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Colonial Pipeline Attack -The rise of cyberware attacks and the future of prepping
UbiqueContributor - May 16, 2021 Another cyberware attack in the news, affecting fuel. This kind of crime is on the rise for business and personal users. What does this mean for the future of prepping?
None of us can control the methods or security used by business, so how safe are we? What do we need to do as individuals to prevent personal devices from being shut down?
In the early days of computer use in business, I was taught: the computer you are using is nothing more than an electronic filing cabinet. It is not infalliable. Print hard (paper) copy of anything important.
So for anyone relying soley on external drive backup or thumb drive, if all the computers/phones are shut down, how will you read your data? For any important prep info or instructions: hard copy on paper.
Here’s the article:
Colonial Pipeline Cyberware Ransom Attack
Read MoreMaking cycling a part of your prepping
Kris DzrContributor - May 14, 2021 The average walking speed for an adult is about 3 to 4 miles per hour, or 1 mile in 15 to 20 minutes. Add on a 25 lb. backpack and chances are you’ll be moving even slower. Unless you’ve been training, in less than an hour, only 3 miles toward your destination, your shoulders and feet are going to be aching. Trust me, I know. Last summer I put on a 25 lb back pack and walked 3 miles several times a week. The first time was brutal. The second and third times weren’t much better. After a few weeks I was able to walk father, faster eventually hitting 12 miles in about 4 1/2 hours…but it still sucked. It REALLY sucked! My hands swelled, my shoulders ached and my feet were killing me! At that same fitness level, I was able to ride a very casual, easy 22 miles in less than 4 hours, and carry a much lighter bag but more gear. And this was on a $125 big box store bike.
Cycling is a great, low-impact workout to improve cardio, endurance, build leg strength, balance and coordination. With the right gear, you can carry far more than you could on your back. It’s environmentally friendly, quiet, requires no fuel and minimal maintenance and is a great way to meet people, hang out with friends and enjoy the outdoors. And honestly, it’s just fun. As more cities become bike friendly and gear more available, bikes and e-bikes as a part of prepping becomes a no-brainer.
But where do I start?
What kind of bike do I need for prepping?
How do I maintain and repair it?
What tools and accessories do I need?
These are all really good questions, and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can in this thread. But I also have a YouTube channel where I cover this topic and a lot more. Check out http://www.youtube.com/c/ReadyToDieFighting. I add videos every week and have a playlist dedicated to essential bike skills for preppers.
But where do I start?
If you have a bike, just start riding. It’s the fastest way to build your stamina and skill. You’ll also start figuring out what you like, need and want. Metroparks often have great trails to ride, but riding through the neighborhood or riding to run errands is a lot of fun and great exercise too. We often even bring the dog and people always stop and watch as she jogs alongside the boy on his bike. It’s adorable!
While riding, be on the lookout for shortcuts and paths you may need or want to take while bugging out. Make note of potential obstacles and areas or roads you may want to avoid. Build up your endurance until you can bike to your bugout location, then work on your time. get there faster. Find alternate routes. Learn how to efficiently go up and down curbs, bunny hop over obstacles and most importantly, safely navigate through traffic.
Look up the bike laws for your state and city. I found a pamphlet for my state called What Every Michigan Bicyclist Must Know. There is probably something like that for your state as well. Find it.
https://www.lmb.org/bike-mi/what-every-michigan-bicyclist-must-know/
Make friends with your local bike shop. Or even better, find a bike co-op. They often offer classes on bike repair, sell used bikes and gear and may even fix your bike for free. You may also meet cool people and learn about events, trails and other bike related stuff. I learned almost everything I know about fixing bikes from the cool guys and gals at the local bike co-op. Time well spent.
If you don’t have a bike, start shopping around. There are so many options, you should take your time and test ride several before making a purchase. Go to bike shops and see what’s available, read reviews online and consult friends who have been cycling for a while.
What kind of bike do I need for prepping?
TL;DR: A mid-range gravel, trail, or hybrid bike.
The best bike is the one you already have. Especially this year. New bikes are hard to come by thanks to Covid-19. But, you can probably find some nice used bikes. But, for simplicity’s sake, let’s say you can find some new bikes. What kind should you get? You have a lot of choices, but lets break it down into a few categories: road bikes, mountain bikes, commuter bikes, e-bikes, cruiser bikes, and lets group the others into specialty bikes.
But which is best for prepping? And what’s the difference?
REI does a great job at providing an overview of the different types of bikes you can read here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bicycle.html
I don’t think I can pick one for everyone. It definitely depends on your needs, skills, terrain and fitness level and budget. But here are some things you should look for:
The most important thing to look for, is to make sure it fits you. Buying from someplace like Wal-Mart, you don’t typically get much choice in sizing. But if you go to a bike shop, or surprisingly Dick’s, you can get a bike that is actually the correct size for you. This is based on the actual frame of the bike. Tire size can also make a big difference. I wanted a bike with 29″ wheels for myself because bigger wheels offer a smoother, more efficient ride. But I’m too short, to safely and comfortably ride 29″wheels. So I had to get 27.5″. Best way to know that is to go to a bike shop and try it out. Look for name brand components, especially with the drivetrain. Look at the shifters, Shimano or Sram are your two choices here. Some people prefer one over the other due to feel, but they are equals in quality and reliability. Shimano seems a bit more common especially on entry/midrange models. There are other brands, but chances are they are not going to very good quality. Which doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t buy the bike, but be aware of what you’re getting. My last bike had off-brand components and I rode it for a season without issue. But, had I needed to replace parts, they may have been difficult to find. And it was only $125. Don’t pay more than that for off-brand components. Make sure you test ride it. Ask lots of questions about the features and how things works. Make sure it’s comfortable and that it fits you. Make sure all the parts are tight and well lubricated and there’s no weird noises or clunkiness. Change the gears, slam the breaks. Hop up and down a curb or two. If anything feels off, find out what it is. It could be a really simple fix or sign of future problems (especially if buying used). Color! You wanna look good don’t you?Things you should NOT worry about: grips, pedal, seat and seatpost. These are all relatively cheap and easy to replace. They are also very personal items. These are your contact points with the bike, so I would argue that you should replace them to get what is most comfortable to you regardless of which bike you get. If the seat is too high or low, the seatpost can be cut or replaced for around $20. Pedals can get really pricey, but you can get some really nice ones in the $50 range. Keep in mind, mid-level and higher bikes typically don’t come with pedals. Seats vary in price quite a bit and it is probably a better investment to buy padded biking shorts than spend too much on a seat, but that’s up to you. And locking grips can also be had for around $25, which will be much nicer than what come on most entry level bikes.
So what did I get for myself?
I bought my son a $200 Nishiki Pueblo trail bike (type of mountain bike) from Dick’s Sporting Goods in spring of 2019. We had 3 several color options, and even more sizes to choose from. It was easy to find one that fit my son perfectly. It had Shimano drive train, 26″ knobby tires, his favorite color and it’s very easy to work on. The sales person also did repairs in the store and gave the bike a checkup before we left with it. We’ve easily put hundreds of miles on it, gone on mountain biking trails, bike camping, and a lot of falls and crashes. With a few minor upgrades and regular maintenance/repairs, it’s held up remarkably well. The only issue we have is sometimes the handlebars loosen or chain slips, especially after a crash. But it’s an easy fix and is to be expected for the price of the bike. I definitely recommend it for people on a budget, who aren’t afraid to work on their bike.
We immediately bought him a kickstand (many bikes don’t come with them), upgraded his shifters from the twisting style grip shifters to smoother and more accurate trigger shifters. Here is where getting name brand components is a benefit, upgrades like this are easily and inexpensively done without having to worry about compatibility. Then I got him some nice lock on grips, far superior to the slide on grips that can scrunch and slide when wet or dirty. This year I added some reflective stripes as we’ve been doing more road biking and head and tail lights. If he were pickier, I would get him some nicer pedals, but he doesn’t seem to care, so I’ve left them as is. With about $100 worth of upgrades, this bike went from being decent to pretty nice. I rode it recently and was really impressed with the feel and control.
You can find it here: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/nishiki-mens-pueblo-26-mountain-bike-15nisanshkpbl14xxrmb/15nisanshkpbl14xxrmb
For myself I found a clearanced Haro Subvert HT5 from 2017, brand new. I fell in love with it immediately. It had all the features I’d been looking for in a bike for a fraction of the price: plus sized tires for sand and snow, hydraulic disc brakes for effortless stopping, thru-axles, quality name brand components and my favorite color. I haven’t had it long enough to speak on the durability or what upgrades I may make. But so far, I am happy with my purchase, though I don’t think I would recommend it for prepping purposes. The bike is fun to ride, and definitely looks cool. But it is inefficient on flat pavement. This bike was built for the mountains, but I live in Michigan. Most of our biking is on flat pavement, or slight inclines. That means I’m working harder to go the same distance and speed as others. This became painfully obvious when I went on a ride with a friend on a road bike. She effortless floated over the pavement with her thin, smooth tires while I pedaled twice as hard to keep up worth her. The tables turned however when we went onto a gravel road. My fat knobby tires and suspension allowed me to ride on loose gravel as easily and with as much control as I had on concrete. My friend, however became slow, shaky and eventually got off and walked her bike until we got back on pavement.
Check it out here: https://archive.harobikes.com/mtb/2017-mtb/subvert-ht5-2017
My son’s bike, an inexpensive almost mountain bike performs really well on smooth roads. But he can also follow me just fine on dirt paths, gravel and even winding mountain bike trails over roots and rocks, pump tracks and little jumps. His suspension can’t handle anything too crazy, but it’s enough to give him a nice ride on bumpy roads. And I’ve loaded him up with gear when we went bikepacking. The little trail bike is an all around winner. If you want something similar, check out gravel bikes, hybrid bikes and trail bikes between $200 – $750. There’s really no need to spend more than that unless you just want to. The benefits to the casual rider are minimal.
How do I maintain and repair it?
Your most common and likely repairs are going to be fixing flats, oiling/changing chains and changing brake and shifting cables. These are all pretty easy and there are a ton of YouTube videos that explain how to do this, including my channel. If there’s interest, I’ll follow up this post with step by step instructions on how to perform some of these tasks.
What tools and accessories do I need?
Helmet Bike lock Chain oil Tire levers Spare inner tubes Tube patches or tire plugs if tubeless Tire pump Lights Multi-tool Water** UPDATE **
Here’s the kit I usually take with me. I own all but 1 of these products (KMC 3 in 1 Tool , but I’m ordering one) and have tested them out either at home or on the side of the road/trail. So far, I’ve been happy with them all.
That’s it for now. Get out there and ride!
Read MoreGrowing year round with an underground greenhouse
Isabel - May 12, 2021 Came across this website and forum after reading some of the gardening articles and am impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Hopefully I can just jump in and ask a question, if not feel free to remove this.
Have any of you heard of or made a walipini? Also known as an underground greenhouse, pineapple pit, or sunken greenhouse.
Here’s a picture of the inside of one:
As you can see, it’s pretty much just growing things in the bottom of a pit with a clear tarp over top.
There are like a hundred pictures of various designs of underground greenhouses on this page: https://insteading.com/blog/underground-greenhouse/ From very expensive and extravagant models to just a sheet of glass over a hole in the ground.
I’ve grown some plants and vegetables here and there in pots over the years but am getting more interested in gardening. Hence why I found this site. I hope to make this a fun and rewarding hobby that can help me be a little more prepared. And this seems like a good way to grow things because of the recessed garden being warmed from the earth, and ability to grow even tropical fruits year round in colder climates.
Thank you to anyone who comments
Read More
Communication strategy during disaster
LNMOt - May 12, 2021 Hello!
Looking for recommendations on portable communication options during a disaster.
Scenario – a disaster strikes while I’m at work (about 36 miles from my house). Could be EMP / solar flare, terrorist attack, we all have our own list of scenarios. Let’s say cell phones don’t work (EMP, etc) or let’s say cellular phone calls won’t go through because everybody is trying to make phone calls (this happened on 9/11).
I want to be able to communicate with my husband, who works from home, with a portable communication option that won’t be affected by an EMP / solar flare and isn’t a cell phone.
What would you recommend? I haven’t had much luck finding a walkie-talkie option that I feel could reliable transmit across a 40ish mile distance – I live and work in a very hilly / mountain area in northern New England.
I figured I would ask this community before buying something and having to bother with multiple returns!
Read MoreEssay on “a prepper lifestyle”
Bob - May 11, 2021 Prepping Lifestyle – A Complete Walkthrough
Good morning,
Above link is one of the better essays I’ve run across.
Finally, we’re getting documents explaining that prepping saves money. Link uses the term “frugal”. This word really required for most all aspects of middle class living.
To me … I am a senior citizen … this prepper lifestyle is a renamed traditional lifestyle of home economics, the Boy Scout / Girl Scout first aid kit and the post World War II Civil Defense programs.
Continue preparedness efforts under whatever name works best.
Read MoreThorn bushes for fencing
Bob - May 10, 2021 https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/g2924/9-plants-deadly/
Good evening,
I’m introducing a natural way to create a security fence.
Using plants, bushes, other botany stuff with thorns can serve as barbed wire.
Above link provides narrative and good pictures. Link is not the most current on web but believe the pictures are best when compared to other links had just checked.
Of course, one must check what growing zone applicable to the different types.
Read MoreConverting recipes from fresh to dehydrated ingredients
Barb LeeContributor - May 8, 2021 I hope some might find this (partial) conversion chart for converting recipe ingredients from fresh to dehydrated foods helpful. As I try new foods in the dehydrator, I weigh the prepared raw ingredients before and after drying. I find that I can convert most ordinary recipes by weighing the measured amount of fresh ingredients , substituting the appropriate amount of dried, and adding an appropriate amount of liquid to rehydrate the dried.
Before I started compiling the list, I accumulated a whole lot of dried foods without any real idea what to use them for.
I really enjoy making “kits” with dried ingredients, that I can mostly just toss in a pot without scrounging around for all the ingredients. Just made a pot of chicken soup from a “kit”, using canned chicken and broth.
If anyone knows of a more definitive list, I’d love to know about it. I didn’t find a lot of luck searching the internet.
Read More
Simplified Disaster Preparedness
Bob - May 8, 2021 With hurricane season approaching, here’s how to make preparation simple
Good morning,
It’s hurricane prep time in this area “Hurricane Alley” corridor.
Above article is most appropriate for us at TP Forum because document tells of preparedness “Step One” is to be rested. Repeat: REST, BE RESTED.
Article tells of a good preparedness acronym: “SIMPLE”.
This article is definitely “on target” !
Read MoreRecommendations for emergency stove fuel in Get Home Bag stored in car
LNMOt - May 8, 2021 I am going to store my Get Home Bag in the hatchback of my car day to day, so I have it if I need it when at work, at the grocery store, etc. I live in northern New England, so very cold in the winter and in the summer months it can get pretty warm, especially inside my car.
The last aspect of my get home bag planning revolves around figuring out what emergency stove I am going to have in my bag. I had been planning on a Jet Boil (used this all the time before kids while hiking, rock climbing and ice climbing), but after asking Jet Boil about storing their fuel canisters in my hot car in the summer, they said absolutely don’t do that. Not surprising.
I was planning on having several Mountain House food pouches in my get home bag to use for food on the journey home and using the jet boil to heat up the water for these pouches. I thought it was good too because it would double as a back up for water purification (boiling).
If there isn’t a better option, I was thinking I could separate my more “temperature sensitive items” – like IFAK medicines, lighter, food pouches, other snacks, hand sanitizer, jet boil canister, in a smaller separate bag that I would bring into work with me each day and then bring back out to the car at the end of the day.
Does anybody have any alternative recommendations for heating / boiling water that doesn’t involve fuel canisters?
Could you share how you address managing risks from extreme temperatures in your get home bag?
Read MoreCell Signal Boosters
SeaBee - May 7, 2021 Hey all,
Does anyone have experience with any of the cell signal boosters available for rural properties? NOT network extenders, but the actual boosters that don’t rely on an internet connection.
Thanks for any perspectives folks can share!
Read MoreRemember Disaster Preparedness Also For Pets
Bob - May 7, 2021 Disaster Preparedness Day: Plan Now for Animals, Says PETA
Good afternoon,
Saturday, 8 May is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. PETA sent out above linked announcement.
Admittedly, was not familiar with the word “speciesism”, at link’s bottom section, is a section mentioning it.
One important aspect of their news release is to check on other animals in your area. You are sheltering in place but someone else could have evacuated and pet(s) needs help.
Read MoreModified Clothing for EDC prepping
Bill Masen - May 5, 2021 Modified clothing for EDC prepping
More and more preppers I meet are doing some interesting stuff with their EDC clothing, Poorer preppers like myself tend to modify or tailor proprietary brands of clothing to suit our own needs, I’m always adding extra pockets, re-enforcement patches, Fastex webbing and hangers, kit hanging loops, elasticised draw cords etc to my clothing. I always try to remove noisy Velco hook and loop tape with press studs or Canadian slotted buttons.
Equally many preppers choose to buy and wear clothing primarily designed for soldiers or police officers such as Combat Jackets, SAS smocks, M65s, Concealed Carry Jackets, Specialist Vests etc. And not forgetting our passion for tactical cargo pants either. Some folks spend huge amounts on first rate specialist outdoor clothing and still end up messing on with a sewing machine to get the product they want.
Also and very importantly in this ever more uncertain and violent world parents are also seeking specialist clothing for their children. GPS tagged clothing and shoes for the very young, GPS tagged phones for errant teens spring to mind but equally the enlightened urban families both prepper and ordinary types as well as the kids themselves have identified a need for even more specialist clothing.
This includes slash proof and knife resistant vests, hoodies, smocks and jackets for kids !! (What a terrible indictment of today’s society until you realise that in London alone over 200 kids have been stabbed to death in recent years which makes teen prepping more important than ever it was before.)
Slash resistant clothing is now very popular in places such as Washington DC, New York, London, Birmingham, Rome, Berlin and Tokyo for teens as well as adults. It is a newish product range some city preppers may wish to consider as well.
There is also a trend among our teens and city dwellers to reduce the risk of becoming victims of muggings and street robberies by wearing clothing that allows them to conceal the inevitable collection of electronic gadgets they have these days. Firstly it helps them reduce the risk of being targeted as in many cases they can conceal their personal kit about their person instead of in bags and rucksacks.
Jackets, Hoodies and Vests that look just like ordinary outdoor civilian fashion clothing but have huge numbers of concealed pockets and hidden routes within the clothing to route phone speaker / headphone wires etc, This again is a development that can in many cases be beneficial to the urban prepper community as you can very often carry a full EDC load in the pockets rather than in a bag.
Article on Kids stab proof clothing
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1552956.ece
Concealed 24 pocket Fleece
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Fleece_Jacket.shtml
22 concealed pocket travel Vest
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml
26 concealed pockets Jacket
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Revolution-Plus-Jacket.shtml
Specialist Scottvest range Men and Women
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/subindex_jackets_vests.shtml
Tactical multi pocket hoodie
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/cotton-hoodie.shtml
Knife Slash Resistant Hoodies
http://www.bladerunner.tv/hooded-tops-c-76.html
Knife Slash Resistant Windjammer Jacket
http://www.bladerunner.tv/weatherproof-jackets-windjammer-c-83.html?brid=lip3989ubahf3t7ouffangro2
Read MoreHow I build raised beds
Josh CentersContributor - May 5, 2021 I recently wrote about how I’m switching to raised beds for my survival garden. I currently have six beds, and I thought I’d share how I build them.
Step one: Decide how to fill them
Before deciding on how to build the bed, it’s helpful to have a plan for filling them. Here are some options:
Bagged topsoil: The standard option. Easy, but expensive and possibly contaminated with aminopyralid.
Compost: Ideally homegrown, but you might get it from local organic farms or even your municipality. I get it for $75 a scoop from a local organic farmer who I know won’t have aminopyralid contamination.
Native soil: The cheapest option is to use the soil you already have. You can dig out soil around the bed area and throw it in or you could double dig a plot and then put a frame around it. I cover double digging in our garden guide.
Wood: If you have a lot of rotting sticks and logs on your property, you can borrow from the practice of hügelkultur and use them to fill the bottom third of your bed. The wood absorbs water and slowly releases it over time, and as the wood rots it will enrich your soil.
Your materials and construction option will determine how deep your beds should be. Generally, you want beds to be 6 inches high, and ideally 12 inches. However, if you double dig a bed, you should have two feet of prepped soil, so the frame can be 4-6 inches high.
If you prep no-till beds in the fall for spring planting, the organic material on top will soften the soil over winter and even if the bed isn’t that tall, you’ll have a good, deep layer of loose soil for roots to grow into. It helps to stab the ground with a fork to loosen it up.
If you don’t want to dig (and I don’t blame you), compost and bagged soil can be expensive, especially for taller beds. You can fill the bottom third with rotten wood, leaves, grass clippings, and other organic scraps.
A general rule of thumb for no-till beds: put crappy stuff on the bottom, whether that’s organic matter that sucks nutrients out of the soil, like wood, or stuff that’s too “hot” for plants to handle, like chicken manure. A good fill for a no-till bed, from bottom to top:
Wood, grass clippings, blood meal, chicken manure, leaves. The blood meal and chicken manure are high in nitrogen and help the wood break down. Chunky compost Sifted compost or fine topsoil (lighter soil to make it easier for seeds to germinate)
Here are how I’ve filled the six raised beds I have going now:
Bed 1: Rotten wood, scraps, and leaves in the bottom, Miracle-Gro topsoil on top. I’ve been growing lettuce in this one.
Bed 2: Rotten wood covered with blood meal on the bottom, Miracle-Gro topsoil on top. It’s mostly for herbs.
Bed 3: Rotten wood and blood meal on bottom, compost for the rest, a bag of Miracle Grow topsoil on top. It’s growing peppers, pole beans, and marigolds.
Bed 4: Started as a frame-less no-till bed in the fall, with cardboard, leaves, wood chips, and compost. The ground underneath got nice and soft, but the wood chips suck too much nitrogen for plants to grow, so I put a frame over it and filled it with compost. It has cucumbers, peppers, and marigolds.
Bed 5: I double dug this bed, but was frustrated by the huge clods of dirt. I raked them out and topped it off with compost and some bagged soil. This is my deepest bed, so it’s where I transplanted my tomato starts. I also put some marigolds and onion starts in the bed.
Bed 6: A 3×7 metal bed filled entirely with compost. I plan to grow sweet potatoes in it this season so I wanted it to be nice and loose. It’s growing spinach and lettuce for now.
It’s still early, so I haven’t filled them out entirely yet.
Once you have an idea of how you’d like to fill your beds, decide how you want to frame them.
Step two: decide on materials
Next, decide what you’ll frame your raised beds with:
Nothing: Many expert gardeners, like John Jeavons, Steve Solomon, and David the Good create raised beds without any sort of frame, just by piling up soil or compost. No-till gardener Charles Dowding usually goes without a frame, but will use one to shape the materials initially. Definitely a cheap option and makes for easier weeding, but I like protection around my beds.
Wood: Wood is the standard option, but lumber prices are at all-times highs. You can build a 4×8 bed with three 8-foot boards, anywhere from 4-12 inches tall. Wood rots, though you can treat it with various things. There is a debate over whether pressure-treated wood is safe. Until 2003, pressure-treated wood was treated with arsenic, but now they’re treated primarily with copper, which is a soil micronutrient. I don’t use pressure-treated wood, but I haven’t completely ruled it out.
Metal: Quality metal beds like those from Australian supplier Birdie are much more expensive than wood: $150-250 a bed, but tend to last for years. Plus, they come ready to assemble.
Cinder blocks: Cinder blocks are dirt cheap and last forever, but take up a lot of space and are ugly. Since they’re porous, they tend to dry out quickly, especially if you have gaps between blocks. If you don’t level the soil first your beds will look cockamamie. Some people plant in the hollows of the blocks, but it gets too hot here in the summer for plants to survive in those holes.
Stone: There are a number of flat stones or architectural blocks you can build raised beds from. Many of the same pros and cons as cinder blocks, but they look better.
Four of my beds are metal. Nothing fancy as Birdie, two of them from TSC, two from Amazon, all different sizes. Two are constructed from non-pressure-treated 2×6 dimensional lumber.
You can get creative with materials. I’ve seen raised beds made from plastic boards, kiddie pools, logs, old refrigerators, etc. You can also mix materials. A lot of people build wooden frames and then use metal roofing to fill in the sides, reducing lumber costs. Or you could do a layer of stone with lumber on top.
Step three: build the bed (wood or metal)
There are many ways to build raised beds, this is just how I did it.
I like to keep my wooden beds simple. If you make them over eight feet long, they need some kind of posts in the ground for support, which I don’t like doing because my soil is hard and rocky.
For each bed, I used three 2×6 boards. I cut one board in half so I had two four-foot boards. To prevent rot, I used a product called Garden-Seal, which is supposed to be non-toxic. It’s akin to watered-down Elmer’s glue, it dries clear, and isn’t very messy. I’ll let you know in a few years how it worked out.
You need to figure out how to attach the boards together. Here are some options:
Screws and butt joints: You can just screw the boards together with wood screws, but it creates a fairly weak joint that can split the wood. I prefer the self-driving screws that take a star bit. Planter wall blocks: These planter wall blocks are amazing. You cut your boards and then insert them into slots on the blocks. No joinery required, and you can remove boards as needed. I don’t use them because my garden space is very narrow, but they’re a great option. Pocket screws: To use these, you need a Kreg Jig and special screws. You use the jig and an included drill bit to drill angled holes into the end of your board before attaching the two boards with screws. It’s a bit of a pain, but they make very strong joints. Brackets: You can get simple corner brackets and use wood screws to join them to each corner. Another good option that makes strong joints.For the wood beds I constructed this year, I opted for pocket screws, since I have a Kreg jig and requisite screws laying around. A Kreg jig isn’t a bad thing to have in your workshop anyway, since it creates much stronger wood joints than regular screws. You first drill angled holes in one piece of wood, put your two pieces together, and then put screws into the slanted holes into the other piece.
I had a corner of one bed that didn’t want to come together, so I just put a regular wood screw through the adjoining pieces to draw them together. Besides that, pocket screws take a lot of abuse. I used them to construct my first chicken tractor, and it’s been dragged all over my field for four years and is holding strong.
For ready-to-assemble metal beds, assembly is pretty easy. For my smaller TSC beds, the sides just slid together, though it was a lot more frustrating than it sounds. My Amazon beds had overlapping panels where I lined the holes up and secured them with a bolt, washer, and nut.
The Amazon beds were covered in blue plastic, which is frustrating to remove. I removed the plastic only from the inside, so it wouldn’t leech into the soil, but left it on the outside to protect it from the elements and I like the nice blue color.
If you’re doing a stone bed, you should prep the bed area before laying down the stones.
Step four: prep the bed area
Here’s my process for preparing the spot to put my raised bed:
Use a string trimmer to cut away all the grass and weeds Use a broadfork to piece and crack the ground where the bed will go. This loosens the ground beneath and improves drainage. Needless to say, if you double-dig the bed, there’s no reason for this. Put down overlapping layers of cardboard over the area so as to not have any holes for weeds to creep through. The cardboard kills the weeds underneath and then rots away, giving your plant roots access to the ground below. Put my bed on top of the area. You want cardboard to extend out the sides of the bed to prevent weeds.You may want to consider leveling the ground first. I don’t do much of this because my ground is hard as concrete. I’ll lay my bed frame down, check it with a level, and knock down high spots with a hoe. If the bed is really out of level, I’ll put bricks or stones under one end to raise it. I don’t worry too much about small gaps between the bed and ground.
If you’re doing stone, you’ll want the ground as level as possible, especially if you plan to use mortar. You might consider heavy machinery to break up the ground and smooth it out.
Step five: fill the bed
Here’s the simple part: fill the bed with whatever material you chose. A wheelbarrow helps here. For most of my beds, I start with random chunks of wood found around my property, followed by compost, and then maybe some bagged soil if I have it around. Try to keep things even as you fill the bed.
I don’t worry about gaps between the bed and ground. Whatever compost or dirt spills out will fill the gap and everything works out.
Step six: mulch around the beds
This step is optional and you don’t have to do it right away. But if you don’t want to have to cut grass between beds and worry about weeds creeping into them, some mulch is a good call.
You have a multitude of mulch options. Friends of mine put gravel between their cinder-block raised beds. It’s ugly, but it works, and they don’t have to worry about slipping in the mud.
My plan is to put wood chips between my beds. The downside is that they’ll eventually rot. But the upside is that as they rot, they’ll enrich the soil around the beds, similar in principle to the Back to Eden method, where you dump wood chips over a garden and plant into them.
Why would I care about enriching the soil in the pathways? Because my beds won’t last forever, and rich soil in the entire area gives me more options in the future. If I decide to do rows or simple in-ground beds in the future, I’ll have an entire plot of rich soil to work with.
In future posts, I’ll discuss planting, trellising, and hoops. But this should be enough to get you going. Don’t forget to test your soil and amend it before planting!
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Prepping with bad eyesight
LNMOt - May 5, 2021 I won the genetic lottery when I inherited absolutely terrible eyesight from my Dad’s side of the family. I mean TERRIBLE. Without my contacts or glasses, I couldn’t drive, couldn’t do just about anything that wasn’t 1 foot in front of my face.
From a preparedness perspective, not being able to see because I lost / broke my glasses or ran out of contacts is kind of a big deal!
Wondering what others in the community with bad eyesight have done to ensure they aren’t stuck in a situation without the ability to see clearly?
Also from a get home / bug out bag perspective – what should I have in there for this? An extra set of eyeglasses? A backup pair of contacts & travel eye contact solution? Potentially both? I’m thinking what if a contact pops out while heading home on foot in a crisis? What if I fall and break my back up glasses?
Should I just save up and get my vision “permanently” corrected as part of my preparedness strategy? That’s kind of what I’m leading towards.
Read MoreUrban / Suburban EXTRA prepping tools , What have YOU got
Bill Masen - May 5, 2021 Ok so we all know the general EDC/ GHB/BOB contents and its assorted permutations, but what EXTRA items have you got to help you survive OUTDOORS in an Urban or Suburban area.
What extra tools, devices or EXTRA equippment have you decided to carry with you when you venture out during a crisis that is OUTSIDE of the normal list of prepping kit?
Read MorePolice Officers and the IFAK
Bob - May 5, 2021 https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/medical-equipment/airway-management/articles/why-police-need-to-train-to-use-and-carry-an-ifak-XQMDJI371CTKzbGE/
Good morning,
I’m posting this link for 2 reasons. Nick Miller has a clearly written article that can explain some terms to the private citizen prepper. For example, he tells what that Israeli “bandage” is. He tells of the windlass tourniquet and it’s benefit. The other reason is that at the end of article, at absolute bottom of link, is info on the EMT website. It can be valuable to surf around some of the topics for exposure purposes.
Ref the article, it’s a little depressing not to be saturated with other articles about LEOs not working alone. Recreational SCUBA divers are told never to dive alone. These is a principle involved.
Somewhere at TP.com had read it’s not critical for private citizen preppers to have IFAKs stocked with the more elaborate medical products such as hemostatic gause. Completely understand. Here, my purpose to just to expose newcomers to terms and concepts.
I do not know how much discovery was required to determine that a US ammo pouch was bulky compared to other pouches also around.
Over the years I’ve met some EMTs and Paramedics who performed medical aspects not too different than physicans out in the sticks, thorns and coastlines.
Read MoreNeighbor wants us to cut down our privacy trees so they can install solar – what would you do?
smalltimehomesteader - May 4, 2021 Hi! I’ve been following these forums for a while & recently have been in a situation with a neighbor that’s well…a little annoying. We have a small homestead at the end of street, the people who lived here before us kept all the trees, grew live privacy fences etc, you get the idea. Most often people don’t know our house and by design our neighbor’s houses exist because they’re covered by nature basically. It’s great because it allows us privacy both livestock and garden wise and it’s quiet.
I got a text recently where she asked if we would consider cutting down our trees that line in between our properties. They are on our property. The reason? She wants solar and was told that she couldn’t have it unless all the trees were gone. The side and back of her lot too is heavily forested as is ours and we were told by the solar company years ago that we would’ve had to do the same thing so we just have small portable solar panels to run the barns. My husband said no, as did I because one of the very reasons we bought the property was for the privacy it provided us with. What would you do in this situation and would you prefer privacy/hidden areas or solar?
Thanks in advance!
Read MoreCicadas bugs enroute; plan accordingly
Bob - May 4, 2021 https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/cicadas-swarm-copperheads-snack-its-thing-virginia-dc
Good morning,
These bugs soon to arrive. Much is on the web and these creatures. Rather than link a pest control guide, am posting above news article from a couple of weeks ago because good info in link along with good picture of copperhead snake dining on a cicadas.
There are reports of this bug used for survival soup. This soup can’t be that much different than cricket gumbo. I prefer sesame soup if and when stuck out in wilderness.
Don’t believe mentioned in article but wasps also dine on cicadas. So, perhaps, nature provides value.
Again; if in bugs’ habitat, plan accordingly for their arrival
Read MoreWhy a preventable mishap led to “is my tetanus shot up to date?”
UbiqueContributor - May 3, 2021 The weather has been cantankerous. It just won’t give in to the arrival of Spring.
On Saturday, the weather finally improved. I raced around the yard like a calf just out of the barn, with 60 lb bales of soil to top up my raised beds. Everything was going great until I stopped being mindful of what I was doing.
I turned my focus toward calculating how many more bales I would need for the last five planters that are back ordered. That was when I mis-stepped, tripped and did a three point landing onto a piece of rusty rebar.
The rebar is part of what pins my 4×16′ pre-fabbed planters. It was supposed to be countersunk and the caps placed on the connections. But I wanted to get that soil distributed so I could get a list together for the next round of soil and other garden supplies.
That short cut is why I am writing this with my leg propped up. I’m okay and lucky it wasn’t worse. My right knee is wrenched and it will heal.
However, the side of my right knee got sliced on the rusty and very sharp rebar that had been cut to fit the planters, which brings me to why I am writing this post.
I cleaned and dressed my knee, but for my life, I couldn’t remember when my last tetanus shot had happened. Lock jaw isn’t fun.
I have medical files for both of us, but my budget binder contains a fast referral section on key medical info. At a glance, I can tell when the next colonoscopy or blood work is due. For some reason, I had no information on tetanus shots for either of us. I found out this morning it was 2018, so in 9 years I will make the arrangement to have another before the 10 year expiry on it.
We need to know this information and keep it current and in print format because if the SHTF something as simple as falling could end up in lock jaw for the lack of a simple tetanus shot.
Medical conditions, recurring tests and blood work, vaccine record and current medications, including any and all allergies and adverse reactions need to be on hard printed copy. Don’t forget any anaesthetic problems or prior surgeries.
My haste and carelessness were a reminder of what an infection and an expired tetanus shot could become in a crisis. Even without the wrenched knee, I plan to move more thoughtfully in the future.
Read MoreWatch for bulk food container spoilage
UbiqueContributor - May 3, 2021 I had purchased a large plastic container of regular mustard and stored it in my preps.
It was opened once to put mustard into my working supply upstairs, then the lid was closed properly and stored in a cool dry environment with the rest of the preps.
I went to refill the working supply and happened to notice something about the lid from the corner of my eye. I looked and there was mould growing in the lid.
That’s when I realized that the cardboard liner inside of the lid had become a spot for mould to grow. The entire container had to be discarded.
I also had this happen with a maple syrup that was stored in my fridge. I am careful now to not let the maple syrup touch the cap of the glass container.
I now watch the underside of any lids for mould growth and note opening dates in a marker on the label of any fridge items, like jams, ketchup or other condiments.
The experience has changed how I view bulk items that are “wet” as a working supply. Although it is more costly, I have switched to smaller containers to be opened and used. A large container of a spoiled prep item is worthless.
Read MoreTrail runners: What do you carry?
Gourdo - May 2, 2021 Fairly new to prepping and while I have been a runner for years, I have only recently moved to the PNW where glorious trails are everywhere and wonderful to run on for hours. I have thought about what I should carry with me on trail runs below and am curious to anyone’s thoughts & suggestions on this. I would feel like I am mostly concerned about wounds, bugs, & leg injuries than anything else, at least while in areas with cell service. Weight is an important factor as I need to keep good balance and form. Definitely want to ensure I am thinking about this the right way.
Most of my runs are near town and while those closest to town are fairly well traveled, I can easily go some distance and not see another person for miles. I also prefer to run in the late afternoon/evenings so need to be ready to sit around for some time if I become immobilized while waiting for help. I see this in two situations since most of my running is near town with cell service while I could always drive an hour or two out to find trails in the wilderness where I am happy to add a few pounds of gear for piece of mind.
In both situations, I have a trail running vest with several pockets and a water bladder with 1.5L capacity
Also, I haven’t yet gone for a remote trail run yet with this planned bag, not sure about total weight
With cell service/near town: ~4-5 lbs.
Phone
GPS watch (garmin forerunner) – on wrist
water filled to the situation (temperature, length of run)
~400-500 calories (gels, typically, which fuel the run, I always over pack this)
Emergency blanket
Whistle
Flashlight
IFAK – Very light with wound dressings, bug bite things, compression wrap, pair of gloves
Tourniquet
No cell service/remote areas:
Phone
GPS watch (garmin forerunner) – on wrist
Water fully filled
~800-1k calories
E-blanket
Whistle
Flashlight
IFAK – same as above
Tourniquet
Mirror
Folding knife
Ferro rod
Map + Small/basic compass
Wilderness wipes
Depending on the area, may bring a jacket wrapped around waist even if it is warm
Thanks!
*note on the GPS watch, I love this even when hiking/backpacking/camping as I can save locations on it and have it point back to those locations with direction & distance. Its just an every day thing that could be useful for non-runners.
Read MoreBuilding, stocking a safe room in house
Bob - May 1, 2021 https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_taking-shelter-from-the-storm_p-320.pdf
Good evening,
Above FEMA link is hot off the presses. It’s the updated version.
I’m posting this for 2 reasons: good info on subject AND just the exposure to FEMA stuff. Not only for a house, the concepts in doc can be used in an apartment, condo, etc.
Be careful re the page 9 definition of hurricane categories. Our US system has “cat 5” as the worst … heaviest winds in the series of 5 categories. Yet, a lower number hurricane can be more dangerous because of the flooding. It is the flooding … especially infected waters … that causes the most hurricane deaths.
Page 58 has an email address and a phone number for additional info and publication.
There’s a web-seminar or one of those national conference calls pending. I omitted this but if really interested, inquire via the page 58 contacts.
Read MoreAre you a prepper or are you practicing prepper?
UbiqueContributor - May 1, 2021 Have you actually done “it” yet? Practiced that skill you’ve read about, but have never actually done.
Half-measure prepping is like running a race and not crossing the finish line.
It is one thing to read, research, debate and buy items. It is another aspect of prepping to learn and ingrain new skills
Untried and untested items in a prepper storehouse could be a dangerous discovery when the SHTF and you need to rely upon them. That isn’t the time to find out you have forgotten a key part needed for another item to work, or that the item in storage isn’t appropriate for your climate or location.
There is a lot to learn and it can be overwhelming. But, what you learn today and every day before some disaster strikes can help you.
You can learn by reading to a point, but actual experience is needed for many prepping skills. A day or two course is great, but you need to practice in order to retain those skills.
The practice component of prepping is important in that it also helps us to keep our preps simple and not get overblown on items that are unnecessary.
Let’s take hunting for an example. Once the stored food runs out, hunting is going to be a fact of life. Those who survived The Great Depression and other long term disasters quickly found that out. Back then, there were more people who knew how to hunt properly because we had more smaller family farms and a denser rural population with those skills.
You have a gun and bullets. Great, but have you actually hunted and if so, for how many seasons? One season is not enough to learn everything.
In any crisis, but especially a long term crisis, it is important to know how to practice good animal stewardship. You don’t kill the pregnant does or the does with fawns. Fawns stay with the mother for two years.
Be honorable in your hunt and grateful for the animal who gives its life to feed you. Night hunters are not honorable nor are those who take more than what they will use. Animal populations can be decimated very quickly and those who do this will starve in the end.
If you wound it, track it. Hunting is not about letting any animal suffer because you missed the shot. Do you know how to track an animal?
Do you know how to dress for a hunt? Do you know how to stay safe around an animal that you think is dead? A kick from a not quite dead deer can cost you a limb if they break the skin and you get infected without antibiotics in a disaster.
Hunting is a skill that must be mastered over time and preferably taught to you by an excellent hunter so that you learn the right way to hunt and harvest your kill in the environment you will be hunting in.
Have you learned how to properly and safely harvest your kill? Did you buy the proper saws and knives need to butcher the animal? Do you have freezer wrap and freezer tape or some other method of preserving the kill? Do you know how to use the entire animal including the hide?
Do you know to trim all the fat off a deer because it affects the taste of the meat and makes it gamey tasting? Do you know how to properly cook venison so that it tastes really good?
I could have substituted so many other skills: fishing, baking with a solar oven, repair and maintenance of your home and property, gardening, repair and sewing of clothes, evacuation drills, op/sec drills in and out of the home.
The list goes on and on for a reason. It is because each of us comes here with a different background and different skills. Some will have a longer list to learn, while others may want to reconsider their prepping plans.
It is only through careful consideration of what you will need to actually do in a crisis that you will know if it is for you or if you need to do something else.
For example, if hunting seems like too much to take on, then learn to fish.
Harvesting a fish isn’t difficult. For pickerel (walleye) we cut off the head behind the gills, slit the belly and eviscerate. Take the split fish and very carefully take your sharp boning knife and run it between the skin and flesh of the fish. Carefully cut out the flesh from the spine area. Feel with your fingers for any bones you missed.
I haven’t cleaned a fish for years but my “hands remembered” the skill as I typed this. I might have missed a point but if I had a fish in front of me, I am confident that it would come back to me.
The Indigenous people in Northern Canada make a fish head soup that is a delicacy. Also, get a good boning knife. Mine was from a fish processing plant and designed to be extremely well made.
A final point about practicing, you will also find out what you are physically and mentally capable of doing. Knowing our limitations is a very important part of prepping.
Read MoreThis non-powered passive dish focuses cell phone signals to the nearest tower
Jay ValenciaContributor - May 1, 2021 Was researching ways to communicate when cells don’t work. (Lots of prepping uses, but I was particularly thinking about the recent unrest where gov shuts down signal to protestors.)
Found this and thought it was cool. You put your phone inside of the cradle and that turns it into a hotspot in the middle of nowhere. The tool itself uses no power. So I’m guessing it’s just a signal amplifier. Anyone knowledgeable know how valid this is? Is it or something like it a possible communications prep?
Here’s where I found it
Cell phone hotspot in Australia. Set your phone on the post, dish focuses the signal to the nearest tower. 100% passive, tool itself uses no power. from ThatsInsane
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Home Depot offering some preparedness resources
Bob - April 30, 2021 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-home-depot-announces-new-and-enhanced-disaster-preparedness-resources-847832640.html
Good evening,
This news release type of notice tells of Home Depot program going beyond just selling stuff needed for disaster preps.
Mentioned are on-demand classes / workshops and web access to their collected info.
Note the mentioned Home Depot program to “fortify warehouses” … with relief supplies.
Also mentioned is their volunteer force.
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