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Posts
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MB,
I’ve been looking them over on Craigslist but didn’t buy one yet. I bought new blades for bow saws that are easy to transport if you’re on foot. All the old two man saws need sharpening and conditioning. I’m fortunate to have a saw set for large blades I bought with a bunch of other old tools. I got it 30 years sgo just because I like and use old tools. It should only take about an hour to fully recondition an old saw.As I think about using hand saws, a sturdy sawbuck will be extremely useful. A buck holds the wood still and at the proper height. Ergonomics becomes very important when using manual labour all day, every day. Good egros will save loads of energy and save body parts. Two man saws should be used up high, above the waist.
My family’s approach to making a go at survival in the zone 5 growing area during the winter IF THE Lights go.. is to plastic sheeting seal off most of the house, wear our wool and thermals, plus sleep in our sub-zero sleeping bags, we would warm the sealed in areas with clay pots and extensive supply of tea light candles and we can make more from supplies. We have lighters, matches, fire-starters, and many ways even bow drill to make a fire to do the candles. The home is over one-hundred years old so there’s always some air getting in, we have plastic sheeting and yes that modern see through put up with type stuff, we have a solar oven, a large working one and we have small rocket heater stoves, and saws, axes, hatchets, that will make small bits of wood go a LONG way. With a wooded area near by, we will make fallen wood collecting our new sport. We need to get a few more clay flower pots with the drainage hole in the bottom for the candle room warmers.
Most people I see have poor quality winter wear/gear, I expect frost-bite will be a super *****, so look for used down jackets in case you have someone without one in your travels. I have an small in-door trampoline that with grid down dynamics would at least allow for some controlled in-door exercise while “jogging/running” out doors might make you someone’s next meal or victim. If you can have a simple speed bag martial arts small punching bag the frustrations of grid down shft living can go into punching this and not your friends and family. As long as we can heat a pan with hot water we’ll be fine food wise. We will still be cold until SPRING.Corvus, I’m literally at the edge of Zone 4/Zone 5 though we get Zone 4 lows often enough to just go with Zone 4 plants. I tested my solar oven a few years back on a January day that was about 15 degrees out and was able to cook a simple meal. The trick was keeping it properly aligned with the sun. It required frequent adjustments given how low the sun is in the sky in January.
Some could tough it out without a wood stove in the frigid north, though it won’t be a lot of fun. Your comments remind me that concerning the problem family I discussed in this thread, last winter the loser son lived in a pop up camper butted up against the north side of the garage. I assume he must have had an electric heater in it but still it must have been a challenge given how cold it was and pop ups like that not having any insulation at all. Word is that he lived there on account the old woman can’t stand him.
That’s great Mountain biker that you were cooking with your solar oven– yes we love our oven and have inspired others to look into getting one. I am out of the loop regarding how long the fuel would be available for the nuke plants can at least stay cool and safe– or would there just be a totally hard shut down and locations near such operations will be in fall out in a week> Fun? That’s why we use to migrate south with the animals that did that instead of hibernate. But, with deep concern for saving lives and calories I would really only get out and attempt an exit away from the home if one or a combination of factors were present: First, fires going on and on with no teams to put them out, as you know more die from smoke than flames. Secondly, I might just wish I had a bunker BUT I might as well as wish for wings. If it is dark for over a few days EVERYWHERE then I suspect the powerplants will melt down, then we will start popping the iodine tabs as we try to head the other way. Pray our bodies can move if this ever happens. ( On an other note, having a NON-cooperative relative (son,etc.) must be the bane of one’s prepper mind) I suspect the FEAR factor is what is keeping the relative/friend non-cooperative, too bad but S*** will happen.)
Living in cold weather can be stressful and being cold heightens the stress. Being ready for the cold and having properly prepared is the only way to keep everyone warm. When I lived in Maine one of the preps many people did was to bank the bottom of the outside walls with haybales or lots of greens from spruce trees. The insulation would help keep the ground adjacent to the foundation from freezing and prevent the snow from melting due to heat loss from the house. The snow acts as extra insulation.
Window blankets were popular. Any insulation covering the windows is helpful. At one point every night I used blue Styrofoam board cut to fit on large leaky windows. We also stapled old blankets and quilts over windows.
If you can create an airlock at the exterior door it will keep the heated air inside. Opening the door and allowing -35*F air into your structure cools it off really fast.
If you’re without a main source of heat, compartmentalize your structure and heat one small room or area. I read on someone’s blog about putting up a tent in the house to create a small space to heat.
Caution must be taken not to trap carbon monoxide while burning any combustibles no matter what form it comes in.
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This reply was modified 5 years ago by
74.
Another common insulation is putting bags of dry leaves all around the foundation. Same concept as the hay bales.
Excellent suggestion to use the stuffed large yard bags filled with leaves. Only I worry about fire fuels too close to the house. Thanks 74 and Mountain Biker. I think an advantage of being in a cold weather zone is that many punks and opportunists will remain home or INSIDE until the weather breaks, notice how street robberies decline during the cold or when NBA basketball games are being aired.
Buying army surplus wool blankets is always on my mind when I finally make my way to a surplus store, they can sell as low as 20 bucks (or at least one did in 2010!).Also , notice that you dont see as many motorcycle cops in cold weather states as you do others ? They dont like to spend money on a vehicle that is going to be worthless 70% of the year . I once worked with a guy that felt winter was a ” filter ” , because all the jerks , a$$holes , and drifters ( and their toys ) go away for the most part .
I probably posted this stuff (or something like it) before, but can’t remember for sure. Rocket Mass Heaters can heat rooms (or entire houses, depending on size & placement) on considerably less fuel than conventional wood stoves, with much less (or no) telltale smoke.
- Drawbacks:
- Most are not available as complete off-shelf products, therefore require understanding of principles, and construction techniques;
- Not UL approved, or allowed in building codes;
- You’re on your own.
- Advantages:
- Much less fuel needed
- Much less smoke produced
- OPSEC?
I haven’t built one, but would do my first attempt in a shop building, and delay house heating until I had some experience using it.
The insulating value of putting bags of dry leaves around the foundation needs to be balanced against the character of the neighborhood.
Cry, "Treason!"
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This reply was modified 5 years ago by
L Tecolote.
If you can get at least a dozen sturdy sand bags and enough sand from your favorite source: the beach, the park, the Home Depot, the Garden Shop, The landscapers place, etc, get some for home protection or pouring on your driveway for some traction after the ice storm or the back of that front-wheeled drive vehicle to weigh it down, or to offer some bullet protection INSIDE a room with thin walls, the use of sand bags can really come in handy (mixing cement). There’s a number of videos on the rocket mass heater which are excellent, I get the feeling we are starting to wrap our minds around what does this winter have instore? Some early snow in the Midwest,
If you can get at least a dozen sturdy sand bags and enough sand from your favorite source: the beach, the park, the Home Depot, the Garden Shop, The landscapers place, etc, get some for home protection or pouring on your driveway for some traction after the ice storm or the back of that front-wheeled drive vehicle to weigh it down, or to offer some bullet protection INSIDE a room with thin walls, the use of sand bags can really come in handy (mixing cement). There’s a number of videos on the rocket mass heater which are excellent, I get the feeling we are starting to wrap our minds around what does this winter have instore? Some early snow in the Midwest,
Corvus,
Some things to think about.
1. It’s gonna take more than a dozen sandbags to protect from small arms fire. Elsewhere, I posted a link to the US Army’s Engineering Manual for Field Fortifications. If you can’t find the link, then do a search for that manual – you can probably get a copy through Amazon or even online for free.
2. Sandbags are heavy. To have enough to actually matter means a lot of weight. Most modern houses aren’t built to sustain that kind of weight – they’re made of soaking wet soft pine spiked together with No. 16 nails. And “2×4″ isn’t really two inches by four inches. They used to be, once upon a time, but the mills learned they can “subtract” the width of the saw blade, still call it a “2×4″ and sell it for the same price.
They’re actually 1 and 3/4 by 3 and 3/4 (the width of a saw blade is 1/8th inch. Two cuts = 1/4 inch.) What that means and why that is important is that the floor joists are that much weaker. Take all that material out and multiply that by all the floor joists made of schlocky soft pine, and collapsing your floor becomes a real possibility. When the wood does dry out and normalize, the nails get loose, which is why a new house creaks like a pirate ship after a year or so… which doesn’t help things.
3. Mixed media works better. Meaning: You can use sand, yes, but using a layer of sand and then a layer of gravel will yield better results. Gravel just chews up bullets.
4. Having a stash of dimensional lumber will pay big dividends. And the hardware to go with it. Big screws are superior to nails, but you have to run what you brung… When we would create fighting positions, one of the first things we would do – if we could – is grab a HUMMV and hit the local dump. Always big piles of damaged oak loading skids there. A wealth of building material. Knock them apart and use them for reinforcing the walls, putting in floors, overhead cover and support for same, making seats, etc… Usually, the local Big Box store has these hardwood loading skids stacked up outside behind the building… aint’ saying what you should or should not do, just putting that out there. If not Big Box, then the local hardware store…
5. Spalling is a problem. This is stuff like window glass becoming secondary projectiles that can really ruin your day. Pasting mylar sheeting over the windows will hold them together, or at least keep the glass from flying around the room at terminal velocities…
Just some FYI for your benefit…
The wicked flee when none pursueth..." - Proverbs 28:1
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This reply was modified 5 years ago by
Malgus.
Malgus you’re advice is damn good, that’s an a-one thank you, I did want to say we should also add gravel to the mix. You did it, and that’s right! My structure for surviving shooting will place us in the basement where the walls are thick and all concrete, windows are sealed with reinforcement and only one window offers an easy shot into the basement, this is if there’s general mayhem and street becomes an exchange zone or drive by for the curious in a WOROL situation. Brick homes are better, stone homes are even better, but I don’t live in those types of homes. I wasn’t considering an entire home just a “panic room” or safe room for “short term” protection for the sand bag option,. Better than using one’s furniture expecting any of that to offer small arms protection. Any suggestions on bullet-proof vests that won’t break the bank?
I was told a long time ago that if the UK grid went down, it would take 2 YEARS to replace all the blown relays and circuits as the spare parts are no longer kept “on the shelf” and have to be made as a special order, probably from overseas.
can you imagine the population sitting back and patiently waiting for 2 years for the power to be restored? no, me neither, there will be rioting in the streets and total anarchy.British Survivalist.
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This reply was modified 5 years ago by
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