Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on garden hose repairs. (See the Gear section.)
Books:
o o o
How to Build the Perfect Off-Grid Home. Sadly, this very useful book went out of print when Paladin Press recently closed its doors. I recommend grabbing a copy while they are still available at reasonable prices.
Movies:
I’m sure that most SurvivalBlog readers have heard the phrase “Jews In The Attic.” Well, here is the true story of a Polish teenage girl who successfully hid 13 Jews in her attic for two and a half years, under the Nazi occupation. Yad Vashem! Although this was produced for television on a modest budget, it is well worth watching: Hidden In Silence. (Available on DVD, also available for free streaming to those with an Amazon Prime membership.) From what I’ve read, the movie is quite close to the historical record.
o o o
And here is an unusual movie about World War I, in the Tirol region of Austria: The Silent Mountain. (Available on DVD, or for free streaming to those with an Amazon Prime membership.)
Vlogs and Instructional Videos:
Shalom Acres: Building a Root Cellar
o o o
How to Build a Simple, Sturdy Greenhouse from 2×4’s – Modern Builds. (Yes, he built it hobby-toy size, but you can scale up.)
o o o
Health Tip – How to Stop a Calf Cramp in Seconds – Markham Chiropractor
Podcasts:
Are you looking for good podcasts on Reformed theology? The Monergism.com web site has a big list (with links.)
o o o
For those who plan to hunker down in a heavily populated region: Urban Survival Podcasts
Gear (Garden Hose Repairs):
Are you getting ready for gardening season? One often overlooked prep is repair materials for garden hoses. Even if you buy the very best quality natural rubber hoses built to last 10+ years, they will nearly all eventually suffer mishaps from an errant spade, an odd kink that takes a permanent set, or a connector that gets run over by a tractor and squashed out-of-round. So be sure to stock up on plenty of brass splice repairing couplers, brass male ends, and brass female ends. Often these are less expensive to buy in sets, or in bulk. It is probably a good idea to lay in a few spare y-valves, too.
OBTW, there are two basic types of connectors with 3/4″ National Pipe Thread (NPT) faucet/hose threads. They are A.): The crimp-on variety, and B.): Those held by a stainless steel Aero-Seal style screw clamp. I generally prefer the latter, since those can be re-used. This versatility is ideal when you need to fabricate a custom length hose, such as for filling stock watering tanks.
Also note that garden hoses are measured by their inside diameters. The most common ones are 1/2″ and 5/8″. Most of the inexpensive vinyl hoses tend to be 1/2″, while most of the better quality rubber hoses are 5/8″ (The 3/4″ variety of rubber hoses are fairly scarce and quite expensive–the same cost or more than buying a 5/8″ stainless steel hose). Be sure to do some measuring before you buy, to get the right diameter fittings.
o o o
Make a Suggestion
Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
In the Rabbit Hole is a good podcast.