Greetings to all and a thanks for the medium to share and exchange preparedness ideas & experience.
We have a ways to go, but have taken some steps in getting and practicing ways to make due when things we take for granted fail.
We have a small working greenhouse. Still looking for a small pot belly stove to heat it- electric or kerosene limit the independent feeling and cost more since we have plenty of fire wood.There are plants (tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes, melons, and many others) to be set out in 3-4 weeks. Corn was planted last weekend, and peas, onions, potatoes, etc. have been up in the garden a couple of weeks. We have just made turn-key (still a few minor bugs to work out) a 1.2 KW pv array used to charge a 1,200 a/hr (12 US REL16 batts in a 24 vdc config). From that is a 3.2 KW 120/240 vac inverter and a 24 to 12 volt converter for typical dc loads (radio gear, lights, etc.). Rain catchment is in progress- a couple of 65 gallon tanks at the shed were well over filled this morning early from the rain. In progress of designing & retrofitting gutter on the 24 x 48 foot barn with at least 1,000 gallon storage capacity. Besides irragation, the plan is to use some of the rain water for washing clothes and flushing the toilet. Maybe later, retrofit a filtration/purification system for potable water. After the addition is complete (on the south side) we are going to go forth with a solar collector to heat a liquid which will circulate through an exchanger to heat water. Still a ways to go on stored food, but hope to work on that- especially from the garden this year- canning, freezing, & dehydrating. For cooking, we have been using a solar cooker, rocket Stove tec cooker, a wood stove (winter time) as well as an old gas stove. I found out in researching gas stoves, that most new ovens need electricity to function and some can be manually lit for a one-time cycle where the oven stops heating once the desired temp is reached. Reminds me of the camper trailer one-shot water heaters. We also have various guns and munitions for hunting, limited practice/recreation (who would have ever thought that .22 ammo would be hard to get?), and, if ever need be, self-defense.
You might say that the above is like a usable hobby, for we are trying to make the ways a part of the everyday routine so that when the "norm" goes south, we will feel very little change. An instinct rather than having to find the instructions. Look forward to ideas and info and will be glad to share what little I have experience with.
We have a ways to go, but have taken some steps in getting and practicing ways to make due when things we take for granted fail.
We have a small working greenhouse. Still looking for a small pot belly stove to heat it- electric or kerosene limit the independent feeling and cost more since we have plenty of fire wood.There are plants (tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes, melons, and many others) to be set out in 3-4 weeks. Corn was planted last weekend, and peas, onions, potatoes, etc. have been up in the garden a couple of weeks. We have just made turn-key (still a few minor bugs to work out) a 1.2 KW pv array used to charge a 1,200 a/hr (12 US REL16 batts in a 24 vdc config). From that is a 3.2 KW 120/240 vac inverter and a 24 to 12 volt converter for typical dc loads (radio gear, lights, etc.). Rain catchment is in progress- a couple of 65 gallon tanks at the shed were well over filled this morning early from the rain. In progress of designing & retrofitting gutter on the 24 x 48 foot barn with at least 1,000 gallon storage capacity. Besides irragation, the plan is to use some of the rain water for washing clothes and flushing the toilet. Maybe later, retrofit a filtration/purification system for potable water. After the addition is complete (on the south side) we are going to go forth with a solar collector to heat a liquid which will circulate through an exchanger to heat water. Still a ways to go on stored food, but hope to work on that- especially from the garden this year- canning, freezing, & dehydrating. For cooking, we have been using a solar cooker, rocket Stove tec cooker, a wood stove (winter time) as well as an old gas stove. I found out in researching gas stoves, that most new ovens need electricity to function and some can be manually lit for a one-time cycle where the oven stops heating once the desired temp is reached. Reminds me of the camper trailer one-shot water heaters. We also have various guns and munitions for hunting, limited practice/recreation (who would have ever thought that .22 ammo would be hard to get?), and, if ever need be, self-defense.
You might say that the above is like a usable hobby, for we are trying to make the ways a part of the everyday routine so that when the "norm" goes south, we will feel very little change. An instinct rather than having to find the instructions. Look forward to ideas and info and will be glad to share what little I have experience with.
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