Last week, I talked about layers of protection and the need to seal bags. I’ve been putting off talking about the sealing as I had the opportunity to try a 16″ impulse sealer, and was given the strong impression it could and would handle the 5-gallon mylar bags. First, let’s look at some of the options for sealing.
Here we have a small impulse sealer often advertised for resealing chip bags and the like (crisp bags for the Brits). Next to it is the venerable iron, which is good for much more than clothes. At the top, the extra-long impulse sealer.
The little bag sealer is touted for resealing bags and sealing a variety of small bags. Short and sweet: I was and am spectacularly unimpressed with it. Save the $8 or whatever.
The iron, set to wool, does a good job with the mylar bags. The drawbacks for me are getting a uniform width on the seal, and not overdoing it on the heat. That said, this is a good way to go, especially if you are on a budget. As an FYI, I use a scrap piece of lumber covered in cardboard as my sealing surface. Works like a charm.
If you get a good impulse sealer, they are wonderful for a uniform seal and can be adjusted for a variety of bag thicknesses and even bag types. The drawbacks are that there are far too many out there that don’t work as advertised and some apparently go through internal fuses and heating elements like candy.
The one I got to try did a good job on most bags, but despite the length it did NOT fit the 5-gallon bags as indicated. This meant that I had to do two (or more) sealings at various angles to get a full seal. Thinking it best to do those (and liners) with an iron. Glad to have tried it, but if you are looking for something to handle the 5-gallon bags in one go, this isn’t it. Save some money and get a smaller to do the most common bags.
As I noted before, for Long Term Storage (LTS) I do recommend sealing the bags and not just using the inner ziplock. For short or medium term, you can get by with just the inner seal. To me, it’s all about the layers and making it as redundant as possible to limit any leakage of light, air, or water into what is being stored.
Questions or suggestions, sound out! I’ve already picked up some good tips from you, and hope some of what I do may have returned the favor. With the way things are headed, not a bad idea to have a few things tucked away.
Remember, there is no such thing as Preparedness Club. Meantime, be safe, be prepared, keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. More soon.
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.
The fact is, there are a number of natural events that can dump large loads of energy into systems not designed for them. There are also acts of man that can do the same. In some cases, there may be warning. In others, particularly the acts of men, not so much. Let’s take a look at some of the threats, then we can get into what preparations you can make.
EMP stands for Electro-Magnetic-Pulse, and is best known as being the result of a nuclear bomb exploding. While there are some natural events that can produce EMP, most of what we have to worry about come from nuclear weapons and other devices designed to create EMP. It is a matter of public record that there are a number of non-nuclear devices, sometimes referred to as e-bombs, that can produce damaging EMP. One of the big worries the pros have is a terrorist group/rogue state using such a device in or above the U.S.
That great big fusion reactor that is our sun also throws out energy on a regular basis beyond mere sunlight. Sunspots, coronal flares, and coronal mass ejections can give us everything from the aurora borealis to the Carrington Event in the 1800s that dropped enough energy onto Earth that it powered the telegraph systems. If memory serves, we have even seen some ejections headed away from Earth that if they came at us would qualify as a Extinction Level Event (ELE). Those of somewhat lesser power would wreak havoc on the power grid, electronics, and communications.
There are also some apparently naturally occurring phenomena that produce energy pulses that don’t qualify as EMP, but can affect electronics and power. If what I remember is correct, we really don’t understand some of these events and as such we may not have a good read on what they can do.
The other thing that can throw large amounts of energy around is lightning. More localized than the others, but something to factor into your planning. Speaking from experience, having that much energy hit systems not designed for it can have interesting and even catastrophic effects.
Given the amazing amount of damage done by lightning each year, it is well worth implementing protections for your home, which will also help those within. I’ve used industrial-grade surge protectors for years when I could not do a whole-house system. Pro Tip: If the surge protector doesn’t have a $10,000 or better warranty, it’s not a real surge protector. The company that made the ones I used the most back in Huntsville ended up buying me a large screen TV. They may have also been the ones who paid me to ship it back so they could do a failure analysis on it.
Also, near and dear to my heart (pun pun), when buying or building check to see how often lightning hits in that area. For some reason, certain locations seem to attract hits. If the property is one such, look elsewhere. If there is one tree in the area that gets hit a lot, cut it down. Side note, my landlord did cut down the tree at the root of my getting hit. I’m good with that.
When it comes to other events, Gryphon in his comment makes a good point. The best protection is not to be plugged in.
EMP and dangerous surges are going to do more damage when you have a larger “antenna” as it were. The miles and miles of transmission lines that are part of our power grid make for a huge antenna. Solar events will give at least some time for warning. Barring terrorist attacks, the rising tensions should give some warning. When things are tense or the boffins are weaseling on what the sun is doing, get in the habit of unplugging appliances and electronics. If you know things are bad or a major solar storm (or a severe lightning storm) is about to hit, I’d recommend flipping your main to off. The more gaps in the system, the better.
Under those circumstances, I’m also going to be putting my laptop, emergency radio, other electronics, chargers, and things with transformers (lots and lots of wire) into one of the metal cannon ammo cans. For most things that aren’t an ELE, they will likely provide sufficient shielding. I can hook them to a ground at need as well. And for general preparedness, but particularly in the event of something like this, have some GOOD radios for communications as you might not have the internet or cellular service for a while. The $5 special at the big box store is not what you want, go for something a bit better. Yet another good reason to check out ARRL for advice, or to get into real radios if you or someone in your family/group gets into it. Me, I sucketh worse than a Hoover at Morse…
Given that you might not get warning for acts of men, it would not hurt to have that can already filled with an emergency radio (crank & multiple power sources), personal com radios, solar charger(s), other chargers, and other electronics or backup electronics you think are needed. Use the personal com radios on a regular basis so you are familiar with them and are keeping them ready to go.
As for vehicles and all the computers in them, well, that’s a good question. I’ve had people tell me that newer cars will be okay overall. I’ve had yet others say the opposite. I’ve put my own car issues on hold for now, but leaning towards something that might not have as many computers and won’t snitch on me. The short take from others is that if you have a metal garage, you should be okay with most events; if there is terrain/earth between your vehicle and the source, you should be good; and, if you are at a sufficient distance from man-made events, you should be good. My personal take is that no one knows for sure, but am hoping for the best, planning for the worst and will take what comes.
Please do take lightning seriously, and plan and prepare for it. If you do, you will find you have done a lot to EMP-proof your home and electronics. There even could be insurance and other benefits to doing it as well. If you get and stock that can, and unplug as much as possible if things get dicey, you’ve done about all you can. Just some quick thoughts that I wanted to share.
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.
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.
Click to embiggen on all images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Individual Components, Click To Embiggen
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…
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Just a heads-up, but posting may be lite this week. I forgot about a surgical follow-up, so have it, a funeral, and a bit more I plan to attend. That said, going to try not to leave you all hanging.
Glass is versatile, affordable, and easy to obtain. Sterilizing it before use is easy, provided you actually can get access to the dishwasher. (long story). Using either a hand-held unit or the jar attachment to a food vacuum seal system, you can quickly prepare items for Long Term Storage (LTS).
Above is what I’ve set up as a “basic” kit. Depending on circumstances and/or rationing, it’s one to four weeks of food at need. There are beans and rice (complete protein), quinoa (complete protein), flour, salt, sugar, and other food basics. Small footprint, and you can put something like this in the back of closets, shelves, etc. and have them in multiple places around the house. This minimizes any one issue taking out all of them at once. Yes, that does mean they can be easy to hide as well.
Glass also comes in handy for storing odd-shaped items and/or items likely to poke holes in mylar bags, which sorta defeats the purpose of using mylar bags. More on this in a future post, but used in conjunction with other storage options, glass can give you a lot of flexibility. I will say right now that using jars to hold needles, thread, and such can be a very good idea. Especially since some of the specialized needles and gear are going to be fun to try to bag…
Again, using smaller glass containers gives you the ability to provide portion control as well as good sizes for trade. Particularly for spices, which in an emergency or disaster could once again be worth many times their weight in gold.
As noted before, the drawback to glass is that it is not going to react well to impacts or shear forces (fragile) and the seals on the lids will eventually go bad. I’ve noticed that many brands seem to be going with an official two year shelf life (or less), though I also suspect that time limit is probably lawyer driven rather than science driven. Corporate risk-mitigation is far more about perception and excessive caution than anything else. Personally I think you should get closer to a decade safely out of them, though replacing and re-sealing every ten years may not be a bad idea. Oh, and keep in mind the lids can corrode if the storage is not dry. Or if the pepper sauce eats through the lid — yes, that did happen and no did not try it.
Oh, keep in mind that even more than bags and such, you can re-use the glass jars almost indefinitely. Having spare lids tucked away means you can even can at need. Again and again, remember that part of the equation is doing things so that you have as much flexibility, and as many options, as possible in an emergency or long-term disaster.
Glass is a good way to start and balance out other options. Lack of expense makes it easy to do smaller amounts of preparations and distribute them around. I know some of you have done this for a while, and have your own basic food and other kits. Feel free to share options in the comments for consideration by others.
More soon. Not sure what I will tackle next, as there are good reasons to look at metal containers next, and equally good reasons to look at plastic containers next. May come down to the flip of a coin. If life keeps me away from the keyboard, I will be back as soon as I can.
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.
Long Term Storage (LTS) is a different game from storage for general preparedness. For the former, you are talking 20 or more years, while the latter is generally standard shelf life, or about 2-5 years. Yes, I am (over) simplifying things, but…
For me, I have two major reasons for doing LTS work. The first is that I think it a very good idea to have some basic stocks on hand for emergencies and disasters. I know I would like to eat during such, and that there might be others who do as well that I might can assist.
The second reason is that I am a cheap [male offspring of unwed parents — trying to clean up my act a bit as clergy and others may be reading this], er, Scottish, and like buying bulk. Let’s face it, times are tight for us all, and for me having to take early retirement (stupid lightning) puts me on a very tight budget. So, I buy bulk and don’t want to waste any of that food. Bit more on that discussion soon.
There are four major materials used for LTS containers: glass, metal, plastic, and concrete. Yes, I did say concrete. For now, let’s take them in that order and look at some of the pros and cons of each.
Glass, and pottery before it, has been a staple of LTS for literally eons. One still comes across articles detailing how a sealed bit of pottery was found to contain still-edible food (honey turns up fairly frequently) even after a thousand or so years. Glass, and the glass canning jar, really did revolutionize food storage with the advent of more modern types of rubber for sealing.
Glass is durable and has a long shelf-life of its own. Which means the jar you use today could be used by your child or grand-child many years from now. The clarity lets you keep an eye on what’s inside and spot problems before opening. The downside to glass (and pottery) is that it is quite brittle/fragile, which limits emergency utility.
Metal has also been around for a while, and offers great strength and protection to the contents. You have metal boxes and cans available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Above is a large can and an ammo box I repurposed as a humidor. Sadly, I am out of good cigars for it.
The drawbacks to metal include bulk/weight, expense, and that coatings are often required as some metals and/or the sealing agents used on them are toxic and/or will corrode easily. Some of the early cans had more than a little bit of lead in them, and poisoned those who ate their contents. Modern cans have little to no lead (depending on where you are in the world) and are often lined to prevent corrosion, especially from acids (think tomatoes for just one example).
Before I forget, I have a larger ammo can that can be used to store electronics and such that I want to shield from radiation of various types and intensities. This includes from sources man-made or from that huge fusion furnace that lights our world — the sun. You don’t have to get to the level of a Carrington Event (or worse) before it becomes good to tuck things away. Given some of the recent strong eruptions from the Sun (so far pointed away from us), might want to think about that.
Plastic is probably the most used modern material for LTS and general storage. It is travel cases, storage cases, coolers, food-safe buckets, mylar bags, and much, much more. There are many different types of plastic out there, and each has advantages and disadvantages.
On the pro side, plastic is relatively inexpensive, depending on formulation quite durable, stronger and more resistant to impact than glass, and lighter than metal or concrete. There are a number of food-safe options available for food and other storage. Just my take, but I tend to use food-safe for as much as possible so I can re-use it at need. For example, in an emergency or disaster, that storage container can be re-used for storage, washing, food prep (soaking, brining, etc), and more. Don’t just think of the initial use, consider that when one moves into disaster territory what you have may well be all you have for some time to come. Make it count.
The con side is that plastic can and and will shatter, often does not take well to sunlight and heat, and is not something you really want to stack, particularly 5-gallon or larger containers. Stacking will result in structural failure, so just don’t do it. Yes, I do speak from experience.
Oh, keep in mind modern coolers/ice chests can be used to store both food and non-food items. I know more than one person who uses them as a humidor for cigars. Load in boxes of cigars, throw in some humidity packs, seal the drain plug, and things are good for months before you have to think about replacing the humidity packs. Add in desiccant packs and you can store books, electronics, and much more in a controlled environment. That way, you not only have the contents, but you have those coolers for use in an emergency or disaster. Just a thought.
Our final category of material is concrete. No, not thinking concrete briefcases or such, but when looking at storage that involves less-than-optimal conditions, certain varieties of disaster, or the need to store things such that they are not obvious, concrete — especially pre-formed concrete products — can be a good way to go.
As I noted here, in the opening of Lucifer’s Hammer Niven and Pournelle had a character loading carefully packaged books into a modified pre-made septic tank. With the normal input/output openings sealed, such makes a very good and durable underground storage unit. I’ve even heard of people using several linked together for shelters. Thing is, with the number of pre-formed concrete pipes, cisterns, etc. you can find something of almost any size for your storage needs. Think also that burglars or other not-nice people are not going to think to check something that has pipes running in and out or appears to be an active septic tank within a basement or pump house, etc. The metal that is in most such pre-formed items is also going to diminish the effectiveness of metal detectors and such when used indoors. Something to think about for outdoor use. Just a thought.
Tomorrow, I hope to take a look at long-term food storage and a bit of my take on the subject. There is no one right way or system, individual tastes vary, but within that one does need to provide for complete and balanced nutrition. For me, I like to survive in style as much as possible, so I may have a few thoughts on how to make friends and have a bit for trade. More soon.
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.
