laughingwolf_qh33q8 – Page 39

Plastic For LTS

Plastic gets a deservedly bad rap on occasions. A number of cheap plastics leach bad things into food or other items stored in them. Cheap plastics will also turn brittle relatively quickly, sometimes even in less than a year. Yet other plastics don’t readily biodegrade and/or contributed to microplastics in the environment. Modern biodegradable plastics are proof that the road to hades is paved with good intentions with the wiring harnesses of our vehicles, military equipment, first responder vehicles and equipment, and much more being extremely tasty to a variety of critters. Not to mention that it can biodegrade while still in use…

However, there are some plastics that are good for Long Term Storage (LTS) of food and other items. These are made with plastics designed not to degrade, not to leach anything, and remain useful for a number of years. These plastics are your friend in an emergency.

The most common one you will be need are food-grade plastic buckets. You can get them square or round, and in a variety of sizes. You even have options on the lid, and while there are pros and cons to each, I mostly go with a screw-on airtight lid (gamma seal may be a brand name) as it gives the most flexibility for the future. The biggest problem in my book is getting the rings on the bucket, which is helped by using a 2-lb weighted mallet. Do not give into temptation and use a sledge hammer. No matter how tempting it is.

While I’m still experimenting a bit, I tend to use 2.5 gallon buckets to hold multiple small bags of spices and such, or to hold non-bulky items. The size gives you a lot of flexibility on storage, and also make it easy to do multiple smaller packages of items so you can distribute them around for redundancy. Also, if they are not heavy, you can stack them on each other. For LTS, I tend to put heavy at 10 lbs or less of weight, preferably less. This reduces load and sheer stress on the containers.

I use 5 gallon buckets for bulk storage or for very bulky items. I’ve found that they are the perfect size for 25 lb bags of beans and other food items. They are also a good size for storing large amounts of toilet paper, feminine products, and other non-life-saving-but-you-really-want-to-have items.

I like the screw tops because they make getting stuff in and out easier. More to the point, you really should rotate or use some of your stocks over time to ensure a fresh supply. The airtight screw tops help preserve once you open the bags within and start using the beans, flour, or whatever is inside. Again, right now it’s just me so buying bulk gets me the best deal and the screw top helps me stretch out the shelf life.

Quick Note: DO NOT STACK 5 GALLON BUCKETS! They are bulky, they are heavy, and the load and sheer stresses placed on the bottom buckets can cause them to fail within just a couple of years. Loudly and messily. I know this because my landlord helpfully stacked some buckets I had in the garage, which had water in them. He then put yet more stuff on top of that. One of the bottom buckets let go, and a fun time was had by all. No, landlord still doesn’t know why I had them or what I do have, unless he is reading here now.

For LTS, what I am currently doing is three levels of containment. Maybe I spent too much time around NASA and others where three levels of redundancy was considered a good start. But, emergencies are not nice and they often can damage more than our calm. Hence, three layers. Bucket, mylar bucket liner, and special mylar bag designed for LTS of food. Above, the buckets with liners in them.

Now you see a bucket with the special 5 gallon food bag placed inside the mylar bucket liner.

Now, we get to something that can make some people scream. In the bottom, you see four oxygen absorbing packets. There are a number of writings on the right size for every circumstance, the best way to employ them, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera as the late Mr. Brynner used to declaim. Seriously, they are well worth reading and you can use the knowledge.

Me, well, the rule-of-thumb I go by is that you need at least a 300cc packet per gallon of space. I use that as my minimum and go from there. For example, I think the photo above may show 500cc packets as they came with some bags I ordered. I put four or five in the bottom of the 5 gallon bag, add my storage item, then drop four or five on the top before trying to get as much air out before engaging the zip seal on the bag. I then drop four or five more into the bucket liner before sealing it. I then drop four or five more into the bucket before screwing the lid shut. Since they often come in sealed packages of ten, if I find myself with one or two left out of the packet, I will drop them in rather than waste them.

Yes, it’s overkill but I don’t care. The packets are cheap, while my life and the lives of those I help in an emergency are not. If there is a leak in the main bag, there are two other levels to prevent problems. If the bucket springs a leak, there are two other levels to prevent problems. If you end up with larger packets and more packets than the optimum, well, in my book that’s okay. I consider the 300cc per gallon as a minimum and if the bags come with something larger, I cheerfully use them.

The only thing I don’t use the packets with are salt. With salt, I may use a silica gel packet for moisture control if it is humid the day I store it, but not an O2 packet. Also, don’t try to use silica packs and O2 packs together, as the silica needs O2 to work. Salt is generally good on it’s own.

I’m going to get into sealing the bags next week, as I am both trying something new here soon (I hope) and because it is important. You can get by without the bags and sealing, just using a bucket, but you really do want to use the bags and seal. No, you do not want to trust the zip seal, which I see as just one more layer in preventing air from getting into your food.

Before I wrap up for the day, one quick thought on non-food-grade buckets. In fact, the buckets you can get at the paint store (often much cheaper than can get them at the big box stores). They really aren’t that good for long-term storage but they do have uses so it is a good idea to keep a few around.

For example, if you know something is about to happen, you can fill them with water for use later. If you want to ensure potability, drop in one of those 5 gallon mylar bucket liners and you are good to go. Otherwise, you have the means to flush a commode or bathe at need.

Another good use for them is as an emergency toilet. Dean Ing has good instructions on this in his book Pulling Through. Short version: line bucket with three garbage bags; use cardboard to make a seat if you like; use for solid waste. Again, if a long-term disaster strikes I highly recommend using one of these to collect urine for purification/recycling. Back to topic: when half full, secure bag, secure the next bag to ensure no leaking, take to storage area, add new bags, and you are good to go. My memory/mind is mush these days, but seem to remember that at some point someone was actually making toilet seats for such buckets for camping or emergency use.

Finally, there are some plastic cases that are designed for security and long-term storage. Pelican is probably the best-known brand name, but it has competitors and Bill posted about one he’s tried in the comments to a previous post. Such cases are very good for things, particularly things we might want to protect for or in an emergency. The case you see in that first picture was my travel humidor. While I am giving away most of my smoking gear, did keep a few things just because.

Also, do check mil surplus for such cases. Somewhere I have a very good rifle case that was surplus, and such cases and others can be used for a variety of contents. While food and water are crucial in any emergency, long term emergencies or disasters require a lot more for you and yours to survive in some measure of comfort.

So, have as many options as you can for storage. The more you store and the more you can disperse items around to keep any one disaster from claiming all, the better. The more you can re-use your storage in preparation or in the disaster/emergency, the better. Just as glass can be re-used or even re-purposed, so to can your plastic (and metal) storage containers. Factor that into your planning and budget, as I don’t like single-use items. Most items should be able to pull double or triple duty in an emergency, or even more.

More on sealing soon. I may get into some nice-to-haves and other items for consideration tomorrow. And some cheap or free sources for food-grade buckets. We will see.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

LTS: Metal Containers

Rather than press ahead as planned, recent weather has caused me to reconsider and move up my planned discussion of metal containers for Long Term Storage (LTS). No, not terrestrial weather, but space weather — specifically solar weather.

If you were fortunate enough last week to have a clear sky (we didn’t, alas), the aurora borealis was seen with the naked eye as far south as parts of Texas. Normally, such is only seen at the higher latitudes such as in norther Alaska and such. Thanks to some very energetic solar storms and coronal mass ejections, we have had quite the light show.

All well and good, but if you are not familiar with the Carrington Event you should read up on it and the potential for the Sun to do much worse. Let’s face it, the event allowed telegraph operators on both costs to disconnect their batteries and keep operations going for hours, which means a tremendous amount of energy was getting pumped into our Earthly system. It had some amazing effects then. Dumping that much or more on us now has the potential to be catastrophic.

Now, in terms of normal preparedness, metal cans meet a lot of needs. They are long lasting, resistant to a variety of harms, can be easy (if heavy) to carry, etc. There are commercial containers available, but I tend to be cheap so go for mil-surplus you can get for a good price (normally, but not as much recently).

I like the cans as they come in different sizes, the gaskets are usually good and will stay that way (resilient), and even if buried good for a decade or three. They can hold ammo, cigars, and a lot more. They are great for controlled environment storage. For cigars (before I effectively stopped recently) for example, I lined a can with Spanish cedar, loaded in my cigars with cedar sheets in between layers, threw in some Boveda packs (the single best way to get perfect humidity for storage of cigars, guitars, and much more), and checked on them every six months to a year. They are also the best option for semi-dangerous storage, things that are flammable or could otherwise do damage if stored improperly. Also, with padding, great for storing fragile items.

Metal is going to be the most protective material for any storage, much less long-term. It gives a range of options to you and can be modified at need. Drawbacks are weight (good cans are heavy, but you don’t want cheap and thin cans) and cost.

Now, given our recent solar weather, here’s another advantage to metal cans — they can be shielded. The can itself can provide some level of shielding, and my plan if there was advanced warning on a nuclear exchange was to put as many of my electronics and chargers in a metal can as possible. To make it even better, keep it in a basement, or better yet a shielded area in a basement and run a lead to a good ground, and you’ve got decent protection for those electronics. Key is, you want the items unplugged (longer the “tail” the greater the chance for EMP or anything else to burn out the electronics, and the tail doesn’t get much longer than the miles and miles of lines bringing you power to your home), shielded by other metal (grounded by preference, and underground and grounded if at all possible), and powered down.

For LTS of goods, metal is great. For LTS of foods, it is not necessarily as good. Some metals can and do leach like bad plastics. Some metals can oxidize in ways that can harm food. So, if you want to use metal cans for LTS of food, go in layers. Use mylar bucket liners (available in a variety of sizes) plus mylar food storage bags (just like you would for LTS of food in food-grade plastic containers), and you should be good. Just use good quality cans that are properly finished. Using Cousin Abdul’s homemade cans with his special “secret” finish is not the way to go. Go good mil-surplus or storage grade commercial, it is worth the money.

Oh, if you are going to go for LTS of musical instruments, wooden items, or items needing a bit of humidity, look at using both large mylar bags (sealed with Boveda or other inside) inside metal which also has a controlled environment. Two or more layers of protection, plus the metal will give maximum protection to the contents. You can go for certain grades of plastic case (think Pelican as one brand), but keep in mind price will be high, it may not be the same formulation as even a few years ago, and plastic will go brittle before metal.

For truly critical items, consider some form of normal case, inside plastic, inside metal. This works for artwork, instruments, and much more. Put the final case into storage in a geologically-stable area underground, and you are golden.

For home use, you can get a lot of protection via layering. Depends on what you are trying to protect, why, and for how long.

Just some quick food for thought this morning. The world is wonky. The Sun is being interesting (keep an eye on Space Weather Here). Be prepared. Remember, keep your family and real friends close, your preparations as complete as possible and as close to your vest as possible, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Slight Change In Plans

Was going to do a post today on metal containers (excluding #10 cans and such) but it will have to be later. Somehow, day-before-yesterday, the door to my freezer got knocked open. Not wide open, but just enough that it looked closed unless you got right up on it — and just enough that I lost everything in the freezer. Clean-up about completed, defrosting underway, and I’m trying to figure out what happened, how, and how do I make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Had switched from original plan to talking about metal for Long Term Storage given all the solar storms and resulting aurora. Seeing such is on my bucket list, sadly it was cloudy the night we could see it with the naked eye. At the rate things are going, however, we might have the opportunity here again soon. If you don’t know what a Carrington Event is, will have links up on the post to come.

More soon.

Short And Sweet

I had hoped to get a more substantive post up today, but things have worked against that. So, just a quick update.

First, the medical consult I’ve been after for so long is still on for the end of this month. I had gotten worried as some materials had not arrived, and I was worried the (hopefully fully resolved) mail issues might have impacted things. Took an hour or so, but the good news is that no it didn’t, yes things are still a go, and I should have the materials (including things to fill out) soon. It will be a relief to have a fresh set of eyes check things (and me) out and possibly switch to the consultant as my regular cardiologist.

Second, storage posts will continue soon. Going to go over some things, but a post on sealing bulk storage will have to wait a bit. For good reasons I hope. May jump around a bit from the plan, will see.

Third, this week has been busy! It is Bright Week at Church and it has been an interesting time. Short version is that thanks to illness and such, we have been shorthanded so I’ve done what I can as gopher, dish washer, or other. Been good to spend the time down there and learn about a lot of different things. Great discussion over coffee this morning with the brother of our priest, who is also a priest. Hoping he helps out again tomorrow.

Hope to get something solid up tomorrow, but have to make bread on top of attending a morning Matins/Liturgy. As I’ve discovered store-bought bread is dreck, will be VERY glad to get back to regular backing. Hope to try something very different tomorrow, and if it goes well will share.

Meantime, be good, be safe, keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Couple Of Quick Thoughts

Sorry for the lack of posting. Things continue to be amost-as-hectic as last week at Church as we celebrate Bright Week, and life has been a bit hectic as well. Good, but hectic.

First, this comment brings up a good discussion. Why not use plastic food jars and such? First, we will be getting into plastic containers here soon, rather into plastic containers that work for Long Term Storage (LTS). As for your usual plastic jars from foods and such, they can be quite useful but NOT for long-term storage.

A few quick points. First, the average plastic jar or container often contains interesting compounds that will leach out. That why even with food-safe plastic containers it is advisable to use mylar bags to isolate. Second, the use-life of your average plastic container is often limited. As the chemicals within leach, oxidize, etc., the plastic often turns quite brittle. They may be good for a year or two, but after that all bets are off. There are some that may last longer, but they are a rarity given that they are often more expensive to produce. Third, the porosity of you lower-grade plastics is higher. Keep in mind that even metal is not truly solid. There is a fair bit of space between molecules, and your denser plastics, glass, and metal do a fair job of keeping most things in or out. And I do mean most things: hydrogen is small and slippery and one of the things keeping us from a hydrogen economy is devising a reliable and safe means of storage. Zeolites were investigated for that, not sure where that research is these days. Your cheaper plastics are more porous, which is why good food-safe plastic containers, which are denser, cost more. Also, I focus more on glass than “typical” plastic containers for LTS both for lifespan and for the fact that the glass containers can be re-used for canning multiple times if you have sufficient lids tucked away. Again, we will be getting to food-safe plastic containers here soon.

Second, this comment points out a good option for sewing in the face of emergencies or disasters. I’m sure there are other brands similar, so take a look around. The more you can do for yourself, the better off you will be.

More soon.

Changes

Or, what I’ve been up to these last few weeks… As some of you know, I began attending a new Church last year. I had been searching for a new Church home, but had not found one in the local or even semi-local Catholic churches. Three different routes pointed me to a Church downtown, so I went down to a men’s club coffee to test the waters.

Turns out the online schedule was wrong, but the wonderful couple in the bookstore that is part of the Church made me welcome. They got the Deacon to come talk to me, set me up with multiple booklets about the Church, and pretty much got me to promise to come back to the Sunday service.

While a bit unsure, I did so. After talking briefly to the Deacon, I took a seat on a back pew (what would be the visitor’s pews in a lot of churches) and was joined fairly quickly by a seasoned lady who introduced herself, talked to me a bit, and the next thing I knew I had a liturgy book and other materials in hand, and she explained what would happen, why, how, and when. She also made sure I knew what to do (and not do) in the process.

After the service, they have a “coffee” that I call a lunch. My new guide introduced me around, and to say I was made welcome is an understatement. Her son-in-law (who took the wonderful photos of me being Baptized) took me under his wing a bit, and I “helped” him out during the Christmas Market they do. I put that in quotes as I didn’t do all that much, and was not allowed to overdo it (since I was still recovering from my latest surgery). I think I’ve only missed a couple of Sunday’s since, and those were either due to weather or health. Along the way, “Matrushka” (“mother”) as I had been asked to call her, presented me with a number of prayer and reading books.

The short version is that I found a new Church home. Last Saturday, the day before Pascha (Easter), she became my Godmother as she and her husband, the “retired” priest of the parish (now my Godfather), sponsored me and stood with me for my Baptism into the Eastern Orthodox Church. That night, I took part in my first Pascha midnight service.

You might have gathered that the last few weeks, especially Holy Week, have been a bit busy. There have been a lot of services and a lot of prayers (and even an exorcism), and I don’t think two years of catchumen training could have prepared me for it. I will say that it was an honor to be a part of the reading of Acts that preceded the midnight service.

This week will be a bit busy as well. There is nothing scheduled for today, and I have been (firmly) instructed to rest and take it easy. Tomorrow starts another round of special services for Bright Week (the week after Pascha) and while not required I am going to do as many of them as I can.

There is more to come. Please be patient as I take care of the important things so I can do more on temporal things here.

Sewing Kits

Yesterday’s post sparked something that deserves it’s own post. Yes, I do recommend having a fair bit of sewing gear tucked away. Aside from fabric, it is fairly inexpensive and in an emergency you will find yourself facing two needs: minor repair and major repair/manufacturing.

First, here’s what I’m talking about when I say inexpensive. Individual packs of hand needles can be found for a couple of bucks, though certain specialty needles can get a bit more expensive. Safety pins and other pins are still at a semi-reasonable price. Thread has gone up since the last time I bought any, but again picking up a spool or two a month is not going to break the bank. What you see above is one kit for minor clothing emergencies, and the start to something more.

The kit on the left is a fairly complete and ready to go minor emergency kit. You have assorted hand needles, pins, safety pins, and a small pre-threaded repair kit. You can add more thread options, which is not a bad idea. Meantime, you have with this the ability to sew on buttons, make minor repairs, and otherwise repair your clothing. You don’t have to be Mr. Baggins running from Gollum and the Goblins to end up losing a button or three, or otherwise doing things that require some repair. Tucking a few of these around is a good investment. Heck, I used to have a slightly larger emergency kit like the one bottom center in each suitcase when I traveled on business. Used them a few times too — my buttons were on, even if not always as pretty as those done by the pros.

The kit on the right is a start to a larger kit. The small rolls of thread are on the bottom, the larger rolls above along with the various needles, pins, and such. My plan is to add more large rolls of thread, a cloth tape measure, some larger specialized needles, and some other basics to it. This will be good for major repairs and a start towards being able to make something at need.

Pro Tip: If your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/other sews and has good scissors, do not try to use them for anything else, much less add them to a kit. If you have used them to cut paper or anything else, a new pair and dinner is a good start towards making up for that. Find out what they are, where they were obtained, and buy some new to go into a kit. Get their advice on what to tuck away, possibly including some fabric for repairs and more.

One of the things that stuck with me after the first time I read Alas Babylon by Pat Frank was how breaking a needle almost sent some of the survivors into a meltdown. If you are dealing with an emergency or a disaster, you are probably not going to be able to run to the store or shop online. Needles (hand or machine) and other items we take for granted as being cheap and common may well become expensive and scarce. Also, if you have a sewing machine consider getting a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for it, though it will likely need to be something on the order of what you would get for a sump pump or such. For that matter, having an antique foot-powered sewing machine could provide decoration as well as a functioning machine at need.

Now, I use jars for size and convenience. Pins, needles, and such are not great to put in mylar. For the larger kits you could use gallon or 2.5-gallon buckets, but that is up to you. Also, fabric would work well in mylar and a 5-gallon bucket. Be smart, be flexible, and tuck a few away at need.

Just wanted to sew this up while I could…

Wicks And Lighting

Yesterday’s post brought up questions, so some quick thoughts on wicks and the need for multiple lighting sources. Here we go.

While a lot of my emergency lighting (some of which doubles as my camping lighting) is electric, keep in mind that having multiple sources of lighting is a very good idea for emergencies and disasters. Short version is that even with rechargeable batteries and multiple ways to recharge them (solar, hand crank, etc.) batteries only last so long. There may be times when using electricity is not an option or not a good idea. That’s when having other options is a very good idea.

I use a small oil lamp for religious purposes, and am set to create more at need as sources of light. Regular olive oil or plain vegetable oil work very well in such cases, and you can even use oil that is out of date for lighting when you can’t (or shouldn’t at least) use it for food. As I noted a while back, you can often get expired oil from restaurants or other food service operations for cheap or for free. So long as it is not rancid (smell), you are good.

Oil lamps and such that use liquid paraffin are a good option as well. Again, gives you a different source of fuel, different light, and an additional option to go with electric, lanterns, and candles. Anything open flame is a safety issue, which is why enclosed lamps, lanterns, or using candle lanterns (discussed previously) is a very good idea.

So, to repeat: I plan on flashlights and electric lanterns as my primary at need; name-brand and old fashioned lanterns are a good secondary option; oil and liquid paraffin lamps and candles are another; and, real candles do come in handy. Also decorative and/or scented. No reason things can’t do more than one thing, and most really should…

As to wicks, I have a mix of braided and “adjust-a-size” wicks around. I like to keep some lamp wicks handy (top of photo) and you can get packs with different sizes of them very inexpensively. The ones I use the most are braided wicks in 3mm and 4mm diameter (left in photo). Versatile and you can make lamps or candles out of them quickly at need. The non-braided wicks (right in photo) can be adjusted to whatever size you need. I’m not as fond of them as the other, and find them not to be quite as useful or long-lasting. That said, they come in handy for use in a variety of wick holders of different sizes and they do give you some options. It’s all about having as many options as possible…

So, just a few quick thoughts (and hopefully some answers) before I head out for the day. More to come.

Jar LTS Thought

One thing I think I forgot to mention in the post looking at glass containers is that they can be very useful for storing things that mylar is not going to like. For example, pointy bits of metal that are oddly shaped. In the example above (click to embiggen) are some items for making emergency oil lamps.

These come from a religious book and supply store, and give you options for how to do your lamps. The drawback is that they are oddly shaped, part may be pointy, and otherwise are unsuitable for bag storage since they also need to be protected from crushing. Jelly jar is a perfect home for them and a variety of braided and non-braided wicks. You may notice that I have wicks already threaded through the holders, as if I’m dealing with an emergency the last thing I want to do is to have to spend time threading wicks into place. This way, I have them set to go.

Now, there are good arguments for using oxygen absorbers, but for this jar I opted to go with a vacuum seal. The portable unit I reviewed a while back was sufficient for this task.

With a bit of padding, the jar can go in a bucket or other larger container where it can be protected. Or, it can be stuck in the back of a closet, back of an out-of-the-way shelf, etc. Never a bad idea to have several of these around in different locations so that at least one, if not all, survive for use when and if needed. Same holds true for other supplies as well and one thing I want to do is set-up a sewing jar with a variety of hand sewing needles and other supplies that, again, might not be best to store in mylar or such.

Just a quick thought to share this morning. While I hope to get some more short posts up this week, things are busy down at the Church and my focus is there. Given all, really glad I’m not cooking on top of all else that is going on. Working to be sure my (limited) focus is on what is truly important.

More soon!

Quick Doctor Update

Hope to post more soon, but back from seeing my regular doctor, and will say thanks again to the wonderful person who drove me down there and back. Short version: doctor’s health is doing well and I don’t need to frantically be searching for a new GP. My bloodwork was much better than I was expecting, though he gave me an A- on my report because my blood sugar was higher than normal.

We both strongly suspect that something I ate or drank in the 48-hours before the draw caused that spike, and it wasn’t a really bad spike but higher than normal levels. Given that I’ve been fasting and eating more carbs than normal, I’m glad it wasn’t higher. Liver and kidneys seem to be doing good, and we are both interested in what comes out of the upcoming consult next month.

More soon.