Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Dakin’s Solution Recipe: How To Make Dakin’s Solution

Dakin's solution recipe

A member of your family is wounded.  You don’t have an antiseptic solution to clean and disinfect the wound, what can you do? Well, you could make an antiseptic called Dakin’s solution from common household ingredients you already have in your home!

This homemade antiseptic is known as Dakin’s solution (also known as Dakin’s fluid & Carrel–Dakin fluid) and it was developed by English chemist, Henry Drysdale Dakin and French surgeon, Alexis Carrel, it was first used in the first World War to treat soldier wounds and fight infection. The Dakin’s solution recipe is made up with Clorox or similar chlorine bleach, baking soda and water, that’s it…

Dakin’s Solution Recipe

You will need:

  • Clorox or similar household bleach (Sodium hypochlorite solution 5.25%). Don’t use thick or scented bleach
  • Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
  • Tap water
  • Cleaned/sterilized pan with lid, measuring cup and spoon,  jar with lid.

How To Make Dakin’s Solution

  • Wash your hands
  • Measure out 32 ounces (4 cups) of tap water. Pour into the clean pan.
  • Boil water for 15 minutes with the lid on the pan. Remove from heat.
  • Using the sterile measuring spoon, add ½ teaspoonful of baking soda to the boiled water.
  • You can make the solution in one of four strengths. Measure bleach according to the chart and add to the water also:
    1. For full strength – add 3 oz. bleach or 95 ml.
    2. For 1/2 strength – add 3 tbls. + 1/2 tsp. or 48 ml
    3. For 1/4 strength – add 1 tbls. +2  tsp. or 24 ml.
    4. For 1/8 strength – add 2 1/2 tsp. or 12-14 ml.
  • Pour  the solution into the sterile jar and put the lid on.
  • Make sure you clearly label the jar as Dakin’s solution, also including the strength of solution and date of expiry
  • Cover the jar with aluminium foil or store it somewhere dark, to protect it from light.

After opening the jar, throw away the remaining solution after 48 hours. An unopened jar can be stored for around a month if it is not opened, providing it is stored in the dark.

Dakin’s Solution Recipe Infographic

Dakin's Solution recipe infographic

How To Make Dakin’s Solution Video Tutorial

There are quite a few steps to this recipe, so check out the video below for a full demonstration of how to make Dakin’s solution.

Seeds 101: A Round-Up Of Our Shorter Seed Posts

Seeds

Survival Seed Vault – Heirloom Emergency Survival Seeds – 20 Easy-to-grow Varieties

Could you feed your family from your garden if you *had* to? What if you simply decided you wanted to?

This emergency survival seed vault was created to serve that very purpose. With a large selection, this seed bank contains 20 varieties of easy-to-grow heirloom vegetable seeds. All seeds are packaged in jumbo-sized triple-layered foil packets. These packets have built in zip-lock, so they can be resealed once opened. Detailed planting, harvesting, and seed saving instructions are included!

  • Survival Garden Seeds Hermetically Stored For Greater Shelf Life
  • Heirloom Seeds Are Open Pollinated & 100% Non-GMO
  • Survival Seeds May Be Planted, Harvested, and Replanted Endlessly
  • Manufacturer Has Signed Safe Seed Pledge
  • Waterproof Emergency Seed Supply

Get it here: Survival Seed Vault – Heirloom Emergency Survival Seeds – 20 Easy-to-grow Varieties

Seed Saving 101 (FREE 30 Page Guide)

seedsaving

If you grow your own fruit and vegetables, I think saving seeds from successful crops is a no-brainer. It saves you money, allows you to be self-sufficient and it enables you to replant varieties which have already proven themselves to crop well and resist disease.  It just makes sense!

A lot of the time, seed saving is pretty simple – beans, for example, couldn’t be easier.  Just leave them on the plants until the pods start to shrivel and dry out; then just pop off the beans and store them somewhere dry until replanting. Things like carrots, cauliflower and cabbages are not quite as straightforward, but again, once you know how it is relatively simple.

Below is a link to download a FREE 30 page PDF guide from the Seed Alliance. It is a very detailed guide that covers everything you need to know about saving seeds for the most commonly grown plants. I highly recommend you download it and print it out. When you click on the link, it will open the PDF guide your browser. To save it, just right-click on the first page and choose ‘Save As’.

Seed Saving 101 (FREE 30 Page Guide)

(Photo from: Seed Alliance)

List Of 100+ Heirloom, Non-GMO & Organic Seed Companies

List-Of-Heirloom-Seed-Suppliers (1)

We all (should) know the benefits and advantages to using heirloom, non-GMO and organic seeds. Simply put, they are as nature intended and when you work with nature, rather than against it, you get the best long-term results…

There are currently 100+ heirloom, non-GMO and organic seed companies listed now, mainly across the US, Canada, UK/Ireland and Australia.  There are a few others elsewhere, but these are the main locations.

What I particularly like about this list, is that it is largely made up of small independent seed suppliers, rather than the huge seed/gardening companies.  Personally, I would much rather spend my money with a small, family run, ethical business, rather than a huge faceless international corporation. Check out the list and bookmark a few suppliers for next year’s seeds.

List Of 85+ Heirloom, Non-GMO & Organic Seed Companies

(Photo from: Off The Grid)

Seeds Explained: Heirloom, Hybrid, GMO (Includes Pros & Cons Of Each)

seedsinfographic_2013
When did choosing and purchasing fruit and vegetable seeds get so complicated?

Years ago seeds were just seeds and you purchased what the store had in stock.  These days you have heirloom, hybrid and GMO seeds to choose from…

If you are confused by all the terms, this great infographic from Dr J Renae Norton will help you make the right choice.

(Graphic from: Eating Disorder Pro)

A Prepper’s & Homesteader’s Guide to Buying Seeds

seeds-copy-Copy
It’s getting to that planning and planting time again and many folks are buying and planting seeds.

The things is, which seeds should you purchase? Organic, heirloom, hybrid or those cheap ones from the $1 store?  Well, it largely depends on your values/beliefs, your requirements, and your budget.

From a prepper, homestead and self-sufficient point of view, you will likely be interested in seed saving, that is – you harvest some of the seeds from this year’s crops for planting the following year.  To do this effectively you need to invest in the right seeds, to begin with.  Seed saving will save you money and enable you to be more self-sufficient in the longer term, so it is worth paying a little extra for these seeds now.

Jennifer from ‘Are We Crazy Or What’ has written a great guide on buying seeds, which breaks down the different kinds of seeds and the benefits of each.  It’s a great read, especially if you are going to be buying some seeds soon.

The “Dirt” on Seeds: A Prepper’s Guide to Buying Seeds

(Photo from: Are We Crazy Or What)

When To Plant Vegetable Seeds (2 EXCELLENT Printable Charts)

rootsnursery-seedbytemp
rootsnursery-germinate
Knowing when to plant seeds is crucial to successful germination and healthy plants.

I don’t know about you, but I am always eager to get sowing seeds indoors this time of year. Trouble is I always sow too many and too soon. They shoot up in the seed trays indoors and they are ready to be transplanted outdoors in no time. Problem is – it is still too cold outdoors to plant them out…

These two charts have been created by the lovely folks at Roots Nursery and I don’t need to tell you how useful the charts will be. If you are like me you’ll have them printed out in no time.

Do me a favour, though – if you like these charts as much as me, head over to the Roots Nursery Facebook page and ‘Like’ their Facebook page as way of a Thank You!

The Storage Life of Seeds

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Now is a good time to get out your seeds and take a look at the dates and storage conditions. If you are prepping, you may have stockpiled a mass of seeds but are those seeds still good to use?

Seeds of plants have different shelf lives which evolved under the conditions of the origination of the plant species. The seed coat that protects the seed also determines the length of time that the seed germ can stay alive and any conditions that must be met to stimulate germination.

The Storage Life of Seeds

(Picture Credit: garlandcannon)

5 Advantages Of Starting Seeds Indoors

tomato_seedlings
It’s getting to that time of year again when we are starting to think about planting, but you have to be so careful planting early, heavy rain, late snow, and frost can all spell disaster for germinating seeds and seedlings. Starting your seeds off indoors can give you a good head-start on the season, whilst also ensuring your plants aren’t at the mercy of early spring weather.

When starting seeds off indoors, the main thing you have to do is harden them off before planting outside. You can’t just move the plants from a heated environment and then put them straight outside in the cold. There has to be a period of adjustment for the plant, where you can place them outdoors during the daytime for a few days and bring them in overnight.  This way, when you do finally plant them out, it won’t be quite the shock to the system.

If you want to read more about starting seeds off early indoors, the Prep-Blog has written and article on the 5 advantages of doing so.

5 Advantages Of Starting Seeds Indoors

How to Sprout Seeds for Super Quick, Super Nutrition

The nutritious value of sprouts is nothing short of amazing. All sprouts contain a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, anti-oxidants and trace minerals  than when the plant is fully matured. When you add to this the fact they can be grown in a jar anywhere and they are ready to eat in 3-5 days, they are a no-brainer for preppers.

MRSs and tinned goods will keep you alive but you will not be in the best shape without getting some fresh fruit and vegetables into your diet as well.  Sprouting seeds are excellent for this as there are many varieties with different nutritional properties. Personally, I don’t feel sprouting seeds can be overlooked when it comes to prepping and self-sufficiency.

See:  How To Make Fresh Sprouts With Sprouting Seed

Build A Back Saving PVC Corn, Bean, Seed Planter

cornplanter

Do you know what, I am not even 40 yet and already my back already protests after a short while of bending over planting seeds/beans etc, so God knows the problems this must cause for folks in their 50s, 60s, 70s etc, and others with back and joint conditions such as arthritis.

I have not looked properly, but I don’t recall ever seeing a device like this planter in stores or advertised on the TV. This is surprising as it is immediately obvious that a great many gardeners would benefit from it. Anway, even if you can purchase them, there is not need as below is a tutorial from ‘Sensible Survival’ showing how to make your own back saving seed planter from PVC pipe.

How To Build A Back Saving PVC Corn, Bean, Seed Planter

(Image from: Sensible Survival)

Homemade Water Filter: Make A DIY Water Filter

6 homemade water filter tutorials

Below are six different homemade water filter tutorials. The first five are DIY filters for filtering rainwater and water from unclean water sources. The last tutorial shows how to make a homemade Berkey water filter for use in the home. This homemade Berkey filter is equally effective but around 75% cheaper!

How To Make A Bio-Sand DIY Water Filter

Bio-sand filters are super quick and easy to build homemade water filter systems and they are very effective at filtering dirty water and making it safe. Watch the video for details. A homemade water filter like this would be great for filtering and purifying water stored in rainwater catchment systems.

Below is some additional information from Wikipedia  on the effectiveness of homemade bio-sand filters

Bio-sand filters remove pathogens and suspended solids through a combination of biological and physical processes that take place in the biolayer and within the sand column. BSFs have been shown to remove 5.00-64.00% of heavy metals and 90.00-99.99% of turbidity and contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

Filtration process

Pathogens and suspended solids are removed through a combination of biological and physical processes that take place in the biolayer and within the sand layer. These processes include:

  • Mechanical trapping. Suspended solids and pathogens are physically trapped in the spaces between the sand grains.
  • Predation. Pathogens are consumed by other microorganisms in the biolayer.
  • Adsorption. Pathogens become attached to each other, suspended solids in the water and the sand grains.
  • Natural death. Pathogens finish their life cycle or die because there is not enough food or oxygen for them to survive.

Removal of contaminants

Turbidity

Results for turbidity reductions vary depending on the turbidity of the influent water. Water with high turbidity looks dirty due to sand, silt and clay floating in the water. Feed turbidity in one study ranged from 1.86 to 3.9 NTU. In a study, water was obtained from sample taps of water treatment plants from three local reservoirs. It poured through a slow sand filter and results showed that turbidity decreased to a mean of 1.45 NTU. In another study using surface water, a 93% reduction in turbidity was observed. As the biofilm above the sand ripens turbidity removal increases. Although bio-sand filters do exhibit a high reduction in turbidity, slow sand filters show higher removals due to a slower filtration rate.

Heavy metals

There is limited research on removal of heavy metals by bio-sand filters. In a study conducted in South Africa, the filter was found to have about 64% removal of iron and 5% removal of magnesium.

Bacteria

In laboratory studies, the bio-sand filter has been found to have about a 98-99% removal of bacteria. Over a time period of about two months, it was found that the bio-sand filter may increase in the removal for E. coli due to biofilm formation. The removal after this time period ranged from 97-99.99% removal depending on the daily charge volume and percent feed water amended with primary effluent to the filter daily. The addition of primary effluent or waste water facilitates the growth of the biofilm which aids bacterial die-off. Research in the field shows that implemented bio-sand filters reduce fewer bacteria than ones in a controlled environment. In research conducted in 55 households of Bonao, Dominican Republic, the average E. coli reduction was found to be about 93 percent.

Viruses

Lab tests have shown that while the reduction of E. coli from these filters is quite significant, the attenuation in viruses is significantly less due to their small size. In a study using to bacteriophages, the removal ranged between 85% and 95% after 45 days of usage. A recent study has suggested that virus removal increases significantly over time, reaching 99.99% after a period of approximately 150 days.

Protozoa

In one lab test, the bio-sand filter also got greater than a 99.9% removal of protozoa. In tests for one type of protozoa, Giardia lambia had a 100% removal for 29 days of usage. Another protozoa, Cryptosporidium oocysts, showed to have a slightly lower reduction (99.98%) possibly due to their smaller size. This removal showed to be comparable to that of the slow sand filter.

How To Make A Hillbilly DIY Water Filter (A survival water filter made from trash)

After reading this you will never look at that discarded water bottle you find in the woods the same again. In fact, that garbage you are so disgusted with just may save your life one day. How you wonder? Well, the hillbilly DIY water filter is how. A little science and ingenuity is all you need to purify water with stuff you will likely find in the great outdoors.

Water that comes from an unknown source is widely accepted as unsafe to drink. You just don’t know what has been put into that water, whether you can see it or not. We are talking deadly bacteria, feces and a variety of other nasty impurities that would do a real number on your body if you ingested them. For that reason, you absolutely must purify the water before you consume it. You must have water to survive.

One of the most common ways to purify water is to boil it. Unfortunately, in a survival situation, that is not always an option. You may have some of those handy purification tablets, but again, what do you do if you don’t?

Making Water Safer With Trash

As a last resort, you can use the hillbilly filtering system to get life-sustaining water into your system. You can watch the video and see exactly what I am talking about. Basically, you need a discarded water bottle or plastic pop bottle. Foliage, like edible dandelions and chickweed, will act as a filtering system along with some charcoal material. Remains of an old campfire are perfect for this part of your filtering system. If you happen to be in need of a makeshift water purification system in the winter or in a place where foliage is not around, rocks and sand can be used.

While this homemade water filter is relatively effective, do not expect crystal clear water the first few runs through the system. However, it will be safe to drink. If you have the time, run your water through the filter several times to get a clearer product.  As I said earlier, this may not be the best system, but it is effective and it will get you what you need to survive until a better purification system is put into place.

Craig Caudill is an outdoors enthusiast who regularly shares his knowledge at www.dansdepot.com.  He is also the chief instructor at his Nature Reliance School.

How To Make A Tree Branch Water Filter That Removes 99% of E. coli

tree branch DIY water filter

Ok, I’ll admit, this is a new one for me. I know several methods for making DIY water filters, even one made from the trash you can find in the woods. However, I have never seen such a simple and effective DIY water filter as this one. It’s so simple to make – simply choose the right branch, in this case, they use white pine, securely wedge it in the end of a pipe and you have an effective low-tech water filter.

The one downside to this simple water filter is that it can only filter around 4 liters of water a day, but they are so quick and easy to make, you could easily rig up 2 or 3 filters and leave them to filter the water whilst you are doing other things. Find out exactly how to make a tree branch filter over at ‘The Ecopreneurist’ How To Make A Tree Branch Water Filter That  Removes 99% of E. coli

(Image from: Ecopreneurist)

How To Make A Bio-Sand Homemade Water Filter To Filter Collected Rainwater

bio-sand barrell homemade water filter system

Most people who collect rainwater, do so for watering their garden and crops. The thing is, rainwater collected from the roof of your home etc is perfectly drinkable if it is first filtered, to take out any toxins and bacteria etc. You don’t need a high-tech expensive industrial water filter system to do this; you can easily make something known as a bio-sand filter, which can all but be made for free…

Below is some additional information from Wikipedia 

Bio-sand filters remove pathogens and suspended solids through a combination of biological and physical processes that take place in the biolayer and within the sand column. BSFs have been shown to remove 5.00-64.00% of heavy metals and 90.00-99.99% of turbidity and contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

If you are interested in setting up your own bio-sand water filter, to run your collected rainwater through, check out: How To Make A Bio-Sand Filter To Filter Collected Rainwater

(Photo from: The Prepper Journal)

Purifying Water By Boiling In A Plastic Bottle

plastic bottle water purification

It’s a sad fact of life that no matter where you go off the beaten track, you always seem to find someone else’s trash – soda/beer cans, plastic soda bottles, and food wrappers seem to be everywhere…

Whilst finding trash in the wilderness is a great shame, it can provide the opportunity for survival in emergency survival situations – soda cans can be used to carrying and boiling water, plastic bottles can obviously be used for transporting and storing water too, but I bet a lot of you didn’t realize that you can also boil water over a fire in a plastic bottle. To find out the correct way of doing this, check out the post below from ‘Willow Haven Outdoor’.

I am sure some people will point out the dangers of plastic chemicals leaching into the water.  These chemicals may or may not be dangerous after prolonged, repeat exposure to them, but the fact is dehydration WILL kill you within days, and it will kill you even quicker if you drink unboiled water and get sick. Find out more here: Someone’s Trash Can Save Your Life: Purifying Water In A Plastic Bottle

(Photo from: Willow Haven Outdoor)

Build A CHEAP DIY Berkey Water Filter: Homemade For 1/4 The Cost

Berkey water filters are pretty much the most popular water filters for home/family use.  Berkey state that the filtration on their products is so effective, virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.  The problem is you have to pay a lot for this performance…

But here’s the thing – a quick look on Amazon shows that it will cost in the region of $250-$300 for a family sized Berkey water filter, BUT it also shows that you can purchase a pair of Berkey Replacement Filters for around $55.  It is the filters that make the water safe and you can fit these into two five gallon (food grade) containers and add a tap in around five minutes (watch the video!).  You pretty much now have a fully functioning Berkey water filter system for the cost of the replacement Berkey filters, a tap and two food grade five gallon buckets, which add up to around a quarter of the price of a complete Berkey system.

Note: In the video above Steve is using the standard Berkey filters.  When I checked on Amazon, judging from the reviews there is clearly an issue with these at present, so I have linked to the Berkey Ceramic filters as these seem a safer bet at the moment. I am assuming that these ceramic filters will fit in the same way as the standard filters, as they both fit the Big Berkey system.

This really is a super simple project and an excellent low-cost way to ensure your family has safe drinking water should disaster strike. With this system, you could filter rainwater collected from a rainwater harvesting system, or rivers/lakes etc.

Ultimate Camping Tips & Hiking Tips, Tricks & Hacks (200+ Tips)

Ultimate list of camping tips

So here’s the thing. When I first started KWN many years back, I mainly searched online for interesting, useful and entertaining posts, tutorials and videos. When I found something worthwhile I would then write up a short post about it and include a link to the source, so folks could check it out. As a result, there is around 1000 of these shorter posts on the website. As part of some long overdue housekeeping, I am going through these old posts and bunching the together to make single/longer list style posts. This is the first such post. It contains all the shorter posts on KWN about camping and hiking tips and tricks.

101 Camping Tips: For Campers, Preppers, Hikers, etc, etc…

camping at night

Camping tips and advice is useful for more than just camping… For example, if you are a prepper, camping knowledge will be vital for your survival if the SHTF. To be honest, anyone such as hunters, hikers, fishermen, etc, who might end up spending a night or more under the stars, can pick up some useful tips and advice from the 101 camping tips post below.

Actually, make that 102 camping tips, I have one of my own tips, which is highlighted in the photo above – camping tip 102 – use a red filter on your flashlight (or the red light setting if it has one) at night to preserve your night vision. Normal light from flashlight and lamps etc, causes you to lose your night vision, which means it takes your eyes a good while to adapt to the dark afterwards. Red light enables you to see around camp etc, but it also preserves your night vision.

101 Camping Tips: For Campers, Preppers, Hikers, etc, etc…  (Unfortunately, this website has been offline recently)

(Photo from:  °Florian)

23 Essential Hiking Hacks, Tips, And Tricks

hiking hacks

We have featured quite a few posts about hacks for various subjects, but I keep getting messages asking about the use of the term ‘hack’ and what it means. Effectively it means tips and tricks and ways of doing things that you probably hadn’t consider previously. It can also mean using day-to-day items for uses other than that they were intended.

Anyway, this post  is about hiking hacks. We did camping hacks a while back, so I thought it was time to share some hiking tips and trick, as I know a lot of you will be outdoors hiking now the weather has warmed up. Check out the list of hiking hacks below, there’s some awesome information in there.

23 Essential Hiking Hacks, Tips, And Tricks

(Image from: Buzzfeed)

25 Tips & Tricks To Make Camping Easier & More Fun

25 camping tips

We have featured several camping tips, tricks and hacks posts previously on Knowledge Weighs Nothing. If there is one thing I have learnt, it that you guys are crazy for camping and camping tips and tricks so here’s some more for you.

I always think that camping is an awesome thing to do, as not only does it get the family out of the house and together in a natural environment, but camping also teaches many important skills which can stand you in good stead in disaster scenarios if the SHTF. There is nothing like knowing you can pack up the tent and take the family and survive outdoors if needed. Check out the 25 camping tips/trick below and have an awesome camping trip this summer!

25 Tips & Tricks To Make Camping Easier & More Fun

(Image from: One Good Thing By Jillee)

41 Clever Camping Hacks To Try This Year

41 camping hacks

I love camping, it is especially magical with young children, but camping seems to divide people, some love it, others hate it.  The thing is I think that most of the people who hate camping probably had a bad camping experience which likely stemmed from poor planning/preparation.

With the right gear, a bit of location research and some preparation, camping can be an amazing experience. For all the camping haters, I urge you to give camping another go this summer, especially if you have kids, as kids will remember camping trips forever. Anyway, for anyone planning on camping in the near-future, check out the link below for 41 camping hacks and tips to try.

41 Clever Camping Hacks To Try This Year

(Image from: Buzzfeed)

35+ Camping Tips, Tricks & Treats That Could Be Used In An Emergency Situation

35 camping tips and tricks

Camping is always a great way to practice survival skills while having fun all at the same time. Make camping easier by learning a few new skills that could also make life in an emergency situation more bearable.

Some of these new tips / tricks are really handy to know to either save you time or save you money, so it’s a win-win, all around. Check them out below, the website is a bit clunky but stick with it as these are some awesome tips…

35+ Camping Tips, Tricks & Treats That Could Be Used In An Emergency Situation

Picture Credit: tipnut.com

18 Tips For Foolproof Camping

18 camping tips

Sure, I know, I know, loads of you are seasoned, experienced campers and hikers. For many of you guys, most of these camping tips will be what you would consider common knowledge, but the thing is common knowledge isn’t always that common for the inexperienced…

If you are just getting into camping/hiking, check out the post below for 18 camping tips. Know before you go, for the best chance of a successful camping trip.

18 Tips For Foolproof Camping

(Photo from:  stevecadman)

Must Read Camping & Hiking Safety Advice To Help You Stay Safe

campsafety

I don’t know the figures but I am guessing 1000s of individuals and family get into trouble each summer when out hiking and camping. I don’t know why so many people head off into the wilderness unprepared. I guess for the inexperienced, the dangers are not so apparent…

Anyway, we have done loads of posts about camping/hiking, but not much about how to stay safe when you’re on your adventure. When I saw the awesome post by Doom And Bloom, I had to share it. The advice included in this extensive post is for newbies and experienced hikers/campers alike. Check it out below.

Must Read Camping & Hiking Safety Advice To Help You Stay Safe

(Image from: Wikipedia)

How To Grow Fruits All-Year Round in Your Backyard

Screenshot 2016-04-25 at 10.59.34 - Edited

Due to its many health advantages, having at least one serving of fruit during every meal is a must. However, not a lot of people have the access to fresh fruits every single day, all throughout the year.

Many believe that tending to a fruit garden helps provide all the fresh fruits you and your family need plus more. For one, growing fruits in the backyard gives you more control over the chemicals that touch your produce so you know that the one that gets into your table is safe. In addition, growing a garden also encourages more physical activity in one’s daily routine.

Fortunately, it isn’t as intimidating to grow backyard fruit trees and plants as what most people would think. In fact, you can grow them even with limited space, time or energy. Pots and vertical spaces can become your best friend and, once established, these plants should start providing a bountiful harvest every year.
So, how do you start with growing a fruit garden?

The best thing to do is to first figure out which fruit would grow best in the region you are in. Some plants could only tolerate certain types of climate and soil. There is even a best season to grow them although many can survive the winter months as long as they are wrapped or kept indoors. Knowing how much sunlight they need (full sun or partial shade) is also important in making sure that your plants grow well.

Beyond growing fruits, a good farmer should also know how to store their harvest properly so they can last long. Of course, it is great to share or even sell the produce but, for personal consumption, the guide below will tell you how long some fruits last inside a refrigerator or a freezer.

See? Planting fruits does not have to be that hard. As long as you have the right knowledge, starting your garden should be a breeze.

How to grow fruit all year round

How to grow fruit all year round by team at Happy to Survive.

Lisa Farland is a content writer in Happy to Survive – a blog that will help you thrive and survive, and offers articles about preparedness, and off-the-grid, self-reliant living. Lisa is an avid minimalist camper, prepper and survivalist.

Chicken Jerky Recipe: Use It To Make Turkey Jerky Too!

Chicken jerky

Chicken jerky is a nice alternative to beef jerky and it makes a great high protein and low fat savoury snack  This recipe can be used to make chicken or turkey jerky.

Simple Chicken Jerky (Or Turkey Jerky!) Recipe

You will need:

  • 3-4 chicken (or turkey) breasts (whatever your dehydrator can handle)
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Ziplock bag
  • Dehydrator

Chicken Jerky Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into 1/4 or 1/8 inch strips.
  • In the Ziploc bag – add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Seal the bag and give it a good, but careful shake, to mix the ingredients.
  • Add the chicken strips to the marinade in the ziploc bag and seal and leave to marinade for at least six hours in the refrigerator.
  • Space the pieces of chicken out on your dehydrator trays(s) and set to the highest temperature (usually 145 degrees), for five to seven hours, but keep an eye on it. It’s ready when  dry.
  • Many people are happy to eat their chicken jerky at this stage, although many others will rightly be concerned about whether all the bacteria that can be found in raw chicken, has been destroyed with the low temperature of the dehydrator. With this in mind, you can also finish your chicken jerky in the oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 275 degrees.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also make chicken jerky or turkey jerky in a conventional oven. I don’t have any experience of this, but if you follow the instructions above and then place the chicken strips on a grill rack (or similar) and bake at a low temperature of around 200 degrees, you shouldn’t go far wrong, as long as you keep an eye on things…

That said – if you don’t have a dehydrator, why not? You can get the very popular Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator for between $35-39 on Amazon (the price fluctuates from day to day). This Nesco dehydrator is an excellent low cost investment, as you can also dehydrate other meats as well as fruits and vegetables too.

 (Image from: Bing/Flickr)