I haven't updated this blog in ages. I figure it's time for me to post...something
The next few entries in this blog are going to orient themselves around integrating tech into your emergency preparation plans. By "tech" I mean adding specific software to the following items so that they lend themselves to being useful during an emergency:
Cell phone
USB Flash drive or SD flash card
Laptop
I know most survivalists always seem to plan for worst case scenario i.e. complete meltdown of civilization and society, no electricity or running water, nuclear winter, scorched earth, dogs and cats...living together. Mass hysteria. yay
The facts are most likely the majority of us (god willing) will not experience such complete devastation in our lifetimes. What we do stand a chance of encountering are catastrophes that while not as large in scale as a global apocalypse, are no less dangerous and life threatening if you are caught up in one. Hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, riots, the monthly sales event at the local Loehmanns.
So this series of articles will be addressed towards those possibilities; that there is an emergency or crisis, but communications and electrical infrastructure are still working for the most part.
Some of the software I will be writing about can work without an internet or phone connection. So if you have a solar charger of some sort and electricity is out it will still be useful to a degree. I will make a note as to whether or not the app can be used offline.
Anyways the first entry will be pertaining to organizing your Android based phone with some snazzy apps that can help you out during an emergency. Look for it to be posted "soon"...
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Yes, I know lots of images are missing
It's been a loooong time since I updated this blog.
In the meantime I stupidly closed the website where I hosted most of the images I linked to in most of my posts. I have the original images and have uploaded them to one of my other sites but I haven't had the time to go through and update all the links in each post to point to the new images location. I'm currently unemployed and looking for a job so that is taking most of my time. And the other part of my time is taken up entertaining my 2 toddlers that I didn't have when I was updating this blog regularly in the past.
Anyways, if anyone still bothers to read this blog I will start going through and fixing the missing images soon, I promise.
In the meantime I stupidly closed the website where I hosted most of the images I linked to in most of my posts. I have the original images and have uploaded them to one of my other sites but I haven't had the time to go through and update all the links in each post to point to the new images location. I'm currently unemployed and looking for a job so that is taking most of my time. And the other part of my time is taken up entertaining my 2 toddlers that I didn't have when I was updating this blog regularly in the past.
Anyways, if anyone still bothers to read this blog I will start going through and fixing the missing images soon, I promise.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Follow up to urban gardening pt 1
Hi all. Here is a little contribution to add to urban gardening. Most plastic containers are suitable for some type of food production. Small containers that most would think useless can be used for small rooted plants such as herbs, peppers etc. I myself live in the country with room enough for a regular garden, but this year I decided to try some container gardening. What I tried was Big Boy tomatoes in five gallon buckets.
From the start, I thought this would be a simple task, but it takes a lot of TLC to get a good production. I started with four five gallon buckets, holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. If there are no drainage holes it can cause the soil to retain too much water. I placed one inch wood strips under the front and back of the buckets so that they would actually drain, and not be blocked from sitting flat on the ground. I then added about two inches of large sized gravel so that the soil wouldn't clog the drainage holes. Next was the soil. I mixed top soil, potting soil, and manure. The buckets were filled to about three inches from the top. Tomato plants recommend planting the plants two thirds of the way into the soil, but I plant mine about three quarters deep. The more of the plant in the soil, the more the roots will develop. The stem of a tomato plant will produce roots up the entire stem that is beneath the soil. I then added cages to support the plants as they grew.
The hard part of this is the water. Tomatoes like water, but not over watering. (Hence the drain holes) I gave each plant one gallon of water every other day. This was great for a while. Once they started producing actual tomatoes they just weren't getting as large as they should. Big Boy tomatoes produce sixteen to thirty two ounce tomatoes. Mine were half that. I finally realized that Miracle-Gro works wonders. Since they are in containers the plants can only get nutrients from the soil in which they are planted. They can't absorb it from the surrounding soil like regularly planted plants. I used the Miracle-Gro once a week and they turned out great.
From the start, I thought this would be a simple task, but it takes a lot of TLC to get a good production. I started with four five gallon buckets, holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. If there are no drainage holes it can cause the soil to retain too much water. I placed one inch wood strips under the front and back of the buckets so that they would actually drain, and not be blocked from sitting flat on the ground. I then added about two inches of large sized gravel so that the soil wouldn't clog the drainage holes. Next was the soil. I mixed top soil, potting soil, and manure. The buckets were filled to about three inches from the top. Tomato plants recommend planting the plants two thirds of the way into the soil, but I plant mine about three quarters deep. The more of the plant in the soil, the more the roots will develop. The stem of a tomato plant will produce roots up the entire stem that is beneath the soil. I then added cages to support the plants as they grew.
The hard part of this is the water. Tomatoes like water, but not over watering. (Hence the drain holes) I gave each plant one gallon of water every other day. This was great for a while. Once they started producing actual tomatoes they just weren't getting as large as they should. Big Boy tomatoes produce sixteen to thirty two ounce tomatoes. Mine were half that. I finally realized that Miracle-Gro works wonders. Since they are in containers the plants can only get nutrients from the soil in which they are planted. They can't absorb it from the surrounding soil like regularly planted plants. I used the Miracle-Gro once a week and they turned out great.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Urban Gardening pt 1
One of the challenges facing those that decide to hunker down in their homes will be trying to find a sustainable or supplemental food supply. If your are hunkering down somewhere out in the sticks and you have a large plot of land starting a garden is relatively easy. If you are living in an urban setting with very limited space starting a garden is...problematic to say the least. You have to try to maximize the use of your limited space to try to get as much yield as possible.
Kevin from survivalistboards.com has given people permission to post his videos on their blogs. He has a couple of videos showing how to use common plastic bins that people use to store items under their beds as deck planting beds.Without further ado:
Other methods you can use for gardening in an urban setting are using raised beds, wall planters, hanging planters, pots and other containers to grow your food. These will be covered in detail in other future posts on this topic.
Kevin from survivalistboards.com has given people permission to post his videos on their blogs. He has a couple of videos showing how to use common plastic bins that people use to store items under their beds as deck planting beds.Without further ado:
Other methods you can use for gardening in an urban setting are using raised beds, wall planters, hanging planters, pots and other containers to grow your food. These will be covered in detail in other future posts on this topic.
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