Comments

Episode-1330- An Evaluation of Prepping for the New and Seasoned Alike — 22 Comments

  1. Jack,

    I can’t exactly articulate it, but you seem like you’re in a very good place right now. Cheers and thank you for content like this!

  2. A new motto for… something… praeventionis, mitigandi, eliminanda. Prevention, Mitigation, Elimination.

  3. Okay, ass kicked quite thoroughly! Back to my pledge days, “thank you sir may I have another”, only this time I mean it.

    Seriously Jack that was fing bad ass! Great stuff, much I have heard you say before but not quite with this delivery and assembly. I have been at this a while, long enough that I was prepping before TSP was born, but I in fact found holes today as you said.

    Not so much found, more accurately accepted that they were really there and now I know exactly how to plug them, thank you for all you do man. I am MSB and I will tell you why, when you ask if each episode is worth two dimes, I always want to pull out a dollar and shove it into my iPhone! Today I wanted to shove in at least a 5!

  4. For a good source of plastic bottles try making water kefir (pronounced keh-fear) which is fermented sugar water. You can ferment many forms of sugar but the easiest way is to ferment store bought fruit juice. We prefer Welches juice. The sugar content is lower, it is carbonated and is loaded with probiotics. You end up with more good, thick plastic bottles than you will know what to do with.

    • I have tried kombucha but I didn’t really like the vinegar taste and smell I always got with it. There is a milk kefir but also a water version. You first ferment plain sugar water with the grains. Strain the grains out and I just mix 1:1 with Welch’s fruit juice. Let it sit for 2 days and you have reduced sugar carbonated grape (or whatever flavor you like) soda.

      http://nourishedkitchen.com/water-kefir/

      I do have a question about using the leftover bottles if you don’t mind.
      I was thinking that they would make great short term storage (1 year or less) for things like dried beans and rice at no cost. It seems the prepping Nazi’s don’t like anything less than mylar bags,food grade containers and O2 absorbers. I am on a budget and I would rather buy food than containers.

      In a pinch would you use them?

  5. Tip for sanitation to make your poop in a bucket less gross…peat moss or sawdust. Store it in plastic bags or something (maybe make a kit with the bucket, bags, TP, peat, etc). Forget the blue stuff it just makes things stink worse.

    Start the bucket off filled with about a gallon of peat moss. Whenever you use it add a cup or two of moss/sawdust to cover your waste. Avoid putting liquid waste in the bucket (guys anyway) it makes things worse.

    This is basically how a composting toilet works less the mixing and exhaust fan. Outside in a pop up shelter/tent you will be fine.

      • I need to get my hands on enough sawdush to start collecting urine. Its one of those things that I just keep meaning to call around about.

        My sanitation plan is basically slit trenches. But again, I live on 8 acres…. not 1/4 an acre in a city…

        I will say though that a non-functioning septic is a REAL big problem.

        • you don’t want sawmill sawdust.. you want wood shop sawdust

          =)

          and you don’t need the sawdust for the urine.. just for the poop.

          the urine is a great fertilizer with a little bit of dilution (its sterile).

          the humanure handbook is worth the read (though I liked the 2nd edition better than the 3rd):
          http://humanurehandbook.com/

  6. As a question on this episode, and if I should put it in the forum area please say so. But the question is does it really matter much what kind of battery you use to hook up your inverter to? My thought is other things being equal the largest size one would have more lead/material and hence more “reserve power” than a smaller group size. Since it would sit in the garage on a trickle charger until needed should one just go for the right size and lower price?

    Second question is I would use my car as a charger, just hook it to jumper cables I already have (K.I.S.S.) How long would you need to idle the car like this to get a decent charge?

    I live in a small house and am talking run the fridge or/and a kerosene heater and some lights. Plain, basic make-it-through-a-blackout kind of thing.

  7. I enjoy these podcasts. More or less the same podcast every now and again, but it reiterates the importance of filling some of the major gaps in our plans. “Store a minimum of 50 gallons of water”. Epic fail. Out of all the important survival preps, we’re failing on that one. As with many of the holes, we’re trying to get the “perfect/ideal” solution, rather than a first solution.

    We want to put in a cistern/large water tank. Therefore, I won’t spend minimum water storage like we should.

    Good podcast.

  8. Survivalist :

    A person who proactively takes action to maintain and enhance the comfort, safety, and well-being of themselves, their family and their community. Regardless of what may happen in the future.

  9. I love these “back to the basics” podcasts. While the above actions items look to build a strong foundation preparedness-wise, the end result is refreshingly comprehensive as well. Keep them coming.