CLICK HERE FOR SURVIVAL LINKS
I AM NOT SELLING ANYTHING. SURVIVAL IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD BE AWARE OF AND I ONLY WANT SURVIVAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ANY WHO ARE INTERESTED.
This site is in its early stages of development. Many years ago I created this website which got hacked and as things are developing, felt compelled to put some information out. Come back often to see what more may have been added.
I do recommend you print the information out and put it in notebooks. You never know when the grid may go down. It's also a good idea to consider a short period like one month to fill your survival needs and add to the time and stuff based on your finances and room for storage. For example, consider what it would take for your family to live without electricity for one month.
Some of the information and links may involve opinions in religion and politics. These subjects are not something I automatically agree to.
FAIR USE NOTICE: I am not selling nor trying to sell anything to anyone. I think this information is vital, especially those who have not had any practice in prepping, The Website may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always be specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In such a case we are making the material available in our efforts to advance understanding of basic survival. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on the Website is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. I have deleted some links to the main web pages that are no longer in service.
LifeSkills International and Echod Enterprise are not responsible for the information in the links and may not agree with opinions expressed. These articles are for information only.
LifeSkills International
A Division of Echod Enterprise
e-mail lifeskills_coach101@yahoo.com
A SURVIVAL KIT...FOR YOUR PET
Sep 13th, 2010 | By Andrew| https://www.offthegridnews.com/author/andrew/
This website has just about everything you will ever need to know.
We value our pets for companionship and protection, and we owe it to our pets to be responsible for their care. If we take care of them, they’ll take care of us.
In the case of an emergency or disaster like an earthquake, flood or hurricane, pets can get lost or disoriented. If we’re not properly prepared for an emergency, we may find ourselves helpless. Just like people, pets need food, water and occasionally medication. Similarly, unsanitary conditions promote disease, complicating an already difficult situation. Cats, exotic birds and other pets may develop breeding populations that cause havoc in neighborhoods and further aggravate problems.
The best way to avoid these problems is to maintain a Pet Survival Kit and keep it in an easy to transport container.
WHAT'S I N A PET SURVIVAL KIT
The best pet survival kits will contain at least the following items:
Recent photos or video of your pet placed both in the pet survival kit and on your person, so you can show others in the event your pet is lost or you’re attempting to reclaim it.
A pet survival collar worn by your pet that contains the pet’s ID, name and address, phone number, rabies tag, and license.
Up-to-date shots, health and vaccination records.
A pet carrier or cage.
A piece of your clothing, so the pet feels safe.
A two-week supply of pet food
Several gallons of clean drinking water.
A hand can opener (not electric!).
A pet waste disposal system including newspapers, cat littler, poop scoop, bleach, and plastic garbage bags.
A list containing detailed health issues or concerns.
Grooming supplies and toys.
Your pet’s survival depends on you even when times are easy. When survival is at stake, you need to be prepared to continue caring for your pets so that they remain healthy and able to provide you with the companionship or security you’ll need in an emergency. A pet survival kit should be required gear for any pet owner.
We do not recommend the use of 30 and 50 gallon water containers as these containers can weight up to 450 pounds, which is too heavy and dangerous for use around children and others, can easily be transported and allows the user to not "store all of their eggs in one basket" meaning you may store these smaller containers in different areas around the home or office. Smaller containers are the safest choice around hurricane and earthquake prone areas. We highly recommend the use of 2.5, 5 gallon and 15 gallon water drum or also know as water storage barrel, plastic water storage containers as they are a safe, practical solution for home and business emergency water storage needs. Our storage containers are made of FDA approved plastic and are small enough to take with you on-foot and in your vehicle. Your emergency drinking should be stored in portable containers that can be stored in a many different locations to assure you have access to freshly stored drinking water in the event a single location is damaged and made inaccessible in a disaster. Smaller water containers can also be shared easily with friends and family members if needed.
If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks. By taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family.
Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need even more. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day. You should store at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family.
THREE WAYS TO DISINFECT WATER
In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. You should treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.
There are many ways to treat water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.
Two easy treatment methods are outlined below.
These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.
Boiling: Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
DISINFECTION: You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.
The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment productssold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used. This is not easy to find.
I personally reccomend
Cleaning dirty water with Hydrogen peroxide: In 1 cup of water, add 1 tablespoon diluted peroxide. It is inexpensive and usually has no additives.
To dilute, take regular 12% hydrorgen peroxide and dilute it to 3% before using.
1.5 ounces (1 1/2 Tablespoon) of peroxide in 1 quart of water.
To dilute 12 % down to 3%, take 1 Tablespoon of the 12% hydrogen peroxide (or any measured amount ) and add 1 Tablespoon of water. You now have 6% peroxide. Now add 2 Tablespoons of water to the mixture and you have 3% hydrogen preoxide.
DISTILLATION: Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
WATER SUPPLIES - HOW TO STORE WATER
Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances. Plastic containers, such as plastic containers found at Preparedness.com (this site is no longer available) are best. You can also purchase large or small food-grade plastic water containers or large water storage drums.
If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to treat the water according to the instructions on page 3 before drinking it.
Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color
Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water
A FEW SUN OVEN LINKS
HOW TO BUILD A SOLAR COOKER http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/buildingasolarcooker.html
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=sun%20oven%20global%20sun%20oven&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&keyword=sun%20oven%20global%20sun%20oven&crlp=_5047&MT_ID=&geo_id=&rlsatarget=kwd-77309586619589:loc-190&adpos=&device=c&mktype=&loc=190&poi=&abcId=&cmpgn=395402537&sitelnk=&adgroupid=1236950788041643&network=s&matchtype=e&msclkid=902db48e72db1a7b2bead5ddb485b19d
https://www.sunoven.com/products/
If you plan to buy; please visit first our Solar Oven Comparisons page http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/solar_oven_comparisons.html for the top Commercial Solar Cookers,and if you plan to build, please visit best materials for home made solar cookers http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/homemade_solar_ovens.html
One concern for people is the safety of using solar cookers. The most important safety tip for cooking with the sun is NOT TO STARE INTO THE REFLECTED RAYS. YOU SHOULD WEAR DARK SUNGLASSES WITH UV PROTECTION AT ALL TIMES. The sun's rays can burn your eyes and cause blindness if the proper precautions are not taken. Special attention should be given to fire safety as well. Parabolic solar cookers should be covered when not in use.
Cooking time with a parabolic cooker is similar to a conventional stove, and a box oven is similar to a conventional oven. Cooking may take longer is there are fog, clouds or shadow.
Since Dishes are allowed to blend and cook in their own juices, the food retains its nutrients. No vitamins or minerals are lost in the process. The only necessity is sunlight; even snowy climates can enjoy the advantages of solar cooking.
Parabolic cookers require closer attention because they can reach much higher temperatures.
HEAVENS FLAME BOX COOKER Similar to GSO
Note: Most traditional method cookbooks will state specific temperatures for baking cakes, pies or cookies. But you will soon find out that you can cook just fine; pretty much any kind of pastry, in a solar oven. The most notable difference will be the lengths of time due to a lower cooking temperature…remember it just takes longer using a solar cooker.
A major disadvantage is that wind can affect the cooking temperatures a little more than a box cooker and can grab the reflector panels like a sail on a boat, so it is necessary to anchor this cooker if there is a breeze.
But, because the parabolic can achieve higher temperatures, and do so more quickly, foods can be cooked quicker allowing for more individual meals to be cooked. This gives it a big plus in some people’s opinions.
Do not let the uniqueness of a solar parabolic keep you from trying one of these cookers though. The skilled use of this cooker is easily achievable with a small amount of use and practice, and it will pay off with far larger benefits in the end.
Note: Our own children know how to safely use our parabolics.
The second most common drawback to a parabolic cooker is the higher complexity in design and build. Many people have built very efficient and practical parabolic cookers from scratch using readily available materials, but most will admit they are more involved than other styles of solar cookers. These cookers are (usually) more expensive to make, and the commercially manufactured ones, though of high quality, are (usually) more expensive.
My favorite, for its simplicity and cost, would be the solar funnel cooker made from a car windshield sun reflector. All that is needed to create this effective and very portable cooker is an automobile windshield reflector, an oven bag, a black roaster pan, a bucket and voila; you are cooking your first sun baked meal.You can find out more about the funnel cooker here: Solar Panel Cooker Windshield Shade Solar Funnel CookerWhile experimenting with various designs of cookers over the past year to introduce in the indigenous communities where I live and work in southern Mexico, I hit upon an utterly simple way to make an instant portable solar oven. Taking a reflective accordion-folded car windshield shade, you can turn it into a version of the solar funnel, by simply sewing on little Velcro tabs along the long notched side. Here’s how:
Windshield Solar Panel Oven
Lay the sunshade out with the notched side toward you, as above. See figure #1
Hand sew one half of each piece, evenly spaced, onto the edge to the left of the notch; sew the matching half of each piece onto the underneath size to the right of the notch, so that they fit together when the two sides are brought together to form a funnel. (see figure #2)
Note: I first tried sewing these on a sewing machine, but found it cut through the reflective material.
Place a black pot on top of a square cake rack, placed inside a plastic baking bag. A standard size rack in the U.S. is 25 cm. (10 in.). This is placed inside the funnel, so that the rack rests on the top edges of the bucket or wastebasket.
Since the sunshade material is soft and flexible, the rack is necessary to support the pot. It also allows the suns rays to shine down under the pot and reflect on all sides. If such a rack is not available, a wire frame could be made to work as well. Note: the flexible material will squash down around the sides of the rack.
A stick placed across from one side of the funnel to the other helps to stabilize it in windy weather. (see below)
I have found this totally simple solar oven extremely practical, as it is so lightweight and easy to carry along anywhere. But in addition, it has reached a higher temperature in a shorter time than all the other models I have experimented with so far (I haven’t used a parabolic) - a little above 350 degrees F.
I have cooked black beans in about the same amount of time as on a gas stove; I’ve used it to bake breads, granola, brownies, lasagna, all sorts of vegetables, and to purify water.
The sunshade may not be available everywhere, but I suspect it can be found in most urban areas, since I found it here in southern Mexico. The Velcro was also available in fabric stores. Cost of the sunshade was about $3.00 USD; the Velcro about $.25.