lost ways | Being prepared today

September 11, 2021September 26, 2021

How to be water independent by rainwater harvesting

Water is the most abundant resource on this planet but only a small percentage is actually drinkable. What’s more frustrating to most is that municipalities will charge you for this precious resource. What a lot of people don’t understand is what goes on behind the scenes: where that water comes from and what has to be done to it to make it usable or drinkable. It goes through chemical treatments and a couple different filtration processes and that’s what you’re really paying for. Not the water itself. Fortunately, there are a couple different ways to make yourself water independent and a big one is a technique called rainwater harvesting.

Here are some ideas to pull from to collect as much water as you can .

Roof runoff rainwater harvesting

Probably the best and most efficient way to collect rainwater is from the runoff from your roof. When it rains it will run off your roof into your rain gutters and down the spout. By directing your downspout to a barrel/barrels or even a tank that has a large enough opening, you could fill a 250 gallon tank or larger depending on location and climate.

It is efficient in the way it covers such a large area for rainfall and requires very little effort on your part besides redirecting your rain gutters and keeping algae or mosquitoes from growing. Piping the water system to your home or desired use is completely up to you just be sure of permitting and local laws concerning this subject.

rainwater harvesting with rain barrel funnels

The rain barrel funnel method, as I call it, is a technique that requires food grade barrels and a tarp or other high coverage, rain collecting surface. Using rope or string you can tie the corners of the tarp to a structure or build supports for your high coverage idea. Now you can funnel the water into the barrel using the tarp or other high coverage surface of your choice.

It’s a pretty simple concept but requires quite a bit of space and some ingenuity so try to be inventive.

Storing rainwater in the ground

By understanding how rainwater acts and moves you will be able to redirect water for the convenient use of you and your family. Obviously water flows downhill because of gravity so building the appropriate channels, guides or gutters will accomplish this. A cistern is an underground water storage that can be made of concrete, metal or even plastic. But, again this is also subject to permitting and local laws.

Trees help keep water in the ground by the shade they provide and in their root systems. By the shade they provide it prevents the moisture from being evaporated in to the air. Gardening near trees will provide extra moisture for your garden and conserve your collected water usage.

Well water

In the old days a well would be dug by hand where groundwater would pool up in the bottom of the hole. Sometimes these holes would be dug to depths of twenty feet or more and a rope would be needed to pull the digger out. A pulley structure would be built over top of the hole to lower a bucket to collect water.

In present times a well is drilled by machinery to depths of around 100 or more feet to collect water from aquifers which are basically underground reserves of water and occasionally an underground river. Electric or motor driven pumps will pull the water up to surface level and store it in a tank for use.

Purifying for potable water

There are several ways to purify water and it is my belief that only two of them are really that efficient and cost effective. One way is to boil water and the other is through a gravity filtration device. There is also the potential to send your rainwater directly into filtration devices or even to direct greywater (water from sinks, showers and laundry) into garden systems to effectively deal with and distribute the water.

Here is an article on water purification methods and efficiencies,

Here is a link to a PDF of a Plan of Action for water purification for you to check out!

Start collecting

However you go about being water conscious and self-sufficient be sure to keep you and your family safe and healthy by reading into water purification and hazards. Collecting rainwater could save you quite a bit of money on municipal or even help you on your journey to becoming a great gardener. Whatever your path is, start collecting and good luck!

I hope this article was helpful and informative. If you have any questions comments or input please feel free to do it in the comments box below.

Thanks

Resources used:

Ready.gov

Theprovidentprepper.org

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

The best Survival Food that lasts forever

Are there foods that last a very very long time? Is there something I can use as a Survival Food? You may ask yourself this and other questions like ‘Isn’t there a way to make storable food last longer than they do already?’

There are ways to do just that and there are specific types of food that are made in certain ways to enable the food to last years and sometimes decades. These kinds of foods are usually the ones handed down through the centuries, through recipes and procedures kept in families for a very long time.

The Native American Indians had a super food they made for centuries. It’s called Pemmican and if prepared properly can be stored for up to 10 years safely and reportedly be stored for 20 years or even longer.

Pemmican, the ultimate Survival Food

Pemmican is a mixture of tallow, dried meat and dried berries that is used as a nutritious food. Historically, it was an important part of indigenous cuisine in certain parts of North America and it is still prepared today.

Traditionally, pemmican was prepared from the lean meat of large game such as bison, elk, deer or moose. The meat was cut in thin slices and then dried, either over a slow fire or in the hot sun until the meat was dry and brittle.

Pemmican is an amazing super food that is nutritious and lasts a very long time. You can make some up for a hike, a camping trip or even your food storage!

Survival Food ingredient choices

Ingredient choices determine the longevity of the Pemmican. Today, people in many indigenous communities across North America continue to make pemmican for personal, community, and ceremonial consumption. Some contemporary pemmican recipes incorporate ingredients that have been introduced to the Americas in the past 500 years, including beef. Beef can be used but be cautious that it doesn’t burn during the preparation phase. Elk, Deer and Moose are the usual and traditional choices however there are other meats that can be used depending on their risk of disease by sitting for so long despite being prepared properly.

The melted fat is a necessity. A staple of Pemmican. The melted fat is made from suet. Suet is the raw, hard fat of beef or mutton found around the loins and kidneys. Suet has a melting point of between 45 °C(113f) and 50 °C(122f) and congelation between 37 °C(98.6f) and 40 °C(104f).

Berries of various kinds are used in the making of pemmican and most are readily available even in the wild. Blueberries, Chokecherries, Cranberries, Saskatoon berries or even Elderberries can be used. These dried berries will make the best candidates for grinding into a semi powdery substance or even all out powder. The berries are highly nutritious which is one of the reasons why Pemmican is considered a super food.

You can also put oats, nuts or other dried fruits into it!

Rendering fat to preserve

The rendered fat is the main reason why Pemmican lasts so long. The fat seals out the air so no oxygen can get to it and oxidize the meat and break it down or spoil it. The really long-lasting stuff is fat and meat only.

Put your suet (fat from lamb) into a pot and leave on low heat to begin rendering the fat. The goal here is to melt it down and strain out any impurities which turns the suet into tallow. Using low heat will ensure that you don’t burn the suet which will ruin your Pemmican.

You can possibly use Ghee oil which will make some slight differences in the Pemmican. The end product will not be as solid as using the rendered fat from suet but will be suitable and will still last quite a while.

The finished product

In his notes of 1874, North-west Mounted police Seargent-Major Sam Steele recorded three ways of serving Pemmican. Raw, boiled in a stew called ‘Rubaboo’, or fried, known in the west as ‘rechaud’.

–The pemmican was cooked in two ways in the west; one a stew of pemmican, water, flour and, if they could be secured, wild onions or preserved potatoes. This was called “rubaboo”; the other was called by the plains hunters a “rechaud”. It was cooked in a frying pan with onions and potatoes or alone. Some persons ate pemmican raw, but I must say I never had a taste for it that way.–

Finished pemmican will be very firm and keep almost forever. Pure, dried protein and rendered (mostly saturated) fat is highly stable so don’t worry about it going bad. If it does, You’ll know. Flavoring will depend on the spices you desire to try in your pemmican.

Storing your pemmican

Pemmican, again, is a highly stable and storable super food that can last nearly forever when stored properly. Exact recipes can be found online in preppers forums and survivalist websites. Plastic containers that are mostly airtight or a vacuum seal packaging are the ideal way to store your pemmican. A cool, dry and dark room will increase the longevity and preserve any taste you have processed into it. It’s perfect for your Emergency Food Storage!

Making pemmican can be fun and comforting to those that take peace of mind knowing they have food rations stored up for an emergency.

I hope you found this blog to be interesting and informative. If you have any questions, comments or input of your own please feel free to leave them in the comment box below. All input is welcome and helps me bring you quality topics.

Thanks.

February 4, 2021February 4, 2021

The Backyard brick oven guide

Backyard cooking is oh so enjoyable and no one can deny it. Firing up the grill, summer or winter, makes an ever so tasty steak, fish fillet, tenderloin or whatever your passion is. The Backyard brick oven is becoming more and more popular every year that goes by and they are very sustainable and even versatile to make things interesting. Continue reading “The Backyard brick oven guide”

Tag: lost ways