Water: PV-Powered Water Pumping and Storage, by A. Haggard H. Rider

All sources of preparedness information stress the importance of water. Without water everything else is put at risk. You cannot drink bullets, beans do not have a lot of moisture and sucking on a bandage will not help.

The ideal situation is to have some form of safe running water on your property. But what if you don’t? Hopefully you have a well, but if your electric goes out your pump will not work. A hand pump will work, but it takes a lot of energy to get that water, and then you have the situation of Operational Security (OPSEC) while you are pumping that water and hauling it to the house.

About a year ago I started seriously investigating an alternative source of water. I looked at hand pumps but at my age of 70 that did not seem a practical solution. I also looked at windmills. In our area of the country windmills are a viable option and have been used successfully for years. But the location of our well is very close to the house and with the trees around here I did not believe that was our solution. If you have a well and the wind conditions, a windmill is something to consider. The costs are about the same as a solar system with less maintenance costs. Around the country there are windmills that have been pumping water for 40 or 50 years. Literally millions of head of cattle are provided water every day by windmills, and they are not the great big windmills being used today to generate electricity.

After much research we decided that for us the solution was a Solar Powered water pumping system.

In our situation we live on top of a hill, there is no running water on our property or even nearby. But we do have an 180 foot deep drilled well. This works fine most of the time. But after one 500 year flood that wiped out electricity for many days, and tore out most water lines around the area, that got us thinking. The flood was so bad that it flooded the electric substation to a depth of 10 ft. All roads in every direction from our house were under water for a period of time. We live 10 miles from a small rural city and have the availability of city water, but do not use it. Our two closest neighbors are on city water and we were able to help them out because of our well and a generator. I called the local water department and asked if they had generator back up to be able to run the system and pump water, they do not. Most smaller cities do not have generator back up for their water systems.

Then add in three tornados that happened in the area that wiped out electricity, we got to worrying. One tornado touched down just a quarter of a mile from our house and wiped out all electrical systems (including ours)  for about 6 miles. The second tornado touched down close to our sons house and wiped out 30 large trees on his property but luckily he house was not damaged. But it tore out the same electrical system as the first storm.

All of this was in a four year period, and we live in an area that has not been known to be flood prone or tornado prone in the south. Things can happen anytime and anywhere.

Recently I pulled the 220 volt AC (VAC) pump out of the well and installed a solar system that consists of a 1000 gal. approved plastic water tank partially buried, solar panels, two pumps and the control equipment necessary.

The water tank is 7 ft tall and has a diameter of 5 ft. We dug a hole two and 1/2 ft deep and 6 and 1/2 ft in diameter. This  had two purposes, the first to get the bottom of the tank below the freeze line and second to put the top of the tank at a height that will allow me to look down into the tank for inspection purposes. I put in a 6 in layer of fine sand for the tank to sit on and made sure it was level and well compacted before putting the tank in the hole. After installing the tank I filled in around the tank with fine sand. We installed the 2ö water outlet of the tank 4 inches above the bottom of the tank so that any sediment that might be pumped into the tank would settle and we would not be pulling that into the pumping system. The inlet to the tank is installed above the maximum water height of the tank so that when filling air would be introduced into the water on a continuing basis. We also installed a float switch in the tank that automatically shuts off the pump when the tank is full and adjusted it so the pump comes on after 100 gallons of  water has been pumped out.

I also built a 10 ft by 12 ft building over the well head after putting the tank in the ground. After the building was finished the top of the water tank  is four ft. above the floor. This gave me a place to put the solar panels very close to where they would be used and also the equipment is all inside and out of the weather. We insulated the building in order to minimize the freezing potential. The 1,000 gal water tank is refreshed with 56 degree water from our well and will go a long way to keeping the building above freezing in most weather conditions here. With the 10 by 12 ft building I have enough roof space left to add six more solar panels in the future to bring some solar power into the house.

Our system is a two stage system. The Solar well pump is at 180 ft depth. That pump, actually pumps 1 gallon per minute into our 1000 gal storage tank. I know that does not sound like much, but over an eight hour day that is 480 gallons of water.  The pump is not on a battery system it is controlled by the sun, when the sun shines the pump is working. It even pumps a little bit of water when it is cloudy. I installed a float switch on the pump, so that when the tank is full it stops the pump. As it turns out we had a day that was cloudy all day and the water level was down to the point that the pump came on, by the end of the day the tank was again full, even with our water usage and no sun to speak of.

Solar systems are standard in 12 volt DC (VDC) and 24 VDC with some available in 48 VDC. The general rule of thumb is the higher the voltage the less the amperage draw. I elected to go with the 24 VDC system. This required two 12V batteries hooked up in series to provide the 24V backup for the pressure pump. The pump runs on 24 volts which draws less power than the 12V pump would, and the battery power lasts twice as long in a no sun situation. By opting for a 24 volt system the wiring was simpler.

The second stage of the system is an additional solar panel that charges two deep cycle large batteries, purchased from our local auto parts store. This powers the pressure pump that supplies normal water pressure to the house. Our water pressure to the house is the same as it was on the old pump and the volume is also the same. Our old system had a pressure tank in the basement, I installed a second pressure tank in the well house, this keeps the pump from kicking on so often.

I have tested the pressure pump system by disconnecting the power source and letting the system run on just the batteries with no charging. After five days the batteries still had more than half a charge. So I am confident that during a cloudy rainy period the water system will still work. Even on cloudy or partially cloudy days there is some charging going on.

We measured our water usage over a two week period of time, using our normal living pattern. We did not try to conserve water during this period. Our average usage of water was 80 gallons per day. The 1000 gallon tank would provide about eleven days of water if we had no sun, and more than twice that time if we were in a disaster situation as we would be conserving water.

When I first started investigating this project, all of the information seemed a bit overwhelming. I got a book titled Solar Electricity Handbook. (Mine is the 2012 edition, bit there is now a 2013 edition available.) It is written in plain English and easy to understand. I also got on the internet and searched for information and called many suppliers and manufacturers of equipment. Most of the suppliers were able to email me their installation manuals and spec sheets before I bought anything.  After all of that it made more sense and was really not that difficult to come up with a plan. I have a tendency to overbuild on projects, that’s just me. In designing this system I increased the solar capacity by about 25% to give me some extra supply in the winter when the sun is in a different position and the days are shorter. After one year, we will evaluate the situation and I will look into adding some low voltage lighting to the system.

In a project like this you need accurate information whether it is a do it yourself project or a contract project. Solar energy for home use is a somewhat new technology and there are a lot of people out there that claim knowledge but really don’t have that knowledge. Do your homework before hand and it will save you problems in the future. In evaluating this project I selected products that have good ratings and a history. In estimating your solar power needs it is important to remember that your pumps will only be running for short periods of time each day, so you may not need as much power as you think.

When planning a solar project it is very important to take into consideration sun and shade. The solar panels must face a southerly direction. I set up a wooden panel over the well when I started this project to see exactly where the sun would hit the building, for how long during the day and how the nearby trees would interfere with the solar panels. This resulted in some tree trimming that in my particular situation will be required about every two years. This is not a big project for me, it can be done with a pole saw from the ground. Shade is a killer for a solar system, so plan accordingly. Before you start make sure that trees or buildings will not be a problem. If they are you can move the system to another location and just have a little more plumbing work to do. Depending on your situation it may be a better idea to remove a couple of trees, you have to judge for yourself.

The estimated life of the solar panels I purchased is 20 years. The estimated life of the pumps are 15-20 years and both pumps can be rebuilt. The estimated life of the batteries is five years. I selected batteries that are both deep cycle and deep charge commercial batteries. Even with that the cost was just $100 each. I purchased kits to rebuild both pumps after getting the system up and running. That way I know that I have the parts available instantly, no matter what happens.

This can be a do it yourself project if you are careful, have a little background in plumbing and electrical work. If you don’t have the necessary background then you can hire a professional. Before hiring a professional, do your homework so that you do not spend more than you need. My background is in industrial maintenance, where I had to deal with AC and DC power sources,  so that made things easier.

A word of caution is needed here about dealing with DC power. An understanding of electricity both AC and DC is necessary for a do it yourself project. Most people understand that high voltage power lines can kill you. Low voltage can also kill you. Voltage does not really kill, it is the amperage that does the job. A stun gun may have as much as a million volts or more, but just enough amperage to give you a good jolt. Solar panels can put out high levels of amperage. If you do not have the background, get professional help. I have a friend that is an excellent electrician and has the capability to wire industrial systems correctly, but has no experience in DC or solar power. He would not attempt a solar systems without gaining more knowledge on DC power.

We also have 600 gallons of water barrel storage that could be used for flushing toilets etc. The water barrel storage is set up easily catch rain water if necessary. Right now the barrels are filled with our well water and are located where they can easily be reached and if necessary some can be moved into the basement. They are treated with a mild bleach solution and the plan is to empty and refill them on a six month basis.

With the system installed and running successfully we now have peace of mind about our water situation. This also gives us the opportunity to share the water with neighbors when  the need arises, all of them are on city water. I have convinced our next door neighbor to get some water barrels and keep them full. If the need arises I can help refill her water barrels.

We do not have a specific type of disaster we are preparing for. Just any type of disaster, sort term or long term. An EMP is one of those possibilities. So I purchased additional solar controllers for the system. These items are kept in our small Faraday Cage container along with an emergency radio, hand-held short wave radio, laptop computer so that I can even refer to the SurvivalBlog Archive DVD when necessary.

I ended up purchasing all of the solar equipment, including the pumps from Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, Inc. The reason being is that they were knowledgeable, helpful and spent a lot of time answering my questions and making suggestions. There were able to provide instruction manuals before I purchased anything. I am not in anyway connected with this company, I was impressed with the service and quality of information provided.

We will give this project some more time to make sure it works as planned, then I plan to add to the system to provide solar power to two freezers and one refrigerator with a few low voltage lights thrown in for good measure. For anyone that has been without power for a few days, you know what  pain it is to keep food cold or frozen with a generator, that needs gasoline that you might not be able to obtain.

As a side note: I hired a local person to build the well house. Turns out that as a child he grew up on this very property. He lived in a house that was on the back of our property which has since burned down. He related to me that his grandfather lived two doors down and seemed to be somewhat eccentric as he was a prepper before there was such a thing. He generated his own electric by means of a windmill and had battery storage in his basement. He had a 500 gallon underground gasoline tank, a water well with pump that was powered by the electricity generated by the windmill. He was also an avid hunter and fisherman.  Had a large garden and they canned most of what they got out of the garden. When he retired 25 years ago he sold the place and moved to Montana to be self sufficient. What did this man know that we are just learning?

Two Letters Re: Extending Your Vehicle’s Driving Range, Without Cost

Hello Mr. Rawles,
Some thoughts on the recent post on Pulse and Glide driving (PGD), taking for granted that safety is always more important than fuel economy, and not considering any survivalist aspects:

I don’t doubt the core claim made by Steven B. – that his use of PGD has reduced his fuel consumption. I am, however, skeptical about some of the other statements made in support. I note that while my comments are
based on my experience as an engineer and physicist, I have not done any tests of PGD versus other driving styles. If an actual automotive engineer writes in, please trust them and ignore me!

Disengaging the transmission and letting the engine idle while the car coasts is not necessarily the best advice. The fuel control system in a modern car does “cutoff on overrun.” It will not open the fuel injectors
at all if it thinks that the car is “driving the engine”. In this case letting the engine idle will increase fuel consumption since the engine must now burn fuel to avoid stalling. Exactly how modern the car must be
varies with manufacturer, but I would expect a 2008 vintage car to have this feature. Your car manufacturer can tell you, or you might be able to find out yourself with one of the myriad diagnostic port readers on
the market.

If you have cutoff on overrun the best thing to do on a downgrade is leave the transmission engaged. The fuel consumption will be reduced as the power from the descent replaces the power from the fuel. On all but
the mildest downgrade the descent will provide more power than necessary to idle the engine, fuel consumption will drop to zero, and you will have to use the brakes slightly to prevent picking up speed.

When using PGD on level ground the utility of cutoff on overrun is less clear. With the transmission engaged during the glide (and your foot off the gas!) the fuel consumption will still be zero, but the car will decelerate faster, making the next pulse come sooner, meaning more pulses and thus higher fuel consumption per trip. This would be interesting to test, if I could spare a few weeks and tanks (fuel here is about $ 9 USD per gallon). When approaching stop signs, lights, etc. you should have the transmission engaged to get the zero fuel consumption. There might be no reason to burn more fuel than at idle, but there is a
reason to burn less!

As you point out in there is a minor safety issue in having the transmission disengaged and thus being unable to quickly accelerate out of danger, though I can count on one finger the number of times I’ve had
to do this in twenty years of driving.

The advice to go easy on the brake pedal is spot on – brakes “throw away” the car’s energy rather than using it to overcome drag or climb hills. In the long term the energy has to come from the fuel, so every
bit of braking is burning a tiny bit of fuel for no reason.

The advice to avoid engine braking is less well founded. Engine braking is exactly what’s needed to activate cutoff on overrun (assuming the car can do it). And while it’s certainly more stressful than idling it’s
still a very small stress compared to acceleration. As Steven states, engine braking is not an effective (i.e. quick) way to slow down, and mild deceleration means mild stress. Compare any car’s 0-60 time with
its 60-0 time using purely engine braking – the engine’s working far harder during acceleration.

The advice on drag is correct, though the term should be “parasitic” drag. This point is actually the most important, and deserves to be at the top. For a given car with a fixed body shape and fixed accessory load (e.g. air conditioning) the biggest contribution to fuel consumption is drag a.k.a. air resistance. At city speeds it’s a major component of the total fuel use. At highway speeds it’s overwhelmingly the greatest.

If drag reduction is number one then load reduction is number two, and Steven’s advice here is good. Air conditioning (“aircon”) is likely the largest load and keeping it off will reduce fuel consumption but if you then open the
windows to keep cool the increased drag may negate the savings. Another interesting thing to test.

Headlights are a much smaller load than aircon, but you just might detect an improvement from keeping them off. Other electrical loads tend to be things you can’t usefully and/or safely turn off, like fuel pumps,
power steering pumps, demisters, etc.

Not mentioned is the importance of keeping your tire pressure correct which I would rank number three, though the fuel consumption change between “correct” and “dangerously underinflated” is probably less than 5%.

The use of high octane a.k.a. premium fuel is debatable. On one hand modern engine control systems are smart enough to adjust the fueling and ignition to avoid knocking with whatever fuel they’re using (within
reasonable limits!) On the other hand “premium” fuel here does not have the 5% ethanol that the regular does, which could create the appearance that “high octane” provides better range despite octane rating having
nothing to do with it. For what it’s worth I follow Steven’s advice – burn the cheapest fuel you can find that doesn’t knock.

Regarding the core claim: I suspect the reason PGD is giving reduced fuel consumption is nothing to do with pulsing, gliding, idling, braking, or anything like that. I suspect it’s simply that PGD results in a lower average speed. If a safe speed is (say) 60 mph, then driving normally you’ll likely stick close to that, and maintain an average speed of 60 mph. If you repeatedly pulse to 60 mph then glide to 50 mph your average speed is somewhere around 54 mph.

54 mph is 90% of the non-PGD average speed. Since drag force is roughly proportional to speed squared, the average drag force is now 90% squared i.e. 81%. Since power required is roughly proportional to force
multiplied by speed the average power consumption is down to around 73% (81% force by 90% speed). In the long term power can only come from fuel, so power consumption is fuel consumption. These numbers are not perfect, but I think they’re close enough to explain the observed 25% saving. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has compared driving with PGD, then normal driving at the same average speed, say for a month of each style.

My thanks to Steven for an interesting letter, and to you for SurvivalBlog. – Ross E.

 

James:
Sorry, but I have to take exception with Steven B. and his use of this technique of PGD (Pulse and Glide) on public roads that must be shared with others.
 
I have seen this “technique” in use on the roadways here in Florida and while I never knew it had a name, it doesn’t surprise me. I always have thought of people using this driving “skill set” as the problem drivers or more commonly as “That A**hole”.
 
What you are doing is extremely dangerous to others moving at constant speeds and your sanctimonious technique of slowing down then suddenly speeding up, will inevitable causes someone to have to make an evasive maneuver or slam on their brakes because they were accelerating to get around you and your indecisiveness in not maintaining a more normal and acceptable speed.
 
In short you will be the cause of road rage in others.
 
I would suggest that you may want to rethink this dangerous practice – frankly it is likely to get you pushed into a ditch or shot in the event that you cross paths and upset someone of with a short fuse – especially in a SHTF or bug out situation. – G.W.

News From The American Redoubt:

If population density is proportional to relative safety in a societal collapse, then the American Redoubt would fare very well. Note that around 90% of Oregon ‘s population and 80% of Washington‘s population is west of the Cascades, which means outside of the Redoubt. If they were considered separate states (as they really should be), Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon would probably be ranked just above and just below Idaho. Here is the big picture. (That map also makes it clear why I picked the Four Corners Region as one of the locales for “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse”.) Overall, the Redoubt is quite safe, although the earthquake risk is moderate, so it is best to build with highly earthquake resilient architecture.

   o o o

I heard about a small but quickly growing company in Bozeman, Montana: Harrison Gear. They make quite innovative AR-15/M4 and Ruger 10/22 muzzle brakes and are developing a line of 80% complete (no-FFL required) receivers.

   o o o

Steve N. suggested repeating this link: This Amazing Map Shows Every Person in America: Segregation, diversity, and clustering become very clear when every human becomes a dot. This map makes it clear that some sections are quite homogeneous. While I abhor racism, the zoomable version of this map might be useful in selecting a low population density region where you could find a retreat. (Hint: One of the biggest blank patches on the map is The American Redoubt, and the adjoining Northern Plains states.)

   o o o

Wolf advocates post how-to manual for saboteurs. (BTW, in my corner of The Redoubt the only “Earth First” bumper stickers and T-shirts that we see are parody shirts that have a second line that says: “We’ll Log The Other Planets Later.”)

   o o o

10,000 homes threatened as Idaho wildfire spreads to 92,000 acres

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yesterday I mentioned needing Anderson Power Pole adapters for cigarette lighter plugs and jacks. Several readers promptly wrote to tell me about two companies that already make them: Quicksilver Radio and Powerwerx. (The latter has a huge variety of DC power products.)

   o o o

Here is a small company in Huntersville, North Carolina that was started by a retired Navy man who is now a Christian missionary, to help with his retirement: ThriftyPrepperMall.com

   o o o

While doing some research for my now nearly complete “Rawles on Tools” book (for Penguin Books, scheduled for release in May in 2013), I ran across a hardened steel wire draw plate that is much more versatile than my old 32-hole plate. This one has 80 holes. If you aren’t familiar with these, they are used for resizing wire. Jewelers use these a lot, but they are also surprisingly useful in a home workshop. These are also made with square, triangular, and half-round holes–which is mainly of interest to jewelers, but useful also for some hobbyists, like model train builders.

   o o o

Mike H. sent news of seven recent bear attacks in Michigan, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho. (Be careful out there! And carry pepper spray, lead spray, or both)

   o o o

This company’s custom hidden doors are “spendy”, but their web site provides some great ideas for skilled home carpenters.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank. It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking." – Former Congressman Dr. Ron Paul

Note from JWR:

Camping Survival’s Wise Foods and Berkey water filter bundle sale ends tomorrow (Tuesday, August 20, 2013,) so order soon.

Seeking Input for My Next Novel: Liberators

The third sequel to Patriots, titled Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse, will be released on October 1st. Meanwhile, I’m already writing the fourth sequel to my novel Patriots, which will be titled Liberators. This novel will be set primarily set near Bella Coola, British Columbia, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord(JBLM) , Washington, and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Anyone who has recently lived in those regions is invited to chime in. I’d really like to add some local color–including local history, flora and fauna, and geographical quirks.

Liberators will also have a strong emphasis on guerilla and counter-guerilla warfare, so I encourage folks with real-world warfighting experience in such conflicts to e-mail me. Please recommend every tactic, technique and trick that you can recall. It will be those tips that will give the novel great realism and that will make it useful as a training reference as well as exciting to read. That will be greatly appreciated! – J.W.R.

Wouldn’t it be Great if Someone Made… (A List of Needful Gear)

I love dropping hints. Wouldn’t it be great if someone made any of the following products? (Some of these might already exist.)

  • A set of stencils designed for camouflage spray-painting rifles and other field gear to replicate popular camouflage patterns, such as Woodland pattern.
  • Custom checkered wooden grips or molded checkered plastic grips at a comfortable Glock/1911 grip angle, to solve a problem that has existed since 1896.
  • A Kydex holster that would fit a HK 26.5mm flare pistol.
  • Kydex belt pouches shaped to fit all of the most popular Leatherman tool models.
  • Kydex belt pouches for FN FiveSeven pistol magazines.
  • Earth tone nylon magazine pouches specifically for those loooong magazines, such as HK93 40 rounders and Galil 50 rounders. (The Vest Guy already makes pouches for Saiga 12 magazines.)
  • Earth tone nylon magazine pouches specifically for FN FiveSeven pistol magazines with +10 extensions installed.
  • Earth tone nylon magazine pouches specifically for Glock 21 pistol magazines with KRISS magazine extensions installed.
  • Earth tone nylon magazine pouches specifically for Glock 33 round pistol magazines.
  • Stereo headphones with extra sturdy (larger gauge) cords and stress-relieved mini-plug that would last more than a couple of years.
  • Replica olive drab canvas skeeter gloves. (Open palm and no finger tips)
  • A soft start power box for radios that use vacuum tubes.
  • AAA, / AA/ C / D / 9 Volt and CR-123 smart battery charger trays with Anderson Power Pole connectors
  • Dewalt and Makita battery chargers with Anderson Power Pole connectors, to operate from 12 VDC power sources.
  • Speedloaders for large frame S&W top-break revolvers.
  • Speedloaders for .41 Colt DA revolvers.
  • 80% complete receiver modules for SIG P250 pistols
  • Waterproof hard shell plastic portage packs in earth tone colors with backpack straps, similar to the discontinued York Packs.
  • True expedition quality four season tents in earth tone colors similar to the discontinued Moss brand tents.
  • Replacement Valmet .223 and .308 magazines that really work reliably.
  • Replacement SIG AMT/SIG-510 .308 magazines that really work reliably.
  • Replacement Galil .308 magazines that really work reliably.
  • Replacement Yugo .308 magazines that really work reliably.
  • Replacement AR-180 magazines (with the thin mag catch slot) that really work reliably.
  • 20 Round magazines for Romanian PSL rifles that really work reliably.
  • 20 Round magazines for HK 770 / SL-7 rifles that really work reliably.
  • 15 and 20 Round magazines for HK USP .45 Compact pistols that really work reliably.
  • 10, 15 and 20 Round magazines for Ruger Scout rifles that really work reliably.

The aforementioned magazines should be taken as hints to the management at MagPul and at Uinta Industries.)

Note to America’s Entrepreneurs: Take all of the preceding as new business venture suggestions. Some of these might be suitable for home-based businesses. – J.W.R.

Pat’s Product Review: Solarbag Water Purifier

Sometimes, I’m just beating my head against the wall, when it comes to trying to explain to some folks, how important it is to have a source of clean, pure drinking water. I have an old friend back in Chicago – we’ve known each other since 1975, and it is just impossible to make her understand that, in due time, the water from her faucets will stop running, and what will she do when that happens? I’ve tried to get her to store a couple of the large blue water containers, that the big box stores carry, all to no avail. I have, at the least though, convinced her to get some freeze-dried/dehydrated foods for storage – so that’s a step in the right direction. However, with a source of clean, safe water, he freeze-dried foods won’t rehydrate…I’m still working on her!
 
There are a lot of different water purifiers/filters on the market, and not all are the same. The local Big Box stores and many sporting goods stores sell some really cheap water filters – and they are not the same as a water purifier – and they are okay, so long as the water source you are using isn’t extremely dirty or contaminated – but how do you know? Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different water filters/purifiers, and some work better than others. Just don’t go thinking that the water pitcher, like Brita or Pur are actually water purifiers – all they do, for the most part is make you water taste a little better – water from the faucet. I wouldn’t dare put water in my Pur from a small stream on my property, and then think that water is safe to drink – it isn’t!
 
I’ve used the water purification tablets, the type the military issues, or used to issue – any more, they spend millions of dollars to fly-in bottled water to our troops in combat zones. For the life of me, I don’t understand this, doesn’t the military have the capabilities to treat and purify water any longer. Sad! The bad thing with water purification tablets is, the treated water often has a “funny” after-taste. You really need to pour that water back and forth from one canteen to another, to get some air into that water, and make it taste a little better. Still, it’s better than drinking contaminated water.
 
I recently received, from Pantry Paratus an item called the SolarBag water purifier  and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical as to how well this simply little water purifier would work, so I did some research on it, before using it. I learned that it is made right in my home state of Oregon – just outside of Portland. What we have with the SolarBag is a simple, clear plastic bag, that can hold up to three litters of water. There is a specially treated “mesh” membrane on the inside of the plastic bag, that helps purifier the untreated water. The bag also has an attached pre-filter, for use, if the water source you are using, is murky – you don’t want to have sediment or dirt in your drinking water – even though the water has been effectively purified. So, you pour the water through the pre-filer, into the bag, first!
 
The SolarBag water purifier comes with a little bottle of blue liquid. When you fill your bag with water, you add but one drop of this liquid, and when the water is clear, you know your water has been purified. You simply hang the water bag in direct sunlight and in 2-3 hours, your water is purified – on slightly cloudy days, it may take 4-6 hours – still, your water will be purified and safe to drink. The maker says you can treat up to 9 litters of water per day – that is sufficient for a family of 3 or 4 to drink each day. Plan you day accordingly, and don’t wait until the sun is ready to set, to start purifying your water – start early in the day.
 
Here’s the simple breakdown on how to use this set-up. Rinse your SolarBag before using it the first time – that means, rinse it in a clean, safe water source – your home tap, for instance. Now, put your pre-filter over the mouth of the heavy-duty plastic water bag, before pouring the water in. This will remove any sediment, then add one drop of the blue liquid that the company calls Pur-Blue, put the cap on the bag, and hang it in the sun for the required amount of time – and you’ll know when the water has changed from a blue color to clear – then drink the water – can’t be much easier than that in my book.
 
Here’s a list of the harmful contaminants that this set-up will treat: bacteria, viruses, protozoa, pesticides, herbicides, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, arsenic, lead and mercury. It will remove 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses, and 99.9% of giardia and crypto – not too shabby there if you ask me.
 
You can reuse the SolarBag up to 500 times. Now, if the timing process is taking too long, and your water isn’t clear, it will be time to replace your SolarBag. I’d also suggest that, if you are using a really dirty source of water, that you collect it in another container, like a bucket, and let it sit, until the sediment settles to the bottom – then dip that water into the pre-filer – and into your Solar Bag – this way, you won’t be clogging-up your pre-filter all the time.
 
I’m not privy to what the mesh pad has on it, that is inside the SolarBag, but it obviously is the “magic” to purifying the water – along with the sunlight. Also, if your pre-filter gets too dirty, gently wash it by hand. The SolarBag has a dry shelf-life of 7-years. Don’t crush or fold it during storage, either. And, if you’re not going to use the bag right away, after initially using it, drain the bag and allow it to dry then replace the cap – this may take several hours, depending on weather conditions and temperature.
 
The SolarBag is yet another device for helping your purify your water before drinking it. And, there is a rule of three, that many Preppers and Survivalists go by, and that is one is nothing, two is one and three is two. In other words, make sure you have more than one way to treat your water source – don’t depend on just one. If that fails you, then you are “up the creek.” So, the SolarBag is yet another method you can have on-hand, for treating your suspect water source, and it isn’t much easier that to just fill the bag, let it sit, and then drink the purified water.
 
Retail on the SolarBag is $77.99 and when you consider you can reuse it up to 500-times, that’s a cheap source of pure, clean drinking water. I’ve reviewed other products that Pantry Paratus sells, and they only carry top-of-the-line products. Check out the SolarBag, and I think you’ll be impressed, like I was…the darn thing works as advertised. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source

Hello,
I enjoyed the recent blog article Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source, by S.F.D. in West Virginia.  With all the rabbits running around this year I have been thinking about giving this a try.  I had a couple of questions after reading though and hope you or S.F.D. can answer them.
 
1. Food pellets won’t be readily available after the stores shut down.  What would you recommend for easily replenishable year-round rabbit food?
2. The temperature swings here in the South between seasons can be drastic.  Is there special care needed in extreme cold or heat?
3. Is there a particular breed that is recommended?  I could easily catch wild rabbits here to start, but they are kind of scrawny.
 
Thanks, – G.S.

JWR Replies: I’ve raised rabbits off and on since the early 1990s. Although feeding hay is more messy than using pellets, rabbits do quite well eating hay. Growing up in California’s Central Valley during World War II, my mother raised rabbits and for their feed simply cut weeds in vacant city lots. Alfalfa is particularly nutritionally dense, but Timothy and Latar Orchard Grass also make good rabbit feed. (Latar is a favorite in the Inland Northwest.) Unless you have a large number of rabbits, you can grow your own and simply harvest it with a hand scythe. If you don’t have room to grow hay, then you can buy it by the bale or more cost effectively by the ton. (Incidentally, Alfalfa bales are heavier than grass hay bales, so there are fewer bales per ton.)

Rabbits can handle cold temperatures well, although they should be sheltered from rain and wind chill. It is heat that kills most rabbits. In hot summer weather, one expedient is providing each cage with a frozen 2 liter water bottle. (Used sodapop bottles work fine.) If you have a double set of bottle sand carefully rinse clean the bottles before refreezing them, it is quick and easy to keep up to a dozen bottles in your chest freezer at all times. Evaporative cooling (using an old terry cloth towel hung vertically near each cage, and kept wet with a dripper system) works moderately well, but only when combined with a box fan.

Don’t try breeding wild rabbits! Not only will the wild does tear you up when you try to handle them, but there is also the risk of endemic diseases, such as tularemia. Most meat rabbit breeders use the New Zealand breed. They were bred specifically for meat production. They put on weight quickly, which makes them economical to keep. If you want a combination breed (for meat and fur), then I recommend Rex rabbits. Rex bunnies are also cute, so you will also have a chance to sell some of your rabbitry’s offspring for pets. But regardless of the breed that you select, be sure to get your breeding stock from a good breeder that has proven healthy bloodlines with does that have a history of large litters and good nurturing instincts. It is better to pay more for your first few rabbits, so that you get started with solid genetics. If you start out “on the cheap”, then you will probably have lots of problems down the road. (Small litters, babies left on the wire to die, and so forth.) You should also swap bucks with other breeders once every year or two, to prevent excessive inbreeding,

Recipe of the Week:

Sunshine Buttercup’s Oriental Green Beans

I make this dish whenever I have a surplus of green beans. Everyone who has tried it says it’s tasty and a great way to liven up green beans.

Ingredients
    1 lb green beans, trimmed
    1 teaspoon sesame oil
    1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
    Crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
    1-1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
    2 tablespoons water
    1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted, garnish

Directions
    1.    Steam beans for only a few minutes, you want them crisp.
    2.    Dash beans in cold water to stop the cooking (do this the day ahead if you wish) Heat the oils and saute over low heat with the garlic & ginger until you can smell that wonderful aroma (the garlic will be golden). Add beans, pepper flakes, soy sauce, and water.
    3.    Cover cook over high heat for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the oils have coated the beans and they are hot .Shake the pan as the beans cook.
    4.    Garnish with sesame seed.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Green Bean Recipes

Storing Garden Abundance: Freezing

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Odds ‘n Sods:

For folks with a large stream on their property, a Pelton Wheel system like this is fantastic: Algonquin Eco-Lodge – 12 kW Micro-Hydro Turbines

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Why we face grave danger from space: The discovery that a colossal solar flare hit Earth in the Dark Ages reminds us that catastrophe could strike at any time, says Michael Hanlon.

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.50 BMG shooters might find this reference page on specialty military rounds of interest.

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Mike Brown is planning to build a new generation of reliable 8 horsepower steam engines that will be able to run a 5 kilowatt generator.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life and they lost it all – security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them; when the freedom they wished for most was the freedom from responsibility, then the Athenians ceased to be free." – Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire