Off Grid Living: Propane Gas

This is a great read and very informative SRN

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/ 

April 30, 2012, Submitted by: Ken

Living partially or totally off-grid-living presents its challenges. If you wish to maintain a standard of living in your home or retreat, and keep a comfort level not too far different from ordinary modern living, then one of your biggest decisions will be choosing what will be your fuel sources for energy. You will need to answer questions like, What will you cook with? How will you refrigerate? Light your home? How will you heat your home? What about energy for appliances, your water-well pump, computer, or everything else that normally ‘plugs in’?

There are many questions for sure, when you consider all of the modern conveniences that make our day-to-day lives easier. I believe that an approach of power diversification is the best one. Having multiple sources of energy will provide you a backup in some areas, and should one energy source be removed, at least you won’t lose ‘all’ of your living conditions.

One source of energy that could play a significant role in an off-grid-living environment is Propane gas. Unlike ‘natural gas’ which is often available in suburban homes from gas lines which are piped underground throughout the area, ‘propane gas’ is stored in stand-alone tanks sitting (or buried) right on your property. The gas is piped into the home and is drawn upon as necessary until the tank needs to be refilled. It’s refilled by a delivery truck, kind of like how an oil truck will deliver home heating oil for your furnace (if you have that type of heating system).

Propane is one of the cleanest burning fuels and burns with no soot and very few sulfur emissions. The gas evaporates quickly at normal temperatures and pressures and is usually supplied in pressurized steel gas cylinders. The most common tank (for typical portable home use) is a 20 pound tank (also sometimes referred to as a 5 gallon tank). This is the kind of portable tank you would find at a Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Propane tanks also come in larger sizes, designed for more of a permanent installation, and can be installed large enough to keep you supplied for quite a long time. Generally, 500-gallon tanks easily accommodate an average four-bedroom home while 1,000+ gallon tanks can fuel very large homes. Propane can power most types of home appliances that we are accustomed to, so long as the appliance is designed for propane. Propane gas powered appliances include refrigerators, freezers, ranges, cooktops, outdoor grills, room heaters, central heating, water heaters, generators, clothes dryers, and more.

Propane gas is measured and distributed in gallons, pounds and cubic feet, and is usually sold by the pound when dispensed into portable tanks, and sold by the gallon when weighing the tank isn’t feasible.
Propane tanks are typically filled to 80% capacity to leave room for expansion.

1 Gallon of Propane = 27 kWh (Kilowatt Hours) of electricity.
1 Gallon of Propane = 91,600 Btu’s.
1 Gallon of Propane = 4.2 pounds as a liquid at 60-degrees F.
1 Gallon of Propane = 35.97 cubic feet.
1 Pound of Propane = 21,810 Btu’s.

“How long will my portable tank of propane last?” This is easy to figure out if you know the number of pounds of gas that is in your full tank and the BTU/hr demand of your burner or other gas appliances. One pound of liquid gas in your tank has 21,600 Btu/hr fuel value.

If you have a typical portable 20# tank, and if you have a typical low pressure burner gas grill, for example that is rated at 40,000 btu/hr maximum output, then you can run that burner at full blast for 10.9 hours:
(20# x 21,810 Btu/# = 436,000 Btu’s in the gas in a 20# tank)
(436,000 Btu ÷ 40,000 Btu/hr = 10.9 hrs)

For off-grid-living, or to be more self-sufficient without relying solely on an electric utility service for most of your energy needs, consider using propane gas and appliances. If you are planning or designing an off-grid-living location or retreat, consider propane as an alternative energy source. As an added benefit, propane gas energy will not ‘go out’ during a storm, etc. since it is located right there on your property. It is also EMP proof (provided your appliances don’t contain electronic circuits). As a side note, I would compliment this energy source with solar power (photovoltaic and direct solar energy design), because propane energy requires the services of that occasional fuel delivery…

How to Build a open fire pit...

Another Great share from Sheri, 
I love her she makes my searches for information easier! 
Thanks SRN

How to Build a open fire pit...

 To see full article Follow this link

 http://www.pioneerliving.net/buildingopenfirepit.htm

Build Your Own Well Pump

This could come in handy! SRN

Got Water?

PARTS LIST BELOW. Got this idea from u-tuber Approtechie. He has a lot of good ideas. Use schedule 40 white PVC pipe. I don't have back up power here so this is my way of accessing my most convenient source of clean water if the power should go out for a long period of time. I used Teflon tape on any threaded joints. This cost about $70 to put together.

Parts List
Outer Pipe-One 11/4" plastic foot valve(Lowe's has them)
-One 11/4" adapter(slip x thread)
-As much 11/4" PVC pipe and couplings as needed
-One 11/4" x 1" Tee(slip)
-One 11/4" x 1" Bushing(slip)
-One 1" x 1/2" Bushing(slip) Trim the inside of this one.
Inner Pipe- One 3/4" Plastic foot valve
-One 3/4" Adapter(slip x thread) Trim the outside of this one.
-One 3" length of 3/4" pipe-sand one end to fit into 1"pipe
-About a 3ft. length of 1" pipe- this will be the piston
-One 1" x 1/2" Bushing(slip)
-As much 1/2" pipe and couplings as needed(1/4" holes drilled straight through pipe just above the piston)
-One 1/2"Tee(slip) + two short lengths of 1/2" with two 1/2"caps(slip) complete the handle.

THAT'S IT
I capped the handle off completely to trap air inside the upper portion of the 1/2" pipe because I didn't want to waste of energy lifting a lot of trapped water up and down. Also to force the water out the 11/4Tee. I was a little worried that the trapped air would make the inner pipe too buoyant so I did drill a hole in it about midway down. My well is pretty clean so I didn't put any kind of filter at the bottom. Some wells might need a finer screen than the one that comes with the foot valve( I think I've heard of people using sack cloth for this but not sure). For larger depths it might help to make the piston longer, maybe 5ft.

You tuber sameggers1: did a great video of his version!

      Follow link below to see a you Tube Video...
        http://youtu.be/PdUlyblmKhQ

No Drip spout!!!

 How Clever is this!

Rebecca Lynn shared When the Dinner Bell Rings's photo.

 

I saw this on the internet. It's made from a 2 liter soda bottle and hung on a spigot to prevent drips on the floor when entertaining or preparing drinks for kinds.

by: When the Dinner Bell Rings

Spider Season-know the Brown Recluse

Beware and always be 

safe rather than sorry...SRN

 

By: Jack Baker Posted to FB

About 4 years ago I had a Doctor appointment. That morning they called and postponed it because our Dr. was in surgery. Two days later they called back and cancelled my appointment because our Doctor had died on the operating table. We thought that he was the one doing the operating He had been bitten by a Brown Recluse. He had tried treating himself instead of getting help. He was fairly young (late 40’s) and the best Doctor we had ever had.

Brown Recluse Spider . . ..
At this time of year, this is worth seeing.
Show these picture to your spouse, your kids, grand kids, and friends. It could save their lives. Remember what this Spider looks like and be careful while cleaning, as told below.
It's summertime & cleanup is going on. Be careful where you put your hands. They like dark spaces & woodpiles. Also cool areas in the attic............................................

The Brown Recluse Spider is the most
dangerous spider that we have here in the USA.

A person can die from it’s bite. We all should know what the spider looks like.

Send this around to people you love, because it is almost summer time.

People will be digging around, doing yard work, spring cleaning, and sometimes in their attics.

Please be careful.
Spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent and highly negative consequences.

They like the darkness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or other areas that might not be frequented by people or light.

If you have a need to be in your attic, go up there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30 minutes before you go in to do your work.

By: Tami Richey Posted to FB

I teach First Aid and have 4 many years. The brown recluse spider bite is not painful when they first bite. U may not even know u were bit unless u c it. A large red area will begin 2 appear usually within 24 hours and get larger with time. It will form what is know as a bull's eye. The center point where bitten will have a white area almost like a pimple head and it begins 2 fill with pus. The area will b warm 2 the touch. These spiders usually cause destruction of cells which means the area around the bite dies. Depending on how long treatment is delayed but some people have 2 get the area debrided and even skin grafts. Never heard of too many deaths unless u r allergic 2 the venom. U should never delay getting 2 a doctor if u c something like this appear. It is true these spiders love the attics and wood piles!! 

How to Identify and Misidentify a Brown Recluse Spider

by Rick Vetter Staff Research Associate, UC Riverside Dept. of Entomology

Because of media hyperbole and anxiety-filled stories by the general public extolling the horrors associated with brown recluse spiders, people are very interested in knowing if the spiders they find are brown recluses.   Although it is true that a brown recluse has a violin pattern, many non-arachnologists creatively misinterpret many markings on spiders as "violins" and feel that they have found recluse spiders.  Therefore, if you can learn to identify your spider as NOT a recluse, you can relieve your worries.  You won't be able to tell what it is (and please don't send them to me for identification because due to shift in the California economy, I no longer provide these services) but you will at least know that it is not a recluse spider.

Several important things:

1. Check the map to see if you live in an area that is supposed to have recluse spiders.  If you do not live in any of the colored areas in the map, then it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that you have a recluse spider.  It is POSSIBLE but incredibly unlikely.
2. Because so many people have mistaken markings on a spider as violins, this is NOT a reliable characteristic for a non-arachnologist.  You need to look at the eye pattern.
3. Even if you have a recluse, bites from them are extremely rare, despite all the stories.    Many of the really graphic nasty wounds you see on the internet as recluse bites can also be other conditions like necrotizing bacteria and pyoderma gangrenosum.  Ninety percent of brown recluse bites are not medically significant, heal very nicely often without medical. intervention and treatment for most brown recluse bites is simple first aid (RICE therapy - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).  Many conditions are misdiagnosed as recluse bites when their cause is something else like infection, bad reaction to medication, diabetic ulcers, Lyme disease, or other underlying medical conditions.

What does a brown recluse look like?

A brown recluse has a dark brown violin shape on the cephalothorax (the portion of the body to which the legs attach).  The neck of the violin points backward toward the abdomen.  However, what you should look at instead is the eye pattern of 6 eyes in pairs with a space separating the pairs.  Most spiders have 8 eyes in two rows of four.

Here are the things that describe a brown recluse spider (but some other spiders have a few of these characters too).  There are pictures below to illustrate what is NOT a recluse.

• Six eyes arranged in pairs, with one pair in front and a pair on either side.
• A dark violin shape on the cephalothorax.
• Uniformly light-colored legs - no stripes, no bands
• Uniformly colored abdomen which can vary from cream to dark brown depending on what it has eaten, however, it will never have two colors of pigment at the same time.  (The little discoloration on the spider above left is the heart which can be seen through the thin skin.)
• No spines on the legs, only fine hairs
• Recluses make small retreat webs behind objects, never out in the open.
• It is about 3/8 of an inch in body length.

All of the specimens shown below have been submitted to me as brown recluses!!!!!!  None of the spiders below should be considered dangerous.

Six eyes, not eight

You may not always be able to count the eyes and some eye pairs are so close together that you might not be able to see both of them, however, the 6 eye pattern of the brown recluse is easy to see with minor magnification.  Most spiders can be eliminated as NOT brown recluses simply from this aspect.  Be aware that there are spitting spiders (genus Scytodes) (below) which have a similar eye pattern but they do NOT have a violin (plus it has more than one color on its legs and abdomen).

Dark violin pattern

People have submitted the following spiders because they thought that they saw violins on their bodies.  People also claim to see the violins on the top and bottom of the abdomen, and the underside of the cephalothorax. In the left photo, the two light spiders look like they have violins but they also have 8 eyes (although you need a microscope to see all 8 of them) and more than one pigment on the abdomen so they are not recluses (they are cellar spiders, genus Psilochorus and/or Physocyclus).  The other spider in the left picture has a very faint dark line pattern which people assume is a violin.  It also has 8 eyes and massive spines on its legs, so it is not a recluse.  In the right photo, this spider has a slight darkening near its eyes so people mistake this for a recluse violin.  This spider has 8 eyes clumped together and black spines on its legs although you may not be able to see the spines in this image (genus Kukulcania).

Uniformly colored legs and uniformly colored abdomen

If there is more than one color on the legs, or if the legs are brown or darker, it is NOT a recluse.  If the spider has more than one pigment on the abdomen, it is NOT a recluse.  The top two spiders are funnel weavers (family Agelenidae), the bottom left is an orbweaver (family Araneidae), and the bottom right spider is a male huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria) found most often in Florida but occasionally in other gulf coast states.  They are can be determined to be NOT recluses by more than one color on their legs or abdomens.

Fine hairs only, no spines

If the spider has conspicuous thick spines on the legs, it is NOT a recluse. This orb weaver below has many spines sticking out perpendicularly from the legs.

Web made out of sight

If the spider has a conspicuous web out where you can see it, or between two trees or in rose bushes, it is NOT a recluse.  The "classic" spider webs like that of Charlotte's Web are made by orb weavers.

Not larger than 1/2 inch in body length

If the spider has a body length of greater than half an inch, it is NOT a recluse.

USA Spider Identification Chart

Now this could come in handy. I hope not... but you never know! SRN

Featured are the brown recluse, black widow, hobo spider, wolf spider, white-tail spider, black house spider, huntsman and other spiders with notes to aid in identification. CLICK HERE for your FREE Spider Identification Chart to be mailed direct to you, free of charge.

Spider identification of venomous and dangerous spiders most commonly found in homes, their habitat areas, venom toxicity and spider bite first aid procedures.

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BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER	BLACK WIDOW SPIDER	HOBO SPIDER	GRASS SPIDER
FEMALE MOUSE SPIDER	MALE MOUSE SPIDER	BLACK HOUSE SPIDER	WOLF SPIDER
FEMALE TRAP-DOOR	GARDEN ORB-WEAVING	SAINT ANDREW'S CROSS	HUNTSMAN SPIDER

Brown Recluse Spiders ...deadly and aggressive

Venom toxicity - the brown recluse venom can cause significant cutaneous injury with tissue loss and necrosis. Habitat - brown recluse is found in the United States from the east to the west coast, with predominance in the south. Spider Identification - an adult spider is 1/4 to 3/4 inch in body - a dark violin shape is located on the top of the leg attachment region with the neck of the violin pointing backward toward the abdomen. Unlike most spiders that have 8 eyes, the brown recluse has 6 eyes arranged in pairs - one pair in front and a pair on either side. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Brown Recluse Spider Bite

Black Widow Spiders ...highly venomous - can be deadly

Venom toxicity - the Black Widow Spider can inflict a painful bite which can be fatal, especially to the young and elderly. An effective anti-venom was developed in 1956. Only a small amount of venom can cause serious illness, as the poison attacks the nervous system. Systemic envenomisation usually results in headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia and hypertension. The pain around the bite area can be excruciating or it may go unnoticed. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, if bitten. If you have heart condition or other heart problem, you may need hospitalization. Spider Identification - the body of an adult black widow is about 1/2 inch long. The female black widow is normally shiny black, with a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. The marking may range in color from yellowish orange to red and its shape may range from an hourglass to a dot. Habitat - prefers woodpiles, rubble piles, under stones, in hollow stumps, sheds and garages. Indoors it can be found in undisturbed, cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Black Widow Spider Bite

Hobo Spiders : venomous - dangerous?

Venom toxicity - although the bite of the hobo spider is initially painless, the bite can be serious. After 24 hours, the bite develops into a blister and after 24-36 hours, the blister breaks open, leaving an open, oozing ulceration. Typically when the venom is injected, the victim will experience an immediate redness, which develops around the bite. The most common reported symptom is severe headache. Other symptoms can include nausea, weakness, fatigue, temporary memory loss and vision impairment. In any case, first aid and medical attention should be sought, if bitten, as and when any adverse health effects are observed. Spider Identification - they are brown in color and the adults measure roughly 1/3 to 2/3 inch in body length and 2/3 to 2 inches in leg span. Their abdomens have several chevron shaped markings. Males are distinctively different from females in that they have two large palpi (mouth parts) that look like boxing gloves. Females tend to have a larger and rounder abdomen when compared to males. Habitat - they can be found anywhere in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. They rarely climb vertical surfaces and are uncommon above basements or ground level. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Hobo Spider Bite

Funnel Web Grass Spiders: low risk, non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of these spiders is of low risk to humans. Spider Identification - are common outdoors and are occasionally found indoors. They are generally brownish or grayish with light and dark stripes near the head. They have long spinnerets and are moderate-sized (3/4 inch long). Grass spiders construct a large sheet web with a funnel they use as a retreat. These webs are commonly built on the ground, around steps, window wells, foundations, and low shrubs. Habitat - These spiders are often called grass spiders because they construct their webs in tall grass, heavy ground cover and the branches of thick shrubs. Rarely will a funnel web spider be seen indoors, except for an occasional wandering male. They are found mostly in the Pacific Northwest states. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Funnel Web Grass Spider Bite

Mouse Spiders ...venomous - painful bite

Venom toxicity - known to cause severe illness, especially to young children - similar to Red-Back Spider. Although normally not aggressive, the male mouse spider will bite if provoked, and should be considered dangerous to humans. It has large hard fangs which can cause a deep painful bite. First aid and medical attention (ambulance) should be sought as soon as possible. Spider Identification - a medium to large spider of up to 1 and 1/2 inches in body length. The male Mouse Spider often has a bright red head and elongated fangs. Habitat - Mouse spiders are ground dwellers with burrows of more than 3 feet deep. The male often wanders about during the day on open ground, especially after rain, in search of females. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Mouse Spider Bite

Black House Spiders ...venomous - nausea

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Black House Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Certain people bitten experience severe pain around the bite site, heavy sweating, muscular pains, vomiting, headaches and giddiness. First aid and medical attention (ambulance) should be sought as soon as possible. Spider Identification - adults are about 1/2 inch in body length and of a dark brown to black velvet textured appearance. Habitat - this spider spins a lacy, messy web and is prefers dry habitats in secluded locations. It is commonly found in window framing, under eaves, gutters, in brickwork, sheds, toilets and among rocks and bark. Electric lights attract their prey - moths, flies, mosquitoes and other insects. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Black House Spider Bite

Wolf Spiders ...venomous - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Wolf Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly. Spider Identification - an adult is 1/2 inch to more than 1 inch in body length - mottled gray to brown in color, with a distinct Union Jack impression on its back. The female carries it's young on its back. Habitat - this spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat. It has a roving nocturnal lifestyle to hunt their prey and can move very rapidly when disturbed. Commonly found around the home, in garden areas with a silk lined burrow, sometimes with a lid or covered by leaf litter or grass woven with silk as a little fence around the rim of the burrow. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Wolf Spider Bite

Trap-Door Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Trap-Door Spider is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. It is a non-aggressive spider - usually timid but may stand up and present it's fangs if harassed. Rarely bites - but if so it can be painful. Spider Identification - an adult is about 1 and 1/2 inches in body length - brown to dark brown in color - heavily covered with fine hairs. The male has distinct boxing glove-shaped palps, that is, the two "sensory feelers" at front of its head. Habitat - this spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat lined with silk of up to 10 inches in depth and around 1 inch in width - prefers nesting in drier exposed locations - often has a wafer-like lid on the burrow entrance. Trap-Door Spiders are commonly found in the drier open ground areas around the home. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Trap Door Spider Bite

Orb-Weaving Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of Orb-Weaving Spiders is of low risk (not toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Seldom bite. Be careful not to walk into their webs at night - the fright of this spider crawling over one's face can be terrifying and may cause a heart attack, particularly to the susceptible over 40 year olds. Spider Identification - an adult is about 2/3 to more than 1 inch in body length - has a bulbous abdomen - often colorful - dark to light brown pattern. The common Golden Orb-Weaver Spider has a purplish bulbous abdomen with fine hairs. Habitat - often found in summer in garden areas around the home - they spin a large circular web of 6 feet or more, often between buildings and shrubs, to snare flying insects, such as, flies and mosquitoes. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Orb-Weaving Spider Bite

St Andrews Cross Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the St Andrews Cross is of low risk (non-toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Spider Identification - adult 1/4" to 1/2" in body length - abdomen striped yellow and brown - as illustrated. The St Andrews Cross Spider usually sits, upside down, in the middle of its web forming a cross - as illustrated. Habitat - this spider is a web-weaver usually found in summer in garden areas around the home. It is considered beneficial as it spins a large web to snare flying insects, such as flies and mosquitoes. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - St Andrews Cross Spider Bite

Huntsman Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of Huntsman Spiders is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young. Spider Identification - an adult varies greatly around 1/2" in body length - has long legs - the diameter of an adult including legs may reach 2" - the first 2 pairs of legs are longer than rear two - it is hairy - buff to beige brown in color, with dark patches on the body. Habitat - a hunter that prefers to live under the flaking bark of trees, under flat rocks and under eaves or within roof spaces of buildings. The Huntsman Spider often wanders into homes and is found perched on a wall. It is a shy, timid spider that can move sideways at lighting-fast speed when disturbed. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Huntsman Spider Bite

Be Prepared: An Introduction to Food Storage

Be Prepared: An Introduction to Food Storage

In the age of the 24 hour supermarket, food storage may seem like a crazy concept. But economic forces are converging in such a way that skyrocketing food prices no longer seem like a impossibility, more and more they appear to be an impending certainty. While we could be wrong about inflation, there’s no harm in being prepared. Don’t be the person holding up a sign looking for help, be the person with a life raft. Look at the information on food storage and decide what’s best for you and your family.

        

 Reasons to Rely Upon Food Storage:

• Natural Disaster
• Terrorism 
• Economic Depression
• Drought
• Crop Failure
• Personal Tragedy
• Civil Unrest
• Unemployment

Hope this will get you started. Let me know your progress and we’ll keep you going in the right direction.

Depending on your budget for food storage you can either start with one at a time or a few of each.

First thing we are going to do is start with simple grocery store items. Once you have a two week supply we can add in some other items. Don’t worry about a menu, when we are done you will have your own grocery store!

BASIC FOOD ITEMS

• Pasta sauces
• Canned Tomatoes
• Soups
• Canned and dried beans
• Pasta
• Rice
• Instant potatoes & canned potatoes
• Canned fruit
• Canned veggies
• Dry milk
• Oil
• Mac and cheese
• Peanut butter, jelly, honey
• Flour
• Corn meal
• Sugar
• Canned meats, Tuna, chicken, beef…
• Oatmeal, cream of wheat…
• Try to buy things that only need water to prepare, especially now.

 Quantity of Food Items

Just use good judgment; remember soon your food storage area will be your home store.

Sample: 2 to 4 people

4- Pasta servings

10- Fruit and Veggie cans

 5- Pounds of Rice and beans

15 –Cans of soup

12- Box’s of Mac & cheese

  4- Jars of peanut butter

15- Cans of meat

Double up for 6 to 8, Remember  this is a start, by the time you finish this two weeks you will have a real grip on Food storage, the two weeks will break the ice for you , and get you off and running. J

WATER is Essential!

• Easy way to store is by using cleaned out 2 liter soda bottles; you can easily clean out with hot water a drop of soap & rinse thoroughly. This type of plastic is safe for storage.  Store in a cool dark place when possible.
• One gallon jugs are easy to start with and to store. You can put them under a bed in a closet, the attic, garage, shed so forth and so on. You can stack them easily buy putting a piece of shelving material on them and going about 3 high, depending on if small children are in the house. You can buy water as low as 69 cents a jug at Wal-Mart. Gallon jugs are also easy to handle. ( my favorite for getting started)
• Water bricks are stack-able and store easily.
• Portable water filter is always a good idea.
• It is recommend to have minimum a 2 liter soda bottle / per person / per day for consumption and washing.
• If a situation where water is an issue be sure to have stash of paper plates, napkins, plastic ware and moist wipes stored. Conserve your water supply; it will be your life line.

Depending on your finances this could take a few days or a few months. The important thing is that you start now. Pick a place in your home and when you shop purchase a few of these items for your storage. You’ll see it come together pretty fast and if you start like this you won’t feel the bite on your checkbook. Picking up a few extra Items every time you are out will be easy on you and your finances.

If your budget is as big as you would like, let me know and we will do a six month starter closet.

Please ask questions, I don’t know any details about you so I’m giving you the easy start. This is how I started. Don’t wait, start now. We tend to always think that can’t happen to me and then it does and the worst part is we could have been more prepared…

If you choose you can buy as healthy as possible, but remember these will be items used mostly in emergency situations, so any meal is better than no meal.

Once you have put up about a two week supply you can add some freeze dried products and specialty items this will give you more Variety and nutrition. Enjoy putting these things together, don’t over think it just start buying and adding to you Storage area.

We have both stored and have used them in combination with each other and make great meal.

Let’s stay focused on the food until you hit that two week mark, the rest will come soon!

THINGS TO CONSIDER

•  No refrigeration, (Get Stocking a Food Storage Closet.
• Water Source
• Something to Cook on: BBQ, or a Camp Stove. Etc.
• Heat source: Fire place, wood stove, extra Blankets, or layered clothing.
• Batteries, Flash lights, Radio, Candles, Matches.
• First Aid Kit
• Closed stores
• No Utilities
• Protection

Consider a weekend with no utilities and using only what you have in your home now, then after some prepping time try it again. It’s a great eye opener! And will teach you allot…

Build around 4 categories of food

• Grocery store goods:  Cans and Boxes. (Often inexpensive, but little to no nutritional value.)

• Freeze dried foods:  lightweight and don’t take up much room, High nutrition value priced out per serving, its budget friendly. Freeze dried & dehydrated fruits and vegetables will be the backbone of your food storage and last up to 20-30 years.
• Bulk dry food: Beans, Rice and dried pasta, flour, cornmeal, dried milk, etc. 
• Pay attention to shelf life. Take a look at packaging. Can soup doesn’t need water and can store this for a few years.  Plastic bags and cardboard boxes – 1 yr max

STORAGE: 6 main enemies to storing food

• Temperature:  Ideal is 40 degrees - 72 degrees.  (For every 18 degrees above 72, food will lose its’ nutritional value by half)
• Humidity: Store food off the floor and away from outside walls
• Pests: Keep food in air-tight containers clean up food particles on the shelves or floor
• Oxygen: Use oxygen absorbers, rotate food, vacuum packing food to reduce oxidation
• Light: Keep your pantry area dark.  If food is in clear containers, keep them in labeled boxes with lids.
• Storage: Look for places where can you De-clutter. Try closets & under beds. More room for storage can be a Challenge, but think about the possible alternative. I recommend pieces of furniture that can double as storage. (i.e. Bench that opens up with a storage component – especially good for small homes)  

NON - FOOD ITEMS

Non-food items, purposefully 1-2 weeks supply (again a minimum)

• Decent first aid kit
• Prescription Meds
• Items like toilet paper can be bulky but it can be stored in garage, attic, shed, etc.
• Soap, shampoo, tooth paste, contact solution, etc. (Keeps easily and organized in buckets)
• Give serious consideration to how your family will cope when power is down. Water, food, protection, communication, Kids entertainment Etc…
• Pet care
• Consider a small Generator

This is basic; you can personalize your list and add more or less. Just remember it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Join us on: Facebook.com/selfreliantnetwork

Visit our website at: www.shelfreliance.Com/yourthivetosurvive

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.