Bleach would be nice if you have it stockpiled, but once it's gone I don't know if any of us can make more from scratch. But alcohol's easy to make. If you don't know how, then learn Leslie Fish's teaching song "Black Powder and Alcohol" and teach it to your kids :-)
Listen: streaming mp3
Lyrics:
CHORUS:
Black powder and alcohol,
When the states and the cities fall,
When your back is against the wall;
Black powder and alcohol.
Gimme charcoal to the measure two:
Send the bullet where you want it to.
Gimme sulphur to the measure three:
Make the powder gonna keep you free.
Gimme saltpetre, measure fifteen:
Sweetest shooting that you've ever seen! (chorus)
Gimme water, yeast, and veggie-trash:
Leave it sitting in the slurry-mash.
When it's ready, put it in the still:
If you can't heat it, then the sunlight will.
Draw the alcohol away, and then
Put the slurry back, and start again! (chorus)
Booze'll clean your cuts, or run your car.
You can make it anywhere you are.
Black powder in your cartridge shell
Will send the robbers running clean to Hell.
You can make them if you just know how.
So kids, remember what I tell you now! (chorus & repeat chorus)
Paint would work briefly, but with such a thin substrate, natural flexing & thermal expansion & contraction would result in it flaking off within a season.
In addition, the primers required for good adhesion to polyethylene terephthalate (the plastic 2-liters are made out of) are expensive and not particularly environmentally sound.
Your best bet on-the-cheap is to get a bottle of those non-wax, 'once a year' car polishes, and apply a good couple of coats. About $10 to cover an area roughly the size of the shed's roof in the picture, and you might get an extra 6 months-year of lifespan.
Another interesting use of 2-liters is as skylights. The thermal mass of the water will help the plastic last longer, probably close to 2-3 years, esp. if UV protection, like the Nu Finish linked above, is applied.
Depends on who has what kind of transmitter. Think of HAM radio operators for example. Also, since the government (if there is one) won't be able/care to regulate radio frequencies anyone with a transmitter or knowledge of how to build one can make their own radio station. All you need is a transmitter, antenna, and a power source and you are set.
Hell, an AM crystal receiver doesn't even need power! It takes its juice right from the radio waves!
And AM transmitters are super easy to make. The most complex part is 1 PNP transistor. But I bet if you looked around on the net you could find out how to make one!
TLDR: You bet!
>gold will still be the best barter tool for buying stuff other people have you want.
Why would the people you are bartering with want gold? They are cold, scared, and starving; gold won't save them. Why would someone carry gold? Its worthless for survival.
Now post-post-collapse might be a different story...
> and its not heavy
>1 ounce is like 32 grams
I picked up a pack of 3 Sterno cans at a yard sale last weekend and thought I would look up how to make some. I came across this video on instructables.com.
Download link if you don't want to put your email in (or any email at all, there's no confirmation). I've read this manual, it's one of the best.
*edit I must have forgotten to include the link, oops, well here it is. https://mega.nz/#!7BxUGYbL!lBY__DY4rYZ1JVkxupROv6MxO4I5SEfWBDCZ94Ts2Xw
I'd say rather than wondering which jug of cleaner to prepare you should instead learn how to make the cleaner. Alcohol will be the easiest and most versatile (for the reasons you mentioned, also for booze.)
Knowing how to make and operate a still will be a valuable talent, especially if you plan to survive in a community.
Weaponized EMPs can certainly fry the electronic system of a vehicle:
http://gizmodo.com/5454295/this-emp-cannon-stops-cars-almost-instantly
However I must admit prior to your comment I had the misconception a geomagnetic storm could do the same thing, if only in a localized area... we've never observed a 'Carrington Effect' level storm on our modern technological infrastructure, so I don't see how we can completely rule it out.
What is the science behind the logic that a geomagnetic storm would not interfere with car electronics... and for that matter, with any electronic device? The evidence I've seen seems to suggest that with an X-class flare of great enough magnitude, all sorts of terrestrial electronic systems could be fried and interfered with... but maybe that's just more reality TV producers trying to scare me.
Nice how low-tech and easy this is. Thanks!
Also check out pressured ammonium freezers (Icyballs), which you can charge with a simple stove/fire, or with a solar mirror:
They are quite complex to build and can be dangerous because of the pressurized ammonia, but they perform very well, you can easily get a freezer box to -20 degrees celsius without needing electricity.
Note: If searching in the Android Market, search for Morse Code Trainer instead of Morse CT (even though that's what it installs as).
Get a sling shot. These are also commonly known as "wrist rockets" in some parts of the US, but are basically a slingshot with a leather pouch and bands made of surgical tubing. Some models also have a wrist brace to help with stability and accuracy. Get one and learn how to use it. Ammunition is virtually limitless and it'll bring down something as large as a good sized rabbit.
Instructions on how to construct basic snares are everywhere. Here is just one example.
As for making rope, string, or thread, here is a good instructables article on it. Rope can be made from most flexible plant fibers. If you're desperate and patient enough, you could even make it from dried grass.
don't mind him ubel, sheogorath_'s butt just hurts because some people are pragmatists.
see, when a disaster hits, he's going to start take his simple concepts and learnings from his pool of knowledge and mine some metal from the mountain, start smelting it and make a hammer and then rebuild civilization from there. ;-)
after that, he's going to make a toaster.
1 Troy Oz = 0.0311034768 Kilograms 1 Kilogram = 32.1507465686 Troy Oz so one gold troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_grams_in_one_gold_troy_ounce#ixzz1yCSFkZME
gold is minted in troy ounces.
Your talking end of the world shit anyway. that's way too depressing even for this subreddit man. even without gov or infrastructure, people wont go that far back, i hope.
72hours.org used to be my absolute favorite for beginner preparedness for nearly all disaster scenarios. It still is sort of… The website has changed recently and it’s awful now. If you want a great beginner reference, use the Internet Archive WaybackMachine to check out a pre-2013 version of this site. (link provided here) Take the earthquake quiz! :) https://web.archive.org/web/20120124004421/http://72hours.org/
The app is available here (android only at the moment). It's a bit large, so I just saved the installer on my phone for if I ever need to roll it out. The network can even self extend, serving the app over WiFi to new phones in the area.
Here's a budget copy, you will find nearly anything you want at this site, cheap.
It's a lifestyle journey you are embarking on. No matter how many preparation you make there will always be something you didn't plan for. It's a lot of work...a lot of work. Try to keep a balance of fun in your sacrifice.
Ply this site for everything its worth. Ask questions. You are a valuable resource already. By putting yourself out there and asking questions you are not only helping yourself, you are helping everyone that is afraid to ask or doesn't have a clue of what to ask. There are a lot of people here that have been around the block and will be more than happy to give you the answers you seek or a path where you can find your enlightenment.
That wikipedia archive is rather worthless unless you've also backed up the ability to parse it... which I don't know how. Perhaps someone has a thorough guide out there on setting up a quick server to view it with?
Maybe we can all collaborate on putting together a cheap solid-state-device that can run off of 12v, serve, search and display the wikipedia backup? 40GB SSD, 10" touchscreen? Could be the size of a bible.
edit:
for starters, http://www.wikitaxi.org/delphi/doku.php/products/wikitaxi/index says it doesn't need a DB engine. Wonder how it handles the 3.5GB (30 uncompressed) backup?
Thanks for sharing! I picked up one, considering getting another since it is open sourced, here is a hackaday article about it.
You might be interested in Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It’s a great novel that recounts the downfall and gradual rebuilding of civilization following an asteroid strike. It’s a bit older, but still holds up well.
Well, once you open a jar, even with modern canning techniques, it doesn't stay good for long. You've broken the seal. You can screw the lid back on, but it is no longer sealed in the same way that it was before.
I would think that you would use wax, then put a lid on it, even if that lid doesn't seal well. When you want to close it again, you just close the lid and accept that you need to finish the contents of the jar fairly soon.
That said, how would I acquire wax post collapse? It must be easy to make because people have always had access to it, but I sure don't know how.
Edit: According to Wikipedia There are naturally occurring waxes. I guess it's just a matter of finding them or making a synthetic version. That's at least another option, I guess.
Edit 2: This sounds like the easiest way for someone like me to make wax. I guess tallow wax would probably work for canning.
This will work but there are many variables adding up to alter quality of results. The resistance of the earphone must be high or else the volume will be very low, as this circuit requires a high resistance load - anything will make the output collapse. That's why a crystal earpiece is best. An iPod or any modern audio device earphone won't work.
In a true post-collapse, you'd have to make your own crystal for the earpiece, from baking soda and cream of tartar to make Rochelle Salt which is piezoelectric. Here is the link to Instructables for making this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Rochelle-Salt/
Keep in mind that these only work with strong radio signals. In a post collapse there will no longer be strong commercial stations. In fact, if we see a martial law scenario post collapse, all commercial radio will be limited, controlled, or taken down. The Internet will be stopped; all ISPs will be shut down or heavily controlled. So news will limited, controlled, true news hard to come by. My guess is foxhole radios will be of little use in such an era.
In my experience it has to do with the type of wheels and tires rather than the frame. Even if you get 40 mm touring your bike won't handle a wooded or heavily unpaved area as well as a good mountain bike with shocks and 44.5 mm tires with good treads. It doesn't take long in many post-collapse situations for this environment to quickly take over
I thought you were pretty well versed from your other comments and I upvoted them but you seem to have some very false assumptions about salt. 1) Yes, you do just go in a salt-mine and hit it with a pick axe. Crush what comes off (also VERY easy) and you have salt. 2) Its exceedingly easy to extract salt from the ocean. You wouldnt even have to extract it to get it in your diet (just drink some ocean). You would only extract it for food preservation or mass storage. http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5415269_process-making-salt-seawater.html
I am not some uninformed person talking of being some post-apoc fuedal lord but this is pretty common information reiterated in many articles about survival
Of course I said live "on the coast" and not some terminology with lee-way like "near the coast" as transportation will be near impossible for any long distances (relative not to cars, but to walking).
Do you honestly think that someone living by the beach would give you ANYTHING for salt? Theyve got a fucking ocean of it.
I buy the #10 cans prefilled with stuff already is what I mean. I am a consultant for shelf reliance so I get product for less than retail prices. Although the costco prices are pretty good, I probably could only match them. If you are looking for something specific that shelf reliance sells let me know, they have a huge selection of emergency preparedness supplies.
If you want do-it-yourself system you will need to use the plastic buckets. There is also versions that are easy to reseal called gamma buckets that come in different sizes.
Get your HAM license. It's really not that hard. There are some very good study guides out there. Read it three times and you'll pass the test.
If you get on a radio after the fall be careful of what information you give out. If things are horrible where the other person is and wonderful where you are you and you let them know this you might end up with a flood of refugees showing up at your doorstep with all of their problems. Listen more than you talk. Seek information but be very careful with giving it.
You might want to pick up a copy of Ditch Medicine to learn how to use these medications without killing yourself.
Download Ditch Medicine, read it and then buy the book because your computer won't be running without electricity. It will give you survival basics. IV's will probably not be widely available. Take the Red Cross First Aid course for the basics, an EMT training course for the serious education. If you really have the time and inclination, join the military and get into the medical corps. Mostly triage in the field.
A book you might want to add to your collection. The Medical Effects of Nuclear War. It will give you a better understanding of what you will be dealing with.
I do plan to keep this around for a long time, and the storage method is something I have to worry about. Unfortunately most places^1 seem to agree that a DVD won't be 100% after ten years. I'm not sure what the ld50 on that is, but I think it is an okay exchange with how cheap they are. Metal hard drives arent much better, since powered on they last about 3 years and the data isn't guaranteed after 5 years^2 . Not only that I do not like all the moving parts for long term storage either.
I've heard that data storage tapes can last a long time if stored correctly, but the hardware to read them is kinda rare.
https://tedium.co/2017/02/02/disc-rot-phenomenon/
https://lifehacker.com/5808858/how-long-can-a-hard-drive-hold-data-without-power
WikiTaxi or something similar. You could also import it into a MediaWiki installation on your own server to replicate the blog, minus the pictures and similar content. http://www.wikitaxi.org/delphi/doku.php/products/wikitaxi/index
Sorry. I know it took me longer than I said it would, but the book is The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. It's been a while since I read it, but it is a really good book.
I would want Carla Emery's encyclopedia of Country Living for survival/self-sufficiency.
For general multi-subject knoweldge I would get a copy of The Volume Library. Produced throughout the 1900s it is a wealth of info on almost any subject in one concise volume (though some versions have 2 or 3 volumes). Last prodeced as a single volume in 1982. Some mareial is dated but much of it is timeless.
Something like a 50 year calendar could be helpful, but will still be on you to keep track of the days of the week.
Thank you hon. I'm not a big proponent of gadgets but anything that will lessen the amount of time and effort needed to do a necessary task is a boon, especially if that device can be easily fabricated. This is just such a device.
If you have the money there is a device that I do recommend acquiring and there aren't many that make that grade. I am not a big fan of gadgets. The Kelly Kettle, it comes in two sizes, you choose to fit your needs, small if you are bugging out or large if you have a base of operations. It can boil a lot of water very quickly with just a couple handfuls of dried leaves or grass or a few sheets of newspaper. It will create very little smoke that could attract unwanted attention. Boiled water is safe to drink and can be used to reconstitute dehydrated or freeze dried food or cook game. It is also useful for cleansing wounds. Consider adding this to you stash, it will be well worth the money.
Check out Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It may come into play at level 3 but no more basic. It will be a comfort as I'm sure it was to cave men but won't replace a good meal. I don't think it will be a good career choice. Bards will eventually become popular as entertainers but it will take awhile. If your instrument requires parts that wear out, strings, drum heads, reeds or the like, you will probably be out of a job soon enough.Your best choice would be an instrument you can make post collapse. You can make an Ocarina or a Recorder if you learn how while resources are available. Harmonicas are small, light and easy to carry, low maintenance and have no parts that need frequent replacement. Even a piccolo might be a good choice. I would look for small, portable and indestructible. Plastic Ocarina, remember, you get what you pay for, don't go cheap, it will for sure sound cheap. You can make a ceramic ocarina but it will take practice. It will also be fragile.
All of these items are feasible in a collapse scenario.
Guns will be a HUGE part of the post collapse world. A gun gives a 100 pound girl advantage over a 300 pound man. That is why they will always be a huge part.
Communities might develop over the long run, but it will be pack life mostly in the early going. Large family units.
Correct on the oats - my mistake - but off on the pb
A pound of pb is two cups or ~ 3000 calories. Ten pounds would be 30k calories.
So depending on how big you are that would be three months.
My question, though, is what time length is your goal.
Japan has survived decades of contraction and zero interest rates. I'm living in a home smaller than what my parents lived in. We can adjust. It's the marginal places that will have problems, as well as systems that have fixed high operating expenses and cannot throttle down.
I first learned from this article, then I started just improving on it making my own improvements. Just experiment but make sure you know the bows limits so it doesn't explode in your face.
It has high amounts of an estrogen-like chemical, but that might be avoided by extracting the starch. Or maybe it's harmless. You can buy a tropical version of kudzu root in some Chinese grocery stores.
Pics would be nice. Or a Google maps overhead. And won't you get red tide from eating stuff from the Sound?
As for eating wildlife, most game animals are infested with fleas and ticks and whatnot. I wouldn't suggest eating them as your first option. Costco sells this, a year's supply of freeze dried food for a $1000. Also see if you can do a bit of gardening.
For defense you'll want several firearms but you could get by with one or two. In order of least importance a long range rifle for long range defense, a shotgun for it's versatility, a handgun for personal defense and a nice .22lr for hunting and training. A Mosin Nagant, Remmington 870, Glock and a Ruger 10/22 should keep you safe from a lot of things.
Get this CD and learn how to build a still. Build it, don't use it, it is illegal currently. After the collapse when the current government is gone you can distil to your hearts content. There are lots of books at American book exchange that will fill the gaps and still be around after the electricity goes out for the last time. Sorry, I won't condone breaking the law. Even making it for yourself is illegal without a permit. The last place you want to be when the collapse happens is in a prison cell.
I found that link at the bottom of the page to the ditch medicine books even more useful. Most military medical care utilized a lot of medical supplies that won't be available to the average Joe. Where am I going to buy an IV bag? Do I have access to a medivac helicopter? The "Where There is No Doctor" series will be a God send. I would recommend getting them in hard copy as computers might be hard to run without electricity. American Book Exchange is my favorite source for cheap texts.
Offline Wikipedia: <strong>Kiwix</strong>
Available for Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Linux
Allows for download of Wikipedia offline in various sections or altogether, as well as many different StackExchanges.
Can also host on a network and allow other on the network to access the knowledge.
Essential for rebuilding
A few suggestions:
Bactrim: cheap. good for skin and GU infections
Levaquin: moderately priced. good for pulmonary and GU infections
Flagyl: cheap. good for the shits.
Ketoralac: cheap. very powerful anti-inflammatory/pain reliever. no cognitive side effects like opioids.
Multivitamin: wards off illness due to deficiencies (think scurvy).
Bacitracin: topical antibacterial ointment.
Tylenol: antipyretic and pain reliever.
Tamiflu: antiviral. active against most flu.
You'll need a script for most of these, but you'd be surprised what a doc will write for you if you ask nicely (assuming its not controlled/dangerous, and none of these are). You could carry a year worth of all of these in a BOB without adding much weight.
Additionally, here's a link to the sanford guide to antimicrobial therapy. This is a clinicians go to book for for choosing antivirals/antifungals/antibiotics: http://www.4shared.com/document/NNy85OLh/The_Sanford_Guide_to_Antimicro.htm
There's also Bazaar (bzr). It's a distributed VCS and is opensource. It was created by Canonical for Ubuntu. Hosting on http://www.launchpad.net is free.
I have no idea what VCS is best. I just thought I'd bring up another option.
I remember enjoying this post-collapse book years ago:
https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Iron-Gordon-R-Dickson-ebook/dp/B00GS9FLK6/ref=nodl_
It feels like a post-collapse adult version of My Side of the Mountain.
"The Knowledge: How to Rebuild the Civilization in the Aftermath of the Cataclysm" explains most of that, and then some. You can buy it in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047
I assume you mean 'How do I connect to the Internet in a different country if my country cuts off the basic infrastructure?' (as happened in Egypt) - the most reliable method is probably going to be getting your hands on two modems and sending one to a friend overseas.
If you mean 'How do I get around site censorship?', check out any of the existing VPN providers (StrongVPN gets good reviews) or have a look into Tor.
I am telling you, this is about 1000X better than duct tape or mole skin. It will not move off your feet. I put a test piece on a friend gave me and left it on for about 7 days with a daily shower. Never moved. I went and bought a roll on amazon after.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E59HXC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1ZLB4YH32IG4K&psc=1
You are sadly mistaken. Economics existed long before the use of fossil fuels as witnessed by Adam Smith and David Ricardo (the first classical economists) being alive almost a hundred years before the first commercial oil well. The Wealth of Nations and several of Ricardo's works were published 80 years before as well. Many of its concepts also go back much farther than that.
Edit: Please do research before spewing nonsense, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. You're the one scolding, I'm suggesting that peer-reviewed sources are better to use than poorly supported mainstream media sources, which is a scientifically positive statement. If you're going to speak about the sciences, do scientific research first. I have reviewed much of the peer-reviewed literature, and passed some of the knowledge on to you. Believe it, or don't. Simple.
Excellent, thank you. I'm going to order this tonight. A great book to add some humility in a inhumane world. In my own words, just what i got out of reading the description anyways.
Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describing his psychotherapeutic method of finding a reason to live.
Frankl identifies three psychological reactions experienced by all inmates to one degree or another: (1) shock during the initial admission phase to the camp, (2) apathy after becoming accustomed to camp existence, in which the inmate values only that which helps himself and his friends survive, and (3) reactions of depersonalization, moral deformity, bitterness, and disillusionment if he survives and is liberated.
https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Essential-Drugs-Ruben-Vardanyan/dp/0444521666
and a follow on book
https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Best-Seller-Drugs-Ruben-Vardanyan/dp/012411492X
The synthesis is not particularly sophisticated. Most of the chemicals are available in even a smaller town drug stores, agricultural supply stores, and hardware stores. You can find patent art on various methods as well, some with more exotic approaches.
This is why synthroid costs pennies per dose to make, and dimes per day to use in many countries.
The folks that are claiming this is a shit-out-of-luck situation are simply wrong. This is practically a high school chem lab exercise to succeed at in a basic way, and the path is there to purify it if required (likely not so important as the mere gross preparation of the chemical).
Most of the critical WHO pharmacopoeia is readily synthesized. These formulations only really cover about 90% of pathologic presentation (aside from mental disorders). The remaining 10% are, to a large degree, a shit-out-of-luck situation for those without resources to pay to ave them made, because they require precursors and resources that are vulnerable to degradation.
Thyroid meds are not, thankfully, in the SOL category.
Move to America where you can actually protect you and yours.
On a serious note, there is only so much you can do. I recommend the book :Prosper
And realize that there are steps you can take to improve your security outside of guns and hording tons of food. In fact guns ARE useful and having food IS important but being mentally prepared and having a strong local community network is just as important and is available to you right now.
Physical books are good, but finding the right ones is key. Having a huge library of physical books will be a problem if you have to bail on your place. I've had this for a couple of years and it is invaluable:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061992860?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
If electricity isn't a problem, then having a good e-reader or tablet can save a lot of space. I have a 64gb stick with all of my survival books and videos on it. I have scanned version of all personal documents as well; still have plenty of space for a lot more information.
Having certain skills mastered and practiced frequently is better than having to rely on your library every time you need to. Having a library, means that there is less stress on having to remember everything. I've found that aquiring certain books with adequat information and keeping the library small is best.
If you have a secure location and don't plan on leaving then it's not an issue. I would have a digital version/backup just in case. I'd also scan all personal documents into folder as well.
I have been in nursing 30+ years, as an RN what strikes me even if the disaster is EMP or economic, the mortality rate is going to be sky high even without rioting, violence, and fights over food/resources. So many people that are around today would be dead as soon as their medications run out, insulin dependent diabetics are going to die off in a couple of weeks after the power has been off that long. Good read along these lines is One Second After I do not know the author just thought it was a great book. I work in pharmaceutical research, and have thought about the staggering number of people kept alive by medications. Not to mention the people of anti-depressants , ant-psychotics, anti-manics, anti-anxiety medications that are either going to be a danger to themselves or others once their medication supply runs out. So even if folks are on a 90 day mail order supply we have 3 months until we have another wave of death, violence.
<em>Last Light</em> by Alex Scarrow is the story of a coordinated terrorist attack on key Islamic holy sites, as well as most of the world's oil supplies, which effectively brings western civilization to a halt.
It deals with the immediate fallout from the catastrophe—riots, food shortage, breakdown in law & order. There's a sequel Afterlight which goes into more detail about what a post-collapse society would look like.
There's something of an emphasis on sexual violence in both books and quite a pessimistic, reactionary, view of 'feral youth' going wild in a newly lawless environment. However, they're very gripping and for page turning thrillers I found them highly believable.
I point the unprepared to the book "One Second After", by William Forstchen.
Massive EMP, infrastructure collapse, societal collapse. This is the book that turned my wife from tolerant of my Prepper nature into a full-on supporter and contributor to the cause.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen-ebook/dp/B002LATV16
Can I ask a dumb question and not trying to be a smart ass at all. Is it possible to use a bulb siphon with say 1/2 to 3/4 fuel line. I am thinking a bulb like this would work. http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Liquid-Transfer-Gasoline-Adapter/dp/B00N5C28BO/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1422532942&sr=1-2&keywords=siphon+pump+for+gasoline
In addition, what length limits could you have on the fuel line? Instead of a bulb could you use something like this:
Seems cheap to me, price wise. Just want to bounce ideas of someone to see if this would work or not.