Knowledge Weighs Nothing

How To Make Your Own PVC Water Well Hand Pump

This is a great 9 part series of videos on how to make your own water well hand pump from readily available PVC plumbing parts.

If the SHTF and you need water this could be a very handy skill to know or a very handy bit of kit to have laying around. Additionally, you can never have too many common PVC plumbing pipes and common accessories stored at home.  They can be useful for so many other things which they were never intended for, such as:

(Photo Credit: MeAndMother2)

Homemade Natural Bug Spray Recipe

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If you purchase bug spray it will likely contain a chemical called DEET. Simply put – DEET is nasty stuff, so unless you are plagued by mosquitoes and have no other option, I would steer clear of the stuff. I accidently sprayed some DEET on a tent when camping once… It melted the material! Below is a natural, safer homemade bug spray recipe for you to try. It is very cheap and easy to make and it works well for us.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of boiled water (left to cool)
  • 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 50-60 drops or peppermint essential oil (you can also try lemongrass or lavender oil too)

You will also need a spray bottle or two.

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to the spray bottle. Give it a really good shake and it’s ready to use. Simply spray on exposed skin and you are ready to go outdoors.

Notes

  • As it is a natural recipe it does wear off after a while, so be sure to reapply every hour or two.
  • Be sure to give the bottle a good shake before spraying to ensure the mixture is well mixed.
  • If you find the spray still smells a bit vinegary, add a few more drops of peppermint oil. You could also experiment by adding different essential oils too.
(Image from: Wikipedia)

DIY Self Watering Alaska Grow Buckets

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The Alaska Grow Bucket is the easiest self-watering container system that anyone can use to grow their own food. Alaska Grow Buckets use capillary action of a soil-less grow-medium to draw water from below up to the plant roots. The good thing about this design is there is no pumps, no electricity and best of all, you grow your own food. Become more self reliant and build one this summer.

I think these self-watering buckets will be excellent for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and peppers

DIY Self Watering Alaska Grow Buckets

(Picture Credit: chateau-listeur.blogspot.ca)

Simple PVC Tube Homemade Squirrel Trap

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This PVC tube homemade squirrel trap is useful for getting rid of pest squirrels and also for trapping wild squirrels for food. This trap is humane, in that it doesn’t kill or harm the squirrel once caught (providing you check it regularly). It’s up to you, if it is a pest squirrel, you can either re-home it somewhere else, or you can kill it. Obviously if you are using the trap for hunting, you’re going to kill it.

All you need for this trap is around a five foot length of 6 inch PVC tube.  You also need an end-cap or something to securely plug one end of the tube.

Once you have your length of PVC tube with the end capped off, it’s time for bait. I think it is a given that peanut butter works best; smear a little around the open end of the tube and then keep adding a little more down to around an arm’s length down the tube. I also got a slice of bread (which I covered in peanut butter) and dropped it down to the bottom of the tube.

Ok, so now we have the baited squirrel trap, it’s time to set it. Set the trap where you know there is squirrel activity. You want to set the plugged end on the ground and rest the open end against a branch etc.  You don’t want the tube to be fully vertical, as the squirrel won’t go down the tube.  You want to set it at around 60-70 degrees.  This way the squirrel will go down after the food, but cannot escape due to the slippery surface of the inner tube.

A few tips –

  • You can spray or smear some cooking oil around the inside of the tube, around an arm’s length down.  This will make it doubly difficult for the squirrel to escape.
  • If you are planning to dispatch the squirrel, the easiest way to do this is to hold a hessian/burlap bag over the open end of the tube and simply tip the squirrel out into the bag. A heavy whack with a piece of wood etc should kill the squirrel quickly and humanely.  
  • If you are hunting squirrel for food, make several of these homemade squirrel traps and set them in several locations.

There you go, a low cost (free if you have some PVC tube laying around), zero skill way to trap squirrels. Happy hunting!

Related books: Guide to Trapping & The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants

(Photo from: Airwolfhound)

10 Foods To Store That Practically Keep Forever

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Firstly – nothing will keep forever if it is not stored correctly in the right environment. Many of these foods need to remain dry and be kept in their original unopened packaging or airtight containers.

Sugar

All kinds of sugar, whether white, brown or powdered etc, will last forever if kept dry in an airtight container. Sugar will never spoil as bacteria simply cannot grow on sugar.

Dried Beans

Dried beans were tested by Brigham Young University. They tested the long-term storage of pinto beans, and their conclusion was that pinto beans were safe to eat 32 years after they were stored in an airtight container at an ambient temperature.

Rice

White, wild, arborio and basmati rice all keep for 25+ when kept in their sealed packaging, or when stored in an airtight container. Brown rice does not store so well due to its high oil content.

Corn Starch

Kept dry in its original box with the lid on, corn starch has an indefinite shelf life. Great for thickening soups and sauces post zombie apocalypse!

Powdered Milk

When stored unopened in its original packaging, powdered milk has an indefinite shelf life. Quick tip to determine if powdered milk has spoilt –  if it has started to turn yellow, it’s time to bin it.

Honey

Due to its high sugar content and antibiotic properties, honey can remain edible for 1000s of years, even when opened! Edible honey has been found in Egyptian tombs.

Hard Liquor

All distilled spirits such as vodka, rum, whisky, gin and tequila, keep forever, even in opened bottles. Their color and taste may change over time, but they are still fine to drink.

Sea Salt

Salt will never go bad if stored in a dry container and environment. It has the added benefit of being able to be used to preserve other fresh foods too.

Vinegar

Both apple cider vinegar and basic white vinegar will keep indefinitely when stored in a cool/dark cupboard. Vinegar also has countless cleaning, DIY and medical uses (see here)

Ramen Noodles

Yeah those little bricks of noodles with the flavor packets, that cost 20 cents! They have been shown to last 10+ years, kept in their original packaging. Given the price or ramen noodles, stocking up on them is a no-brainer.

11 Gardening Secrets You Won’t Learn From Books

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Let’s not beat around the bush – gardening is a constant struggle, you struggle against the elements and you struggle with all the bugs and critters who want to eat your prized vegetables and plants…

You can never know enough tips and tricks to tip the balance of this constant gardening battle in your favour. Below is a post sharing 11 secret tips that you won’t get from the experts or the people who sell you your seeds and plants.

11 Secrets You Won’t Learn From Books Or The Garden Centre

(Photo from:  Free for Commercial Use)

The 4 ‘Golden Rules’ For Caring For Cast Iron Cookware

Caring for cast iron cookware

Rule 1: Don’t wash cast-iron cookware like normal pots and pans.

Don’t wash cast-iron cookware like normal pots and pans. Dishwasher detergent and dish soap will remove the seasoning (oil coating) on the skillets etc, that is required for successful cooking and storage. If the seasoning is removed, food will stick to the cookware, and when stored the cast-iron will oxidize and rust.

Rule 2: Clean cast-iron cookware like this.

In most cases a quick wipe around with some kitchen towel and cooking oil will suffice. If you do have some stuck on food that doesn’t come off with a quick wipe – pour a cup of water in your skillet (etc), put it on the heat and let it boil for a minute or two. Remove from the heat, pour the water away and carefully wipe with some kitchen towel and oil. If the pan has still not come clean, add a handful of coarse salt and use some paper towel to rub the pan. The salt acts as a gentle abrasive that won’t damage the cast-iron.

Rule 3: Re-season after use

After you have used and or cleaned cast-iron cookware, be sure to re-season it before storage and further use. To do this – add a little oil to the cookware and use some paper towel to gently rub it around to seal and protect it. This will protect and stop the cookware from rusting in storage, and mean it is ready for use straight out of the cupboard next time.

Rule 4: Treat with care

Never use steel wool to clean cast-iron cookware, it will scratch the surface. Be very careful using metal cooking utensils too as they can also cause damage. Use wooden utensils if possible. Lastly store your cast-iron cookware carefully. Cast-iron cookware is heavy so it is easy to chip or dent when handling and storing. Chips and dents can affect how food cooks and sears, so handle with care.

BONUS: Find Out What The Numbers & Letters On Cast-Iron Cookware Mean

You’ll either be really interested in this, or you’ll be thinking what’s the point?  Actually since you are reading this post you are likely in the ‘interested’ party category.

There is so much heritage and history wrapped up in old-cast iron cookware, old cast-iron Dutch ovens, skillets, kettles and those beautiful old cast-iron wood burning stoves. Wouldn’t it be nice if you find out a bit more about them, when were they made, what was their original purpose etc. Well now you can! Below is an article to the ‘Cast Iron Collector’ website that explains what all those numbers and letters on your old cast-iron cookware mean.

Find Out What The Numbers & Letters On Cast-Iron Cookware Mean

40 Awesome Food Preserving Links: Beginner Tips, Pro Tricks & More…

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This is a great resource for both canning/preserving novices and old-hands. Aimée from ‘Simple Bites’ has written this great post featuring links to 40 of the most useful canning and preserving websites and posts around…

Seriously, there is so much great information and advice here, it really is awesome; if you do any canning or preserving, I highly recommend checking it out. I guarantee you’ll find something new and useful here.

40 Awesome Food Preserving Links: Beginner Tips, Pro Tricks & More…

(Photo from: Simple Bites)

4 Common Wild Edible Plants That Could Save Your Life

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So you’re in that survival situation in the wilderness and you remember all the TV shows and you are immediately thinking about hunting/trapping/fishing for food. In some ways this is correct, in a long term survival situation, animal protein and fat are vital for survival. That said, it might surprise you to know that most of a wilderness survival diet will be made from plants, nuts, seeds and berries…

Below is a great post from ‘Tactical Intelligence’ which lists 4 of the most common wild edibles, all of which are capable of saving your life in different situations. And hey, I hold my hands up, I did not know that about grass!

4 Common Wild Edible Plants That Could Save Your Life

(Photo from: Wikimedia Commons)

How To Make Natural Homemade Ginger Ale

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Do you know, I picked up some ginger ale the other day and when I read the ingredients, there wasn’t actually any ginger in it… Just artificial flavors.

I love traditional ginger ale, but in addition to tasting great, ginger ale also has many medicinal properties, with the most popular use being to sooth stomach ache and alleviate nausea.  Many people swear by ginger for travel and sea sickness. If you’d like have a go at making your own natural and healthy ginger ale, head over to ‘Wellness Mama’ and get the recipe.

How To Natural Homemade Ginger Ale

(Photo from: Wellness Mama)