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How we need to prepare
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By Skean Dhude I have been prepping for some time now and many of the items I have need periodic refresh. Some items go off, some perish and some are damaged in storage. It is similar to running a warehouse in many respects.
Checking your preps like I am doing now for damage just makes sense. Rain, wind, animals, kids and just moving things around causes damage and you need to identify that, fix or replace depending on what is best and then put back into stores.
When I started I didn’t really keep an inventory of what I had I’m also taking advantage of the check to catalogue everything. It will make things easier in the future for planning purposes.
Replacing items that have a limited shelf life, have gone off or perished should be performed regularly. I usually do this once a year by going through my inventory and simply purchasing replacements and updating the records. I leave the old ones in situ unless they are actually showing signs of decay such as perished goods, damaged or bulging tins.
What I have not done up to now is spend the time on the non perishable goods, items like tools, parts for filters, pipes, drills, saws, traps, bows and air rifles etc.
In my travels I have come across several items that I have in my stores that are on no use to me now. Mainly parts or tools that I no longer need as it is for a specific make or model. I’ve several spare parts for motorbikes I have not seen on the roads for decades. I’ve tools to attach to a lathe that I don’t have any longer. I’ve a ton on old biking gear that is no longer used. I’m now putting them on eBay. The funds will be more suitable for other tasks at this time of year.
In addition I have identified tools for tasks that I have already upgraded with modern more efficient tools. My old shotshell reloading kit for example. The old ones usually take up three times the space, take three times the time to use and require three times the effort of the new models. Sometimes though it is worth considering purchasing another new tool and replacing the obsolete one. It depends on what they are like. I either put them on eBay to recover some funds or I just keep them as a backup. It can make sense for a variety of reasons, spares, time and effort and sometimes the old one is worth more as decor than as the tool. I can replace it with a robust tool and have some spare cash.
It is worth looking at everything in your inventory, checking for damage, and even items that are not damaged or perishable should be considered for replacement. Newer tools are usually more efficient although we should always remember that they don’t tend to be as robust.
I have started the habit or keeping the old items though. Seeds are a good example. Every year I buy a stock of seeds put them away at the end of the year and mark them with the year. Next year I will do them same. I currently have five years worth of seeds. Most will be will viable for several years to come and if they are not then I’m no worse off. I could even use them for barter.
It all takes space and funding though so you are limited by your own circumstances as to what you can store and purchase.
Just remember though that damaged or perished goods are just as bad as having none. You must replace these at a minimum.
Related to this I check my BOB, GHB, GOOD and every other acronym kit on a monthly basis. They are the kits intended to be picked up and used at a moments notice and I want to ensure they are always ready. Being available at a moments notice means that they are easily accessible and this means that they are frequently accessed for daily living. The medical kits are usually accessed to get plasters, antiseptic and bandages while energy bars and drinks are frequently removed by our other halves who often then forget to tell us so we can replace the items. In the event of an event, sic, we could find that we are missing key items just when we need them the most and with no way to replenish the supplies.
On each of my BOB, GHB, etc. I have a list of contents and I simply check what is in there against the list. Replenishing where necessary. I’ll check and replace the items at the yearly check up so the monthly check is just a stock check.
By Skean Dhude I’ve always tried to make my preps modular. This means that you have one item and then you can add on to it making something different without having to buy that completely different item. It is a good principle but it is not perfect for preppers. It can bring risk when it is not necessary.
A real work example is the good old HiFi system. Modules are the principle behind the cheaper models. You have three major options.
- Buy a complete CD unit, a complete record unit, a complete tape unit, etc.
- Buy a system in modules, you buy an amplified, mixer, CD, tape, etc. in modules and plug them all together.
- Buy a HiFi with the radio, record deck, tape deck and CD player all in one box.
With option 1 you can mix and match your requirements but you have to switch between what you want manually. If anything breaks then everything else continues to work normally. It takes up more space and costs a lot more too. They also tend to be free standing with each unit needing its own space.
Option 2 means you can mix and match your requirements. You need to purchase a mixer and you connect them all together via the mixer. You then select which input device you want and that is what plays. If any of the core components, the mixer, amplifier or speakers break then you lose everything until you replace that part. If just the CD breaks then you still have the remaining items and you can swap out the CD with a new one or repair the entire system. It is cheaper that buying units with build in amplifiers and you can usually stack them up to save floor space.
Option 3 is usually just one unit saving significantly over purchasing each individual item. You may have to make some connections but they are minimal and you have the flexibility of all options with minimal cost and but it has a major weakness in that if a common component goes wrong then it can bring everything else down with it. The individual items are linked and won’t function on their own. When something goes wrong you can’t replace just that component you have to get the whole unit replaced and it is not unknown for something to go wrong with one part that bring everything else down with it. As you can’t choose your components you get what is supplied by default in that unit so you end up with basic specifications which cater for most folk.
Those that appreciate music usually go for option 2 and carefully select each component. Those, like me, that don’t see the nuances in the different options available in a high end player go for option 3.
In prepping though we tend to want to do things the other way around. We want to go option 1 for as much as we can and for some items we go option 2 with very few of our choices being option 3.
The reasons are simple. We just won’t be able to replace items and to put all our eggs in one basket like option 3 does goes totally against the grain for most of us. We obviously would like to save money but the risk that something may go wrong and we lose a suite of tools is too much for us to accept.
Personally, I have most of my items, falling into the option 1 category , weapons, radios, cooking, filters, etc. with a few falling into option2, tools mainly, and I have several of those to cover breakage and only the car, something I am prepared to lose falling into option 3. I have looked at the options available and, mainly because I am bugging in, I have accepted that risks involved.
Look at your preps. How many of your items are stand alone? Do you have one cooker that does everything? What happens if it breaks? What about your water? You may not have bottled water because you have a spring right by the back door. What happens if it gets contaminated or simply just dries up? Consider what if for each item and consider the risks.
Make sure you have contingency for everything important, then if it is really important put contingency in for that and if you can afford it some more spares. Try and be smart and get modular items when it is feasible don’t get too smart and put too many eggs in one basket though.
Remember you won’t be able to pop out the shops if you single sooper dooper cooking, heating and filtration system just stops. Nobody will service the warranty and nobody will be swapping it out. It is up to you. Make sure you remember this when you are looking at kit.
By Preserves Freak Pickling is a favourite method for storing food and has been for a long time. But pickling with premade vinegar is quite a new thing and vinegar is quite time consuming to make reliably in a post disaster world. This is some information on salt based pickles which use salt and water to regulate microbiological agents to turn the brine into vinegar over time around the food to be stored. This can be done with fruits and vegetables and also meat (i.e. corned beef)
You’ll need a clean, cool place to do this kind of pickling and also some time. You also need something to make your pickles in. Because the vessel will hold both brine and acid, metals are out. Wood and glazed pottery are traditional but plastic is cheap, easy to clean and available in about every size and shape you could want. But tall and narrow is the best. You will also want a clean weight to keep the vegetables under the surface of the brine. Salt, it is in nearly every home, it’s cheap and it lasts forever. Depending on which method you use (see below) you can use different salts. In the first recipe (the one where you make a brine) you can use whatever salt you have as you can boil and then chill the brine to get all the salt dissolved. With the dry method you are relying on water from the vegetable to dissolve the salt so it has to be very fine. Table salt can work but if all you have stored is rock salt you may wish to use the wet method. It is very important that you do not use chlorinated water for your brines as it could kill all of the microbes you want making pickles. You will also want to clean and trim your vegetables.
Wet method for large objects (whole or spears of cucumbers, etc.)
- 1 gallon water
- 5 1/4 ounce by weight of salt
- 3 pounds of vegetables/fruit)
Mix the brine together and then cover the vegetables with it. You will want something to keep everything under the surface of the liquid while not blocking air. You want to place it in a cool spot. After 3 days you will want to skim the scum, scooping off anything that looks white or moldy. It should just a by-product of the fermentation. Then every other day you want to repeat this step for a total of 6-10 days for mild pickles or up to 3 weeks if you like really sour pickles.
Dry method for small or chopped up foods (shredded cabbage, etc.)
- 5 pounds of vegetables/fruits
- 3 tablespoons of salt (the finer the better)
In a clean bowl mix the salt and vegetables together, then leave for 10 minutes. There should then be some liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Pack the vegetable and liquid into you container and again, push everything under the surface with a clean weight. After a few days the liquid should cover the vegetables and you will want to scum regularly for 2 to 4 weeks.
Those are the basic recipes and of course you can improve them however you like. Herbs, spices, fruits, a mixture of veggies. Whatever you have and like. If at any time the pickles become soft or give off strange odours you should throw that batch away. So now for what is happening during this time. The salt limits the presence of bacteria, except those who can work in a salty environment. They produce lactic acid in the brine and make it sour. But even the ones who can survive work very slow in it so it takes a while. This is fine as is will give you a more flavourful pickle, rather than just a strong one. Once your pickle is finished you can put it in the fridge, still in the liquid and eat them over a couple of months. Or you can seal the container from air and store them. I’ve had pickles up to 6 months old and they were fine, I’m sure you can go longer but I have just had little luck in not eating them. As for any leftover liquid, I either use it in salads or you can use it to make up part of your next brine. It’s packed with the microbes you want in your brine. Keep it in a cold place, loosely covered and in the next month start another pickle. If you do this you will want to make your brine, boil and chill (if needed) before adding your pickle juice.
I have never tried water bath canning jars of the pickles but I’m sure it would work. If you want a slightly safer storage system that doesn’t require loads of Kilner jars try this: Drain the pickles saving both the pickles and liquid. Boil the liquid to kill off you microbes. Then put the pickles in hot, sterilised jars (the ones with plastic pop lids), top up with the hot liquid and put the lid on. If any don’t seal put them in the fridge and use within the next month.
This information is based on my experience and reading. If you have a book that disagrees with me, you should probably follow its instructions instead. Also this is fermentation so everything, the container, utensils, weight, everything must be clean. Things can go wrong (especially the first time) so follow these instructions at your own risk.
By LightSpeed Our house is on the edge of a remote hamlet, and we do not want to draw any attention to the technical capabilities that we are building into it.
Just over 4 weeks ago we installed the first stage of our 12v back-up power system.
We’ve opted to maintain charge in the 2 x 125ah deep cycle accumulators using a vehicle smart charger. We also have a solar charge regulator pre-wired in, so that our solar panels can be connected up in a grid down situation.
We have opted for this system as it is very discreet and does not announce our PV charging capability by the presence of a large array of panels on the roof.
To control the charging arrangements I have constructed a small control panel, which incorporates a power consumed watt meter. This is there mainly to gauge the amount of energy we are harvesting from the PV array, when its deployed. But as currently configured, it tells me how much power is being used to keep the batteries float charged.
The answer is that since installation, this arrangement’s running cost is equivalent to running a 60watt light bulb for a around 15 minutes per day. This includes the power drawn by our alarm system, which is now hard wired in.
So we now have the best of both worlds. Currently the system is supported by grid services, but is easily switched to off grid PV array charging.
For anyone with a grid tied PV array on the roof this system can be charged free of charge at the present time, providing backup for grid down. With an appropriate charge controller, power generated from individual PV cells on the roof could be drawn down and regulated to keep the accumulators charged in a post SHTF scenario.
Best cost grid powered smart charge controllers were found at Lidl and Aldi. (£15.00) These are very well made auto smart chargers that have various modes for use with both 6v and 12v batteries, of large and small capacity. They provide rapid charging of depleted batteries, pulse charging of excessively discharged batteries, as well as maintenance float charging of fully charged cells.
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