Practical Tips, Etc. & Format

On the ebola thread, Northstar mentioned things she had done to position for crises which were also useful if there were no crisis. I've also done this, for economic reasons. Since us old coots, and maybe some young ones, might be able to make suggestions along this line: this thread.

To make it easier I'll follow this format. In the name:
What it is about, a dash, more detailed.
General means it is theory, conclusions, background, etc.

In the body, summary, general information, and information resource(s) if possible. Others might want to do the same.

Our food system can break down. Backup: grow some.

In the winter either windows can be used, or protected outdoor greenhouses.

Info: "Fresh Food from Small Spaces" by R.J. Rupenthal The author lives in an apartment, can't grow all his own, but ...

Eliot Coleman has developed methods that allow growing some very cold resistant crops in unheated greenhouses, commercially. Several books have been written. Most of us don't have this much room.

Anything along these lines can help the wallet also. With the current drought in the Southwest, food prices are likely to rise this winter.

PS BJ likes to look at the grocery store passouts and GLOAT

Warm weather people tend to misuse clothes, etc. in cold weather.

The trick is to use multiple weaker layers. With the Dakotas halfway between pole and equator, our outer layer should be a windproof. Light jackets, sweaters, etc. can be added or removed to match the temperature.

Sweating in cold weather is a no-no, which can happen if you only have one heavy duty coat.

There are sleeping bags available which can handle -40deg. However, when Dad brought me up as we scouted ND, we had a mattress in the station wagon, and multiple blankets & quilts on top. Uncomfortable outside, but we slept warm.

A sweater or light jacket lets you save on heating bills in the winter.

Everybody has assumptions, these are mine.

1. Not knowing everything, none of us will be always right.
2. We need to use paradigms since we don't have the capacity to think about everything.
3. Therefore at intervals, any paradigm should be reviewed and tested against reality evidence.
4. The line between fantasy and true/false is whether the statement(s) only refer to other words. True/false should be graded as a probability based on degree of conformity to known facts. Other theories need not apply as evidence, no matter how strongly beloved or hated.

Current good test methods are:

A. Historical/judicial asks: Are they witnesses? Are they honest? Do we have reliable copies of their testimony? Is there circumstantial evidence?
B. Experimental asks: Can we repeat it with like results.
C. Observational asks: Can we see it or something like it again?
D. Predictive asks: Do reasonable predictions from this paradigm match known reality?

Look for the weak spots.
Example: In economics: Keynesian assumes the multiplier is above 1. Monetarian assumes velocity of money doesn't change on a large scale. The efficient market theory assumes people invest rationally.

I think some combination of complexity theory with psychological investment theory is likely to be a better fit. On the other hand, these old theories encourage government spendthrifts, power grabbing bankers, and wall street shenanigans. Which is why I expect a crisis

Info: "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn. A classic, and the paradigm of paradigm change can be applied to many other parts of life.

With modern technology, a better new building is possible.

A self heating and cooling building can be built for less than the cost of a standard one in the continental US except near Seattle and parts of New England where it is too cloudy in the winter

Info: do a search on (building AND "self heating.") Many odd ideas, and some that work quite well.

http://www.Thenaturalhouse.com for a passive home design.

In cloudier areas: superinsulated

It is possible to improve the efficiency of fixer-uppers.

This cuts first cost, and much of the rebuild can be paid for from saved rent. The first house I owned cost me about five weeks pay: Basically solid, no insulation no water, sewer needed repair, bathroom needed rebuild, electricity unreliable. Basically I camped out in it with a sleeping bag and many blankets for the first year. Once the cash was saved, repairs and rebuilding were prioritized.

My current house is also a fixer upper. At present, the attic insulation is being increased. It is about half done. So far I've found two gaps between attic and second story. One had a whole lath missing above an interior wall, but with air connection to the house!!! At least this one didn't need wall insulation. Other modifications have cut heating bills by about a third/half and also much less wood is being hauled.

Info: multiple, suggest browsing the net on rebuilds, "fixer upper," etc.

By an African nursing student, from the Ebola thread.

Fatu, who's in her final year of nursing school, invented her own equipment. International aid workers heard about Fatu's "trash bag method" and are now teaching it to other West Africans who can't get into hospitals and don't have protective gear of their own.
Every day, several times a day for about two weeks, Fatu put trash bags over her socks and tied them in a knot over her calves. Then she put on a pair of rubber boots and then another set of trash bags over the boots.
She wrapped her hair in a pair of stockings and over that a trash bag. Next she donned a raincoat and four pairs of gloves on each hand, followed by a mask.
It was an arduous and time-consuming process, but Fatu was religious about it, never cutting corners.

Three cheers, or maybe four for Fatu!!!

This kind of thing is why an inclusive economy is more innovative than an extractive one. What expert would have thought of this

Putting a small greenhouse over a trailer cuts heating bills.

The trailer is oriented long edge south south east. A small greenhouse is erected over it with provision for chimney, etc. In summer, the ends are taken apart to allow breezes through it. This also allows an early garden start.

Info: Mother Earth News. A good source for quite a bit, and you can buy DVDs of about 40 years article's archive for less than a dollar a year. Most of the things don't fit us, but we got intensive gardening, inexpensive heating & housing, etc.
www.motherearthnews.com

DDHv wrote:Putting a small greenhouse over a trailer cuts heating bills.

The trailer is oriented long edge south south east. A small greenhouse is erected over it with provision for chimney, etc. In summer, the ends are taken apart to allow breezes through it. This also allows an early garden start.

Info: Mother Earth News. A good source for quite a bit, and you can buy DVDs of about 40 years article's archive for less than a dollar a year. Most of the things don't fit us, but we got intensive gardening, inexpensive heating & housing, etc.
http://www.motherearthnews.com

I second the endorsement of Mother Earth News. Also good Homegrown.org and Hobby farms magazine's site. There are many many more.

I will say be careful of 'prepper' sites and books. Some have good practical information, some are way too far into fear mongering and disaster porn for my taste. Especially beware of commercial sites that have an economic incentive to hype what they are selling.

I personally, for example, stay clear of emergency food rations of dehydrated or freeze dried stuff. Some have claims of decades long shelf lives. Oh really. Well, would you want to play bet your life on those claims being true? I would not. If you decide to store extra food make it things you actually use all the time and simply rotate your supplies. This ensures your supply is always of recent origin and is things you and your family will actually eat. And thus if nothing nasty ever happens you're still good and have not wasted money on crap you never used.

One needs to find one's personal point of pragmatic balance. Being prepared for this and that is a sort of insurance. To a certain point it's useful and brings peace of mind, but one can get carried away and end up wasting resources on preparations for highly unlikely events or purchase things that would be of dubious worth even if some nasty thing did happen.

And for heaven's sake keep a low profile about this sort of thing. You do NOT want a reputation in the neighborhood for being a 'prepper' or having big stores of food etc. For one, many of the neighbors will decide you are a loon. For another, should the manure hit the turbine those same persons will be at your door demanding you 'share' with them right now. Just sayin'...

I'm not saying you wouldn't or shouldn't share in a crisis, but it should be your decision, not that of persons who never bothered to have anything on hand for just in case. Little Red Hens.... grasshoppers and ants... this is not a new observation on my part.

DDHv wrote:Our food system can break down. Backup: grow some.

In the winter either windows can be used, or protected outdoor greenhouses.

Info: "Fresh Food from Small Spaces" by R.J. Rupenthal The author lives in an apartment, can't grow all his own, but ...

Eliot Coleman has developed methods that allow growing some very cold resistant crops in unheated greenhouses, commercially. Several books have been written. Most of us don't have this much room.

Anything along these lines can help the wallet also. With the current drought in the Southwest, food prices are likely to rise this winter.

PS BJ likes to look at the grocery store passouts and GLOAT

Keeping small livestock in the greenhouse can help heat it and help keep the livestock warm. I'm talking chickens and rabbits here, which are the most practical critters for most situations, including in cities.

One male rabbit and three does can make oh 60-80 baby rabbits a year. To be slaughtered when they are 8-10 weeks old -or some saved to breed more rabbits- You'll get about 4-5 pounds of dressed meat per rabbit. This works out to about 280 plus pounds of fresh meat per year. Main food; hay and water. Quiet, kept in hutches. Their manure is excellent in the gardens.

Laying hens, average oh 3 eggs per week per hen. Some lay more than that and it varies by time of year, breed and conditions including their food supply. If you're in town a rooster will not be an option. Roosters believe their mission in life is to be the world's dawn alarm clock. ... And to enjoy every hen in sight.

If you are where you can keep roosters then your flock can become self-sustaining and supply you with not only eggs but also young cockerals for meat, the pullets would usually be saved to become laying hens in about 6 months. BTW that is about when rabbits begin breeding also... as do goats, ducks and some pigs and sheep. The magic 6 months. Cattle and geese take a couple years, horses longer. A flock with a rooster needs at least 10 hens and 15 is better. Roosters are randy boys and will pester each hen too much if there are too few hens to... absorb his amorous attentions. On the other hand if you want more chickens they should be in multiple flocks -with or without roosters- rather than one big flock, this minimizes status fights and chicken arguments... This is all IIRC, check on it yourselves.

Other possibles in the city are pigeons and quail.

Anyone thinking of getting milk goats, remember goats need goat company. Plan on at least two, which you will breed staggered from each other. Dairy animals need to be dried off and rested their last couple months of pregnancy. There are many breeds. A fairly new one that is good for both milk and meat is the Kinder. Google Kinder dairy goats if interested. No, I am not connected in any way.

There are also dairy sheep, several kinds. The British Milk Sheep is triple use, being good for milk, meat and wool. Dairy sheep give less milk than cows or goats but it is very rich and makes great cheese. Feta and pecorino are two sheep milk cheeses. Sheep also need sheep company.

Dairy and/or dual use cattle. Many kinds and old breeds that are much much better for home use than Holsteins. I think Dexters and other newer breeds/ smaller versions of very old breeds of very small cattle are especially interesting for homesteaders. Google miniature cattle breeds. These have been created by breeding to Dexters and/or selecting for small size rather than large size, aka breeding down. A Dexter is only waist high, full grown. An ancient Irish breed of cattle. They give a couple gallons of milk a day, which is more practical than a full size cow's bounty.

Like with the chickens, no males, no self replication.

There are also geese, ducks and pigs of course. Have fun studying all the sorts etc online if interested.

But the easiest and most practical in the most places are rabbits and laying hens.

edited by me to fix my rabbit meat weights math