We will be posting more very soon!

We have had quite a bit of distractions the past several months and finally getting back into the swing of things. Stay tuned, we will be sure to please with our next blog updates!

~ The Clarks at "daretoprepare.net"

The POWER of Hydrogen Peroxide H2O

1.) Natural disinfecting cleaner. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray
it on the counters.

2.) Cleaning cutting boards. After rinsing off your wooden or plastic cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

3.) Natural hair highlights. If you like a natural look to your hair, spray the
50/50 (Water/Hydrogen Peroxide) solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde.
It also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change. 

4.) Vegetable wash. Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria and neutralize
chemicals. (Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli.)

5.) Mildew remover. Got some nasty mildew staring back at you in the shower or sink area? Do not water the hydrogen peroxide down, just attack it directly with a spray bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Mildew begone!

6.) Stain remover. Ahhhhh, if you have kiddos like we do, then you know grass as a common enemy of clothing! For grass stains, mix a few drops of ammonia with just 1 teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide. Rub on the stain. As soon as it disappears, rinse and launder. 

  As for us grown-ups, if you drink wine, then fear those occasional wine stains no more! Just combine an equal amount of both liquid soap (Dawn or similar) and Hydrogen Peroxide in a small dish or bowl. Sponge or pour the mixture over the red wine stain and let stand for a minute to pre-soak. Please note: If the stains is only on one side of a garment, place a towel or cloth between the stained layer and clean layer so the stain does not penetrate through to the other side of the fabric. If possible, test one small area first to ensure the solution does not discolor the fabric. Next, gently blot the stained area. The hydrogen peroxide and soap formula help remove discoloration. Continue to blot until the stain is no longer visible. The garment can then be put in the laundry machine as usual. Cool water is usually best. Make sure to check the clothing care labels for special instructions.
 
Wine stain removal tips:
 - Blot, don’t rub.
- Do not apply heat (i.e. put garment in dryer) until stain is fully removed.
- When using bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide, be sure to first test colored fabrics for colorfastness.
- When in doubt, take the garment to a professional dry cleaner.
 
 Accidents can and will happen from time to time, and blood stains are one of the toughest stains to remove. This method will be useful only for fresh blood stains that have not had too much time to set. Spray or pour enough Hydrogen Peroxide to cover the stain. Blot with rag or cloth, then wait a minute or two and repeat until stain is removed. Immediately rinse and launder as normal, but on the cold water setting.

7.) Mouthwash. Fast and hardworking! In a cup, mix 2 tablespoons of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide with two tablespoons of water. Swish in your mouth for 30 seconds. You may feel it foaming or tingling, don't worry, it's just doing it's job and killing the bacteria. DO NOT SWALLOW! This should not be done more than 3 times a week.

8.) Bleach alternative. Add one cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to your washer once the water has reached the level above the clothing. This will help keep those whites bright!

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have another great use for hydrogen peroxide!

                                     
Check out our latest survival supplies here!


 

More great links to survival and emergency preparedness Ebooks.Enjoy!

It's been very busy here with the Holidays and all, but we are going to try and spend more time here on this blog.

These are links to MANY good survival and preparedness Ebooks. Download what you can now to your computer or flash drive. You never know.. If there comes a time you actually ever need one of these books, they most likely won't be accessible from the Internet.

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/free-survival-preparedness-downloads

DIY Wine Making

 We have started making our second batch of wine and want to share our experience. It is really not all that difficult as we had first thought it would be. While this may not be your most important prep, it is a great tool for bartering. It can also be a great stress relief in tough times.

 SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED


1.) Empty 5 gallon water container. Also known as a "Carboy". The kind used for water dispensers. You can find these at most grocery stores.

2.) 2 feet of  thin hose that will fit through the hole in the cap of your 5 gallon water jug. This will serve as you "airlock". We had some on hand, but you could probably pick some up at your local hardware store.

3.) 8 lbs of sugar. (this equals about 16 cups)

4.) Distiller's yeast. A Facebook friend recommended using Distiller's Yeast "Dady". It can produce up to 1,000 gallons, which means it should last you quite a long time. The fermentation is said to start slowing at around 22% alcohol content. This is quite high compared to your store bought wine which is around 9-13%. While you can use bread/baking yeast, it will more than likely produce a very low alcohol content. We went through Ohio Brewing Company on Amazon and received our package pretty quickly.

5.) Yeast Nutrient. This is optional, but recommended. It will "kick-start" your fermentation process. It is also known as "Ammonium Phosphate". It helps "feed" your yeast and promotes fermentation. We went through the same company to cut down shipping costs. It can be found here: Yeast Nutrient

6.) Juice and fruit. (enough to fill the water jug around 3/4 full) Here's where you can get a little creative. In our first batch we used Apple juice and Sweet Tango apples. This time we went with Concord grape juice and 2 bags of grapes. (We ended up not using the apples and 3rd bag of grapes as pictured.)


Preparations

1.) Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. This is a very important step unless you want to make a fresh batch of vinegar. We kept it simple and used a couple drops of plain household bleach in the plastic jug and rinsed it out really good. We also filled our sink with water and added some bleach so we could clean the jug lid and run some through our hose. Rinse well and you are ready to go. Antibacterial soap should suffice as well if you do not have any bleach.

2.) Homemade Airlock. An airlock is used to allow air to escape during fermentation. Otherwise, you can find yourself with a big mess on your hands. We decided to make our own after viewing some homemade airlocks on Youtube. We took our oxygen hose (other hose will work too) and ran it through the hole in the top of the water jug cap. (you can use your finger to punch out the plastic piece in the lid.) You want to make sure to keep the hose just below the lid where it will not come in contact with your liquids. We then used a hot glue gun to seal the extra area between the hole in the hose to prevent air from entering the jug.

3.) Airlock receptacle - "smaller plastic bottle". You will want to attach a sanitized empty juice bottle to the side of your 5 gallon jug and make a hole in the lid just big enough to fit the other end of your hose in. The hose going into the smaller plastic bottle needs to be near the bottom. Our hose fit in this hole perfect, so we did not need to use a glue gun for that end.  We used electrical tape to attach plastic juice bottle, but any strong tape should work.


WE'RE READY, NOW LET'S MAKE WINE!


1.) "If" using fruit, make sure to wash it with antibacterial soap, then rinse well with water. You will then need to crush your fruit. In our first batch, we used apples, so we removed the cores, cut them into smaller pieces, then blended them to a pulp. In this batch, we decided to just stick with a couple bags of non-seeded grapes. We just made sure there were no stems and then mashed them up in a bowl.

2.) Fill your 5 gallon jug about 3/4 full of the juice. Make sure to leave some extra space for the fruit you will be adding.

3.) Add 1 teaspoon of your Distiller's Yeast "Dady".

4.) Next add 3 to 3 1/2 teaspoons of your Yeast Nutrient. We only add once throughout the whole process.

5.) Then you will add 8 pounds of granulated sugar. This worked out to be approximately 16 cups.

6.) If using fruit, you may now add to your mixture. Be sure to allow enough space to avoid overflows once the mixture starts to ferment.

7.) Place your 5 gallon lid (homemade airlock) back on. Add a little over 3/4 water to your smaller plastic juice bottle, submerging the other end of the airlock hose. You will need to make sure to let your 5 gallon mixture ferment in temperatures between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be okay give or take a couple degrees higher. It also needs to be in a darker area out of any direct sunlight. Have someone help you move it if needed as it may be quite heavy.

8.) In the first few days to week, you should see bubbles coming from the hose that is submerged in the water that is in the smaller plastic bottle. This means it is actively fermenting. Wait 3-5 weeks until it is no longer bubbling. Once it has stopped, it may be best to wait a few more days to account for any bubbles you may have missed during the day.

9.) Siphon with hose, then bottle. (we just used our empty juice jugs) Sip, and enjoy!
 

More posts coming your way!

Thanks for viewing our blog. We hope you will find our posts informative and entertaining.

We are a family of 7. We moved to a small rural town in Emory, Texas to care-give for my father who had Stage 4 kidney cancer. Because the home is located in a very rural area, we decided to go into business for ourselves. This would allow us more flexibility and the ability to take care of my father. We registered our business as "Survive & Thrive", and launched our online store, Dare To Prepare in July of this year.

As a family, we like to practice emergency preparedness and survival techniques. We will be sharing what we learn here on this blog as well as our Facebook page. In our online store, you will find products relating to emergency preparedness and survival. We are very particular about what items we sell and check the product reviews from multiple sources. We have solar powered lanterns and flashlights. We carry machetes, knives, axes, compact shovels, GPS devices, etc... We are adding more products everyday.

We are always looking for family run and small businesses that have products related to survival and preparedness. We are currently working with a family who sells non-GMO heirloom seeds. If you have a product that fits one of our categories and would like to work with us you can send us an email at info@daretoprepare.net

We have decided to try something new and different. We are not sure it has even been done before, but why not? We want YOU to be a part in creating our business! Just let us know if there is a particular product/s you would like us to carry by emailing us at info@daretoprepare.net or sending us a message on Facebook. If it is a good quality item, we will check our manufacturers to see if we have access to it. If they have it in stock, we will then add it to our site and notify you by email along with our price. We can have it shipped 1-3 days in most cases.

Here is a list of the various manufacturers whose products we can carry. The highlighted names will lead you to the manufacturer's site where you can browse the products they make.

NOTE: We can sell most products below the retail price listed by the manufacturer.


Knives, swords, axes, spears, machetes, self defense, compound bows, crossbows etc...

United Cutlery
Cold Steel
Master Cutlery
Gerber knives
Gil Hibben knives
Mantis knives
Buck knives
SOG knives
CRKT knives
Outdoor Edge
Winchester Archery
Barnett Crossbows
TenPoint Crossbow Technologies
Excalibur Crossbows
and at least 100 more manufacturers, so just ask us!

  
Camping gear, backpacks, flashlights, sleeping bags, etc..

Browning Camping
Alps Mountaineering
Coghlan's camping gear
Esbit camping stoves
Texsport outdoor gear
Stansport outdoor and emergency gear
Primus
Energizer
Fenix
Uco
Klymit
Light My Fire
Zippo
and many more...


Food buckets and survival rations

Food Supply Depot
Wise Food Storage
Guardian Survival
Alpine Aire
The Seed Guy


If you like what we do, please like our Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dare-To-Prepare/637149322985028

We also have a Facebook profile page if you would like us to add you as a friend:
https://www.facebook.com/Daretopreparedotnet

Our online store can be viewed here:
http://daretoprepare.net

If you would like to see more preparedness posts and life here on the mini-farm just enter your email (in the box on the right side of this page) and subscribe to our blog. Thanks!


~ Andrew & Suzanne Clark

When heads collide...

 Someone gave us a Nigerian Dwarf buck last week. Within moments a challenge ensued. Our big Nubian buck is much larger, but it was the Nigerian Dwarf's horns that ended up resulting in victory. The Nigerian Dwarf is now the herd leader.

UPDATE STATUS FOR NOVEMBER

Sorry for the long delay in fresh posts. We have been caring for my father who had been fighting his last days with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer.

Two Saturdays ago he passed away in his sleep on November 2nd. He will be missed by his family. He was able to share his last months surrounded by 5 of his grandchildren which made him very happy.

We are slowly getting back into adding more products to our full-time business online. We are also preparing more videos for upload to this blog and Youtube channel. Thanks to all who view and subscribe to our blog.


                                                   RIP Donald Clark 
                                                09/19/1943 - 11/02/2013

Fun in the mud!

Well, we just got a much needed deluge of rain yesterday. The property was starting to look like a swamp. Today, the kids went to check if the pond we are starting to dig, had filled up. At first we were hesitant to let them play in it, but several "puppy dog" faces later....

The beginnings of a pond...

Some of the things we are doing to prepare for the unexpected, is to make sure we have multiple food sources. We decided it wouldn't hurt any to dig a pond and raise Tilapia and Catfish. We may try other fish too depending on compatibility and environment requirements.

We will update our progress as we go. It may take some time though, as we have decided to dig it by hand. Won't hurt to gain a little muscle and exercise either. :)

DAY 1 (09-24-2013)

The Odd Egg Out...

Eggs, they are a staple in most peoples diet. With a family of 7, we have come to learn the importance of raising egg laying chickens.

For one, the eggs our hens lay are better tasting and have darker yolks then commercial bought eggs from the store. (a deeper color is indicative of a higher quality, more nutrient dense diet) They also have thicker shells due to the quality of the feed we provide them.

Two, you know where they came from. Many commercial operations raise their chickens in close quarters under less then desirable conditions. We have learned that although the egg carton may be be labeled "Cage Free", it is more than a technical term rather than the picture we all have of hens running around in a large open fenced area.

                                                     (commercial "free range" chickens)

Three, it is fun! The kids love going out to check to see if we have any new eggs to collect. It's kinda' like having a year around Easter Egg Hunt. Every now and then we get an extra suprise when our White Jersey Giant lays an extremely large "doubler", which is what we call a double yolked egg. (see photo below)

Now, while we may be fortunate enough to live in a rural setting with several acres, many people in urban areas are turning to raising their own chickens as well. More and more cities are lifting restrictions on raising backyard chickens. All it takes is a short trip to the local hardware store. Chicken coops can be built with chicken wire, wood, or even lightweight PVC plumbing pipe. Youtube is a great place to get ideas for building your own chicken coop. You can also do some searching in Google, and find some other good tips to building one.

You don't have to be a carpenter or architect to make a decent shelter for chickens. They don't really pay much attention to the "aesthetic" aspects of their home, so if it is a little crooked or lopsided it won't matter. Here are some great links from around the web on how to build your own chicken coop.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_Chicken-Coops_build-a-chicken-coop

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/easy-backyard-chicken-coops.aspx

http://cleancoops.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=37

http://www.pvcplans.com/pvc-pastured-poultry-pen.htm

http://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops/page/

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/farminfrastructure/ss/sbscoopbuild.htm

http://thetanglednest.com/2010/02/our-urban-chicken-coop-plan/

FREE Survival ebooks list.

This is a list of survival & preparedness eBooks we have been seeing around the web. Enjoy!




First Aid

Where-There-is-No-Dentist-Murray-Dickson.pdf
Where-There-Is-No-Doctor.pdf
survival-personal-wilderness-medical-kit.pdf
Wound Closure Manual
Full-First-Aid-Manual-FM-2111.pdf
Emergency War Surgery
Ditch-Medicine-Advanced-Field-Procedures-For-Emergencies-1993.pdf


Manuals

Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit
Traps.PDF
Wilderness Survival Skills.doc
Surviving-Terrorism.pdf
Survival-Wilderness-Survival.pdf
Survival-Water-Purification.pdf
PRESERVING GAME MEATS
Nuclear War Survival Skills
How to build a debris hut
HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan
Combat-Survival-Evasion.pdf
Cold_Weather_Survival_rev2.qxd
Cold Weather Survival
Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making
Alpine Living for SAR
Aids to survival
Adventurer-Woodstravel-Module.pdf
FM 21-76 US ARMY SURVIVAL MANUAL
Survival-In-ColdWeather-Areas
SURVIVAL-EVASION-AND-RECOVERY
NEWER US ARMY FM-21-76-Survival-2002.pdf
Marines-Individual-Terrorism-Survival
USMC-Winter-Survival-Course.pdf
Wilderness-Evasion-a-Guide-to-Hiding-Out-and-Eluding-Pursuit-in-Remote-Areas
USMC-Summer-Survival-Course.pdf

US-Marine-Corp-Pistol-Markmanship
US-Army-How-to-Kill-Tanks.pdf
US-Army-Combat-Training-w-Pistols-fm-323×35
United-States-Marine-Corps-Fmfrp-12185-April-1989Mao-Guerrila-Warfare
US-Army-Map-Reading-and-Land-Navigation.pdf
Topographic-Operations.pdf
Terrain-Analysis.pdf
TC 31 – Special Forces Caching Techniques.doc
Rifle-Marksmanship-Expanded-MCRP31a
Rappelling-TC2124
Ranger-Unit-Operations-Fm785
Canadian-National-Defense-Defence-Nationale.pdf
Mountain-Operations-FM3976
Marine-Land-Navigation
How-to-Start-and-Train-a-Militia-Unit-PM-94-1.pdf
How-to-Find-Your-Way
Combat-Survival-Guerrila-Skills-Handbook-of-the-Red-Chinese.pdf
Combat-Skills-of-the-Soldier-fm2175.pdf
Combat-Guerrila-Survival-Skills-The-Bear-Went-Over-the-Mountain
US Army Field Manual FM 3-19.15, Civil Disturbance Operations
Canadian-Military-FieldCraft
basic-food-preparation
Army-stp21-24-Soldiers-Manual-of-Common-Tasks-Warrior-Skills-Level-2-3-and-4
Army-stp21-1-Soldiers-Manual-of-Common-Tasks-Warrior-Skills-Level-1
Army-fm31-70-Basic-Cold-Weather-Manual
Army-fm20-3-Camouflage-Concealment-and-Decoys
Army-fm5-428-Concrete-and-Masonry
Army-fm5-426-Carpentry.pdf
Army-fm5-103-Survivability
Army-fm3-06-Urban-Operations.pdf
Arctic-SubArctic-SurvivalB-GL-323-003-FP-001.pdf
USMC-MCRP-301A-Rifle-Marksmanship

Plants

WHO-Monographs-on-Selected-Medicinal-Plants-Vol-3.pdf
WHO-Monographs-on-Selected-Medicinal-Plants-Vol-2.pdf
WHO-Monographs-on-Selected-Medicinal-Plants.pdf
Useful-Wild-Plants-of-the-United-States-and-Canada.pdf
Survival Medicine
survival-how-to-make-herbal-preparations.pdf
Survival-Edible-Medicinal-Plants.pdf
MEDICINAL PLANTS in Folk Tradition
Herbal-PDRsmall.pdf
Healing-Pets-With-Alternative-Medicine.pdf
Ethnobotany-of-the-Forest-Indians.pdf
Edible-Wild-Plants.pdf
EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS.doc
Dale-Pendell-Pharmako-Poeia.pdf
Crow-Indian-Recipes-Herbal-Medicines.pdf
Common Edible Mushrooms
Anticancer-Therapeutics.pdf
A Complete Handbook of Nature Cure
WHO-Monographs-on-Selected-Medicinal-Plants-Volume-4.pdf

 

 

Knots

sea scout knots
Ropes-Knots-Ladders-Lashings-Anchorages.pdf
knots splices attachments
Knots, Splices and Rope Work
Knots-for-Mountaineering-Camping-Climbing-Utility-Rescue-Etc
Knots-by-Andrew-Adamides.pdf
pioneering knots and lashings
KNOTS
Handbook-of-Knots-Splices.pdf
Fishing Knots Tying How To Tie A Knot Knotting
Essential-Fishing-knots
Encyclopedia-of-Knots
basic-book-of-knots-and-lashings.pdf
What-Knot-Useful-Knots-for-Scouting-and-Climbing-Martin-Stone
Tying-Farm-Knots.pdf

More Books and Manuals

US-Marines-Close-Quarters-Combat-Manual-FMFM-07.pdf
US-Marine-Corps-Hand-to-Hand-Combat.pdf
US-Army-Combatives-handtohand-combat-FM-325-150
Pressure-Points-Military-Hand-to-Hand-Combat-Guide
Practical-Unarmed-Combat-by-Moshe-Feldenkrais.pdf
Navy-Seal-Physical-Fitness-Guide.pdf
Marine-Martial-Arts-Training-
Krav-Maga-Pressure-Points-Military-Hand-to-Hand-Combat-Guide
( Hand to Hand: Martial Arts ) Aikido ( revised )
Get-Tough
Combat-Conditioning-Manual-JiuJitsu-Lt-Col-RE-Hanley-USMC.pdf
USMC-Kill-or-Get-Killed
1999_Dutch_Oven_Cookbook.pdf
bushcraft leather work PDF
boyscout cookbook PDF
The Back Country Recipe Book
Australian Bushcraft PDF
Flintknapping PDF book
The-Ten-Bushcraft-Books.pdf
The-Book-of-Camplore-and-Woodcraft-Dan-Beard.pdf
Shelters-Shacks-Shanties-Daniel-Carter-Beard
Foxfire-One.pdf
Foxfire-Two.pdf
Foxfire-Three.pdf
Bushcraft-Scouting-Woodlore-Notes.pdf
Woodsman-Ship.pdf
Vegetable-Garden-Encyclopedia.pdf
Guide 5, Preparing and Canning Poultry, Red Meats, and Seafood
The-Unofficial-MacGyver-HowTo-Handbook-Revised-2nd-Edition.pdf
The New Complete Book of Food
The-Making-of-Leather-by-Procter-Makingofleather00procrich.pdf
The Jerky Chef
The complete guide to home carpentry
The Back Country Recipe Book
The-Baby-Food.pdf
The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Meriwether Lewis.pdf
Tecumseh-Service-Manual
Steal-This-Book
Solar Dehydrator.PDF
SmallScale-Food-Drying-Technologies
Secret-Hiding-Places.pdf
Radio-Monitoring-a-How-to-Guide.pdf
Preserving-Food-Drying-Fruits-And-Vegetables-
Guide 6, Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Veg
Practical Guide to Free Energy DEVICES
Native-Berry-Recipes
Metal-Forming(2).pdf
Making-your-own-Desiccant-Packs-for-longterm-firearm-storage
Joy of Canning
Jerky-Recipes.pdf
Jerky.pdf
Indian-Food-Recipes
Hunting-With-a-Bow-and-Arrow
How to make common things
How-to-Make-a-Plastic-Covered-Solar-Still.pdf
How-to-Build-a-Solar-Food-Dryer
How-to-Build-a-Solar-Crop-Dryer.pdf
How-to-Be-Invisible
Homemade-Tracer-Ammo.pdf
Herbal-PDRsmall.pdf
Herbal-Manual-.pdf
Healing-Pets-With-Alternative-Medicine.pdf
Getaway-Driving-Techniques-for-Escape-and-Evasion-Ronald-George-Eriksen-II-Loompanics-Unlimited
Food-Storage-Recipes.pdf
Food-Storage-for-Survival.pdf
Food Storage Cooking School
Food-in-Medieval-Times.pdf
Food-for-Fifty.pdf
Fertilizers-How-to-Make-Them-by-Gregory-Fertilizers
FEMA-Emergency-Gassifer-1.pdf
Fabulous-Frugal-Food-Bills.pdf
Every Step in Canning
Essentials of Archery
Electro-Motors.pdf
Drying-Fruits-and-Vegetables
DOD Electromagnetic Pulse Protection Manual
Dictionary-of-Food
DECLINATION DIAGRAM.doc
Culinary-Herbs-Their-Cultivation-Harvesting-Curing-and-Uses-by-Kains-M-G
Cookbook-Survival-Anarchists-Cook-Book
Complete-Guide-to-Home-Canning-Nutrition.pdf
CIA-Simple-Sabatoge-Field-Manual-1.pdf
CIA-Lock-Picking-Field-Operative-Training-Manual-1.pdf
Canning-Processing-Charts.pdf
Canning-Principles
Canning-Meat-Wild-Game-Poultry-Fish-Safely-
Bushcraft-Canadian-Scout-Manual-PO-403
Build-Your-Own-Classic-Crossbow.pdf
Big-Book-of-Homemade-Weapons.pdf
Beverage-Plants.pdf
29811188-Knotting-knots
27471061-American-Boys-Book-of-Camp-Lore-and-Woodcraft.pdf
27469341-Boys-Book-of-Hunting-and-Fishing-1916-8944101.pdf
23344401-Ultimate-Guide-to-Wilderness-Living.pdf
23307788-Raw-Foods-Bible
11999777-The-Practical-Poultry-Keeper-1904.pdf
5493097-Dry-Farming.pdf
Home-Dried-Food.pdf

Brewing Mead, some useful recipes...

Compliments of GreyDragon.org

                                      http://www.greydragon.org/brewing/mead.html

Thru Sunday 09-15 we are offering a 10% Discount on "all" supplies. http://daretoprepare.net

Http://daretoprepare.net

                                         
                                      Enter the Voucher Code: PREPARE2013
                           (you will see the voucher box on the cart checkout page)

 

                                  

Our new Youtube channel.

We will be uploading videos to our Youtube channel demonstrating different sustainability and survival practices, along with some everyday funny clips on the mini-farm.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNcO8ah4i2ctnnImgPeywpQ

Water storage is essential to your survival...

Home Water Storage and Emergency Disinfection

Amount of Water to Store

The Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Drinking Water recommends water storage of 1 gallon per person per day for 2 weeks. This is based on 2 quarts or ½ gallon per person per day for drinking water and food pre parathion, and another 2 quarts or ½ gallon per person per day for other limited uses such as hand washing, teeth brushing and dishwashing. (This is a total of 14 gallons per person for 2 weeks.)

A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and people suffering from disease or injury may need more water. Immune compromised people may want to take extra precautions to minimize their risk in an emergency.

Supplies that are used for water purification and storage

• Food grade containers for storage of water
• Funnel
• Filters: coffee filters, clean cheesecloth, teal towel, or pillowcases
• Eyedropper
• Unscented chlorine bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite)
• Large clean pan with lid for boiling water
• If storing water in a 55 gallon drum, a pump is needed
• Purification device, back packer filters
• Camping stove to boil water

 

Storage Containers

Water should be stored in containers manufactured for food use.

• A 5 gallon heavy duty plastic container with spigot to dispense water (weighs approximately 42 pounds when full).
• A 6 gallon Mylar water storage bag, impermeable to odor, gas and light, contained in a cardboard box for easy stacking. Durable (weights about 50 pounds).
• A 2 liter plastic drink container with screw on lid.
• A 55 gallon drum that has not stored toxic materials (weighs 460 pounds when full).
• A thermos type container.
• A 1 gallon size glass jug (padded with newspaper).
• Water “canned” in regular canning jars and processed for 20 minutes (repack in cardboard box and pad with newspapers).

Never use any containers that have held toxic substances

Plastic bleach bottles and gallon milk containers are generally manufactured with non-durable plastic that promotes biodegradability and is undesirable for long term water storage. Water stored in non-durable plastic containers may become toxic over time from breakdown products from the plastic container walls.

The disposable, plastic milk bottle is thin-walled and tends to develop leaks easily. Liquid chlorine bleach bottles are made of thicker polyethylene plastic and may be used for water storage if the empty bottles are thoroughly rinsed with hot water and allowed to dry. However, the use of bleach bottles for water storage is not recommended, because of the potential danger of accidentally drinking bleach instead of water. If bleach bottles are used for water storage, remove the bleach label and write “WATER” indelibly across the bottle. Children may mistakenly associate the size and color of bleach bottles with acceptable sources for drinking water and mistakenly drink bleach. As such, bottles must be positively identified, and bleach must be kept out of the reach of children.

If plastic containers are used, care should be taken to assure that they are made of plastic approved for food contact by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Polyethylene plastic is approved for food contact and is commonly used for containers of various sizes, including large 55 gallon drums. Certain types of plastic containers are not intended for food contact (such as vinyl plastic waterbeds or trash containers) and may leach undesirable chemicals into stored water. Leaching from approved plastics into water is negligible.

Preparing Water for Storage

Stored water must be clean water. Use the best quality available for water storage. Water must be from a system with a Division of Drinking Water “Approved” rating. Water stored in thoroughly clean plastic or glass containers can be chemically disinfected for long term treating each gallon with 4 to 5 drops of liquid chlorine bleach (Clorox or Purex type bleaches, containing 4% to 6% sodium hypochlorite). One teaspoon of bleach disinfects 5 gallons of water. Allow 20 to 30 minutes before drinking. The level of treatment will prevent growth of microorganisms during storage. Most municipal water storages are already disinfected so no additional treatment is necessary. Fill clean food grade container with tap water and screw on lids.

Storage Conditions

Store water containers away from cleaning supplies, fertilizers and other products with strong odors. These odors could be absorbed by the storage containers and transferred to the water.

Water stored in plastic containers should be filled to the top so there is no air space and should be stored in a cool, dry location away from petroleum and insecticide products, and away from strong odor food or perfumed products.

Vapors from these substances could permeate the plastic and affect the water. Thick walled polyethylene containers are significantly less permeable to vapors than are thin walled containers.

Use of Stored Water

Once the container is opened, use the water rather than restoring it. If stored water has a flat taste, pour it back and forth between two containers several times. Rotate water every 1 to 2 years.

Store as much water as possible, more than the bare minimum (especially in desert and hot climates). Be certain to label each container so there will be no questions about its contents. Include the date and information on the method of disinfection used.

Emergency Inside Water Sources

• Water heaters.
• Soft water tanks.
• Melted ice cubes.
• Toilet tank (not bowl) provided no chemical sanitizers are used.

If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your house piping system, your hot water heater and even ice cubes. Know the location of your house’s water shut off valve. In a disaster in which your water company’s supply of water to your house has been interrupted (e.g., broken water mains in the streets), shut off water supply into your house to prevent backflow of contaminated water. To use the water in your piping, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then, leaving the highest faucet on, obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

To use water in your hot water heater, first turn off the electricity or gas supply, and then close off the cold water supply line to the water heater. Open the drain at the bottom of the tank and start the water flowing by turning on a hot water faucet somewhere else in the house. Collect the water containers and disinfect each gallon with 4 – 5 drops of liquid bleach. Allow 20 to 30 minutes before drinking. (Note: If the water is cloudy and/or from an unsafe origin, 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach is recommended.) You can use water in the tank of your toilet (not the bowl). Disinfect as with water from the water heater.

Some water sources may have chemical contamination that makes them unacceptable for drinking. For example, waterbed mattresses usually contain organic chemicals in the wall plastic and biocidal chemicals in the water to prevent algal, fungal and bacterial growth. These various chemicals can make the water unsafe to drink. During an emergency such water may be used for hand washing and laundering.

Emergency Outside Water Sources

• Rain water.
• Ponds and rivers.
• Untested wells and springs.
• Garden hose

Some emergencies may warrant obtaining water from sources outside the home. The hazards of using water, including ice and snow, of unknown quality needs to be carefully weighed against the obvious life sustaining need for drinking water. Even crystal clear, mountain stream water can be contaminated with disease causing parasites such as giardia. Sterilization or disinfection can reduce the microbiological hazard of water of unknown quality, but there is no safe method for reducing the chemical hazard (e.g., toxic chemicals and radioactive materials) of water of unknown quality. If water is cloudy, chemical disinfection must be supplemented by some kind of filtration or heat sterilization (20 to 30 minutes of boiling) to assure complete destruction of disease causing organisms. (Note: If water is cloudy and/or from an unsafe origin, 16 drops of chlorine bleach is recommended.)

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 disinfect all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to disinfect drinking water. None of the listed methods are perfect. The methods described below will kill most microbes, but they will remove very few chemical contaminants. Before water is disinfected, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom of the container, or strain the water through layers of paper towels, filters such as coffee, clean cheese cloth, or clean cloth into a clean container.

Better clarification can be obtained by drawing cloudy water through a “capillary siphon”.

A capillary siphon can be constructed by rolling a small, clean, terry cloth towel into a long roll. Place one end of the roll into a container of cloudy water. Drape the rest of the roll over the edge of the container so that it hangs free from the container’s sidewall. Be sure the free hanging (dry) end of the towel extends below the water level by several inches. Place a clean container below the free hanging end. Soon water from the upper container will wet the whole towel as the capillary action draws water through the towel to the lower container. With cloudiness removed, chemical disinfection can be more effective in destroying disease causing organisms.

Methods of Disinfection
 

Boiling

Boiling is the safest method of disinfecting water. It is preferred over any method of chemical disinfection because most disease causing microorganisms cannot survive the heat of the sterilizing boil. Water must be heated to boiling and held in a vigorous rolling boil for 5 minutes minimum (preferably 10 to 20 minutes). Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

Chemical Disinfection

Chemical disinfection of water is an acceptable alternative to heat sterilizing, but only if the water is clear. Disease causing organisms, such as viruses, can “hide” inside the microscopic dirt particles that cause cloudiness in water. They can thereby escape the action of the disinfecting chemical and remain capable of producing disease.

Chemical disinfection is less reliable than disinfection via boiling because of several different factors. For example, the more organic matter there is in the water, the more chemicals are required. The colder the water is, the longer the “contact time” (the length of time between addition of disinfecting chemicals to the water and use of the water) should be. Additional factors affecting the success of disinfection includes the amount and type of chemicals used, water pH (how acidic or basic the water is), and types of disease causing organisms in the water.

Liquid Bleach 

You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. Each gallon of water should be treated with 4 – 5 drops of liquid chlorine bleach or 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach if the water is cloudy. This is just under ¼ of a teaspoon per gallon. One teaspoon of bleach disinfects 5 gallons of water. Treated water should be thoroughly mixed and allowed to stand for 30 minutes before using. A slight chlorine odor should be detectable in the water. If it is not, repeat the dosage and let it stand another 15 minutes before using. Treated water may have a slight chlorine taste, but this is additional evidence of safety.

Since liquid chlorine bleach loses strength over time, only fresh bleach should be used for water disinfection. For bleach that is 1 to 2 years old, the dosage should be doubled. Bleach older than two years should not be used unless absolutely necessary because of uncertainty as to how much the active ingredients have deteriorated. 

Iodine Tablets 

Iodine tablets have the advantage of being more effective against amoebic dysentery cysts and certain other intestinal parasite cysts than chlorine-based disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite or Halazone tablets. Sporting good stores commonly carry iodine tables. Be certain iodine tablets are fresh, since they lose effectiveness with age. Fresh tablets have a gray color. They have a shelf life of approximately 3–5 years unopened. The label should show an EPA registration number. Often iodine tablet containers carry labels recommending restrictions on use by pregnant or lactating women. Check the label before purchasing the tablets. Follow instructions on the label, mixing thoroughly and allowing adequate “contact time”. The iodine tablet should impart a light yellow to tan color to the water and a slight odor.

Halazone Tablets
 

Halazone tablets (4 dichlorosulfamyl benzoic acid) for emergency water disinfection are commonly carried by pharmacies and drug stores. The label should show an EPA registration number. Be certain to note the expiration date since the shelf life is only about 2 years. According to the manufacturer: “It is important that the containers are tightly closed to prevent the absorption of moisture from the air. If decomposition of the tablets should occur, they take on a yellowish appearance, have a strong objectionable odor, and of course, should not be used”.

Chemical disinfection, liquid bleach, iodine tablets, and Halazone tablets will not remove cryptosporidium.