in water filtration for people on the go - anywhere, anytime!
Compact, easy to use and truly versatile in its attractive carrying case, the Pure Water Straw is like a miniature bottled water plant.
It's ideal for traveling; in your purse, pocket, backpack, luggage, and car or for emergency preparedness. Every family should have several placed throughout the house; in backpacks, in car trunks or glove compartments!
The Pure Water Straw is a sure way of safeguarding the water you drink anywhere you go and best of all its 25-gallon capacity is equal to about 189 half liters of bottled water, providing great-tasting clean water at a fraction of the cost. Never leave home without it!
Key Features:

• Up to 25-gallon filter life.
• Now with BIOSAFE®, removes up to 99.99% of bacteria, virus, contaminants and pollutants found in drinking water including Guardia, Cryptosporidium, and E-Coli Bacteria.
• Proven effective against bacteria and virus to six logs reduction (99.9999%).
• Waterproof carrying case.
• Ideal for everyday use and disaster preparedness.
• Ultra light and compact.
• Non-toxic BPA free materials.
• Tested by Independent laboratories using EPA /ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 and 53.
• Costs less than bottled water. 

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On Sale:29.99

The Pure Water Pump is ideal for pumping filtered water from any reservoir - 2 1/2 gallon to 5 gallon bottles, 20 to 50 gallon drums, a tub, storage tank, pond, pool, river, lake or virtually any type of container!
The Pure Water Pump is ideal for pumping filtered water from any reservoir - 2 1/2 gallon to 5 gallon bottles, 20 to 50 gallon drums, a tub, storage tank, pond, pool, river, lake or virtually any type of container!
It's great for every day use; camping, travel or emergency use. It breaks down into two separate easy-to-carry components that fit into any backpack. The pumping system is powerful - delivering 60 PSI at point of contact.
Key Features:

• Provides up to 100 gallons of filtered water.                    
• Easy to use!
• Installs in seconds!
• Lightweight, durable, reliable! Now with BIOSAFE®, removes up to 99.99% of bacteria, virus, contaminants and pollutants.
• The pump uses the Advanced filter which is made of the same media as the Standard filter that features BIOSAFE® with the addition of EPA approved iodinated resin (EPA Reg #: 35917-2).
• Extensively tested by independent laboratories using EPA/ ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 and 53.
• Removes/reduces Organics and In-Organics such as DDT, PCBs, THMs, Lead, Copper, Mercury, Arsenic and Chromium 6, as well as pathogens such as Guardia, Cryptosporidium and E- Coli Bacteria. 

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On Sale:$47.75

The Seychelle Pure Water Pitcher is the most technologically improved product of its kind in the world. Providing up to 150 gallons of great-tasting filtered water before filter replacement, it makes water all day long whereas other pitchers can be used only twice a day in most circumstances.
Streamlined and elegant looking, it fits easily into any refrigerator, and is ideal for R.V. use, camping, boating, and traveling.
Key Features:

• Now with BIOSAFE®, removes up to 99.99% of bacteria, contaminants and pollutants found in drinking water.
• Makes up to 150 gallons of water before changing filters.
• Flip top lid for easy filling.
• Makes water all day long.
• Easy to use, no slip pistol grip.
• Fits into any refrigerator.
• Plastic is non-leaching; BPA free!
• Filter pack easily changed every 6 months.
• Makes water all day long for multiple uses - drinking, cooking, plants, and pets.
• Reservoir holds one half gallon of water; filled twice - the pitcher comfortably holds one full gallon of water.
• Tested by Independent laboratories using EPA/ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 and 53.

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The Advanced Seychelle Filtration Replacement Filter removes up to 99.9999% of viruses, contaminants and pollutants found in drinking water sources using its proprietary Ionic Adsorption Micron Filtration System. The replacement filter easily screws into bottle cap for convenient replacement. This replacement filter works on the following products: Seychelle Water Filtration Bottle 24oz Seychelle Water Filtration Bottle 28oz Seychelle Water Filtration Pump.

Click Picture for a video

Contact Jack for your Seychelle Order.
580-606-4746 or Email:selfreliantnetwork11@gmail.com

Basic Food Storage List

 

By Jessica,  Salt N' Prepper

My bare bones list for food storage necessities for one adult male. For an average adult woman multiply the amounts by 0.75. For a child ages 1-3 multiply it by 0.3. For children 4-6 multiply by 0.5. Children 7-9 multiply by 0.75. I’ve listed the category along with the weight in food you need. Under each category are the basics this weight should be distributed into. It is up to you how you distribute it. In the space provided before each item write in the amount in pounds you have of each.


(This is figured as a 1 year supply)
Remember you can adjust things as you need to for your family's likes and dislikes. But I think Jessica did a really great job of giving everyone a starting point! SRN

Grains – 400lbs

____  Barley
____  Cereal
____  Cornmeal
____  Flour

____  Multigrain
____  Oats, Rolled Quick
____  Oats, Rolled Regular
____  Popcorn

____  Sprouting Seeds
____  Wheat
____  White Rice
____  Pasta Noodles

Milk/Dairy – 75lbs

____  Canned Milk
____  Canned Sour Cream
____  Cheese Spreads
____  Condensed Milk

____  Dried Cheese
____  Dried Eggs
____  Infant Formula
(If Applicable)

____  Powdered Milk
____  Powdered Cheese
____  Powdered Sour Cream

Juices/Beverages – 25lbs

____  Apple Juice
____  Baby Strained Juices
____  Cocoa Drink Mix

____  Cranberry Juice
____  Dried Juice Mix
____  Kool Aid

____  Grape Juice
____  Tomato Juice

Fats/Oils – 20lbs

____  Canned Butter
____  Cooking Oil
____  Margarine

____  Mayonnaise
____  Olive Oil
____  Peanut Butter

____  Powdered Butter
____  Salad Dressing
____  Shortening

Meats (Canned, Dehydrated or Freeze Dried) – 20lbs

____  Beef
____  Beef Jerky
____  Chicken

____  Fish (tuna, crab, shrimp)
____  Ham
____  Pepperoni

____  TVP (Textured Vegetable protein)
____  Pork

Fruits and Veggies – 90lbs Dried, 370qts Canned

____  Apple Chips
____  Applesauce
____  Apricots
____  Peaches
____  Berries
____  Fruit Cocktail
____  Olives
____  Pears

____  Pineapple
____  Raisins
____  Tomatoes
____  Celery
____  Potatoes
____  Corn
____  Peas
____  Spinach

____  Carrots
____  Onions
____  Mushrooms
____  Peppers
____  Pickles
____  Asparagus
____  Yams

Beans & Legumes – 90lbs

____  Pinto
____  Pink

____  White
____  Kidney

____  Nuts
____  Sprouting Seeds

Sugars – 60lbs

____  Corn Syrup
____  Honey

____  Syrup
____  Brown Sugar

____  White Sugar
____  Powdered Sugar

Auxiliary Foods – As Needed

____  Baking Powder
____  Baking Soda
____  Cake Mixes
____  Vitamins
____  Cookies
____  Cornstarch

____  Crackers
____  Cream of Tartar
____  Roll/Bread Mixes
____  Instant Breakfast
____  Instant yeast
____  Muffin Mixes

____  Pancake Mix
____  Pectin
____  Pie Fillings
____  Gelatin
____  Salt
____  Survival Bars

Spices & Condiments – As Needed

____  Allspice
____  Basil
____  BBQ Sauce
____  Bouillon Cubs
____  Cayenne Pepper
____  Chili Powder
____  Chives
____  Chocolate Syrup
____  Cinnamon
____  Cloves
____  Coriander

____  Cumin
____  Curry
____  Dill Weed
____  Garlic Powder
____   Ginger
____  Gravy Mixes
____  Ketchup
____  Nutmeg
____  Onion Flakes
____  Oregano
____  Paprika

____  Pepper
____  Sage
____  Salad Dressing
____  Salt
____  Steak Sauce
____  Soy Sauce
____  Spaghetti Sauce
____  Thyme
____  Vanilla Extract
____  Vinegar
____  Worcestershire Sauce

Dental care in an emergency

By The Ready Store
In the film “Cast Away,” Tom Hanks’ character is stranded on an island after his airplane crashes. On top of all the problems he has – learning to make a fire, finding food, water, shelter – he has  a toothache!
This scared me half-to-death when I saw the film. I wondered, in an emergency, would I be able to take care of a simple toothache?
With the help of the Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook, we have highlighted some things that you can do to treat cavities, fractures, extracted teeth and more, in an emergency. These techniques should only be used in an emergency and are not a replacement for a qualified dental professional.
The handbook recommends that you have cotton balls, anesthetic, an explorer, a spoon excavator and a mixing tools. You will need some of these in order to take care of the problems we have listed below.
Anatomy of a tooth
The first thing you’ll need to know about emergency dentistry is the anatomy of a tooth.
A tooth has two major parts – the crown and roots. The crown is the (hopefully) white part that is visible. The roots are embedded in your gums.
The crown has five surfaces: the occlusal (biting) surface, the lingual (tongue side) surface, the facial (cheek side) surface and two contact surfaces that touch the adjacent teeth.
Cavities
Symptoms. If you have a cavity, you’ll feel dull pain in the area. Heat, cold, sweet, or salty foods may enhance the pain. You’ll want to determine on which surface the cavity is located.
Treatment. Cavities can be very tricky to treat because of anesthesia.
The first thing you’ll do is apply an anesthetic agent. Be sure that you are trained on where the injection should be placed – which is near the top of the tooth’s root – in a mucobuccal fold. Do not inject into a blood vessel.
The Medical Handbook recommends the following anesthesia:

• 2% lidocaine with 1/100,000 epinephrine (Xylocaine)
• 0.5% bupivacaine with 1/200,000 epinephrine (Marcaine)
• 3% mepivacaine without epinephrine (Polocaine or Carbocaine)

After the anesthesia has been injected properly, begin to remove the soft decayed area with a spoon-shaped instrument. If they are properly anesthetized, they shouldn’t feel any pain.
After you remove the decayed content, wash out the cavity with warm water. Combine zinc oxide (IRM) powder with two or three drops of water – mix until it’s a putty texture. Then place the putty in the hole. If the cavity was on the occlusal surface, have the patient bite a few times to form the putty.
If IRM is not available, you can fill the hole with a cotton pellet impregnated with eugenol.
This is a temporary procedure. Only a dentist can provide definitive care.
Crown fractures
Your front teeth are more susceptible to fractures than your back teeth. A crown fracture will be a break in your tooth.
Symptoms. Usually someone with a crown fracture will have sensitivity to heat and cold. They might find tooth fragments in their mouth or feel jagged tooth edges.
Treatment. If the fracture is small, you can smooth the rough edges with an emery board or small flat file.
If the fracture is extensive wash the tooth with warm saline. Then, isolate the tooth with cotton gauze. After you’ve isolated the area, cover the fracture with Zinc Oxide-Eugenol paste (IRM). This will hold for about 6 weeks.
Dislocated tooth
Symptoms. You’ll probably notice that your tooth has moved or is wiggling.
Treatment. You can place local anesthetic on the tooth to relieve pain. After you’ve applied the anesthetic, manually reposition the tooth to its normal position. You can then use wire or heavy fishing line to bind the tooth the the teeth next to it. Splint the tooth in place.
Tooth out of its socket
Symptoms. You may have your tooth in your hand.
Treatment. If the tooth has been saved, do not let it dry out. Do not try and scrape anything off the tooth. Instead, place the tooth in a clean liquid like saline or milk.
Next, administer some local anesthetic to the socket. If there are blood clots in the socket, clean it out with saline solution. Replace the tooth in the socket. Then splint the tooth to the surrounding teeth with wire or heavy fishing line. Be sure to administer some type of pain reliever after replacing the tooth.
Tooth extraction
If you end up having to extract a tooth, after the extraction, compress the sides of the empty socket and place a folded sponge over the socket. Apply light pressure for 60 minutes. Do not rinse your mouth for 12 hours since this may disturb the clot.

How to Make Dandelion Root Tea

Did you know those pesky dandelions growing in your yard are edible? Yup, and they are actually good for you too.  Dandelion tea is considered a diuretic and a mild laxative. It is believed to help cleanse the liver and gallbladder. It can increase the flow of bile through the liver and biliary tract.  According to the University of Michigan the dandelion is rich in vitamins A, B complex, C and D.  It is also a source of iron, potassium and zinc.
 http://www.craftylittlegnome.com
You can use pretty much the whole dandelion plant in different ways to make food and beverages.  The leaves and flowers can be added to salads and even used to make wine. Today I’m going to  show you how to make tea out of dandelion root.  This a great tea to drink if you feel like your body needs a bit of a cleanse. Dandelion should not be used in place of prescription medication or as a substitute to medical care.  If you are unsure if you should be using dandelion root for medicinal purposes check with your doctor first.

Step 1: Harvesting the roots

This is the hardest part. The roots are tough to get out. The bigger the bunch of leaves growing out of the ground, the bigger the roots. Try to harvest after it has rained. The ground will be considerably softer and it will be easier to pull out  the roots . Using a small shovel slice into the dirt surrounding the root. Try to loosen the soil and then grasp the root as deep as you can and pull. Some will come out nicely, some will just snap off.  Trim the leaves off the root. You can discard them or add them to a salad. Two important things to remember, 1) only use roots of plants that you know for sure are dandelion 2) Only harvest from dandelions you know have not been sprayed with weed killer or other nasty chemicals.  You can harvest any time of the year but it is believed that the roots will have the most nutritional value in the spring and fall.

big roots on this one

Step 2: Cleaning and cooking

Once you have gathered enough roots wash them thoroughly and pick off the fibrous stringy bits. Rinse them again and then  cut into small pieces. You want them ¼ - ½ inch pieces or smaller
Place on a roasting pan and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.  Flip after one hour to make sure all the sides are roasted.  Once they are cooked try to chop them  even smaller. You  can put them in a coffee grinder to make them even more fine

Dirty roots waiting to be rinsed

Chopped up in the pan, waiting to be roasted

Out of the oven. Notice how much they shriveled up

This was how much was yielded after the roots were roasted and chopped

Step 3: The tea

Put your root powder in a tea infuser and steep for about 20 minutes. It tastes very light and kind of earthy, a little sweet and a little bitter. I added a cinnamon stick to mine for a little more flavor. Next time I think I will add some cloves and some nutmeg for even more flavor. You can drink it on it’s own, it’s just a little bland for my taste.  Store extra root powder in an airtight container.

The tea was a lot lighter in taste and color than I was expecting. I steeped it for a very long time but it didn't get very strong. (boiling the root  for 5 to 10 minutes will give you a stronger tea... SRN)

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

Apple Cider Vinegar and honey are two remarkable foods that work together and alone to cure many ailments.

 www.my-home-remedies.com/index.html

What is apple cider vinegar? Apple cider vinegar results from the fermentation of pulverized apples. Yeast is first added to the apples causing fermentation and resulting in alcohol. Then acetic-acid forming bacteria are added for a second fermentation resulting in vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is often sold in a raw, unfiltered state with the "mother of vinegar" present. This may give it a stringy appearance. Hippocrates himself is said to have used apple cider vinegar for its health benefits.
Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is probably the most popular brand of RAW, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. It is my definitely my preferred brand, for sure. It is very important that the apple cider vinegar be raw, as that provides maximum health benefits.

Of course, if you just can't stomach the thought of drinking apple cider vinegar, you can also buy Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets.

What is honey? Of course, everyone knows that bees make honey, but did you know that honey bees use a process called regurgitation (yes, that is what you think it is) to create this sweet food from nectar? The bees make the honey for themselves and store it inside their honeycombs. Don't worry; however, modern beekeeping practices encourage the overproduction of honey, so we humans can enjoy this sweet food without endangering the bees. 

Honey is composed of fructose and sucrose and has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is rich in B1, B2, C, B6, B5, B3 and small quantities of copper, iodine, and zinc. The amounts of vitamins vary depending on the quality of the nectar and honey. Raw honey is especially beneficial as it contains antimicrobial agents, making it particularly useful in wound healing.

The health benefits of honey are too numerous to count...check out this amazing resource on the health benefits of honey. You'll find everything from using honey for weight loss and beauty to information on honey-making.You've probably also heard about Manuka Honey. It hails from New Zealand and has been used by indigenous populations for centuries. Manuka honey is said to have certain properties not found in other types of honey. It is especially beneficial for stomach ulcers, and skin issues...many people even recommend using Manuka Honey to treat MRSA! 

Warning: NEVER give honey to infants under one year of age!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Uses: Apple cider vinegar by itself is highly acidic; honey not only sweetens the taste, it adds significant health benefits of its own. Together these two super foods help with home remedies for curing acne, home remedies for arthritis, natural cold remedies, constipation home remedy, cough home remedies, dandruff, food poisoning, seasonal flu and swine flu, sinus infection home remedies, home remedies for sore throat, varicose veins, and home remedies for weight loss.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar: home remedies for curing acne, athletes foot home remedy, bee sting treatment, chronic fatigue, deodorant alternative, home remedies for earache, eczema, heartburn home remedy, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, jock itch, home remedies for nail fungus, loose tooth, home remedies for poison ivy, home remedies for psoriasis, rectal itch, sinus infection home remedies, swimmer's ear prevention, home-remedies-for-whitening-teeth, home remedies for warts.

Benefits of Honey: asthma, home remedies for allergies, athletes foot home remedy, bed sores, bed wetting, bronchitis, home remedies for burns, chapped lips, chicken pox, cold sores, croup, home remedies for hangovers, home remedies for hemorrhoids, motion sickness, nausea, home remedies for insomnia, ringworm home remedies, toothache home remedies, ulcers, home remedies for weight loss, wounds, wrinkles.

Dandelion health benefits

We just had them for dinner last night with our BBQ! So Delicious!  SRN

If you haven't tried them you should...

 by: Organic Gardening

1) Cancer: Dandelion root extract is unique, and is one of the only things found to help with chronic myelomonocytic Leukemia and It is effective in treating Breast Tumors
2) Detoxification of vital organs: Because of the diuretic abilities of dandelion root, it is beneficial for flushing out the Liver, Kidneys and Gallbladder. İt works great to purify the blood and cleanse the system. This also makes it a good herb for Fighting İnfections.
 
It is also used for Arthritis, Osteoarthritis , Gout and Rheumatism

3) Dandelion tea actively ameliorates disease—it is a potent disease-fighter—and helps the body heal, helps Boost İmmunity and Heart Disease, and age-related Memory Loss.

4) Treating Anemia: Because of the high content of iron in dandelion root, it is beneficial for building red blood cells in the body to treat anemia.

5) Treating Diabetes: Dandelion root has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in patients. In Europe, it's used to treat Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.

6) Digestive System: Dandelion root, when made into a tea, is beneficial for relieving constipation, flatulence and fullness.

7) Treating High Blood Pressure: Dandelion root is a natural Diuretic. When combined with its high potassium content, it is an effective treatment to lower blood pressure.

8) Dandelion tea helps reduce High Cholesterol.

9) High Nutritional Value: Dandelion root contains vitamins A, B-complex, C and D as well as the minerals İron, Zinc and Potassium. This combination of vitamins and minerals also makes dandelion root a High Antioxidant Food.

10) Mood Enhancer: Due to the high amount of vitamin B-complex, dandelion root can help to stabilize mood and Treat Depression.

11) It is very beneficial to Menopausal Women

12) Dandelion root is also used to treat skin disorders such as Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis.

13) Laxative: Dandelion root is also a mild laxative and is used to help with regularity.

14) Dandelion tea helps with weight control—especially with Weight Loss.

(Composting spent dandelion tea Blossoms, Leaves, and/or Roots, after drinking your dandelion tea, improves soil composition.)

(There are very few side effects linked to using dandelion root. Allergic Reactions to the herb have been reported. People taking prescription lithium, a diuretic, medication to lower blood pressure or medication to lower blood sugar should not take dandelion root. Women who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding should consult their doctor before taking this herb.) please share !

— with Jessica Calder.

EMP And What You Can Do About It

Great share by:Renee Smuckmier, Thanks :)

by M.D. Creekmore 

EMP And What You Can Do About It  – Submission by Ray

EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse. Most of us have heard of it, some of us understand what it is and what it does, and those who have read “One Second After” have an idea of what will happen if we are attacked with it. Some additional info can be found at here.

The U.S. Government created a commission to study EMP and what it could do to the safety and security of the United States. Unfortunately, this Committee published its report the same day as the 911 Commission, so it didn’t get much news coverage. You can read the report at www.empcommission.org. The bottom line in the report is that it is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ we will be hit.

EMP will take out everything electronic, whether it is connected to the grid or sitting unplugged on the kitchen counter. Things connected to the grid may fry from the 100,000 volt surge brought in through the power distribution lines.

Electronics with transistors or integrated circuits are extremely sensitive to static electricity, and can be destroyed by as little as 100 volts. Walking across a carpet and sparking to that door know is well over 1000 volts. The surge created by the EMP in your electronic device will be sufficient to destroy them if they are not protected.

One of the committee members likened EMP to a time machine, transporting our society from ‘today’ to ‘1870’ in about one second. We become, once again, an agrarian society, capable of supporting the level of population that we had in 1870. This means that there will be a lot of Americans dying.
Our goal, your goal, is to be among the survivors. There are many things that need to be done to prepare: learning survival skills, having land and gardening/preserving knowledge, and many other things.
Having communications and some of the gadgets survive could mean the difference between surviving and not surviving. Things like solar battery chargers, batteries, inverters, ignition systems for chain saws, critical farm equipment electronics, walkie-talkies, NV gear among others could be critical when the time comes.

What is EMP?

When a nuclear bomb is exploded above the atmosphere, it releases gamma rays in all directions. The ones that head towards the atmosphere strike air molecules and strip off electrons.
Those electrons and gamma rays head towards Earth, stripping even more electrons. This avalanche of electrons, called the Compton Effect, interact with the Earth’s electromagnetic field, creating very strong magnetic waves.

When a magnetic field crosses a conductor, electrical current is produced. When this EMP magnetic wave crosses power lines, electronic equipment, anything conductive, current is produced. Enough current could be produced to create fires, exploding transformers, extremely high voltage (current pushing through resistance results in voltage) which can break down insulation and create arcing and short circuits.

In 1962 the US detonated a 1.4 megaton bomb over one of the test sites in the Pacific. It was high enough that the island of Hawaii, 900 miles away, had 300 street lights go out, and some microwave links were damaged.

Hours after the detonation there were still surges and ripples in the power system. That was when we used vacuum tubes and before transistorized equipment was on the market. Today, with microcircuits and all of the very high tech equipment that we have in our homes, our factories and our defenses, we are more vulnerable than ever.

The U.S. Senate recently stripped funds for hardening the country’s power grid against EMP from a homeland security bill. We are on our own.

What can be harmed?

Will EMP harm you? You, the human, will be safe. Magnetic waves, even very strong ones, will not harm you. MRIs use strong magnetic waves to make images of your innards.

But, look around you at anything with a wire or a chip. Whatever you see, be it toaster, TV, laptop, microwave oven, radio, chain saw, car, or truck, it is vulnerable, and the higher the technology the more vulnerable.

WSHTF you won’t need a TV, but you will need a radio, perhaps walkie-talkies, probably solar battery chargers, that ignition coil on your chain saw, maybe that night vision scope and whatever else you deem necessary for your survival. EMP won’t hurt you, but it may take away every electronic device that you posses.

If you are part of a group, you might consider building a larger box and sharing it, and the cost.

What can I do?

One way to protect your gear is to build a Faraday Shielded Box and keep your stuff in it. A faraday shield is simply a physical device that prevents electromagnetic radiation from passing, in or out. In our case, we’ll take a cardboard box, cover it with copper screening material, and then ground it well.

I’ll describe the one that I built and you can size it up or down as you think necessary. Copper screen material with wire spacing of 0.1” is needed, and is the most expensive part of the project. You can keep costs down by only making as big a box as necessary. But when you think of the cost, think of the cost of the items that you will be protecting and what it might cost you if they don’t make it.

I started with a 2’ x 2’ x 3’ cardboard box. I actually had two of them. I cut the top flaps off of one, and cut up the other to bend and fold a lid like a hat box, with about 2” of side overlap. I wanted a loose fitting top, with plenty of overlap on the sides. You don’t want any holes or gaps in the copper shielding, which is why I put the 2” flap on the lid for the box.

I laid out the screen coverage to minimize the number of lapped joints, cut the screen and used spots of hot melt glue to hold the pieces in place. I folded the screen around lips and edges, cut and tucked it into corners, and then used a very hot (150 W) soldering iron to solder all of the lap joints and corners. On the lid, not only cover the outside, but fold the screen into the underside for the side overlaps. You don’t want any missed areas of coverage of the screen.

Next, take a piece of bare #10 AWG or #12 AWG (house wiring Romex) and strip off the insulation. Form it into a loop with a pigtail. Now make a second one. Lay one on one side flap of the lid and solder the pigtail to the screen. Put the lid on the box and solder the other loop to the main box a couple of inches below the pigtail loop on the lid.

Your box is ready. Find an out of the way place where it can stay undisturbed. From the box, run a copper wire (#10 AWG) outside the house to a ground rod. You can use a ground rod of copper or galvanized steel, or you can get 10’ of ½” galvanized pipe. Drive it into the ground at least 8’, attach the copper wire to the clamp, and make sure that you always have the box and lid connected to the ground wire. At the box end of the wire, use alligator clips to conned the main wire to one of the pigtails and then make a short jumper between the two pigtails.

I haven’t finished stocking mine, but my list includes: night vision goggles, IR laser sight for the rifle, game camera, batteries, crank emergency radio, walkie-talkies, solar battery charger, 12V to 110 VAC inverter, ignition coil for the chain saw and an alternator for the tractor.

Collecting and Maintaining Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter

Always wanted to do this, Now is my chance!  SRN

http://ruralspin.com/2012/01/22/

collecting-and-maintaining-wild-yeast-sourdough-starter/

My sourdough starter is six years old and lives in this jar in my refrigerator. The liquid on top is called "hooch" and is perfectly normal.

No, you do not have to buy yeast to make really great bread. In fact, you never have to purchase yeast from the store again if you collect your own wild, local yeast and make your own sourdough starter. After you collect your wild yeast, the sourdough starter lives in a jar in your refrigerator. In fact, it can live there for hundreds of years if you take care of it properly. Here are the basics of collecting and maintaining your own wild yeast sourdough starter.

It’s important to note that not all wild yeasts are created equal. The iconic San Francisco sourdough is a wonderful wild yeast, but it is exceptional. In my last home in eastern Kansas the wild yeast was on the weak side, so while it was great for things like bagels and soft pretzels, it wasn’t the best for a light bread. However, now that I’ve moved to the Colorado Front Range I’m pleased with how wonderful the wild yeasts are and the wonderful light bread they make.
The ultimate goal with this is to have fun and to have another way to cut your tie to the commercial food chain. This is not always easy, and with wild yeast it means that you need to experiment with your starter often to learn the nature of your local yeast. But that’s where the fun is! Through time your wild yeast starter will be like an old friend; one that you can literally pass on to your children and grandchildren. For a video introduction on sourdough check out our video, “Intro to Sourdough.”

COLLECTION

Collecting wild yeast is pretty easy. All you need is a bowl, flour, warm water (about 85F) and a jar in which to store your starter. When you’re first collecting your yeast, white flour seems to work a bit better than wheat flour, but after you have a nice starter going you can add wheat flour as you maintain your starter, and you are free to use just about any kind of flour when baking.

First, take a bowl and mix together 2 cups of flour and 2 cups warm water (about 85F). It’s ok if there are lumps–it doesn’t need to be perfectly mixed. But do not mix in anything else besides flour and water! This is very important. Incorporate air into the mix with some vigorous strokes, however; yeast floats around in the air, so the more air contact your mix has the better.

Next, cover your bowl lightly with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel; never use anything like a plate or saran wrap, as this will prevent air (and therefore yeast) from making contact with your mix. If it’s summer time you can let the bowl sit outside so your mix has access to as much wild yeast floating around as possible. If it’s winter, put the bowl in a warmish, protected spot like in a cold oven. Over the next 24 hours, stir your mix about once every three to six hours just to get more air incorporated.

For a review of the process up to this point watch “Step 1: Collecting Wild Yeast for Sourdough.”
After 24 hours, check your starter and see how bubbly it is. You may not have many bubbles at all–it just depends upon a variety of factors like season and the nature of your local yeast, so don’t feel discouraged if the process takes two or three days. If you don’t see a lot of bubbles, whip the starter with a fork or something to incorporate more air, then let it sit, covered, in a warmish spot for another 24 hours. For more info on this step watch “Step 2: Growing your Wild Yeast.”

After two days, we have foaming and bubbles, proving that we've caught the wild yeast!

It can take two to three days for the yeasts to start growing in your starter. You’ll be able to tell if the bubbles you’re seeing are “active” bubbles or just air bubbles that you’ve mixed in coming to the surface. Check out this video to see what you can expect: “Step 3 Final Step Sourdough.”
Now that your starter is done, you can put it in a quart-sized jar and add another cup of flour and another cup of 85F water. Leave it sit for another day or so, then put it in your fridge where the yeasts will go dormant, ready for you to activate when you bake.

SWEETENING THE POT

The only thing that can really kill your sourdough starter is too much heat or starving it to death, and to prevent the later your starter does require some maintenance to remain happy and productive. Luckily, keeping it happy is easy, and it gives you the chance to share your starter with friends and family. You need to feed your starter once every five or six months, so this is not a time-consuming endeavor. Gold miners of old, who coveted their starters, called this maintenance process “sweetening the pot.” For a video of this process, see “Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter.”

The first step is to remove the jar of starter from your refrigerator. If you haven’t used your starter in several months, you’ll notice there is a layer of liquid at the top. This is called the “hooch” and can simply be mixed back in with your starter.

Grab another jar, which has been cleaned and sterilized, and place half of your starter in the new jar. Add a cup of new flour to this, and a cup of warm, 85F water. Mix until incorporated (lumps are fine) and let it sit overnight so the yeasts have a chance to start eating the new flour. Put your new jar back in the refrigerator until your next baking (or next pot sweetening). That’s all there is to it!

What do you do with the other half of your starter that’s in the original jar? This is your chance to earn some good karma and give it away to friends or family. It will be a great chance to bond with people you care about, and spread some fun and food independence along the way.

Check out our recent post on baking bread using your new sourdough starter: Using Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter: Basic Bread.

We have  put one of these together about two months ago.

 Really simple and cost effective! SRN

$15 Faraday Cage and Why You Need One

By Jessica, April 27, 2012, Salt N' Prepper

There are a handful of emergency preparedness items specific to the disaster in which you are preparing. A faraday cage is one of said items. So unless you are preparing for an EMP (or an engineer), you may not have heard of one before. My personal preps include the necessity of a faraday cage and I suggest yours do as well. A faraday cage is the only thing protecting you from being blasted back in time 200 years.

What Is A Faraday Cage?

I’m no engineer and so even if I tried to explain the research I discovered about electrons and canceled out particles I’m sure I would butcher it to the point of offense. I can however give you a short description:
Firstly, a faraday cage is called such because it was invented by Michael Faraday. The basic premise of a faraday cage is electronically continuous all the way around. Meaning you have some sort of electronic conducting material surrounding it – like metal. There can’t be any large spaces left exposed for electronic waves to penetrate.

Because you create this barrier, your electronics inside will be left unexposed to dangerous electronic wavelengths coming from outside the faraday cage.

Watch an MIT professor explain it in greater detail:

 http://youtu.be/t23iXhEiQUc

Watch a Faraday Cage In Action – Microwaving Peeps

 http://youtu.be/Z51WVaNdEvw

Why Do I Need One?

I have heard people express concern over a solar flare that could cause a dangerous disturbance in our electronic field. This particular disaster I haven’t done too much research on and couldn’t tell you the legitimacy behind it. I however have done a significant amount of research to validate the possibility of an EMP terror attack.

Once again, I will save you the rambling and give you the Sparknotes – EMP stands for Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP is a burst (or pulse) of electromagnetic radiation so strong that it will fry pretty much any kind of electronic device (It doesn’t matter if it’s on at the time or not – Tom Cruise was lying to you about that in War of the Worlds).

One way an EMP can occur is by detonating a nuclear bomb in the atmosphere. This is particularly terrifying because now it is understood that a nuclear bomb doesn’t need to reach the ground in order to do catastrophic damage. This means any terrorist organization no longer needs to concern themselves with smuggling in a bomb on the ground. It just needs to get airborne and you’ve got millions of people without power.

Now our military has all of their equipment safe from an attack like this but the average citizen does not. This means within an instant we’ll be blasted back into the 18^th century. Yikes!
Enter the faraday cage

By building a faraday cage you can protect your electronics by storing them inside. You can buy faraday cages but I really would advise against it. It’s not necessary to spend the amount of money many of those places will ask for a simple metal cage with some insulation.

Here’s How to Build Your Own with About $15

Supplies

This is probably my most simple DIY project to date. All you need is an aluminum garbage can with a nice and snug lid along with a cardboard box.

Step One: Cut the Cardboard

From the bottom flaps to about the middle of the box you’re going to want to cut some slots about 8 inches wide. This just makes it so that the cardboard can conform easier to the shape of your can.

Step Two: Insulate Can with Box

You’re going to make a tube with your cardboard and slide it into the can. Go ahead and press against the edges of the can to make sure it’s right up against it. That way you have more room inside.

Step Three: Make & Place the Base Insulation

By tracing the bottom of the can on some extra cardboard, you’re going to cut out a circle that will fit in the bottom of your insulation. Then just push it down inside your can. You want this to be a tight fit.

Step Four: Tape the Insulation 

Tape in the creases where the base meets the sides of the insulation. Also tape along the cuts you made in the cardboard. Whatever you put inside of this cannot be touching the metal can – only the cardboard insulation. Taping these weak spots just ensures nothing gets past the cardboard to touch the metal.

Step Five: Trim the Excess

Just go around the edge of your can with a box cutter to cut off the excess cardboard insulation sticking out of the top.

Step Six: Put On Your Lid

Once you’ve put in all of your radios and other gadgets, you’ll just fit on your lid nice and tight.

There are many, many different designs and concepts for homemade faraday cages. This is just one of them. If you happen to find a design that calls for the use of wire mesh instead of solid metal, be sure to get some with the smallest holes you can find. Remember, you want the openings smaller than the electronic waves that will damage your stuff.

Other than that you’re good to go. This really is one of the cheapest and simplest DIY projects you can do and it will be so worth having when everyone else’s electronics are trashed and you’re still up and running.