Monthly Archives: April 2013

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: I’m Eating My Preps!

Posted on by
9 
by Nick Romaniello

I’m sure there are plenty of preppers out there that wouldn’t break into their mylar pouches full of grain for anything short of total Armageddon, but the truth is that emergencies can be varied and subjective. The world of a self-employed home improvement contractor is sometimes one of feast or empty-pocketsfamine especially during the initial years of building a business. The last few months have been financially tricky for me and Mighty Oak Homecraft. Large jobs have run long, delaying the income from final payments. Taxes were due, materials need purchased, yearly renewals of licenses and websites have all converged into a financial super-storm; the result is a cartoon-like escape of moths and dust when I open my wallet.

There is relief on the horizon as more jobs fill the schedule, but when the bank account hovers near the red it‘s nice to have a backup plan so that “feast or famine“ remains only a metaphor. Luckily there isn’t any panic about the financial burden of buying groceries. While I am not yet set up to last for months without resupply, having a reasonable store of food on hand to help stretch out limited resources is a big help. A lean month or two may not be the dramatic type of disaster scenario that many preppers are fortifying themselves against, but in reality (especially in my business) it’s a fairly likely scenario. Even for those with more predictable paychecks, financial emergencies can strike without warning. Unexpected car problems, a layoff, or an injury can put a serious dent in your cash flow. Emergency funds and savings accounts can be an ideal stopgap, but it can be difficult to squirrel away cash if you are living paycheck to paycheck. Being prepared should not be an exclusive hobby for those who can afford to stack gold bars up in their bunker. Even us penny pinchers can pick up a few extra cans each time we shop and before you know it, you have a food cache. Same goes for every gallon of gas you put away. An extra tank full when the chips are down could keep you operational when you might otherwise be thumbing rides.

foodshelfFull scale financial collapse will always be a hot topic in prepping circles and forums, but the commonality of family level tough periods exemplifies the purpose of prepping. It’s not always about the big things that might happen, but more about the small things that probably will happen. Don’t allow yourself to develop a mindset that your preps are only for “the big one”. They are your way of providing help to yourself in the future. Just like any other type of insurance policy, you aren’t required to wait for total loss to make a claim. There are preps that we acquire with the hope and intent that we never need to use them such as a fire ladder, gun, or suture kit. However, some items that we store such as food, gas, or toiletries don’t need to be viewed as such a last resort — plus they need to be rotated anyway! If you are hungry, eat. There is no shame in using your preps for small, short-lived emergencies. Things will get better and you can stock up again. That’s what it’s there for.

 

Momma Bear: Carefully Choosing Seeds This Year

Posted on by
3

It’s that time of year again when we are all starting our seeds and getting those gardens back in shape. Last year was our first year gardening — EVER. We had mixed success, primarily because our property is about 80% shade. One thing I learned though is the importance of picking the right seeds. By this I do not mean just picking the right vegetables, but also the importance of using heirloom seeds so I could let some of my garden go to seed and harvest those seeds for the next year.

heirloom_seeds-posterThis year, while surfing the internet for seeds, I came across some interesting articles about seed banks. The National Geographic article, Food Ark, refers to the world seed vault (which I initially thought was kind of a hokey idea). But I kept reading and discovered why it is so incredibly important. I am sure most of the prepper community understand the value of using heirloom seeds, instead of hybrids, for seed harvesting. But, what I found to be both fascinating and horrifying is that 95% of vegetable and fruit varieties have gone extinct in the last 100 years. Mass production, produce values, and hardiness were chosen over variety. While we are busy saving pandas, polar bears, and whales, no one seems to be worried about saving our food. (Another good article is, The Extinction of Food: Why Heirloom Seeds May Be Our Only Hope.)

I am appalled to report that my own heirloom seeds fall into sprng-sgnthe category of hearty store-bought ones. There is nothing unique or special about my seeds. So what can we do to help with this problem? My advice would be that we all seek out these rare varieties, join seed exchanges, and support farmer’s markets and CSA Co-Ops (Community Support Agriculture) whenever possible. Find the uncommon and value its place in our future.

Next I read, EWG’s 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, and looked at a list of what they call “The Dirty Dozen”; the foods we buy and eat that have the most residual pesticides. Again, this was eye-opening information that showed me exactly which of my favorite produce was on the danger list. And worse yet, I am not strict enough about washing my produce. If I wasn’t already a “prepper,” this would be enough to make me seriously consider joining the team!

heirloom-seeds-wordleMy new growing/gardening goal is to seek out a variety of quality seeds, and to grow some of those vegetables on the high pesticide laden foods list that we would normally buy. So this year–in addition to growing tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions from last year’s seeds–I will be growing my own spinach and peppers (two of the dirty dozen). We eat spinach more than most other varieties of lettuce and it grows really well in containers. Additionally we are still on the canning salsa kick so we are really looking forward to the peppers. I will also be networking with some friends in the Pacific Northwest to see if I can get some of their heirloom seeds for next year, and possibly getting involved in the Seed Savers Exchange.

Do you grow any rare varieties?  If so, what?  And would you be willing to share some seeds?!

 

Product Review: Duracell Digital Inverter 800

Posted on by
6
  1. Do you live in an area where the power could ever go out?
  2. Do you own a vehicle (or, more accurately, own a vehicle battery)?
  3. Do you have small devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, tablet devices, power tools, or even lamps that you would like to be able to power during a blackout?

inverterIf the answer to all these questions is “yes”, do yourself a favor and spend about $65 and get a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 (or another comparable quality inverter).

How does an inverter work? To review, batteries store DC (direct current) power, while common household devices use AC (alternating current) power. An inverter converts stored DC power to useable AC power (anything with a two/three prong plug).

When people first begin thinking about backup power, they frequently discuss getting a generator. While a generator can be a good step — when it’s an informed decision, and it’s capabilities and limitations are understood. But a generator can be expensive, it takes up space, needs to be maintained, and storing gasoline for it can be a hassle. An easier first step to backup power is a quality inverter. If you already have a generator this adds a second level of redundancy, and might work even better for smaller devices and when you’re on the road.

I first heard about these inverters on The Survival Podcast in an interview with Steven Harris (here’s a list of the many interviews Steven has done on a variety of backup power topics).The Duracell Digital Inverter 800 is convenient and simple to use. It’s relatively compact (7.5” x 4.5” x 2.25”), solidly built, and light weight (1.8 pound). It has a nice LED digital display that shows input and output voltages, making it very easy to oversee and troubleshoot the inverter.

inverter in JeepTo use, connect the inverter directly to your car’s battery terminals (using the DC battery cables with alligator clamps). Then, I’d recommend, run a long 14-gauge extension cord into your house and plug it into a power strip. Plug your devices into the power strip; when you’re not using it, you can turn off the power strip to ensure you’re not inadvertently drawing power to an appliance. Of course you can always plug appliances, or tools, directly into the inverter.

When you’re using the inverter an alarm will sound when your car’s battery gets low, and the inverter will automatically shut off before the battery gets too low; this ensures you’ll never drain your vehicle’s battery further than you should. At that point you can either drive around for a bit, your car’s alternator will recharge your battery, or switch to another vehicle’s battery. For those that have a diesel pickup truck (like our Ford F350) you have TWO batteries, so twice the backup power potential. If you leave your vehicle idling, you can draw full power as long as you have available fuel; this is especially handy for larger devices (the inverter can handle devices that surge up to 1280W). The inverter also has a high voltage shutdown, an overload shutdown, and an overheating shutdown.

There are different size inverters, both higher and lower rated, but the 800 seems to fit the best for most of us. Their 400 is handy because it also comes with a DC lighter adapter allowing you to draw up to 150 watts without having to connect to the battery; very useful for road trips. (Despite what Amazon.com says, the 800 watt inverter does not come with a lighter adapter.)

Having an inverter will allow you–during a power outage, or anytime you’re away from an AC outlet (camping, job sites, etc.)–to convert the DC power stored in your car’s 12-volt battery into 120-volt AC power that you can plug electric devices into.

We tend to take electricity, and our access to it, for granted. When it’s not available our lifestyles quickly change. Having a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 around is an easy step to provide needed power for communication devices, tools, and light when needed.