I came across this interesting Do-It-Yourself project from thedailygreen.com that could be an effective way to keep food safely chilled in a grid collapse situation.

Admittedly, this works best in the cooler months (November-April) in northern regions, but at the very least, it could save you some money on your electric bill.

Heart of the Hack: The idea is simple, though the execution is a bit more complicated. Basically, you’re building an insulated box that’s going to attach to the outside of your house (preferably in the kitchen area, and preferably to the exterior of an opening that already exists.

Items Needed: Stack of 2×4′s, 4 sheets of 2-inch foamular “pink board,” 4 sheets 1/2-inch CDX plywood, enough cedar tongue-in-groove paneling to cover the inside of your framed walls (exactly how much will depend on the size of your “fridge”), 2 small 24v computer fans, 1-3/4-inch hole saw, nails, general carpentry tools.

Why this Hack: Because you live in the north. Because it drives you nuts that you’re using electricity to chill your food when it’s 20 below outside. Because you’re committed.

The author’s AAF (Ambient Air Fridge) fits snug against the outside of a doorway that leads to a seasonal porch off his kitchen. During the warmer months, the AAF is detached for ingress and egress (pretty fancy words for a hack, eh?). It’s the ideal size in the ideal location. Your layout and particulars may demand a greater degree of hackishness.

Whatever size you end up with, you want an airtight box that is insulated all around with pinkboard. First, you’ll want to frame “walls” for your AAF with the 2×4′s, using a standard two-foot-on-center framing pattern. Then, fill all cavities with pinkboard and sheath the exterior with your plywood. The interior gets the cedar paneling, installed with six-penny finish nails.

At this point, you can drill two 1-3/4″ holes in the box, one on each side. Drill one at the bottom, and one toward the top. Then, fit two small fans into the holes (Canon makes 24v fans for use in computers). Connect these to a thermostat, and you’ve got automatic temperature control! (In our next hack, we’ll create a solar-powered ice-maker). The bottom will usher in cold air, and the top will expel warm air.

Getting these wired and working properly is the hardest part of this hack, though the carpentry skills necessary to make the box are rudimentary. If in doubt, hire an electrician to help you wire the fans. Once the box is constructed, attach it to the exterior of your opening with 3-1/2″ galvanized screws.

The author has been using his AAF for the past three winters, from mid-November to early-April. He keeps a few jugs of water in the snowbank as an emergency ice source during warm spells, but during normal Vermont winter temperatures, his AAF holds at about 40. That’s just right for beer, the nutritious food he lovingly provides to his family.

Handy Tips: If the whole fans/thermostat game seems too complicated, use the super hack method of (clean!) socks stuffed in the holes. When the fridge gets too warm and the outside temp is below, say, 30, pull the socks. If there’s a skim of ice on your milk, plug the holes.

Photo Credit: Ben Hewitt

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The Rocket stove is based on an ingenious combination of principles:

The combustion chamber is insulated in order to keep the fire hot (above 1,100 F.) to burn the wood more completely, reducing smoke, which is uncombusted fuel. 

The cooking stoves are low-mass, robbing less heat from the pot. 

An insulated chimney creates a very strong draft, which helps the wood to burn fiercely. It also makes the stove easier to light and use. An insulated chimney has significantly more draft than an uninsulated chimney. 

The wood is burned at the tips and is shoved in towards the fire, which controls the rate of burn, reducing smoke. 

The air/fuel mixture is regulated. A small opening is provided for incoming air. Too much air just cools the fire. 

The incoming air is pre-heated, especially in a downdraft stove, which helps to keep the fire above 1,100 F. for complete combustion. 

This ebook covers several different designs of Rocket Stoves you can make at home with common materials.

Click Here to Download The eBook

While it’s always recommended to keep a firearm in your home for self defense, we all hope that we’ll never have to use it.  Fortifying your front door is the best step to take towards reducing that risk.

Most people instinctively start thinking of adding locks or replacing their current locks with bigger, stronger ones.  There are also other theft deterrent additions you can install.  But locks aren’t the solution.  They’re not the problem, either.  Not really.

No lock is going to keep anybody out of your house if they’re determined enough.  Locks are merely deterrents.  They slow an intruder down, but they don’t stop them.  The problem lies in your door jamb.  Your door is only as strong as the jamb it closes against and the heftiest, burliest most unpickable lock won’t keep out an intruder if all that’s keeping them from kicking in your door is a thin strip of wood.

Also, the doors of many homes and apartments are installed “pre-hung”, which means the door is already attached to a pre-made door frame and the whole magilla is popped in all at once.  Chances are, if the contractor was trying to save time, he may not have used as many shims and nails to secure the jamb as he could have.  The following are steps you can take to reinforce your door jamb and make your front door more secure:

From Urban Survival Site:

• Reinforce the jamb. First, pry off the doorstop. This is the trim that the door closes against. Now find where the jamb has been nailed through the shims.  Remove each nail and replace with a very long screw (long enough to reach a couple inches into the stud). Once the screws are flush, put the doorstop back and you’re done. Now the jamb will be almost impossible to kick through.

• Reinforce the hinges. Most hinges have short screws that don’t reach very far. Here, the same principle applies: replace the short screws with long screws that will reach all the way into the studs. Now the door is secured to the jamb and the house frame.

• Reinforce the strike plate. This is the small piece of metal in the jamb that holds the latch or bolt in place. This is  particularly important. Because the jamb is chiseled out to make room for the keeper, this is a weak spot where the jamb can easily split apart. Once again, you’ll need to replace the short screws with ones that reach through into the stud.

Now the jamb and both sides of the door are attached to the frame of the house making a very formidable barrier. There is no way you can make your home completely burglar-proof. But if your door is strong enough, it is more likely they will give up trying to kick it down and move on to the next house or apartment.

In the last couple of issues of Survivalist Magazine, we featured a 2-part article by Dr. Bones on how to suture wounds in an emergency or post-collapse survival situation in which medical attention is no longer available.  It’s highly recommended that you add suturing needles and silk to your medical survival kit, but what if you find yourself in an emergency situation where that’s not available?

Well, if you live in certain parts of the country, you can use the fleshy leaves of an Agave plant.

The Agave is a succulent (often mistakenly thought of as a cactus) that grows throughout the southern and western regions of the U.S., as well as Central and South America.  Its leaves terminate in a spiny barb that can be used as a needle and its tough flesh can be stripped down and used as suturing “thread”.

In this video, Dr. Bones demonstrates the technique:

There’s plenty of good information out there when it comes to first aid and the treatment of injuries in a survival/disaster situation, but one of the topics that I rarely see covered is what to do to treat dental problems when you’re unable to get to a dentist.

Having suffered an impacted wisdom tooth myself – many miles away from the nearest dentist, or emergency room – I can tell you that it’s nothing short of pure hell when you have nothing to alleviate that kind of pain. All I could think of was Tom Hanks In the movie Castaway when he used the ice skate to knock out his abscessed tooth. Unfortunately, my problem wasn’t that easy to solve. (Not to mention; performing self-dentistry when you can eventually get to a dentist is just a really BAD idea.)

Everybody prepares for injuries like broken bones, sprains, cuts and burns, but you’re no less likely to suffer a dental emergency like a broken tooth, dislodged crown, or filling, abscess, or a simple toothache in a disaster, or survival situation.

To be prepared for a dental emergency, your medical kit should include:

Medications – Salt, hydrogen peroxide (3%), aspirin, Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), clove oil and Oragel and/or Orabase (Oral protective paste with Benzocaine available at your local pharmacy).

Supplies – Cotton balls, cotton swabs, gauze pads, tea bags, a toothbrush, dental floss, toothpicks, tweezers, some paraffin or candle wax and an ice pack.

TOOTHACHE: The most common dental emergency. This generally means a badly decayed tooth. Treatment involves gently removing any debris lodged in the cavity, being careful not to poke too deep as touching the nerve will cause severe pain. Next rinse vigorously with warm water. Then, soak a small piece of cotton in oil of cloves and insert it in the cavity. This will give temporary relief until a dentist can be reached. You can also mix 3-4 drops of clove oil with 1/4 tablespoon of olive oi, soak up the mixture with a cotton ball and pack it around the affected area.

At times the pain may have a more obscure location such as decay under an old filling. This can be only corrected by a dentist, but there are two things you can do to help the pain:

1. Administer 600 milligrams (3 tablets) of Ibuprofen, every 4 hours. Ibuprofen will help with the pain and reduce swelling, and won’t irritate your stomach like aspirin will. Also high doses of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be damaging to your liver in high doses (especially if alcohol has been consumed).

2. Dissolve a crushed aspirin in about 4 oz of warm water and hold it in the mouth for several minutes before spitting it out. – DO NOT PLACE A WHOLE, OR CRUSHED TABLET ON THE TOOTH OR AGAINST THE SOFT GUM TISSUE AS THIS WILL BURN YOUR GUMS AND CHEEK. (Trust me, I know this from experience!)

SWOLLEN JAW: This may be caused by several conditions.. The most probable being an abscessed tooth. In any case the treatment should be to reduce pain and swelling. An ice pack held on the outside of the jaw, (ten minutes on and ten minutes off) will take care of both. If this does not control the pain, take 600 mg of Ibuprofen every four hours.

OTHER ORAL INJURIES: Broken teeth, cut lips, bitten tongue or lips.

Rinse the mouth with warm water and place cold compresses on the face. If there is a lot of bleeding, apply direct pressure to the bleeding area. If bleeding does not stop, stitches may be necessary.

PROLONGED BLEEDING: Place a gauze pad or better still a moistened tea bag over the socket and have the patient bite down gently on it for 30 to 45 minutes. The tannic acid in the tea seeps into the tissues and often helps stop the bleeding.

PAINFUL ERUPTING TOOTH: In young children teething pain can come from a loose baby tooth or from an erupting permanent tooth. Some relief can be given by crushing a little ice and wrapping it in gauze or a clean piece of cloth and putting it directly on the tooth or gum tissue where it hurts. The numbing effect of the cold,along with an appropriate dose of aspirin, usually provides temporary relief.

In adults, an erupting 3rd molar (Wisdom tooth) – especially if it is impacted – can cause the jaw to swell and be quite painful. Often the gum around the tooth will show signs of infection. Temporary relief can be had by giving ibuprofen or some other painkiller and by dissolving aspirin in half a glass of warm water and holding this solution in the mouth over the sore gum. Again, do not place the tablet directly on the gum or cheek to prevent burning. The swelling of the jaw can be reduced by using an ice pack on the outside of the face at intervals of ten minutes on and ten minutes off.

No one can predict accidental trauma, like a broken tooth, but the best way to avoid dental problems in a survival situation is prevention. Make sure you take care of any dental issues before they become a problem. No one hates going to the dentist more than I do, but if you ignore it, it’ll only get worse. Dental problems can affect your over-all health, and you don’t want one to come up when medical attention is unavailable.

Disclaimer – I am not a dental or medical professional. The information in this article is based on research and personal experience. I accept no responsibility for the misapplication of these remedies, or the reactions (allergic, etc) that certain individuals might experience.

Ok, I’m a single guy, and I don’t spend too much time thinking about detergents or household cleaning products. In fact, I HATE it when I have to spend money at the supermarket on stuff that’s not food. But I also know that when hygiene and good cleaning practices go out the window, so does your health.

I am germ conscious… Not to the point of being of being neurotic about it, but my days working in the kitchen at a hunting & fishing lodge in northern Arizona made me acutely aware of bacteria and other little nasties that can ruin your whole week if you don’t keep things sanitary (In Arizona, you actually have to get a food handling license to be cook).

I’m also kinda cheap… er, I meant thrifty. So when I need laundry or dishwashing detergent, I’ll either buy the cheapest stuff they got at the supermarket (I mean really… How much difference can there be between Dawn® and the store brand of dish soap?), or I’ll go to the dollar store. They got one up here in New Hampshire called “Dollar Tree”. I think it’s the last dollar store left that still sells everything fora dollar. But they haven’t got a single brand you ever heard of before!

Anyway, that’s fine for dish soap, bath soap and laundry detergent, but for everything else like glass cleaner, toilet cleaner and general purpose bathroom and kitchen cleaning products, I don’t buy any of that fancy store-bought stuff (not even at the Dollar Tree). I make my own! 

That’s what they had to do back in the day, and it suited my grandparents just fine.  And you can use the money you save to buy the survival-type stuff that you really need.

Bleach and water make a great disinfectant that’s safe to use anywhere. I recommend you you stock up on a bunch of it.  You’re gonna need it to keep your stored water free of bacteria anyway. It’ll clean and sanitize your toilet just as well as any commercial cleaner, plus you can use it to clean your sinks, kitchen counter, cutting boards (kills salmonella), etc., and it’s cheep too! I don’t have a measured formula, but I’ve learned the hard way that a little bleach goes a long way. I just pour a bit in the bottom of a spray bottle and fill the rest up with water and shake it up. Just one caveat, though. Don’t mix bleach with ammonia! It will produce a toxic gas. If you use it to clean your toilet, make sure it’s been flushed first.

I learned that the hard way too.

White vinegar is also a great all-purpose cleaner. In fact, it’s got a ton of uses. It’s a great glass cleaner and it’s good for mopping floors and cleaning tile. It will remove lime scale and hard water (mineral) deposits. You can use it to tenderize tough cuts of meat, or freshen the taste of fish. It will soothe burns and prevent blistering, and it will get rid of skunk odor better than tomato juice. When mixed with salt, or baking soda, it can be used to scrub pots, pans, dishes and grout. Soak a hand towel in vinegar and water and wipe down your walls to kill mildew. You can also use boiling vinegar to clear clogged drains.

One of these days, I’ll post a comprehensive list of all the uses for vinegar, but those right there are pretty practical. Don’t worry about your house stinking of vinegar all the time, either. If you dilute it with water, the smell will be pretty faint, and will dissipate after an hour or so..

Oh, here’s a good one too, though a little off-topic… Apple cider vinegar and honey is known as a folk remedy cure-all, used to treat hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, sore throat, bad eyesight, dandruff, brittle nails, bad breath, obesity and…. apathy (?).

Next class…. How to make homemade Pepsi!

Until then, here’s some more DIY cleaning product ideas from the Apartment Prepper’s Blog.

This post comes from the “let nothing go to waste” file…

A few days back, I posted about how to make an olive oil lamp. Today, I came across a post on our friend; Lisa Bedford’s blog: The Survival Mom that takes the homemade oil lamp one step further. Using the greasey drippings from your meatloaf pan, hamburger grease or bacon grease, an empty can, and some wick material, you can make an improvised lamp (or I guess you could call it a “candle” after the grease congeals) that will serve as emergency lighting for your home during a power outage or at the campsite.

I love stuff like this. Making something useful out of what most people would throw away, and improvising with whatever you happen to have at your disposal is the true spirit of survivalism.

There are a few caveats, though…

Grease burns hot, which will heat up the can. So make sure you put your grease candle on a stable, non-flammable surface (and away from flammable materials) where it’s not likely to get knocked over and spread into a grease fire.

These candles will produce more smoke than traditional candles or oil lamps, but keeping the wick trimmed should mitigate that a bit.

You’ll also probably want to store them in the refrigerator or in a sealed container when not in use, to avoid attracting animals or flies, and keep them away from sunlight or heat to prevent them from “melting” and creating a mess.

Oh, and save some of that bacon grease for cooking. Mmmmm boy!

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