LED Grow Lights for Indoor Food Production, by J.H.

Lighting products based on Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology continues to improve. Not only are lights getting cheaper, but the individual LED components are getting more higher powered and both efficiency and lifetimes/longevity are improving. Over time, LED technology is poised to replace the problematic and often loathed Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) as the preferred alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs.

However, this article is not about ordinary lighting applications but rather LED lighting specifically used for indoor growing applications. The benefits of LED lighting for plant growth, particularly as the technology advances, are truly revolutionary and will change the way indoor food production is done in the years ahead.

These advances are useful to know for those interested in self-sufficiency or survivalist technology. Food can be produced with greater efficiency indoors, whether due to the desire for discretion and security or due to seasonal restrictions.

Existing plant growing technology now consists basically of large incandescent lights, either High Pressure Sodium (HPS) or Metal Halide (MH) bulbs. These are basically large, elongated bulbs capable of operating at powers up to 1000 watts each. They cannot be driven with ordinary A/C power but need a special transformer, called a ballast, to drive the individual bulbs. There is some power loss at the ballast, as well, so the power needs for a 1000 watt bulb can be in excess of 1000 watts. The HPS bulbs and the MH bulbs produce slightly different spectra, with the HPS bulbs producing a redder spectrum and the MH bulbs producing a bluer spectrum, to accommodate different growing needs of plants in their life cycles. The HPS and MH technology also require different ballasts to run, although some ballasts today are switchable and can accommodate both technologies. A bulb of this sort typically costs about $70-$100 and can be expected to last for 6,000 – 8,000 hours before needing replacement.

A quick point to be made here is that indoor grows can be either based on ordinary soil (pots of plants) or hydroponic (soilless) technology. I won’t get much into the specifics of either, except to say the hydroponic grows tend to be more efficient, but they add some complexity to your system. According to some viewpoints, hydroponic grows can double the production of plant products for the same energy input into them. However, either technology still needs light to provide energy for the plants, so either will benefit from more efficient light production.

The main advantages of LED grow lights are efficiency of power use, longevity, and ease of powering. (They can be driven with DC sources.) In addition to these main points, LEDs have some secondary advantages as well.

If you’ve read any information on LED grow lights (especially the ads), you will hear them indicating that LEDs provide the same equivalent light for one-third or even one-tenth the power. So, for example, a 100 watt LED light provides the same benefit to the plant as a 1000 watt HPS. I’m not sure I’d believe those claims, but if you had two lights of comparable power, the LEDs would definitely be more advantageous. It’s hard to quantify exactly what the advantage is, but something like 2X or 3X is probably not out of bounds. To date, LEDs still have had limited impact with growers because costs are still high, and, perhaps more importantly, overall wattage is still on the low side. Whereas HPS and MH lights top out at 1000 watts apiece, it’s hard to find an LED light that’s more than 200-300 watts. This is slowly changing, and larger units are becoming available.

The reason for the greater efficiency is twofold. First, the LED lights themselves produce light more efficiently. Second, since LEDs can produce narrow bands of wavelengths of light, by selecting the correct wavelengths that plants respond to the most (the red and blue light bands), one can build a light that only uses energy for the wavelengths that plants like. In general, plants make little use of light in the green area, which is why plants tend to be green, as the green light is reflected back to our eyes. So, a light that avoids those bands not only saves energy but avoids bombarding the plant with light energy it can’t make use of energy. For this reason, LED grow lights tend to produce a reddish-purplish hue. An example of this (May, 2014) is NASA’s Veg-01 growing experiment to grow lettuce on the ISS.

[A brief aside on light wavelengths: Ordinary white light is made up of particles (or photons) each with an individual wavelength. The visible light spectrum consists of light with wavelengths of 400 to 700 nanometers (nm). The visible light colors start with blue or violet at 400 nm up through green, yellow, and orange and ending at red at 700 nm. Outside of our visible range is ultraviolet light at shorter wavelengths (below 400 nm) and infrared light at longer wavelengths (above 700 nm).]

The main energy gatherers in plants are structures known as chlorophyll. These exist in two main varieties– chlorophyll-A and chlorophyll-B. Both have absorption peaks in the blue range, about 450 nm. Chlorophyll-A has another narrow peak in the red range at 660 nm. Chlorophyll-B has another narrow peak in the red range at 630 nm. So any lights you use or buy should have all of these wavelengths covered. Any light that does not specify their wavelengths should be avoided! Some lights have additional bands, which are probably okay, and the ratio of the different colors can vary. Any lights that do not have the 660 nm wavelength should be avoided, as some plants cannot flower, or grow poorly, without the 660 nm light. In terms of ratio, a proportion of 30% blue (450 nm), 50% red (630 nm) and 20% red (660 nm) is not a bad mix. Opinions on this vary.

So, to summarize (and get us back on track), the fact that individual LED elements can produce a narrow bandwidth of light means that grow light systems can be tailored to provide only the light that the plants need, which saves energy as unneeded spectra are not produced. So LEDs are more efficient with energy use compared with broad spectrum light sources, like HPS and MH lights.

LEDs are VERY long lived. Longevity is typically 70,000 – 80,000 hours at nominal current draw. Even then, that is only the timeframe when output has dropped by some specified value; for example, its output may be 30% lower than nominal “new” values, but the LEDs are still operating. LEDs can operate, with reduced performance for 100,000 hours or more. Given 12-hour growing days, this is a lifetime of more than 20 years’ worth of growing days. This compares with a HPS bulb, which has a nominal lifetime of about 8,000 hours, but is typically replaced after 6,000 hours due to lower performance.

This isn’t to say an LED light won’t break. There are other components in the light (electronics, fans, etc.) that could be subject to failure. These would have to be repaired, but as long as the LEDs are not subjected to extreme heat or excessive current, they should be fine and live a long, full life.

The third advantage to LED lights is their ease of power. HPS and MH lights need an A/C power source which feeds a ballast to provide the needed voltages to the lights. There is some power loss in the ballast, and if power is suddenly lost, some lights require a 30 minute cool-down before they can be re-lit.

LEDs, on the other hand, can be powered from DC sources, can be turned on and off at will, and have no ballast requirements. They are a perfect light source for power systems that have either a DC supply, such as solar panels or battery banks. Of course, most LED lights for the market are not DC powered and plug into the wall, but the underlying power driving the LED lights is a direct voltage. This all translates to added efficiency of LED lights when used with a system with DC power sources.

These are the main advantages of LED lights for use in self-sufficient living systems. In addition, there are secondary advantages to LED lighting systems as well. I will touch on them a little bit, in the context of self-sufficient living situations.

LED lights produce heat, but they do not project heat.

If you work with LED lights, they are kind of strange beasts. Unlike an ordinary 60 watt light bulb, which would burn you if you touched it, LED lights project almost no heat. As a result, plants are not subject to burning on LEDs the same way plants under incandescent HPS or MH lights are. Also, evaporation due to heat is reduced in plants grown under LEDs. Finally, plants grown under LEDs do not have to expend energy “fending off” unneeded light and heat sent to them by incandescent lights. This results in faster growing and reduced water use.

This is not to say that LED lights do not produce heat; they do. The heat is just not projected out to the plants. Instead, the light itself heats up. Larger LED lights often have built-in fans, like computer cases, to keep them cool.

This leads to an interesting opportunity for self-sufficient living systems. Wintertime living in northern climates can be challenging, from a fuel perspective, as residences need some form of heating. Many self-sufficient residences opt for baseboard heating, as they have access to some electrical power sources, such as wind turbines and (reduced) solar energy. Instead of dumping that power into heating modules, why not send some of it to grow lights as well? The residence still benefits from the heating, and there is food production, as well.

Plants grow differently under LED lights.

There are enough environmental differences when using LED lights, that the plant themselves grow a bit differently. Mostly, this seems to be in the area of water use, but there may be some other changes as well. The plants benefit from the reduced heat stress. By turning on just the blue lights, you can enhance plant bushiness. By turning on just the red lights, you can get the plants to stretch further. (This requires lights that have selective control on their red and blue spectra, of which many do NOT have.) In general, it’s a somewhat different (but more productive) growing environment that might need a bit of effort to get used to.

Summary

For self-sufficient living, you need food. Ideally, you can just grow it outside, but seasonal and security considerations might make this not feasible all of the time. If the decision is made to grow food indoors, LED grow lights are the clear choice to use for your light source (barring the sun, of course). They offer energy efficiency, longevity, efficient water use, and the ability to work with a DC power system. No other lighting technology should be given serious consideration. Good luck and good growing!

Letter Re: Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral

Hello,

While I agree with a lot of what was written, I strongly object to the writer’s defensive philosophy. He’s taking a modern strategic approach and applying it to SHTF firefight scenarios. In my opinion they are not similar.

In small unit combat, the attacker has the advantage. The attacker can choose the time, the place, and if the defenders are dug-in and cannot pursue (counterattack), the attacker can choose when and under what circumstances to withdraw. If it’s going poorly they can withdraw and regroup for the next try. In short, the only scenario in which the defender wins is if they wipe out an attacker that either chooses to not withdraw or cannot do so for some reason. This is usually because the defender counterattacks or maneuvers to cut off withdraw (an envelopment). Both involve the defender turning into an attacker.

That 3-1 ratio is what’s needed against a layered, strategic defense. A QRF (quick reaction force) on radio standby along with a few people walking around with rifles and shotguns for security is hardly a layered defense. A determined force that’s done some intelligence gathering, is armed to the teeth, and attacking at the break of dawn can easily overwhelm a numerically superior defender on a tactical (small) scale. On a strategic scale, the element of surprise is very difficult, and it’s simply who can punch the hardest, the longest, and the farthest. – J.S.

o o o

In “Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral” by E.M., we get treated to another “arm your neighbors” point of view for an extraordinarily unlikely “end of the world” contingency.

E.M. says if you can’t trust your neighbors with the guns you provide them, he suggests that you should move. However, people who aren’t gun owners generally aren’t gun people. Even “gun people”, untrained, aren’t the most effective when it comes to defensive rifle- or pistol- craft.

At Appleseed shoots, for instance, we do an initial skills assessment and a majority of shooters aren’t even effective out to 100 yards. Many aren’t even “on paper” and excuses for a lack of competence with their rifles come freely and abundantly, sometimes muttered quietly, others not so much.

In fact, giving acquaintances who aren’t gun owners their first gun for self-defense may prove a liability to everyone’s health and well-being. Think negligent discharges or firing off rounds inappropriately and inadvertently shooting a friendly before properly identifying a potential threat.

I can’t help but find myself asking, “What is he thinking?”

Don’t get me wrong. May God bless E.M.’s plan to repel hordes of smelly, unshaven, mutant, biker mauraders with crooked teeth alongside of his neighbors, but I’d like to offer an alternative scenario and still yet another more likely scenario.

The first rule of winning a gunfight I teach in my gun classes is simply not to show up. You live every time that way. If something bad happens suddenly, you make the best of what you’ve got, of course.

However, 99 and 44/100ths percent of the time, you will have an opportunity to make yourself scarce before things go so badly that you find yourself in a position to be lawfully pointing a gun at other people.

As an example, if you’re at Denny’s while two groups engage in a fight over maple syrup or some woman’s honor, this is a time when you should make yourself scarce, instead of ordering up some popcorn and videotaping it on your iPhone.

Your car is your escape pod, and it’s usually always nearby. Keep your car fueled, and keep basic supplies in your trunk. Keep things like an MRE or three (or Heater Meals, if you want to blend in with the sheep), water, flashlight & batteries, work boots, and gloves, warm clothes, a hat, and winter gloves, some basic tools, and so forth.

You should already have an emergency evacuation plan in place. (Google “Listening to Katrina” for a great, albeit not yet finished, guide) to leave your home in short order in case of fire or other emergency.) That plan will help you protect your health, wealth, and ability to earn an income, while not losing all of the aforementioned, defending the indefensible.

I live in a pretty decent neighborhood today, and in a stroke of luck, live within a block of one of my team of instructors (which happened by accident, not by design) and also a former student.

I recognize that neither my home nor my neighborhood is defensible, if there are more than a few desperate or violence-prone individuals prowling nearby. I’m not going to pull a Don Alejo Garza Tamez True Grit suicide mission defending my home. No, I’m getting me and mine the heck out of dodge, if things are getting that bad, and you should too.

And because of relationships I’ve developed, I’m lucky enough to have the right sort of friends who will come move us out if it’s really getting bad, as I’d do for them.

Most of my neighbors in that unlikely apocalyptic mayhem scenario are on their own. Life’s full of choices. Those who chose to take golf lessons instead of shooting lessons? Let them accept the consequences of going up against violent predators with a five iron or a putter.

All of that aside, the localized emergency is more likely such as a tornado, earthquake, or massive winter storm or maybe a hurricane for those readers within a couple hours of the coast.

You’re probably not going to need your guns or your tactical skills, if you have those emergencies, certainly not right away. Instead, you’re gonna need a pair of work gloves and boots, a decent flashlight, and the willingness to help close friends, if they need you. If they are fine, then you’ll look out for your immediate neighbors.

In my case, this might mean shoveling some snow, so the frail old woman who had a bypass last year doesn’t have to. Or making sure my neighbors have a working flashlight or two and anything else they might need if the power goes off or perhaps a warm place to stay for a time if the power is out in the wintertime. Tip: Offering a Thermos of hot chocolate or hot soup to the old couple next door unsolicited will further cement your reputation as a great neighbor, and they’ll go out of their way to look out for you in the future.

No, most of the SHTF we’re likely to encounter is not going to involve guns, marauders, or thugs preying on sheep. It’s not going to involve a crash course in teaching non-gunowners to use that double-barrel coach gun for home defense. It is, though, going to involve being a good neighbor for those less fortunate or prepared.

Don’t get me wrong: My family comes first. However, because I’ve planned ahead and prepared, most emergencies that are commonly encountered won’t be for my family, and we’ll have the luxury of being able to help our friends first, then our neighbors.

Hopefully, readers of this will also have made preparations for emergency scenarios and built relationships with like-minded folks, so they can work together to overcome adversity as a group and assist those less fortunate.

That’s the American way. – J.B.

Economics and Investing:

America’s Biggest Scam: The “Free Market”

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We are absolutely in a stock market bubble: Corporate equity valuations now higher than peak reached in 2007. Crestmont P/E of 26.3 is 90 percent above its average of 13.9.

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Big Banks Look To Cash In Using D.C.’s Revolving Door

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Obama’s economic “recovery”: fewer than half of US adults have full time jobs. – B.B.

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Federal Reserve’s Dual Mandate Disappointment; Will Private Investment Clean Up Slack?

Odds ‘n Sods:

This might be just what the doctor ordered for the old BOV. Teardrop Trailer . – MKP

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Journalists will face jail over spy leaks under new security laws – T.P.

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More information emerges about the young Muslim woman who sparked a passionate response from a panelist on the Benghazi Accountability Coalition hosted by the Heritage Foundation. It puts the whole conversation in an interesting light. Muslim Student Who Ignited Media Firestorm at Benghazi Panel a ‘Family Friend’ of Convicted Terrorist. – P.S.

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You’re most likely to be wiretapped in this U.S. state. – D.S.

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MS-13 Member Arrested in La Grulla. – P.M.

Notes for Wednesday – July 16, 2014

July 16th is the anniversary of the death of Hugh John McCall, in Rhodesia, in 1979.

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Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  10. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  11. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  12. RepackBoxis providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 53 ends on July 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.

Preparedness and Practice… RV Style, by A.S.

A few years ago two different activities came into the life of my family. First, we started prepping. We began the process of preparing ourselves, physically and mentally, for whatever potential disaster we might face in the future. Second, we purchased a camper and started taking regular weekend camping trips during the summer. Sometimes these trips were three-day weekends, and a couple times per year these trips are extended to four-day weekends or an entire week vacation. The topic of “practicing your plan” and being familiar with your supplies and equipment has been covered many times. It occurred to me that we were doing exactly that, just by doing our normal camping activities. This is a breakdown of some of those activities and how they can be helpful to overall preparedness.

At first, I wondered why more people weren’t looking at RV’s as a prepping tool. My first view of the camper was as a self-contained, short-term living quarters in case of emergency. Whether this be due to the loss of primary housing from fire or natural disaster or the result of one willingly abandoning the domicile or “bugging out”. Our camper stays full of supplies necessary for survival. The on-board water tank holds 60 gallons of fresh water, and we store additional bottles of water. We store plenty of food of the non-perishable variety that requires no immediate rotating for freshness. Tools, spare parts, and outdoor tools are kept ready for wood cutting and other necessary work. Solar panels keep the 12-volt batteries charged and ready for use. If needed, we could get in at any time and be ready for a weekend trip or to live for a couple weeks, with no additional supplies needed. This would be seen as a temporary survival tactic, due to the RV’s light skin being less than optimal for defensive purposes and also its small size making it a challenge to live in for any extended length of time.

However, during our weekend trips, I really started seeing the benefit of our camping activities. We were exercising skills and learning things that fit right into our preparedness mentality. Once this became apparent, I started making a conscious effort to pick activities that would bolster our preparedness and help everyone in the family practice these skills, even if they weren’t aware of it at the time.

We prefer to choose sites that are rural, wooded, and somewhat secluded. Being in the woods gives us a chance to practice skills such as wood gathering and fire starting. No matter where we camp there is a fire pit that allows us the opportunity to try different methods of fire starting and fire building. We can build a fire for cooking, or we can work on the technique of building a fire that will last all night. If you have different tools for fire starting in your bag or supplies, this is a good time to get them out and make yourself familiar with their operation. Hiking through the woods is a great physical activity that helps with cardio fitness and gives us a chance to wear our packs to get a feel for the balance and location of items attached to the pack. If you’ve never done any activity carrying an extra 20 or 50 pounds on your back, it will be a shock to your body just how strenuous it actually is. A simple hike up hill from one area to another suddenly becomes a breath-taking, back-breaking trek, but you’ll be better equipped physically if you ever need to carry everything you own on your back. Hiking also presents an opportunity for land navigation skills, such as map and compass reading. We enjoy not having a cell phone and teaching the kids how to use a compass for direction and navigation. Even the most basic skills of being able to travel in a general direction without traveling in circles is beneficial. We also try to use this time to work at being able to identify different plants and trees. Once we are able to identify different plants, we can then learn about their benefits in the wild. We learn which ones are edible and which ones are poisonous. It’s good to know what tree in our area is best for making a shelter and which one can provide vines that could be used as thrashings or bindings.

I always take a day, during our trips, to get out my Bug Out Bag and sort through the contents and familiarize myself with their location and use. My primary bag stays with us at all times. The contents of the bag, along with some of the different tools that I keep available in our vehicle or in the camper, are items that need to be used, so that when we “really” need them we will be familiar with how to use them efficiently. This gives me the opportunity to make notes about items that I need to add to the bag, items that need to be replaced or removed, and prioritizing items when I reach the point that nothing else will fit. A couple of times per year I need to change the contents of the bag that are season specific. If SHTF comes during the summer and it’s 100 degrees outside, it won’t be very beneficial to discover that your bag contains heavy winter gloves and a heavy weight balaclava; conversely, if you’re bugging out during the winter months, finding insect repellent, mosquito netting, and sun screen in your supplies would be frustrating too. I would recommend getting a note pad to keep notes of needed supplies or just ideas for future additions or activities. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had an idea that seemed important at the time, only to not be able to remember what it was after the trip. It seems that once the wheels start turning and the juices start flowing that the ideas seem to come in multiples, or maybe it is just a “guy thing”, like my wife has claimed all along. I have found the notepad invaluable in keeping up with our needs for the RV and our prepping supplies in general.

A good knowledge of basic mechanical skills will be helpful for many situations, whether it be working on a vehicle, trailer, motorcycle, or any other mechanical device. It seems like there is always something that presents itself as an opportunity to practice these skills, whether it be electrical wiring or to change a flat tire. If you have an electrical system, such as solar or a mechanical generator, you’ll need a working knowledge of the system to be able to keep it operational in case of a mishap. Frequently, we take trips with another couple or maybe a few families. It seems that during each trip there has been an opportunity to work on something. We’ve re-wired trailers, changed oil, added or removed accessories to vehicles and campers, built a small wood shed from scrap wood, and tons of other hands-on jobs. With hands-on activities often comes the opportunity to practice first aid. Whether one of the kids falls and needs a wound cleansed and dressed, or it’s something more serious, like a cut, head injury, or extremity injury, being outdoors will inevitably present a chance to practice these skills. My wife and I are both licensed healthcare workers, so this is our opportunity to share our skills and knowledge with others.

We have found another fun activity in knife sharpening. If you are good at this invaluable skill, then congratulations! However, I’ve spent a lot of time practicing this important skill and find it very challenging. To make sure we can take care of our needs in this regard, we keep an assortment of sharpening tools from the basic whet rocks and stones to some of the pre-set angle holding sharpening tools. I really think this is a skill that could be invaluable and what better way to spend some time around the camp fire than teaching the kids how to use a stone or having a friendly competition with a buddy.

When possible, we also try to get some trigger time and do some firearm training and shooting. We have to be careful, as some states have government-owned or funded parks that do not allow firearms. However, many of the places that we visit have outdoor ranges within short driving distance. I find it helpful to practice shooting in as many different environments as possible. Going to the same range all the time and shooting from the same bench won’t help at all if you are forced to shoot to defend yourself. You won’t be able to set up at the range to defend your family. If we can’t go shoot, then going over gun maintenance or practicing field stripping different guns can be a fun activity. Depending on the time of the year, we can also go get a little hunting in on nearby Forestry Department land. If we happen to score a couple of tree rats, then we’ve practiced hiking, shooting, land navigation, game cleaning, and then cooking, so it provides for a large range of skills. If it is not practical to shoot a firearm, then we try to get some archery practice. Sometimes this can be done in areas where a gun can’t be shot.

Speaking of cooking, camping is ALL about having great meals. We eat better and with fresher ingredients when we are out camping than we do at home. Have you practiced cooking with your food stores at home or at your bug out location? If your food stores consist entirely of canned food and longer shelf items that you use as a rotating pantry, then these are items that you are used to cooking with every day. However if your emergency supplies consist of a supply of dehydrated food or bulk stored staples, it is imperative to learn how to use these items. Learning how to grind wheat when you are suddenly dependent on figuring it out or going hungry isn’t the best time to learn. We have used these items to come up with some tasty recipes that everyone in the family likes. For us, personally, we have found rice to be our favorite staple. We can mix it with other food or flavor it as a stand-alone dish. Learning how to use what you have on hand and then figuring out how to incorporate other ingredients that might become available will keep a fresh look and taste to your nutritional requirements.

Being able to camp with other families always gives us the chance to learn from others. Being able to share information learned and glean tips and tricks from someone who is more of a veteran outdoorsman is fun and invaluable. It is truly the definition of getting what you can’t learn from a book. Being with other like-minded people is beneficial, also if they are part of your group or your long-term plan, if the SHTF. You can’t expect everyone to be on the same page, if you only see someone two or three times a year. You can place all the importance on being self-sufficient and learning every skill you can, but nothing can compare to the knowledge of the collective.

While this list is certainly not exhaustive of skills that can be practiced while camping or RV’ing, and each topic could (and has) had entire books or articles written about them, I hope you see the connection. If you are someone who likes to camp or has an RV, I hope that you use that time, as we do, to better prepare yourself. If you have been thinking about getting a RV, maybe you will now have a different perspective of the skills that can be learned and the benefits of having a mobile bug out home.

Letter Re: Storage Without a Basement

Hi, Mr. Hugh! I live in the hot, HUMID, deep South and have a couple of things to add to the conversation. 1) If you have a spring, dig it out and box it in with cypress wood or some other wood that should last in water. We did that back in ’75, and added shelving on the inside of the box, at just under water level. Our spring water is very cold and should keep milk and milk products nice and cool. I have to admit that we’ve never had to use it for that; we just pump the water up to the house to use normally, but in a grid down situation, it’s there and works nicely. The old folks call it a “Spring Box”. 2) If your house is up off the ground, you can keep your potatoes and onions under the porch in the cool sand. My folks have done it for years, as did their folks before them. Hope this will help if someone is planning a home/looking for land in preparation of off-grid situations. – Dixie

Hugh Replies: Length of storage is another item to think about in this discussion. In the prepping circles, we commonly banter about terms like 30 year food storage life or 20 year storage life, and we sometimes don’t want to look at something that has a 10 year life or less, but that may not be the best strategy. I have quite a few LDS friends who purchase their supplies in #10 cans and put them in the closet for their time of need. Unfortunately, I have seen many who have had to throw out large amounts of food because it had degraded past the point of being edible, especially in hot environments. The prepping philosophy “store what you eat; eat what you store” is very well applied in a situation where controlled temperatures and humidity are not available. For example, if you store MREs and actually eat MREs on a regular basis, an extremely shortened food storage life span of one year is still okay. Three years of food would be better, but not many people have a three year larder. Most canned goods can easily survive one year in an environment that has temperatures approaching 100 degree F for a couple of months of that time frame. If you have a one year larder, you don’t have to worry about the damage that five consecutive years of high temperature would produce. You will simply eat it by the end of the first year. Your colon will also appreciate the fact that you are not drastically changing your diet, should you start eating out of your larder, and you don’t have to worry about throwing old food away.

Economics and Investing:

This week’s Woodpile Report is a “must read.”

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There’s debt, Then There’s Debt, Then There’s U.S. DEBT. – J.W.

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The mega-Rick Rant returns! – P.M.

Last time, Santelli accidentally created the Tea Party, so what happens now?

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People Are Going Broke & It Will Get Ugly

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Fed Fears Risks Posed by Exit Tools; Plan Almost Done

Yellen Says Fed Easy Money Needed Even After Recovery: Report

Japan Economics Minister Warns of Premature QE Exit

Odds ‘n Sods:

Microsoft to undergo biggest layoff round in company’s history. – T.P.

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The 5 Most Dangerous Guns in America

See Why Rolling Stone’s List of ‘Most Dangerous Guns’ Is Being Called ‘Maybe the Worst Piece of Journalism of All-Time’. – JBG

Is Rolling Stone serious, or is this sarcasm? If it’s sarcasm, it’s out of character for the left-leaning rag. If it’s serious, it’s the worst piece of reporting I have ever seen. The comments, however, are priceless.

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Video: Reporter stopped by TSA agent who didn’t know District of Columbia is in US. – T.P.

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Germany’s plan to take on NSA: Block eavesdroppers with classical music, and use typewriters. – D.S.

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What I Don’t Like About Life in the American Police State. – B.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For Christians to influence the world with the truth of God’s Word requires the recovery of the great Reformation doctrine of vocation. Christians are called to God’s service not only in church professions but also in every secular calling. The task of restoring truth to the culture depends largely on our laypeople.” – J. Gresham Machen

Notes for Tuesday – July 15, 2014

Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  10. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  11. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  12. RepackBoxis providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 53 ends on July 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.

Home Brewing for SHTF, by C.K.

(Preface by HJL: SurvivalBlog neither condones nor condemns alcohol consumption. However, we stand by a biblical perspective that takes a strong stance against drunkenness. There are serious issues that must be weighed in regards to alcohol consumption and commerce, and each reader should measure them carefully to know whether home brewing is for you or not.)

What is home brewing? I am not talking about brewing your favorite cup of coffee or tea; I am referring to the growing hobby of brewing beer, wine, and other spirits at home. There are many advantages of brewing in SHTF. However, like other skills, you need to practice now so that you do not make costly mistakes when all the cards are on the table. For this article I will cover the advantages of home brewing and a basic introduction to complete your first brew. Home brew can also be converted into spirits (hard alcohol) through distillation, but this is not something that should be done by beginners, and it is illegal in some areas. I would recommend you start with beer, wine, and hard cider; then, once you have a better handle on the process, consider making the harder stuff IF it is legal in your area. Also, distribution of your home brew is a touchy subject. While it should be okay for you to give it away to friends, it is definitely illegal to sell it. I am NOT responsible for any legal trouble you encounter during your home brewing adventures.

Why home brew in SHTF?

I have broken down the potential advantages of home brewing into four categories– food, medical, fuel, and barter. There is also the added benefit, before SHTF, of saving money, meeting new people in brewing clubs, and having a great time.

Food. There is a great documentary available online called “How Beer Saved the World” that goes into great detail about the history of fermented beverages. In a nut shell, back in the day, water was not always safe to drink, so in larger cities (especially in Europe), people drank fermented beverages in place of water. In these United States, most of the apple trees that were planted during the expansion west were used for making hard cider rather than for baking pies. In fact, hard cider was a common breakfast drink up through the early 20th century.

We can go well beyond just turning malted barley into beer. You can make wine from grapes and other fruits, or my fall favorite is turning apples (or apples and pears) into hard cider. What better way to preserve the abundance of fallen apples than to crush them into cider that is then fermented and can last all winter? You can also take the hard cider you just brewed and expose it to oxygen again to make apple cider vinegar. I have unfortunately learned the hard way what happens when a batch of hard cider is exposed to oxygen after fermentation and “goes bad”; your wife gets five gallons of the best apple cider vinegar she has ever had. As I mentioned before, you can also harvest the yeast from your batch of beer for making bread, so home brewing it not just a means of making a beverage to escape the reality that is now before you but also a means of improving your life in a SHTF situation. Fermenting fruits and grains is an easy way to preserve the nutrients throughout the winter with many heath benefits that will be discussed in the medical section. For those of you thinking you don’t want to give your kids an alcoholic beverage, in the tutorial on making your first home brew, I will also discuss how to stop fermentation short to produce a carbonated drink with virtually no alcohol (less than ~0.5 %) a.k.a. soda. The favorites in my house are our honey ginger ale and good old fashion root beer, which are both packed with more nutrients then the “soda” from the store that is made with high fructose corn syrup and carbonated water.

Medical. Consumption of alcohol (in moderation) has been shown in dozens of studies to decreases chance of stroke, heart attack, or heart disease. Specifically related to home brewed and other unfiltered beers, they are full of B vitamins, trace minerals, and phytonutrients (a.k.a. antioxidants.). These are all nutrients that can be hard to find in a SHTF diet. When we consider home brewed wine and ciders, they also contain the nutrients from the original fruit used in the fermentation process. There are also beneficial bacteria, yeast, and fiber that aid in digestion to help keep you regular. Just ask anyone who has ever had a few too many home brewed beers how well they keep you regular.

Through distillation you can produce higher-alcohol-content liquids for cleaning wounds and sterilizing instruments. A common method some people use to increase the alcohol content of hard cider is to put it in the freezer and skim off the ice. While this method can bump up the ABV (alcohol by volume), since you are not distilling, you risk concentrating the methanol (a cousin to the ethanol you want). Methanol has the same initial effects of ethanol, but it is lethal. Somewhere around 10 mL of pure methanol will kill the average size adult, and smaller amounts can destroy the optic nerve resulting in blindness. However, if you are not drinking the byproduct, then you do not have to worry about methanol, which can be used externally just like ethanol.

Fuel. Any fermented, alcohol-containing beverage can be distilled into a higher-alcohol-content liquid to burn in lamps or engines. As stated previously, this is a very dangerous process that requires a still and knowledge of distillation in order to prevent injuring yourself or others, and I DO NOT recommend people go build stills in their back yard. That said, the alcohol that is produced, when done right, is over 80% alcohol. I know an old timer who makes small batches of moonshine for fun, and he has produced batches in excess of 95% alcohol, which is close enough to be considered pure by most people. The moonshine that is produced can be burned as fuel in alcohol stoves, lamps, or even mixed into gas and used in your car in the right proportion. Assuming you have a Ford Ranger that can run on E85 (a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). I probably would not go more then 50-50, but this would allow you to stretch that gas you have in storage and nearly double how far you are able to drive.

Barter. Whether good or bad, there is always a need of alcohol for consumption. Being able to brew beer, wine, or other spirits in the first weeks of a SHTF scenario might not be worthwhile, but what about six months to a year after, when the stores are empty and liquor cabinets are dry? Aside from bartering alcohol intended for consumption, there is also the need for higher proof of distilled alcohol for fuel and in medicine to clean wounds and sterilize equipment. You can also barter some of the other good associated from home brewing; I have even used harvested yeast from a batch of beer to make bread. The resulting loaf was just as fluffy and great tasting as any loaf we have baked with regular store-bought baker’s yeast. There are also all the other goods that can be made and bartered that I mentioned in the other categories.

Making Home Brew Basics

At a minimum, there are some basic pieces of equipment you will need for your first batch. I have found that hard cider is a really easy first brew, so I will be using that as an example. For a five gallon batch, the basic equipment (at a minimum) is:

  • Five gallon Carboy or bucket with tight fitting lid that is air tight,
  • Airlock,
  • Fermentables (five gallons of apple cider or apples to turn into cider),
  • Yeast,
  • Hydrometer (not 100% necessary but highly recommended to calculate ABV– alcohol by volume), and
  • Bottles, supplied for final product.

The carboy can be as fancy as a 5-gallon glass carboy made specifically for brewing, a 5-gallon plastic water jug like you can get at the store or have delivered, or even a plastic bucket. Just make sure whatever you use is FOOD GRADE and that you have a tight fitting lid that is airtight.

The airlock is a device to let carbon dioxide out, while not letting air back in. A good airlock is crucial, because once fermentation begins if you let oxygen back into the system you will begin producing acid and making vinegar. You can buy an airlock for a couple of dollars off amazon or your local home brew supply shop, or you can make one. In a pinch, I have used a rubber hose and an old milk jug. Just drill a hole in the lid of your carboy just big enough for the hose to fit and seal around it with caulking or something to prevent leaks. Then put the other end in the milk jug and fill the jug about 1/3 the way up with water so the end of the hose is under water. Now, when the carbon dioxide is produced during fermentation the gas will flow through the hose out the end under water so no oxygen can get back through.

The fermentables in this case will be five gallons of apple cider. The best cider to use is fresh and unfiltered or unpasteurized. If you have to use store bought cider, make sure there is nothing added, since a preservative like sorbate kills yeast. Some people like to use fresh cider that they beat to a simmer to kill off the wild yeast before adding in their yeast. Of all of the batches I have done, I simply took cider directly from the orchard into my carboy, then I pitched my yeast and a few secret spices. I have never had a batch go bad, except the one that I forgot to reattach the airlock to when I checked it after two weeks.

The yeast can be as fancy as you like. I have ordered some rare strains over the Internet and bought some at the local home brew supply for less then $3. I have even known people who have used store-bought bread yeast. If you want your hard cider to turn out as good as it possibly can, then you have to buy cider yeast. Believe me or not, each yeast imparts different sublet flavors in the finished product. I have used ale yeast to make hard cider, and everyone noticed it had a distinctive beer-like smell to it that my other batches did not have. If you are worried about the cost, there are great tutorials on YouTube about how to harvest yeast from your brew to use again. I have done this, and it is easy to do.

The hydrometer is used to measure the specific gravity of the initial cider (before fermentation) and the final hard cider (after fermentation). You can use this to calculate how much alcohol has been produced and to determine when fermentation has actually stopped. They are easy to use and will cost in the area of $10 to $20.

When fermentation is done, you are now ready to transfer it to the final bottle or keg, if you have one. I do both kegging in 5-gallon corney kegs to for carbonate as well as in bottles to naturally carbonate. For bottling you have a decision to make– do you want sparkling hard cider (like a beer) or still hard cider (like a wine). For the sparkling hard cider, I bottle in a used pop top beer bottle, usually the 22 oz. size but the more common 12 oz. also works. For this you will also need new caps and a capper, both available online or at brew stores. You could also use plastic soda bottles with lids, if you wanted; those have the advantage of the squeeze test to see if they are carbonated. If you want still hard cider (which is also good and great for cooking) I use old wine bottles and new “corks” that I buy online.

Making the Home Brew

Making the hard cider is easier then most people think. The first step is making sure everything is clean and sterile. I always wash my carboys with hot soppy water first, followed by a bleach solution, and then several good rinses. Now is also the time to follow the directions on the yeast to get it started; some packs tell you to add the yeast to warm water while some instruct you to smack it to activate it. Next we can focus on the cider. Pour one gallon into a large cooking pot and set it on the stove to heat up, but DO NOT BOIL. Pour the remaining four gallons into the carboy. Put on the cap and set it aside for now. Return the gallon that is on the stove; now is the time to add any seasoning or spices you may like. I will usually add some cinnamon sticks and maybe even a few cloves. You can also add some brown sugar or honey, if you want to add another flavor profile, or you can keep it all natural. Once the cider is heated to a mild simmer, pour it into the carboy with the other four gallons. The main goal here was to increase the temperature of the cider to give the yeast a jumpstart in the cider. Now is a good time to tack your first reading with the hydrometer. Follow the directions that came with your specific hydrometer, and record both the specific gravity (this will be the original gravity– OG) and the potential ABV. Pitch the yeast as long as the temperature of the cider is in the 80 to 90 degree F range. Put on the cap with the airlock, and move the carboy to a dark place. Just a warning– Sometimes fermentation can lead to foaming that will overflow from the airlock, so I always put the carboy in the bath tub for the first 24 hours.

Over the next few days, check on the carboy to make sure your cider is fermenting. There should be bubbles coming up through the airlock at a fairly rapid pace. You can also give the carboy a shake if you want to keep everything well mixed, but it is not necessary. Depending on how much sugar is available for the yeast, fermentation will begin to slow down in anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The best way is to wait until few if any bubbles are coming up from the airlock; this is a sign no more carbon dioxide is being produced. Now, take another reading with the hydrometer and record the value. DO this again every day for the next two days. If the reading does not change, then fermentation is complete. Keep in mind that anytime you open your carboy to take out a sample air has the potential to get in, so be quick, and above all else, make sure everything is clean to prevent contaminating your cider. Once your specific gravity has stabilized you can calculate the ABV of the final product. On most hydrometers, there are two scales– the specific gravity and the ABV. To determine your ABV, take the first reading minus the second reading, and that is your final ABV. Typically for most hard ciders I have done, they end up in the 8 to 10% ABV. Ciders, like wine, typically have a higher ABV than beer, because fruit has a lot more sugar for the yeast than grain, like barley, will have.

Now comes the time to decided what you want the final product to be. If you put the cider as-is in wine bottles with corks, you will have a great still hard cider, like an apple wine. You can also add a priming sugar and bottle in beer bottles or plastic soda bottles to get a carbonated beer-like hard cider. Depending on the temperature of the cider, how much you are making, and the kind of sugar you are using to carbonate the cider, you will add different amounts. I recommend using the calculator on the website http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/. They are a great resource, and I have used their blog on numerous occasions, as well. The goal of the priming sugar is only to add the carbonation; too little sugar will result in it being flat but too much sugar can make the bottles blow their tops. I usually have good results using 1/3 cup plain white sugar to five gallons of hard cider. Finally, you can also pour the cider into mason jars or other wide mouth jars and cover with cheesecloth or other air permeable material. This will introduce oxygen back into the hard cider; the alcohol will be converted into acetic acid to create apple cider vinegar.

To actually pour the cider from the carboy into the bottles, I prefer to use a hose and then syphon the cider out. Syphoning causes less agitation, so there is less chances of adding in oxygen and disturbing the sediment at the bottom of the tank. The final step, after all of the wonderful cider has been bottled for its intended uses, is to harvest the sediment in the bottom of the carboy. This sediment is a combination of live and dead yeast, pectin from the apples, and other bits of stuff that were in the cider.

Harvesting/washing the yeast is an easy process that will result in collecting live yeast that can be used again. For this, you will need a large 1-gallon glass jar. I use an old pickle jar, with 2/3 to ¾ a gallon of boiled and cooled water. Pour the water from the jar into the carboy and swirl it around until it is all mixed up. Let it sit, so all of the heavy stuff sinks to the bottom– about 10 to 15 minutes. Then pour the liquid into the 1-gallon glass jar, trying to keep all the sediment that has settled out in the carboy. Now let the 1-gallon glass jar rest for another 10 to 15 minutes, until even more of the heavier sediment settles out. The liquid above should be a creamy white color. Pour this creamy colored liquid into sterile pint jars and cap. Put these jars in the fridge over night. In the morning you should have a clear liquid on top that looks a lot like the cider and a creamy white layer on the bottom, which is the live yeast. Leave the yeast as-is in the fridge and it will stay viable for at least a year. I have used yeast that was 13 months old with no problem, but others have told me after 1 year the reliability of the yeast is decreased.

“Non-alcoholic” Options (aka soda). Follow the same steps as before, except that the fermentation is limited to just one or two days to achieve carbonation. At that point, you cold crash the soda to stop continued fermentation. Generally soda will need to be kept cold and consumed with one to two weeks to keep the ABV below 0.5 to 1%. I usually make soda in small batches (one gallon) at a time to prevent the soda from turning to beer in the fridge. Cold temperatures only slows the yeast; it does not stop them 100%. Alton Brown, on his show Good Eats, does a great tutorial for making ginger ale. I even tried his recipe, which was really good. I would highly recommend watching it to anyone who wants to make homemade sodas.

Remember home brewing is about having fun; I have used my brewing as an opportunity to bring together family and friends at brewing BBQs. I invite friends and family for a BBQ and demonstrate how to make homemade beer. It usually helps if you have a batch ready for them to drink as well. I have also taught my son about bacteria, yeast, and contamination through the brewing process, and he has started making his own soda when I brew my beer and cider.