Episode-522- Call In Friday 10-01-10
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Okay time for another Call In Friday on TSP, to hear yourself on the air call in to 866-65-THINK to leave a 1-2 minute question or comment. Today we have questions on things like hording nickles, permaculture, desert plantings, 72 hour kits for the airline traveler and more.
Join me today as I discuss…
- Storing water for your vehicle during cold winters
- Propagating horse apple for hedge rows
- How to buy a house with out a credit card (the question that won’t die)
- BOBs for the Airline Travler
- Secondary evac routes for bug out planning
- Harbor Freight – some good deals a listener found
- Plantings for a west property wall in the desert
- Remote location permaculture ideas
- Hording nickels a good idea or crazy talk
- Protecting your assets on a budget
Resources for today’s Show…
- Members Support Brigade
- TSP Gear Shop
- Join Our Forum
- Ready Made Resources – (sponsor of the day)
- Western Botanicals – (sponsor of the day)
- Permaculture DVD’s I mentioned
- One Year Anniversary Show
- Harbor Freight
- TSP Trecker Knife – coming soon!
- Ron Hood’s Survival.com Magazine
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.
1. Harbor Freight – I have good luck with the items I have bought from there (corded drill, sawhorses, a workbench, and various hand tools).
2. Update on a previous show. Mahindra diesel pickups were mentioned as coming to the USA. Apparently, they are having a legal fight with their US distributor. So, the US launch of the vehicles has been delayed.
I wouldn’t buy a Mahindra diesel anything anyway. I’m sticking with US products. I just wish Ford would do something like that – put an efficient diesel engine in a mid-sized pickup truck like a Ranger. I even wrote to Ford and Dodge and suggested it. Ford wrote back and said thanks for the idea, they’re considering it. Dodge wrote back and said they do not consider individual requests. Guess who I would buy from if they both came out with a similar vehicle?
The problem with the Ranger (and all other pick-ups in its size class sold in the USA) is that it is almost the same size as an F-150 and costs about the same. I remember when I bought my F-150, we also looked at the Ranger and it was only about $2000 less and just a tiny bit smaller. Why would I buy it instead of an F-150.
Part of the reason I applaud the Mahindra diesel pickups coming to the USA is that, if they do well, domestic manufacturers may try to imitate them. I really wanted a new small pickup, but nobody sells them in the USA anymore.
One could insulate the container of water and it would delay the freezing process.
Harbor Freight has a 3 day sale this week end on this generator for $79.99
800 Rated Watts/900 Max Watts Portable Generator
http://www.harborfreight.com/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html?utm_source=prospects&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3910B
Here is the deal with Harbor Freight..If you think a great drill that will last a long time and never let you down..get a dewalt. If you want a drill that will do 95% of all jobs and not break the bank..get it from harbor freight. I have MANY tools from harbor freight and going there is like a candy store because of the prices. If your lively depends on a tool, then get a name brand. If you need a tool for around the house but you are worried about the life of it, by two of them from harbor freight and it will still be cheaper then buying a name brand. The tools feel cheaper then a name brand (like a Hi-Point hand gun). But if you want a tool to do the job
Seems to me, if your average temp is 10 degrees in winter, any precipitation would be of the frozen variety. Here in NH, I don’t worry too much about getting stuck on the road w/o water in winter… just watch out for that ‘yellow snow’!
Anybody know about Harbor Freight’s$149.00 Solar panel deal? What would that run,for instance once you had batteries,inverters,etc. Is that worth buying a few?
Dear Candee.
I saw a small chest freezer that ran on a total of 100 watts of power for one hour a day.. So with a modified thermostat on thefreezer you could be a great shape refrigeration wise.
As we all know, prepping gets expensive. My opinion is that it is best to get as much stuff inexpensively as you can to start and then upgrade later. Harbor Frieght is a great place to start. It is also important to use your supplies to make sure they work. That will give you an idea of what to replace and what to keep or stock up on.
Does everyone not know about Harbor Freight? I’ve been buying from H.F. For 18 years. I can not belive that it sounds like such a new fad.
Why can’t I download this episode? I usually listen during my commute to work. When I try to download this episode, it starts playing right away.
@Craig, right click and select save as,
Jack
I got the Harbor Freight generator this weekend. I used a 20% off coupon and ended up getting it for $66 before tax. Runs well. It sips fuel and the only thing I would improve is getting a new spark plug. Other than that I’m really happy with it. Just make sure to run the tank dry. the on/off valve leaks a little bit if there is fuel in the tank.
I subscribe to several magazines such as RIDER, Mech Illustrated, Mother Earth News etc.. I’ve checked many others and most mags have a Harbor Freight page with specials coupons which change from time to time and they always have that 20% off coupon.
A great place to buy “occasional” tools and find many that you can’t find elsewhere. I like the little LED flashlights that they sell as a card-packed set at two for $3.98.
I just wanted to say that the prices you see in harbor freight… subtract 20% from that.
NEVER GO TO HARBOR FREIGHT WITHOUT THE 20% off COUPON!!!
http://www.retailmenot.com/view/harborfreight.com
That is where I always go to get the latest 20% off coupon, but they run that coupon all year long.
If you need to buy multiple things just print out many coupons and go through the line multiple times.
One follow-on point for the generator discussion from this show. The generator referenced was a 2-cycle generator. This will require stocking up on 2-cycle oil as it is consumed while the generator is running.
So the ‘good deal’ on a 2-cycle generator may not be so hot from a prepper / survivalist standpoint.
that genny isn’t on sale anymore… but check this one out on sale for $299 or $240 after the 20% off
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-hp-3050-rated-watts-3500-max-watts-gasoline-generator-67560.html
@Martin, I disagree.
1. The oil will store damn near forever
2. 2 Cycle’s are far more efficient so the fuel you store will go further
Having to store a bit of oil isn’t a detriment not anywhere near as much as how often you have to rotate fuel now thanks to ethanol.
Jack,
Concerning “Propagating horse apple for hedge rows”, I think the article you mentioned, but couldn’t remember is in the October/November issue of Mother Earth News. Living Fences – How-To, Advantages And Tips. Starts on page 40.
@Dan, yep I just read that one last night in the new issue of Mother Earth News. Very good article and really cool how to weave the hedges but it wasn’t where I read about getting the seeds and them being edible. I really think it was somewhere online.
Anyway on the article synchronicity strikes again!
Proper name is Osage Orange tree
Yes they are edible seeds
http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm
how to get the seeds
http://www.ehow.com/how_5611111_propagate-osage-orange-trees.html
@da Boss re: 2-cycles
My point is 2-cycle oil is an additional item to store. I agree that it stores practically forever. It would just be another thing to add to the list.
I will disagree on 2-cycles motors being more fuel efficient. The very nature of a 2-cycle operation causes some waste of the incoming fuel charge compared to a 4-cycle motor.
However, in a power-to-weight ratio, 2-cycles will outperform a same size & weight 4-cycle.
@nick thanks for the link! Now on proper name, not to nit pick but Osage Orange is no more “proper” than horse apple, the proper name is Maclura pomifera ;>)
Not that it really matters but Maclura pomifera is basically translated as “yellow wood apple bearing”
maybe proper is the wrong word… what i meant was common… as in more google search results 😀
Yes by their very nature 2 stroke engines do not appear to be as efficient as 4 stroke. In aircraft, however you can carry a lot more fuel because of the light weight of the engine. Chrysler was working a fuel inject 2 stroke on their slant 6 which was very efficient. but in general they seem to have high wear and in non life threatening situation can have their place.
Where we live it will stay below freezing for weeks. The only container I’ve found that is durable for water freeze/thaw is a Mr. Boston 1.75 liter plastic bottle. Throw it in the trunk, a bottle of ice is better than not having anything at all.
I picked up the generator from HF this weekend, ran it about 4 hours so far, so good!
http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/
good article
I haven’t tried this but for the frozen water storage, couldn’t you keep a box of those instant hand warmers in the trunk and a little cooler with a case of water bottles. If it came down to it, throw a frozen water bottle and a hand warmer in the cooler and let it heat up and melt the ice down. Sounds like an experiment.
Phil: a little math could tell you that the amount of BTU’s required to thaw out 1.75 litres of ice would be considerably greater that what you suggest, in such a climate as what I described. Good direction of thought however on doing it without fuel.
@common weed,
But would a person that only has a few really cold nights who tossed a jug into a cooler with a warmer before it froze keep it from freezing overnight. That takes a lot less thermal energy.
modern survival: in fact I’ve used that technique and it works well for shorter periods of time, but in our Wisconsin weather I wouldn’t trust that with -20 nights, I’ll try it this winter. I’m still looking for a practical solution.
I do keep a army canteen in a soft cooler year-round and in the summer when inside truck temp is 120d, it will be coolish in the afternoon. I have had the thought of having some sort of corded
warming element that could be plugged into the power outlet and stuck in the cooler that would warm it up while driving. And I’ve thought of keeping a 12volt cooler/warmer with the water in there that would function while driving, and if hooked up to back-up power pack if vehicle power was out or not running. This is probably the way I’m going to go with it as it also has other uses. sunset.
I have bought many things from Harbor Freight, some good, some bad. The below link is pretty useful as pass/fail review of different tools.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27192
Horseapples/Bodock- Impenetrable fence- Yes. Spreads worse than kudzu- Absolutely! We have 47 acres near Nashville and it is a constant fight to keep the bodock down. The last time I bushhogged, I had seven bodock thorns puncture the rear tire on the tractor. Most of my neighbors spend the money for the solid or foam-filled tires because the thorns are horrible. Plant bodock at your own risk!