Pee Is The New Power Source

I picked this up over at MSNBC. If they can actually produce this on a large scale it would revolutionize our way of looking at power. Plus destroy the existing oil and power industries. A few cows, a couple of solar panels and the pee power converter and you would be completely energy independent.

Forget gas, batteries — pee is new power source
Scientists can create cheap hydrogen from urine for use in fuel cells

By Eric Bland

Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available in six months with new technology developed by scientists from Ohio University.

Using a nickel-based electrode, the scientists can create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells. "One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses," said Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. "Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel."

Pee power is based on hydrogen, the most common element in the universe but one that has resisted efforts to produce, store, transport and use economically.

Storing pure hydrogen gas requires high pressure and low temperature. New nanomaterials with high surface areas can adsorb hydrogen, but have yet to be produced on a commercial scale.

Chemically binding hydrogen to other elements, like oxygen to create water, makes it easier to store and transport, but releasing the hydrogen when it's needed usually requires financially prohibitive amounts of electricity.

By attaching hydrogen to another element, nitrogen, Botte and her colleagues realized that they can store hydrogen without the exotic environmental conditions, and then release it with less electricity, 0.037 Volts instead of the 1.23 Volts needed for water.

One molecule of urea, a major component of urine, contains four atoms of hydrogen bonded to two atoms of nitrogen. Stick a special nickel electrode into a pool of urine, apply an electrical current, and hydrogen gas is released.

Botte's current prototype measures 3x3x1 inch and can produce up to 500 milliwatts of power. However, Botte and her colleagues are actively trying to commercialize several larger versions of the technology.

A fuel cell, urine-powered vehicle could theoretically travel 90 miles per gallon. A refrigerator-sized unit could produce one kilowatt of energy for about $5,000, although this price is a rough estimate, says Botte.

"The waste products from say a chicken farm could be used to produce the energy needed to run the farm," said John Stickney, a chemist and professor at the University of Georgia.

For livestock farmers who are required by law to pool their animals' waste, large scale prototypes could turn that urine into power within six months.

Smaller versions likely won't be available until after that, so the average consumer probably shouldn't start saving their pee just yet.

"It is not a solution for all our cars," said Stickney, "but it is the kind of process which will find many applications and will make for a greener world."
© 2009 Discovery Channel

To survive we must adapt...

Our survival as a species as well as many other species depends on us doing things differently and not relying on the broken models of waste and consumption that has driven America to the point of collapse. We need to start structuring our lives on those third world countries who will continue to exist when America is just a footnote in the history books.

Here is a response I got today about my various experiments in waste reclamation. I think that the post completely captures what is wrong with America today.

What is wrong with you? Are you not aware of the fact that A. septic systems exist? B. They are required? C. In most places, you can do it yourself? and D. After getting the perk test done, and permit for the septic system, and the system installed, you're problems are over?

I'm sure your neighbors really appreciate your kindness to the their wells in that area also. Being a "survivalist" means putting some thought behind each situation for the long-term. I'm talking about intelligent thought processes. True "survivalists think about the environment. Chump, you are in America, not some 3rd world country so all I'm saying is if you are going to put forth the effort to become a survivalist, you should put forth the effort to do it properly!

Actually I am thinking about the environment and survival in a finite system. All a septic system does is traps nutrient dense waste underground where it can never be used again if you compost this waste it can be recycled back into crop production this is especially helpful in arid areas such as mine. Nitrogen is a main component of fertilizer and of urine. Our waste should be recycled back into nature not locked away in an underground vault.

Plus if you have a septic system you will be using 3 to 5 gallons of water with each flush just to get rid of waste which is completely unacceptable. I am currently existing on about 2 gallons of water every day. There are deep wells out on the valley floor going dry as I write this. Once we have exhausted our finite supply of well water it's over folks. It will take millions of years to replenish the aquifers and frankly we will be gone by then.

Septic systems and your attitude towards them is what is wrong with America today. The reason septic systems are required is because not so long ago some plumbing contractor decided he could make a ton of money by convincing the state legislature to mandate septic systems at $3000 a pop. The state loved the idea because they get $500 for each inspection.

Composting toilets and urine recycling systems are the way of the future. Think about the tons of nutrient dense crap and nitrogen that are flushed out of a business skyscraper every day not to mention the billions of gallons of water wasted. The future will see this waste collected, composted and sold as fertilizer or topsoil to grow crops. Not to mention the fact that the composting process produces tremendous amounts of heat which could help offset heating cost in the winter reducing dependence on natural gas. Or we could go so far as to collect the methane from the composting process and use it to cool and heat our building. This American waste cannot continue.

Being a survivalist does not mean we take our sanitized/monetized lifestyle of city living and replicate in a small cabin. The old ways of consumption and waste have failed us and to survive we must adapt.

PortaPee

I do not pee in my composting toilet. The sawdust composting toilet is great...no smell and easy to maintain. If you add urine though it becomes a sloppy mess that requires twice the cover material reducing the number of times you can use the 5 gallon unit between trips to the compost pile.

So I took to peeing outside which is fine in the warmer months but really a drag in winter plus remember pee stinks. Wherever your pee spot is there will be a horrible smell. You can spread it around but eventually the area will become saturated with the stink.

I have a urinal/hose/hole in the ground contraption but still need to run the hose under the house and frankly since the 40 foot snake incident I haven't really had a desire to go crawling under the place...at least until it gets colder.

Basically the urinal attaches to a hose which runs under the house to a 6 foot deep by 1 foot round footing hole that I never used. The hole is filled with pea gravel and the urine leaches into the ground from there. If the stank gets bad I just dig another hole and move the hose. Might freeze in the winter but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Anyway the picture above is a stopgap device to deal with pee. It is a five gallon water jug with a screw on top and a funnel in the top. The screw on top is very important. Simply pee in the funnel until the barrel is full. You then screw on the cap, take the jug away from the house then dump the thing. If you can't get out to dump the urine just leave the capped jug in a corner and put a backup under the funnel. You can even dump the urine on your compost pile adding needed moisture to the mix.

You may not be able to see it in the picture but there is a small plastic cup inverted over the hole in the bottom of the funnel. Again pee stinks and if the hole is not covered you will smell it. This portapee will hold me anywhere from 4 to 7 days depending on the beer consumption.

This device may not be of much help to the ladies but it still reduces the amount of urine in the compost toilet by half for a couple.

Listen To Animal Warnings

The day before I killed that thirty foot rattler in the backyard I was actually warned that it was there but failed to listen.

I was standing in the kitchen making some rice when I heard this chipmunk chirping in distress. It is a very distinct sound and one I have heard many times as it is the same chirp they make when they fall in the hot tub and can’t get out. We have lost many chipmunks in the hot tub.

I could see the distressed animal it was in an old cedar tree about twenty five feet from the back door on the other side of the dog fence. The chipmunk was standing on a branch about seven feet off the ground looking straight down chirping with a vengeance. With every chirp the tail moves up and down.

There was quite a bit of sage and dead brush under the cedar so I couldn’t see what the chipmunk was noisily looking at. I walked out back to the fence and told the small critter to shut up maybe eight feet from the thing. It didn’t even look at me just kept right on chirping.

I then pitched a couple of rocks into the brush thinking it might be a stray cat and after nothing ran out told the animal to shut up again and went back inside. The chipmunk continued to bark at the invader for a couple hours then mysteriously stopped.

The next day I found out what that poor chipmunk was so scared of.

Wealth Confiscation and Cash

MSNBC ran an article Monday on the dangers of keeping cash. The story "Money hiders risk a wealth of woes" documents the risks involved in keeping cash stored at your home and not in banks. The story is an obvious banking industry propaganda piece planted to scare Americans into depositing their increasing and untraceable saving into lending institution where the usage and existence of those funds can be monitored by the government.

America is moving toward a policy of wealth confiscation to pay our massive dept owed to foreign countries. Soon the government will freeze American banking assets for confiscation issuing IOUs to the citizens that can be traded and used to purchase approved items such as house payments, taxes and "healthy" food. The American government issued IOUs will be "cashless" and eventually converted for pennies on the dollar into either the new North American currency or more likely a new global currency. Cash in any form will no longer exist, all transactions will be electronic and monitored. The banks will charge a heavy "convenience fee" on the usage of these IOUs guaranteeing massive profits and government compliance.

California's issuance of IOUs is being allowed and even touted not necessarily as a model but more to plant the seed of IOUs in the American conscience. We will soon start seeing stories about how great and easily traded the IOUs are in California. Remember California...or the United States for that matter...has no way to recover from this economic collapse without millions of good paying jobs being created on which taxes can be levied. There is no such thing as a jobless recovery and lost American jobs are not coming back!

Further proof of the wealth confiscation plot can be seen in the current fight between Switzerland and the United States over foreign tax shelter accounts. The United States wants Switzerland to report all monies held in private foreign accounts by American citizens to target tax dodgers. The Swiss claim that revealing information on private accounts violates centuries old privacy laws. They instead are moving all American bank accounts into "special banks" set up to comply with the United States governments requests for information.

Obviously this has nothing to do with taxes. Businessmen who utilize Swiss privacy laws are hiding money from business partners and family or because of lawsuits, not the United States government and the IRS. Clearly these businessmen can afford a good accountant who will take advantage of the existing tax laws. Moving the monies to a "special bank" allows for easier transfer and confiscation of wealth.

Once the financial networks switch over and accept only the government issued IOUs cash becomes functionally worthless everywhere accept in underground trade. For instance items that are deemed unhealthy under the new mandatory insurance/health laws such as booze, cigarettes and red meat will not be illegal but you can't purchase them with the IOUs. Home produced biofuels, ammunition and NON genetically modified produce (organic) will also be unattainable with the IOU system.

The new IOU based system will work much like the current electronic food stamp system. If an item is not approved you will not be able to purchase it. Barter and trade will flourish under this system but only as far as the American conscious will allow. In other words we are use to going to the store and buying what we need not carrying barter items to trade for booze. The old greenback will fill this void.

The government may not accept the old dollar but as longs as the people recognize its value it will still be used. Gold and silver might fill this roll but I truly don't see that happening to awkward and not enough people have the metals. So don't turn in all your cash it might be a needed commodity in the post dollar world.

Don't Mace The Mice

Let me say that mice are not cute little critters, they are dirty destructive rodents that should be eliminated. At first I thought of them as furry little jokers and would simply remove them outside with a shovel but not kill them. Now I smack them with that same shovel and fling their dirty little bodies out on the road for the coyotes to eat.

What changed my perception? Well they eat everything and crap everywhere. The boys food bowl is about 3 inches deep by 8 inches round. I would fill it full and they eat what they want but the bowl started being empty every morning. Those awful mice where carrying off the entire bowl worth of food every night storing it under the cabinets. The dogs chew bones and several stuffed animals that frankly were way to big to get under the cabinets where also stored away. Magic mice perhaps.

The dogs like chasing them and Conway patrols every night starting around sundown. He darts from spot to spot cornering them when he finds them. A quick bark alerts Axel who jumps in to help, Axel is more of a supervisor leaving the hard work to Conway. I grab the shovel and pull the dogs back. The mouse is usually cowering under the sofa or behind the trashcan. A quick smack dispatches them. We are slowly reducing their numbers to a more manageable amount.

Traps didn't work they just took the food leaving the trap unsprung. Those little tent sticky traps were apparently a challenge...they chewed a hole through the side and removed the food. Can't use poisons with the dogs but did try a unique approach one evening.

I was getting tired of hearing them scurrying about so arrogantly. I thought that if I could get them out of their little nest I could smack them with the shovel killing off several at once. So I took my bear mace and planned to spray just a tiny squirt under the cabinets making the evil rodents run out where I could quickly dispatch them.

THIS WAS A VERY BAD PLAN

Needless to say the mice didn't scurry but I filled the house with bear mace causing the dogs and I to scurry. Bear mace works by the way and doesn't come off. I was dipping myself and the dogs in the tub out back which only makes it worse. Apparently you have to use milk to neutralize the oil based spray...ironically it was the mice eating into my only box of powered milk the night before that started me on this very bad path. I took the brunt of the spray the dogs only picking up a small amount...the dipping in the tub pissed them off much more than the spray.

So I have decided that as long as the mice keep their numbers in check through common sense family planning and as long as the boys enjoy chasing them I will live with the mice. Oh they also have to stay out of the bed...that's a deal breaker.

This Aint No Stinkin Recovery

According to an article on MSNBC the "green shoots" of recovery are showing themselves and the economic free fall is bottoming out. As we all know this is pure propaganda. We are no where near the bottom and will never see the recovery...the days of American economic dominance are over.

"Despite persistent layoffs, the economy seems to be faring better than it was at the start of the year.

The Labor Department said Thursday that new jobless claims jumped unexpectedly last week. And the number of people continuing to receive unemployment aid rose more than expected.

The figures indicate that jobs remain scarce even as the economy shows some signs of recovering from the longest recession since World War II."

We are still losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month. Recently media has pointed to the slowing in unemployment rolls as an indicator that the rate of decline is slowing. This really only shows that the people are running out of their six month supply of unemployment benefits and dropping off the back end of the meter.

The American economy must grow at a rate of 125,000 jobs every month to keep up with the young workers entering the job market. We are still losing in excess of 300,000 jobs monthly. These workers are the only people who can bring us out of this great recession. Our economy is built on people buying stuff and if your job is in jeopardy you simply won’t be spending money. You save it if you still have a job.

"The nation’s unemployment rate hit a quarter-century peak of 9.4 percent last month when employers eliminated 345,000 jobs. Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank, forecasts that employers will have cut a net total of 325,000 jobs this month and the unemployment rate will rise to 9.6 percent. The June employment report will be released July 2."

In other words America is down an additional 920,000 plus jobs for May and June. Almost 1 million jobs cut in the past two months. Add service sector jobs that support those Americans and you are probably looking at 1.2 million. This is not a recovery in any way.

These jobs are gone forever and won’t be coming back. Jobs growth is the only true meter of economic recovery that matters. Don't believe the propaganda, plan accordingly you need to be able to feed and protect your family for at least three years.

Introvert vs Extrovert

I have always been surrounded by people until recently. The one thing I have always craved was solitude…just wanted to be alone.

Now there are two basic types of personalities in this world. The introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people and the extrovert who is energized by being around other people and tends to fade without the human interaction.

One of the things I have noticed living down here is that if I go more than a few days without seeing anyone I quickly drop into a funk and have a hard time focusing or really getting anything done. But if I run to town for a cup of coffee in the morning then the rest of the day turns out real productive even enjoyable.

Online interaction helps but still does not give me the fix I get from being around people even for a few minutes. I don’t even need to talk with the people just being around them works. So, am I really a closet extrovert or is it simply habit developed over a lifetime of city living. I still crave the solitude and love it but apparently need that human interaction.

I bring this up because understanding your personality requirements before you jump headlong into a life removed from society will help you better prepare. If you truly are an extrovert then relocating to a farm forty miles from the nearest neighbor might not be the best move for you. But the true introvert would thrive in that environment.

If you as an introvert pick up and move the family to the wilderness and your partner is an extrovert who must have human interaction the marriage will not last through the winter. Even moving your family out of the city for protection can be a bad move if one of you cannot mentally thrive without that interaction. You can still make the move but you need to plan for the personality needs of everyone in your party.

Your neighbors are also important is this discussion. Can you just drop by and visit…maybe have them over for a beer or are they hardcore survivalists locked within a fenced compound.

A big standard for my move out of the consumer society was not to simply survive but to thrive. It is not enough to be able feed, cloth and shelter yourself. You must mentally thrive or you will fail.

The Right Medicine

Most people embarking on this life path plan fairly well. They stock a variety of food to hold them for several years. Acquire the proper firearms and put back plenty of ammunition. Even gather a variety of heritage seeds to start down their path to a relatively self sustainable lifestyle. We tend to gather the supplies that are easy and fun but occasionally neglect the truly critical.

I picked up two large first aid kits in my preparing to leave the greater society behind. My assumption was that these kits would include everything I need, they were easy to transport and store plus a cost effective all in one purchase. I have been very wrong on this account. The kits are convenient but tend to have lots of little stuff like small band aids and tiny aspirin neglecting the larger more critical items. Here are a few examples.

For instance when I dropped the drill and gouged my stomach it left a relatively deep three inch cut on my fat belly. I went to the first aid kit dug through the multitude of small band aids found some gauze and tape. First off gauze and tape is very awkward and inconvenient especially when you are hurt and cussing. Secondly gauze tends to stick into the cut. Thirdly you run out, the big kits are stocked well with the cheapest band aids and aspirin available but anything more involved is kept in low numbers. I had to go buy some large easy band aids and antibacterial cream.

My diet has consisted mainly of rice, beans, oats some bread with other meat products cut in for flavor and protein. Mostly canned fish products such as mackerel or tuna occasionally some spam but not that often. Easy to prepare and stores forever.

So last night if you read my twitter posts you know I had a treat of Treet. Really tasty and I needed the infusion of fatty meat. Well my body had gotten used to the usual stores so this treat messed up my digestive tract something awful. I had horrible heartburn and even worse diarrhea.

For heartburn I tend to mix up a half teaspoon of baking soda in water and it kills the acid real quick. Much much cheaper than Pepcid plus it has many uses. Unfortunately one of the side effects of the baking soda antacid is a loosening of the stool from the sodium. So this wouldn't work. In the past I would just swig a gulp of Peptobismol but don't have any handy. I just bared it out and was fine the next morning.

This will happen to you if you change your diet dramatically when you move. The body gets used to particular foods and optimizes for their digestion. The introduction of something new is ok but expect a kick from the system. This is particularly true moving from the typical American high fat diet to a denser high fiber diet.

Mosquitoes are bad here this year some years they don't bother me at all but this year has been really wet and they are think. In the past I would just cover myself in a layer of dust and they wouldn't bother me, free and works great, but if the ground is wet or your showers are limited to one or twice a week this is not a good option. So a several year supply of mosquito repellent is critical. Put screens on your windows.

Make sure your medical supplies contain plenty of items to combat the gastric distresses especially if your diet is changing. I really should have heavily stocked up on Pepcid, Peptobismol and some anti gas products. Large easy to replace bandages are critical as well as antibacterial cream and really good tweezers if you are building. If you have algeries put back plenty of generic Benadryl capsules, this works on dogs also if they get snake bit or stung by something.

Plan out in detail your medical supplies get a good stock of everything you will need. This is boring but of critical importance. Ideally you will learn the natural remedies for the more common ills that overtake you but until then stock up. You can always trade out these items as you become more established.

You also need to spend sometime detailing a medical emergency plan. What if you break your leg, what about a really bad tooth ache or god forbid a heart attack. What do you do when calling 911 is not an option.

Shared Resources

While planning my spring garden several problems with logistics and layout were brought to light. Remember my house sits on the north side of a ridge and only about one of the five acres are available for planting. A large area would need clearing and raised beds built. Additionally there is no well and deer in the area tend to decimate gardens.

I spoke with my neighbor about these issues and she enthusiastically suggested I plant the garden in the area surrounding her small wind break trees. This “L” shaped area is enclosed with an eight foot deer fence and covers roughly 4000 square foot. It has adequate water, unobstructed sun and is easily accessed. Raised beds will be built and placed around the perimeter. Plus I can see the garden area from my recliner for easy monitoring.

My neighbor works so tending a large garden is difficult. On the other hand my job is basically tending a large garden. She provides the land, water and security. I provide the seeds, labor and canning. We share the produce.

As we move forward in the Great Decline people need to seek out these types of resource sharing arrangements. City dwellers living in apartments might have relatives or friends who have space for gardens but lack the time to maintain the plants. Many people have large backyards but no time for gardening, try running a CraigsList ad offering your land. Everyone benefits.

Seeds Ordered

After some research I have ordered the seeds for this years crops from a reputable seed trust out of Idaho that specializes in mountain growing. Since the "farm" is at roughly 8700 feet I needed high altitude seed varieties that do well in cooler climates with shorter growing seasons. They also had to be non-hybrid (heritage) seeds from organic distributors. I chose High Altitude Gardens, they have seeds from around the world for the coldest climates and shortest seasons.

Here is the garden

BEANS, POLE - Northeaster
BEANS, BUSH - Montana Green
PEAS - Montana Marvel
PEAS, SNAP - Sugarsnap
CORN, SWEET - Extra Early Bantam
PEPPERS, BELL - Early Mountain Wonder
RADISH, French Breakfast
CARROTS - Kuroda Chanteney
CARROTS - Kinko 6

TOMATO, EARLY - Sub-arctic Plenty
TOMATO, RUSSIAN - Odessa
TOMATO, SIBERIAN - Moscow
TOMATO, SIBERIAN - Red Siberian
TOMATO, PASTE - Mt. Roma
TOMATO, CHERRY - Whippersnapper Cherry

MELON - Minnesota Midget Cantelope
MELON - Sugar Baby Watermelon

LETTUCE, GREEN LEAF - Black Seeded Simpson
LETTUCE, BUTTERHEAD - Buttercrunch Bibb

SUNFLOWER, WILD - Helianthus annus

I am still researching the onions, potatoes and cucumbers but should have varieties and vendors selected soon.

2009 Garden Start

I have started working on the 2009 garden. Here is what I am planning taking into consideration the short growing season and less then fertile soil. I have most of the seeds but still need to pick up a few high altitude varieties. Everything will be planted directly in the ground or in raised beds depending on soil conditions. The growing season is from roughly June 1st through mid September, hopefully I can extend it with small hothouses.

Pole Bean
Peas

Carrots
Onions

Cantaloupe (maybe)
Watermelon (maybe)

Tomatoes (containers)
Peppers
Potatoes
Radishes

Lettuce (late season)

Sunflowers (grow wild)
Mushrooms (maybe)

Night Vision Update

If you are looking to keep track of the crazy neighbor down the road the EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles might not be your best investment. On the other hand if you are out to keep the Chupacabras from eating the chickens and molesting the dogs they will work fine.

Took a hike late Saturday night with the goggles just to see how well they preformed on the move. Long story short it was bad. The full moon really sharpened the surroundings on low power but the narrow field vision made walking difficult. The limitations actually heightened my paranoia, you just don't know what is in your peripheral.

Now, the EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles did preform really well watching a stationary target. For monitoring a hen house, shed or trail from a single point they work great. You are able to focus on a small area and your peripheral does not really play into it although you should always be mindful of what is around you.

So take it for what it is worth. The EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles are a cheap alternative to high dollar night vision rigs.

The Brass Horde

Historically the Golden Horde represents the armies and territories of the Mongol Empire as they spread across Eastern Europe and Russia pillaging the wealth and enslaving people to further their conquests. The Survivalist movement recognizes the Golden Horde as the loosely organized mass of urban refugees streaming out of the cities in search of food and shelter after a calamitous event or societal collapse. This mindless throng would overwhelm local defenses violently stripping the rural countryside of resources destroying everything in its path.

I am not worried about this great Golden Horde moving across the land raping and looting as they consume all my beans and wreck my lawn. They will never reach me and I am not in a resource rich environment. I am worried about the bugged out survivalists encamped in the trailers down the road who's idea of preparedness is 40,000 rounds of ammo and a can of barbecue Vienna sausages. I call these unbalanced groups the Brass Horde.

The Brass Hordes have the resources to reach me entrenching themselves a few miles from my house. These groups neglected survival consumables but are obnoxiously well armed. When their minimal supplies run out they will turn to the guns and ammo. These are the groups I worry about. Below is an example.

The Brass Horde at least tried to prepare. They had a plan to leave the city, some supplies and a large stockpile of weapons. Their intent was to relocate to a remote site as a group and hunt for food. The small group is made up of family and close friends occupying the trailers used to escape the city. Unfortunately their resources are limited and unwisely thought out.

At first they have good luck taking a deer and several rabbits for a stew, all looks good. But after a week or so their water rations are getting low and their expensive filter systems are useless on the frozen lake. They are able to melt some water over the fire pit and on propane stoves but this consumes critical resources. Most of their daily man hours are spent collecting and transporting ice blocks to melt for water. The meat is running low, they are exhausted.

The Horde elders decide that a couple of the women should visit a nearby cabin and ask to fill their water jugs. The established local, not wanting to seem rude, invites the ladies into the warm cabin...the aroma of fresh baked bread fills the air. Warm cinnamon rolls and hot coffee are served over light conversation next to the wood stove. The ladies fill their water jugs from the solar powered well, thanked the local and reluctantly venture back out into the cold, it was the first time they had truly been warm since leaving the city.

That evening the women huddled around the fire telling the others of their days experience. A strong north wind brought frigid temperatures and a heavy snow started around sundown...the Horde retired to their campers to weather the night.

Then the propane runs out!

The temperatures quickly plunge after the heater went out in the far north trailer of the circled compound. The father whose survival skills were honed by many hours watching the discovery channel, decided to start a small wood fire in the oven to keep his family of four warm. The ensuing inferno consumed two of their trailers and damaged the other six as over 10,000 rounds of ammo cooked off in the conflagration.

In the blinding snow the elders huddled for warmth around the smoldering ruins of their grand scheme...they knew what had to be done. After arming themselves and securing the women folk and children in the remaining heated camper, the horde took off for the neighbors cabin. The howling winds of the blizzard masked their plunder as they made off with six twenty pound bottles of propane, a chainsaw and five gallons of gas. The blowing snow filled their tracks as they retreated back to the compound confident in their escape.

Unbeknown to the Brass Horde the local had witnessed the entire thing from the warmth of the bedroom after being alerted by his growling dogs. Shouldering his gun he realized that confrontation was dangerous against eight heavily armed men and there was a good change he would die if shooting started. The local also realized that this was the first of many visits by the armed bandits who, made confident by their guns, would steal what they failed to store through proper preparation...so he started baking cookies.

"Good morning, I have fresh cookies and hot coffee" shouted the local from his truck as he pulled into the Horde's compound. "You all look like you could use a treat on this cold morning" he continued. The men leerily looked at each other assuming that the local man had not yet discovered the robbery and was just being a good neighbor. The local waved and yelled "God Bless You" as he drove away. Over their snacks and wicked strong coffee the Horde laughed at how easy a target this cookie baking fairy would be...

Looking through the rifle scope from his vantage point in on the hill he saw no movement...the last one fell several hours ago.

Later that evening the local man returned to the compound, collected the bodies and placed them neatly in the largest trailer. Gathering the stolen items plus the Hordes guns and abundant ammunition for barter he proceeded to pour gas in each of the remaining campers then burned everything to the ground. Cyanide in the coffee and cookies.

A heavy snow that night covered over the remains and the evident "mass suicide" was not discovered until later that springs. It was chalked up to collapse related hysteria...no further investigation.

This past elk season there was an encampment like the one mentioned above down the road from me, they stayed for ten days. Of course I had to run the what if scenarios through my mind. And just cause you will ask no I did not poison them.

How would you have handled the group? What would you have done differently?

Window Swap

A fews years back I installed four huge picture windows across the north side of the house. The windows are six foot tall by five wide and really open the house up to the mountain and lake views. At the time I was not spending a lot to time there during the deep winter so I opted for insulated double paned windows with no "low-e" coatings.

Low-e coatings, which are microscopically thin layers of metallic oxide that's bonded to the surface of a window's glass, are so thin you can see right through them yet they prevent heat and ultra-violet (UV) rays from passing through glass. The result? A window with low-e glass does a better job keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer.

Unfortunately these large windows are horrible at keeping the cold out and the heat in. I could stand outside within a foot of the window and feel heat radiating through. It feels nice on a cold day but I really want that heat trapped inside. To mitigate this large fleece blanks are hung over them at night but there is still significant heat lose during the day.

I picked up 4 six foot tall by five wide windows on clearance at Lowes for the south side sunroom. They were originally priced at $489 apiece but were returned and marked down to $21 each. Really cool with top and bottom sliders...you can leave the top open and close the bottom protecting the dogs and keeping unwanted critters out.

To my dismay after installing the heavy monsters I realized that they were low-e windows so efficient that no heat actually made it into the sunroom. This completely defeated the purpose. They were so effective that the sunroom was colder than standing outside in the direct sunlight.

Over the weekend we switched out the two sets of windows. Moving the clear picture windows with little insulating properties from the front to the sunroom on the south side of the cabin and replacing them with the highly efficient rear windows. A necessary pain.

I tell you I am stunned by the outcome. The low-e windows placed on the north side of the house not only hold heat but are aesthetically pleasing adding a lodge like warmth to the great and only room. It was cold outside and the new windows held the heat really well through the night. I got the temperature up to around 80 degrees at midnight and let the wood stove burn down. At six the next morning it was still 65 degrees without any heat overnight. I was very happy, this will save a great deal of money.

I am equally pleased with the clear windows now on the sunroom. The suns rays pass through and heat everything on the inside. This is gonna make the plants very happy and give an additional heat source once the large barrels of water are installed as heat sinks.

The only issue we found was that the newer windows were about 3/4 of an inch shorter than the old ones. This was easily remedied with some shimming and prying.

All windows are not created equally...use the correct tool for the job.

A great backup heating source is the Mr Heater Big Buddythis portable heater's output adjusts from 4000 to 18,000 BTU with the capacity to heat up to 400 square feet for up to 108 hours on one twenty pound bottle of propane. The Mr Heater Big Buddy also has an efficient built in fan to start warming the house when the wood stove is heating up. Great Survival Heater I highly recommend it!!!

Wood Delivery

Next to passive solar burning wood is the most efficient heat source available. If you have timber nearby a great deal of money can be saved each season by cutting and splitting your own wood. I plan on culling my own firewood over the next year hopefully reducing my heating cost to virtually nothing. Unfortunately I am not ahead of the curve and am purchasing some wood for this winter.

I found a relatively local source and bought two cords of wood from them on Friday. After meeting in town, the guys followed me out to the cabin...directions can be difficult when you don't have an address. They delivered two full cords of Ponderosa Pine split and no more than 18 inches in length. A cord of wood is 4x4x8 foot in volume this batch cost $150 per cord.

Most are good sized pieces that will burn for a long time, especially at night with the stove dampered down. Up to this point I have burned cedar, white pine and building scraps. This is by far the best wood I have ever used.

Ain't that a sexy orange car!

Cut your own firewood and save tons in heating costs with a Chain Saw. Don't let the power companies screw you over any longer.

Farmers Almanac 2009

Everyone needs to pick up an The Old Farmer's Almanac 2009. Their forecasting is fairly accurate and it make a great replacement for the 10 pm weather report. Here is the Bear Ridge weather overview for the next year.

Winter will be much colder and drier than normal, on average, with snowfall above normal in the north and below normal in the south. The coldest temperatures will occur in late December; early, mid-, and late January; and early February. The snowiest periods will be in mid-November, early and mid-December, mid- and late January, and late February.

April and May will be cooler than normal, with slightly above-normal precipitation.

Summer will be cooler than normal, with slightly above-normal rainfall. The hottest periods will be in mid- and late June and early and mid- to late July.

September and October will be warmer and drier than normal.

The first couple of years I started going down to the cabin the winter was very cold but had little snow, relatively pleasant. The past few years has seen massive snowfall and cold temperatures. The cold does not bother me but three feet of snow on the ground makes life miserable.

New Wood Stove

For the past couple of months I have been looking for the perfect wood stove to replace my small existing one. The new stove needed to have a large firebox, good damper control and burn through the night on one load. I picked up this gently used vintage 1977 wood stove over the weekend for $100 off of CraigsList.

The firebricks are all intact and the stove only has superficial rust which comes right off with a wire brush. The door seal needs replaced but that shouldn't be a problem.

The stunning iron work aside this beauty has a big firebox (24" wide, 22" tall 20" deep), a finely controlled damper which opens automatically if the temperature gets to low, a large front loading door and a thermo siphon water heater built into the back. The water heater is a great plus.

I plan on putting the new stoves back against the bathroom wall. I already keep a 30 gallon metal tank in the bathroom for water and heat that 30 gallons when I want to shower. With the thermo siphon the water in the tank will heat through the night and be ready for a morning shower. A great plus.

The stove vents from the back. I will be installing black stove pipe with a damper from the wood stove to the ceiling. Then attach the stove pipe it to a ceiling support box and continue on up with triple walled chimney pipe. Currently I run chimney pipe all the way down to the stove. This is very safe but I am losing a great deal of heat that would be provided by the thin walled black stove pipe.

Down the road if I decided that this wood stove is not efficient enough and uses to much wood I am only out a $100.

Three Essential Survival Tools

Here are three items that should be in everyone's bug out bag.

BOLT CUTTERS - Ahead of the mob, you left just in time. At the first sign of trouble you grabbed your bug out bag, some water and loaded the family into the 4x4 to head out. It's dark, the roads are icy and some bad over steering landed the jeep on its side in a ditch. The winds are fierce and temperatures are quickly dropping. You spot a nearby highway maintenance shed...they should have heat. Pulling the bolt cutters from your BOB you open a gap in the chain link fence and cut the padlock from the sliding doors. You get the family inside and safe. The next morning you right the jeep and continue to your retreat.

SLIM JIM - The fire is racing up the canyon, it's time to go. The pets, family and as many survival supplies that will fit are loaded into the truck. You jump in the cab and turn the engine over, nothing not even a click. Frantic you realize that the lights had been left on...the battery is dead. You see the neighbor's car abandoned in front of their house, they bugged out yesterday. It would have a charged battery. You grab your slim jim from the bug out bag. Being a good neighbor you gently pop the lock rather than busting the window. You open the hood then run the battery back to your truck. Later as you drive down the road you make a mental note to replace the battery...if the cars not melted into the ground.

LOCK PICK KIT - The neighbors left for the shelter several days back, no heat. You were smart enough to install a wood stove and put back plenty of food so the family should be OK. Unfortunately your kid is sick and needs something to bring down a fever. You stocked everything but forgot tylenol and ibuprofen. Grabbing your trusty lock pick kit you move door to door entering abandoned home from the back yard until you find a fully stocked med kit. You grab the meds, lock up the house and head home. Problem solved, kid feeling better.

Winter Warmth WoodStove

Winter is now here, last night the temperature dropped down into the mid 30'. It was overcast with low cloud cover and I seriously thought it was going to snow. The trees started changing several weeks back and I have seen a huge number black squirrels running around. This summer was very cold with just a handful of days in the 90's and pretty sure we didn't break 100 once. It is going to be a very cold, very dark winter. I hate winter.

With fuel oil, natural gas and propane at records highs we will all need to look for various ways to cut back on our heating costs. The concept is simple, turn the thermostat down to fifty five, put on a big sweater and grit you teeth. Now this is good in theory but the reality is a cold and miserable existence during the black winter months. This fifty five degree nonsense works fine in the middle of the night burrowed under about five layers of blankets, but during the day I want to be able to move around the house without seeing my breath.

I want to comfortably wear shorts. I want to sweat while eating my oatmeal. I want the decadent pleasure of opening a window to cool the house down. When there is several feet of snow outside and the wind is blowing fifty miles an hour there is no greater cure for the blues than basking in the artificial radiance of a ninety degree living room while watching Resident Evil Apocalypse.

Unfortunately the small wood stove that currently sits in the cabin is grossly inadequate for heating a large moderately insulated somewhat holey self built cabin. It's gets a good fire but cannot be dampered down at night and needs loading every hour and 45 minutes...exactly...I set my alarm clock. Plus the design allows most of the heat to go up the flu.

So since I will be permanently moving down in January (yes, I had to move the date back again...need more money. I will write about that later) a very cold month, I really would like to have a big, hot wood stove. But how do I go about getting one?

There are two options when purchasing a wood stove. Easy and elegant or hard and dirty. As always I picked hard and dirty but it is a personal choice.

Now the Easy and Elegant method is nice. You simply go to a web site and pick out a stove you like. They deliver and unload it to your fine and clean garage then someone else comes along and installs the massive thing with the proper fittings, pipe and cutting equipment. No fuss, no muss...the problem is that this is somewhat expensive...between two and three thousand to start then up and up and up. But it may be worth it.

The hard and dirty method is considerably cheaper, and I mean considerably. You find a wood stove, this means Craigs List, yard sales and junk yards. The big old stoves are good for a hundred years. It will run between one and six hundred for the stove. It needs to be a massive old thing. You don't want cute and you don't want small...even if you have a relatively little place to heat. The stove needs to burn through the night and produce much more heat than the space requires. Trust me, burns through the night and a lot of heat.

You then load, move, unload and install this massive thing. WOOD STOVES ARE VERY VERY HEAVY. Get the clearance correct, if you don't know then use three feet from any flammable surface. You can use metal and brick to reduce the clearance but do some research. Most of these beasts heat best when placed in the middle of the house. Remember don't think cute, think heat.

Next comes the stove and chimney pipe. You run black single walled stove pipe from the stove top to the pass through on the ceiling. This pass through is a special square box that protects the house from the considerable heat of the stove pipe. From there up you use chimney pipe. This is that double or triple walled stuff specifically designed to not melt quickly during a chimney fire.

For the house fire paranoid another option is to run chimney pipe all the way up from the wood stove. You will lose a considerable amount of heat radiated from the stove pipe but you will feel more secure.

It is critical that you use the proper pipe in the proper place. You will burn your house down if you don't.

FLASHBACK

When I put my stove in I asked my local HomeDepot associate where to get double walled chimney pipe for a wood stove. He pointed at some silver pipe and said this will work. I asked him if it was chimney pipe to use with a wood stove he assured me the stuff would work. I asked him a second time and got the same response. So I bought the stuff and installed it. Unfortunately this was doubled pipe designed for natural gas heating systems.

I hacked a hole in the roof with a semi sharp bread knife (not recommended) and put the pipe through. After a couple of burnings the pipe started to melt down in the middle of the night. Smoke filled the place I got the dogs and Ryan out then stuck the nozzle to the fire extinguisher in the stove and emptied it. The next day we pulled the stack and found out that the inner pipe had melted and blocked the chimney. I was literally seconds from the pipe burning through and catching the house on fire. A double walled chimney pipe is rated at 2200 degrees the little gas pipe was rated at 700 degrees. So don't be stupid...use the correct pipe. The chimney pipe is expensive but necessary.

After I installed the correct chimney the wood stove has been wonderful...not a great heater but very nice.

The picture above is a Fisher Wood Stove, can't place the model (Mama, Papa or Baby) but it is what I am looking for. Today I found a big old Schrader stove about twenty miles from here for a hundred bucks with stove pipe but didn't get there quick enough.

Stay Warm