Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 19, 2024

Wyatt Earp was born March 19, 1848, in Monmouth, Illinois. We was a central figure in the legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone. Prior to his time in Tombstone, Wyatt had moved around the western boom towns, often getting into trouble, though he served as an assistant city marshal in Dodge City, Kansas.

In 1881 Earp, along with his brothers Morgan and Virgil Earp and together with Doc Holliday faced off against cowboys the Canton gang. Three of the Canton gang were killed and Morgan, Virgil and Doc were injured.

The gunfight only reached public attention in 1931 when a biography was published of Wyatt Earp, two years after his death. His brother Virgil who was actually the city marshal that day may have played the more central role.

Seed for Security, LLC currently has a Spring planting sale in progress. Their Colossal Security Pack is now 25% off. This is a $115.99 value for only $87.09.  This pack is a total of 5 pounds of vegetable, grain, and herb seeds. All are open-pollinated and non-GMO.

Included are three of their most popular collections: Super Survival Collection, 4 Grain Collection, and Heirloom Herb Collection.

Each Colossal Pack comes with full planting instructions and a 4-page Seed Savings Guide. This offer is for a limited time, so order soon.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Some Practical Greeenhouse Gardening Experience, by Hollyberry

People tend to think if you have a greenhouse you sprinkle some seeds, water them, and the plants magically grow. It’s not that easy! Having a greenhouse, especially in a cold weather state, like where we live, has its own challenges. My goal with this article is to speed up the decade-long learning curve that we endured. Our greenhouse in Maine extends our growing season about a month and a half on the front end and about a month and a half on the back end. This is just an estimation, anything can happen with the weather!

Before building your greenhouse, study the solar exposure of your property for a whole year, if possible. The sun in Maine shifts drastically from summer to winter. Even if we had an extremely warm winter, we do not get enough sun to grow anything in an open-air garden plot. We would have to deforest a good chunk of our property to get adequate daylight in winter and I don’t want to do that. I like our trees and only remove the necessary ones. Our houseplants barely survive the miserly winter light!

Once you have figured out your greenhouse placement, remove any small trees around it. Small trees grow into big trees. That little sapling may seem insignificant now but just wait ten years. You also don’t want branches or the whole tree falling through your greenhouse. Determine the size, style, and materials you would like. Do your homework and research the pros and cons of different greenhouses, including buying a kit versus doing it yourself, or hiring someone. The plastic that we used for the first time lasted more than seven years. It was an opaque, reinforced plastic from Johnny Seeds of Maine. That plastic held up under serious amounts of snow and ice. We then used plastic from Farm Tek. It was not reinforced and only lasted three years. We were unable to get the reinforced plastic due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortages and had settled for what was available at the time.

We settled on a 12×25 foot hoop house. It looks like a giant caterpillar. It was cheaper to hire our reliable, local carpenter whom we have used for years. He has pipe benders specially designed for greenhouses and can assemble them in a day. The area is cleared and the ground is made level. Some heavy beams make the base. We used hemlock beams to form the base. The ends are T1-11. The back end has two windows and the front has two windows, plus a door. Watching it go up was the easy part, now the hard work for me starts. The whole area inside is covered with weed cloth. This is just temporary as the cloth will break down after several years and the weeds will poke through. Weeds always find a way to get in!

Next, lay down more hemlock beams to form the beds. Make sure to secure the beams at the corners and then drill a hole and pound a spike into the ground to secure them even further. A lot of pressure from the dirt is against those beams. Then you get to start filling the beds. This is much more labor intensive and requires much more dirt than you realize! Make sure to get good-quality soil. Don’t even try to purchase bags of topsoil, you need a dump truck full and have them dump the soil as close to your greenhouse as possible. Wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow load of dirt will eventually fill those beds. Over-fill the beds, since you will be surprised how much dirt settles.

Next comes the shelving and potting area. We used 2x4s and cinder blocks for shelving and use the top for re-potting. A word of caution: hornets and yellow jackets really like to nest in those cinder blocks so we filled them with spray foam. One year of flying, stinging insects was enough for me. Pots, seed cells and trays are all neatly organized on the shelves. I have a 5 gallon bucket that is filled with a bag or 2 of potting soil from the store. This I use when I need to re-pot a house plant. Hand tools are hung inside under one of the windows on hooks. An old plastic clothes hamper stores gardening stakes. Big coffee cans hold gloves, hand clippers, and razor knives and keeps them dry. Get a thermometer and you are ready to plant!

Make sure you plant taller plants towards the middle. Obviously, I am not going to plant corn inside a greenhouse. Plant like you would in a raised bed or row garden. We do not have a drip irrigation but they are available. We use a rainwater collection system uphill from the greenhouse so gravity does the work of watering for us. Just turn on the faucet and it trickles down. Temperatures inside get hot, I mean seriously hot, so ventilation is critical. With four windows and a door open we still felt more airflow was needed. A solar attic fan was installed over one of the windows and this produced more air flow. When the fan finally died after a few years, we purchased a big cheap box fan and an extension cord. Air flow problem solved and it uses very little electricity. It is not used every day.

The windows do have screens in them and during the day when I am growing stuff, the door stays propped open. This allows the pollinators free access the plants. Keep a butterfly net handy for the periodic bird which flies in but can’t seem to find its way out. In ten years I have had one rabbit inside chomping away on a kale plant. You can block the lower portion of the door with a screen or baby gate to keep out critters like this. Depending on the temperatures, I keep the windows open at night. Try to leave at least one window open to let out excessive moisture. I always shut the door because we have way too many vegetable eating critters wandering about at night.

The middle of the greenhouse is the warmest area, away from windows and doors. I set up a cold frame with an old storm window here. I can start lettuce very early and replant to a bigger bed as the temperatures warm up. I have also kept some sad-looking tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings in the cold frame until they looked hardier and the temperatures came up. The cold frame is again used in fall and greens can be grown until the beginning of November. I restart the green within the first week or two of Match depending on the temperatures and snowfall.

It is still crucial that you monitor temperatures at the beginning and end of the growing season. It the temperature is below 50 degrees, I shut the windows. If a last-minute frost warning is posted, I shut the windows and door while there is still some daylight to raise the temperature inside warmer than usual. The ground will stay warm for quite a while into the evening. I have also had to use frost blankets inside on tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Those three vegetables really do well in Maine in greenhouses. I do have some tomatoes in a raised bed but most are in the greenhouse.

Humidity levels can run very high. Blight can be a big problem on tomato plants so I try to water only at the base of the plants. Remove any runner branches that don’t produce fruit. Squash and cukes do not do well in my greenhouse due to blight. I get them started in the greenhouse and move them out to a raised bed as soon as weather permits. Ground cherries grown beautifully in a greenhouse as do a lot of herbs. Ground cherries are a delicious little fruit and they grow in abundance on a small shrub-like plant. My chives and mint are poking their heads up by end of February usually. The mint has to be kept under control as it grows like crazy. Basil, cilantro and dill thrive in the extra warmth. The dill constantly reseeds itself also. The past two years I have experimented with growing ginger in a flower pot in the coldframe. Ginger is tropical and likes it hot. I dig up the ginger in late August. You can move the whole potted ginger into your house as soon as the temperatures start cooling down if you have room. Celery also does very well and I always have at least 2 kale plants inside the greenhouse. Kale is a cold hardy plant so I do grow some outdoors as well but the 2 indoor kale plants will produce well past the outside growing season.

Grasshoppers have been an issue in the past. It took many years to get rid of them. I wait for a cloudy, rainy stretch when I won’t need to water for a few days. I water the base of the plants and after a few hours liberally sprinkle diatomaceous earth all over the plants. It kills grasshoppers, cucumber beetles, squash beetles, and probably some other bugs I am not aware of, but it does not harm the plants and it is non-toxic. If I find little garden snakes on my property and relocate them. They seem to like living in the greenhouse. Keep a journal of your successes and failures and the weather for future reference.

Some seed catalogs offer seeds that are best suited for greenhouse growing. Starting seedlings requires some attention. Seedlings are flaky, too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry and now you have dead seedlings. After many years of trial and error, I start my seedlings in my loft, where it is warm but not too hot. I give them a couple of weeks up there and use a grow light to keep them from getting too leggy, then they get moved to the greenhouse. If they are hardy enough, I plant them directly into the beds. They might look a little scraggly for the first week but then they take off. The weaker seedlings may sit in a cold frame for an additional week to strengthen up a bit.

Composting is important, as with any garden bed. I usually do direct composting of egg shells, coffee grinds and some chicken poop in late winter. The greenhouse is warm enough on a 35 degree sunny day to defrost some of the soil and I start mixing it in. I do this as soon as weather permits. The warmer temperatures inside help the composting process so I can safely plant in two months. I must be patient and wait!

So like any gardening, greenhouse growing is trial and error but it’s fun. Sitting inside the greenhouse on a cooler day in late winter will do wonders for your attitude. If you can afford a greenhouse, go for it. If you can’t please garden anyway. There is nothing in this world like homegrown tomatoes!



SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, an article on some creative genetic engineering to create game farm sheep that are a sort of Jumbo Bighorn Sheep. (See the Montana section.)

Idaho

Porcupine Problems: Reminder issued to pet owners after dog arrives at shelter in a ‘sticky’ situation.

o  o  o

Caught on camera: Idaho trooper runs for his life as semitruck comes barreling toward him.

o  o  o

Idaho former Mormon bishop, dentist arrested in Virginia on felony child sex abuse charges.

o  o  o

This looks quite warm and cozy, for a celebrity home: Inside Aaron Paul’s Rustic Riverside Home In Idaho  –Open Door — Architectural Digest.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that. So we need to be very careful.” – Elon Musk



Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 18, 2024

On March 18, 1766, The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act of 1765 after violent protests from American colonists, including a group known as the Sons of Liberty.

March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.)

We are now down to less than 160 of the waterproof SurvivalBlog 2005-2023 Archive USB sticks on hand.  These will likely sell out in the next few days. This always happens when folks see that the supply is dwindling.  There will not be another batch produced this year, so get your order in soon! 

A reminder:  There are still about 14 orders dating as far back as January that are “on hold” awaiting payment by check.  If we haven’t received those checks by April 12th, your USB stick orders will be canceled. Sorry!

Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.



Leatherman Skeletool CX, by Thomas Christianson

With a 2.6-inch, plain-edge blade made of 154CM stainless steel, pliers, wire cutters, and a bit driver, the Leatherman Skeletool CX makes an outstanding tool for everyday carry (EDC). Priced at $89.95 at the time of this writing, it is well worth every penny. I highly recommend it.

The Backstory

I was sitting on my tackle box by a river, fishing with my grandchildren, “Cicero”, “Ernest”, and “Ginger”. We were casting a worm and bobber, and catching many small fingerlings, which we were releasing back into the river as fast as we could catch them. The grandchildren, aged 5, 3, and 2, were fully satisfied with this arrangement.

Ernest seemed to have another strike, but the line snagged on a rock as he was reeling it in. I tried to help him out, but succeeded only in breaking the line. The bobber remained anchored firmly by the snagged hook about 10 yards from shore.Continue reading“Leatherman Skeletool CX, by Thomas Christianson”



Recipe of the Week: Oat Macaroons

The following simple recipe for Oat Macaroons is from Good HouseKeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (253 pages, copyright 1925, now in public domain). That is one of the 11 bonus books included in the 2005-2023 edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick.

Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cupful sugar
  • 1 tablespoonful of melted shortening
  • 2 cupfuls rolled oats
  • 1 cupful of shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoonful salt
  • 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla
  • 3 tablespoonfuls cornstarch1 teaspoonful baking-powder
Directions

Mix ingredients in the order given and drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased pan. Bake in a 350-degree F. oven for twenty minutes

Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!







Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 17, 2024

On March 17, 1891, the British Steamer Utopia sank off Gibraltar, killing 574 passengers and crew. The ship primarily carried Italian immigrants, in cramped “steerage” bunks. Here is a description of the disaster at The Dawlish Chronicles:

“On the afternoon of March 17th 1891 the SS Utopia reached Gibraltar. Captain John McKeague was familiar with this anchorage and he headed his ship towards her usual mooring in the inner harbour. Light was failing and only too late did McKeague realise that two Royal Navy Battleships, HMS Anson and HMS Rodney were already there. At this time these two ships of the “Admiral Class” were among the most modern in the Royal Navy, each of 10,600 tons on a 330 ft. length and with four 13.5 inch guns as their main armament. More significant on the present occasion was that both had viciously-pointed rams extending below water level from their bows. A large armoured cruiser present, HMS Immortalité, was similarly equipped. The Swedish corvette Freja was also at anchor.

At this remove in time it is hard to understand how the SS Utopia could enter a confined anchorage in darkness without a pilot, and how the presence of three very large ships there, and a smaller corvette, had not been noted previously. In a later deposition Captain McKeague stated that he was briefly dazzled by HMS Anson ’​s searchlight. Only when he was became accustomed to the glare did he “suddenly discover that the inside anchorage was full of ships”. He claimed that he thought that Anson was “further off than she really was” and he tried to steer in ahead of her bow. The manoeuvre was an unwise one and wind and currently swept the Utopia along HMS Anson’s bow. Acting like a giant can-opener, the ram tore a 16 foot gash below the Utopia’s waterline. Flooding began and engine power was lost immediately.”

On this day in 1992, nearly 69 percent of white South African voters backed F.W. de Klerk‘s reforms—which included the repeal of racially discriminatory laws—and effectively endorsed the dismantling of apartheid.

Today is the birthday of the late Thomas Michael “Mad Mike” Hoare (born 1919, died 2020.)  The book Mad Mike Hoare: The Legend (published in 2018) is fascinating reading.

This is also the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963), who was a Polish Army Corporal who fought in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, to fight against the occupying Soviets and their Polish communist stooges. Eventually, he was one of the last of the Cursed Soldiers resistance in Poland. His nom de guerre was Lalek.

Today’s feature article is a guest post authored by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us, selected by JWR.

We are in need of entries for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Why The US Economy is Actually A Disaster In Progress, by Brandon Smith

One of my favorite false narratives floating around corporate media platforms has been the argument that the American people “just don’t seem to understand how good the economy really is right now.” If only they would look at the stats, they would realize that we are in the middle of a financial renaissance, right? It must be that people have been brainwashed by negative press from conservative sources…

I have to laugh at this claim because it’s a very common one throughout history – It’s an assertion made by almost every single political regime right before a major collapse. These people always say the same things, and when you study economics as long as I have you can’t help but throw up your hands and marvel at their dedication to the propaganda.

One example that comes to mind immediately is the delusional optimism of the “roaring” 1920s and the lead-up to the Great Depression. At the time around 60% of the US population was living in poverty conditions (according to the metrics of the decade) earning less than $2000 a year. However, in the years after WWI ravaged Europe, America’s economic power was considered unrivaled.Continue reading“Why The US Economy is Actually A Disaster In Progress, by Brandon Smith”



JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

Meme Text:  The Real Joe Biden Venn Diagram

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” – 1 Corinthians 13 (KJV



Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 16, 2024

On March 16, 2014, in a popular referendum, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation; despite opposition from numerous countries, Russia later annexed the region.

On March 14, 1926, American inventor Robert H. Goddard launched the first successful liquid-propellant rocket.

Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky. (1862)

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Life Without Running Water – Part 2, by E. Homesteader

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Collection Frequency and Usage Amounts

Living in such a dry environment for so many years in Colorado instilled a natural water conservancy in us. Now that we live next to a lake and have abundant rainfall throughout the year, we feel very fortunate to have so much water “at our fingertips.” Currently, our water usage is very low since we don’t have a flush toilet, washing machine, or plants/garden that need watering. Until recently, we didn’t have an indoor shower, either. Laundry and car washing are done in our nearby small town. On average, we fill our drinking containers about once a week. The wash water collection varies, depending on the amount of rain or snow. But if it has been dry, we pull water from the lake about once a week. Regardless, we always keep an eye on our water levels and refill the containers before we run out.

Average amounts water needed for us (two adults):

  • Drinking: Hot/cold beverages, cooking (including washing veggies), and toothbrushing for two adults, plus water for two cats: 8-16 gallons a week depending on the season and menu.
  • Washing dishes and bodies for two adults, plus cleaning things when necessary: 2-10 gallons a day, depending on season, menu, and procrastination level.

Continue reading“Life Without Running Water – Part 2, by E. Homesteader”