Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Your Phone’s Camera Might Be Revealing Your Location(s) & Routines

Android & iPhone cameras revealing photo locations in EXIF metadata stored in photos

The cameras on our iPhones and Android smartphones are amazing. I use mine for everything from snapping quick photos whilst out and about, to precious family moments, through to snapping business cards, flyers, and device instructions etc.

In short, the cameras on our smartphones makes life easier and better. That said, there is a fairly major issue that not many smartphone users are aware of when they are happily snapping away and sharing photos here, there and everywhere.

Your iPhone Or Android Camera Could Be Violating Your Privacy & Security

Did you know that every Android and IOS phone geo-tags and shares location, and time/date information for each and every photo? This location information is stored in each photo’s EXIF metadata, stored within the photo itself.

This feature is TURNED ON BY DEFAULT. If you have never specifically turned it off, it is on.

I see this as a huge issue as most people are unaware that the location and time and date of their photos is included in the EXIF metadata on each and every photo they take.

Not only is this information stored in the EXIF data within the photo, but it is also incredibly easy to view.

  • On a desktop, simply ‘right click’ and view the photo’s ‘properties’ on a desktop.
  • On Android, you simply view the photo and click on the ‘menu’ and choose ‘Info’.
  • On the iPhone, you simply view the photo and click on the ‘Details’ button.

Surely, this location sharing feature should be OFF by default? AT least then, if you turn it on, you know it’s on.

I See Two Reasons This Is Problematic

Sharing Photos On Social Media

Firstly, when you share photos online, on social media or online photo albums, every photo shared is providing the date it was taken together with the specific location it was taken from.

Sure… You might think your Facebook and Instagram security settings are dialled in (are they though?), but what about when friends, families and followers share your photos. Who else is seeing them?

For Example

Example of an android camera giving away location of photo in EXIF metadata
Just chilling at home with Barney!

You’ve just posted a cute photo of your dog sleeping. You add some text -‘ just chilling at home with Barney’. Boom! You’ve potentially just given away your location AND mentioned it’s your home as well. Now friends of friends or followers (or who knows who) can see where you live.

Similar scenarios can be imagined for other locations such as your parent’s home, your place of work, your favourite family leisure/vacation places or even some secret spots, that you didn’t realise you were giving away the location of.

Not only do these photos potentially show people where you are, or where you have been; they can also tell people where you are not… If you share photos when you are away from home, people can check the EXIF data on the photo and they can see where you are specifically, and then know, for example, you are not at home at present…

With all these photos including the time/date and location, a quick scroll through your social media someone can begin to uncover your routines. Criminals must be using social media and utilizing the EXIF time/date and location data from photos to determine where people live/work and when they are not at home.

The Apps That Have Access To Your Phone’s Camera

Secondly, lots of phone apps require and are granted access to use your phone’s camera. Did you really read their terms & conditions? Do you know what they might be doing with this data, or who they might be sharing it with?

To highlight this issue, programmer, Felix Krause, created a simple ‘proof of concept’ app to demonstrate the access and information these apps are given by your Android or iPhone camera. It can literally be years worth of time, dates and locations where you have taken photos.

The Good News Is – You Can STOP this in about 20 Seconds

Turn Geotagging off on Android phones

Depending on the age and model Android phone, try these options:

Open the Camera app. Tap – the Menu button and choose – Settings. Disable the – Save location option here.

Alternatively, open the Camera app. Tap – the Menu button and scroll down until you see the setting call Geo Tag or Tag Locations (or similar) and disable it.

Some Android phones might be slightly different, but if you dig around you should find the setting.

Turn Locations Services off on iPhones

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Choose Camera and now choose – Never, to turn off location tagging.

If you want to make sure you have disabled geo-tagging/location sharing, take a new photo and then check the EXIF data.

To do this:

On a desktop – simply ‘right click’ and viewing the photos ‘properties’ on a desktop.

On Android – you simply view the photo and click on the ‘menu’ and choose ‘Info’.

On an iPhone – you simply view the photo and click on the ‘Details’ button.

Sorted! Your phone camera will now continue to document the highlights of your life without revealing where and when they happened.

The Ultimate Bug Out Bag List 2019

Bug out bag checklist

When disaster strikes there are two things that are immediately essential: getting out of the area, and getting out of there quickly. Also known as a BOB, The Bug out Bag is designed to help you do just that, and usually comes in the form of a heavy duty rucksack that contains everything you need in the immediate aftermath of disaster. So all you’ll need to do is grab and go!

What Should Go In A Bug Out Bag?

Bug Out Bag Contents

Typical Bug Out Bags are designed and put together with a focus upon evacuation, rather than long term survival out in the wilderness and, of course, having the right Bug Out Bag Contents is pretty essential if you’re to have all of the resources that you may otherwise be relying upon for your very survival following some form of disaster.

As there is a focus upon evacuation, many Bug out Bag guides and blog posts (and their associated Bug Out Bag Lists) tend to focus upon the equipment needed to survive over a 72 hour period.

However, quantifying any length of time when preparing for an unforeseen event is a dangerous game, after all, if it was possible to foresee a disaster, you’d be highly likely relocate to another location entirely for as long as necessary. So, with this in mind, we’ve put together an ultimate Bug Out Bag List that goes that little bit beyond most other guides, and that specifically plans for an undefined period of time out in the wilderness, factoring in the equipment you might need for self-sufficiency (particularly in terms of hunting renewable food sources).

The Bug out Bag and the end goal for the survivalist

With all of the above said, and with items within this list that consider a longer than 72 hour period, here’s one thing to bear in mind…

If the worst does happen and you find yourself in the wilderness for whatever reason, living free from developed civilization is achievable with the right preparation. However, being off the grid for an extended period of time and setting up within wild terrain is challenging and often too harsh or dangerous for many people to consider. Instead, following a disaster seeking safe shelter within civilization is usually the primary aim, and this is the goal that any Bug Out Bag List aims to facilitate.

Why no Bug Out Bag List is ever complete

Whilst we’ve endeavoured to put together a comprehensive list of all the things that would be essential within a Bug Out Bag, it’s prudent to point out that no Bug Out Bag List could really ever be complete. Each and every person is different and may require different items within their bag; to this end, this list is very much open ended and open to interpretation, serving as a starting point upon which to build, customize, chop and change.

Why Should I Have A Bug Out Bag?

A Bug Out Bag is essential in the event that you need to evacuate quickly. It ensures that, should the worst happen, you can focus on the situation in hand rather than compiling a list of items you need to take with you. And it doesn’t just serve as an essential item to have in the face of a particularly severe disaster, it can also include all the resources required when facing circumstances that are less than world ending.

And in a world of uncertainty, preparation is everything.

Bugging Out – Opting over and above Hunkering Down

This Bug out Bag List will stand you in good stead when you have nothing but your wits, knowledge and a well packed Bug out Bag upon which to rely. That said however, and whilst a seasoned survivalist will know the importance of always having a, ready to go Bug Out Bag to hand, it’s no substitute for hunkering down when appropriate. After all, Bug Out Bags are designed specifically with temporary survival in mind, whereas hunkering down can see you taking to your basement where protection is increased, with the benefits of knowing exactly where you are and with all of your home resources but a floor away.

Bug Out Bag List

The Bug Out Bag Itself!

5.11 Rush 72 Bug Out Bag5.11 3 Day Rush Backpack

No bug out bag list would be complete without the actual bag itself! The very first item to choose is the right Bug Out Bag and, whilst there are many competing opinions on what may be best, it really comes down to two points:

  1. You should choose a bag that’s most suitable to you and your specialist items.
  2. You should choose your bag only after you’ve put together all of your items.

Of course, it should go without saying that any Bug Out Bag should be robust, made from hardwearing material, and constructed with plenty of pockets and compartments for splitting up your items.

Water – Something to drink and something essential for survival

Water is essential for your very survival, without it you may perish within just 3 days (this compares to our ability to go without food for up to 3 weeks). What’s more, as we become more and more dehydrated, we become more lethargic, meaning that even seeking water after two days may be an impossible task (not to mention maintaining your alertness and survival instincts).

So, as a starting point, a water (filled) container is essential. Beyond this, you’ll also need a method of boiling water (to cook and sanitise) and items for water purification (such as treatment tablets and compact water filters) for treating questionable water after your original water runs dry.

Shelter – To provide protection from the elements

MSR E-Wing ShelterMSR E-Wing Shelter Tent

Of course, for the experienced and educated survivalist the following items may appear disproportionate, however shelter is not only essential to protect yourself physically from the elements, but moreover becomes ever more important for the rest periods that allow for mental and physical well-being (which are both equally as essential when facing unknown circumstances in the wild).

Fire – To keep you warm

Fire serves as a heat source which can warm, cook and attract attention if necessary, with the items listed here making for essential items for lighting a fire.

Most importantly, however, you should ensure that you have more than one method of ignition, with at least two and advisably even three if you have room.

Food – Something to eat

Typically, Bug Out Bag guides tend to recommend dry food stuffs, with particular favourites being relatively non-perishable, dried foods. However we’d also say that foods with water content are also important (as you never known just how scarce water sources will be).

To this end, you’re ideally aiming for foods that are lightweight and high in calories and nutrition, as well as a good base of food stuffs which come with water content, packing enough to last 3-4 days. Also include the more traditional items, such as rice, oat meal, beef jerky, tinned sardines, nuts, chocolate, and high calorie sports bars, in addition to Freeze-dried foods and MREs (meals ready-to-eat).

Sleeping – Something to sleep in and on

For the seasoned survivalist who prepares for the very worst of eventualities, super comfortable bedding consisting of a mattress, matt, foil blanket and sleeping bag may seem over the top and the very lap of luxury. However, rest very much equates to being on form to deal with any unknown and potentially dangerous challenges.

Cooking – For eating and boiling water

GSI HaluliteGSI Halulite Microdualist Cookset

Unbreakable cups, mini pots, and containers are each as essential as the last, and methods of cooking your food, whether caught or pre-packed, may also serve as a vital way of raising your body’s temperature by what can be a lifesaving degree or two.

Light – So you can see

Another case in point, where more than one source is essential in case the primary, or even the backup, fails, is lighting. So opt for a mix of natural light sources (such as a candle) along with electric items (such as LED lights or lamps) and finally also be sure to include all weather performing light (such as Light glow sticks) which can cover any and every eventuality.

Tools – To get things done

Gerber LMF II - Excellent bug out bag knifeGerber 22-01629 LMF II Black Infantry Knife with 4.8-Inch Blade

Tools: Essential within the wilderness and often the difference between life and death when charged with overcoming unknown situations. They can help you cook, hunt, prepare shelter and get you out of tight fixes. As such, there’s a plethora of must include tools for the ultimate Bug Out Bag.

However, tools are a hotly debated topic within the world of Bug Out Bags, where everyone has an opinion and no two experts seem to favour the same brand, let alone the same itinerary for the ultimate tool list.

The following list includes our favourites (based upon our own experience, as well as plenty of research from expert reviews). As a bare minimum, you’ll want a decent knife and a multi-tool. Experts argue over which you should pack. We say take both!

First Aid – To patch you up

The ability to act as your own first aider is vital when you don’t know when you’ll have access to official medical care again. Specially designed to cater for expeditions, this compact yet extensive first aid pack features 205 pieces:

15 – Antiseptic Towelettes

5 – Antibiotic Ointments Packets

5 – Sting Relief Wipes

40 – Bandages 1×3

50 – Small Bandages

24 – Spot Bandages

5 – Fingertip Bandages

5 – Knuckle Bandages

1 – 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 Yards Adhesive Tape

10 – Gauze Pads 2″x2″

30 – Butterfly Bandages

1 – Tweezer

4 – Finger Splints

5 – 1″ safety pins

1 – Razor Blade

2 – 1 pair gloves latex free (nitrile)

1 – Instant Cold Pack

1 – Semi-hard case

  • Coleman Expedition First Aid Kit

Communication – To get the news

Eton Microlink Radio - a great choice for your bug out bag!Etón FR160B Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger

Ensuring that you can stay in the loop, even when you may be decidedly away from civilization and all its creature comforts, is vital for knowing what’s happening and where potential help may be sought (as well as being aware of impending danger). Once more, this is another item where a backup comes in handy, and you should also consider a self-powered form of communication to avoid a situation where battery power runs out.

In addition to your radio, you’ll also need a method of communicating from afar and attracting the attention of others, for which a signalling mirror is essential.

Clothing – You’re most basic form of shelter

As the most basic form of shelter, your clothing serves as your first protection from the elements, with your footwear literally being the difference between travelling with a firm footing, and potentially slipping, tripping or being unable to scour certain terrains.

Clothing is, however, incredibly personalised and a Bug Out Bag itinerary for clothing items will differ drastically from person to person, taking into account varying body types, tolerances levels, fitness levels and preferences. As a generic starting consideration however, you must take into account your climate, location and surrounding terrains, being sure to evaluate your clothing contents every six months as the seasons change.

  • Spare pair of socks/underwear.
  • Waterproof jacket, trousers and gloves.
  • Also make sure you are wearing good quality appropriate boots and clothing to begin with if possible.

Hunting/Fishing – Sourcing renewable food

As mentioned at the start of this guide, whilst the focus of the average Bug Out Bag is upon survival in the immediate 72 hour window of a disaster aftermath, it’s prudent to pack for as many situations as possible.

With this in mind, including the following items within your Bug out Bag can help you to seek your own food from the wilderness (in addition to making considered choices for your weaponry, which can allow you to hunt successfully on land).

Navigation – Know where you are going

In addition to basic survival knowledge, without the aid of tools (such as naturally being able to figure north from south, telling the time and seeking out water sources) you should also pack for navigating the terrains that you find yourself in, safely and successfully. However, this really needn’t be any more extensive than a couple of well-chosen maps and a compass.

Binoculars – See them before they see you

Seeking out food, water or shelter sources, and the ability to see potential dangers, are all made easy from afar and from a safe area with the right Binoculars. Here are some suggested brands, with each providing for 8x magnification within compact and robust casing, but with the former taking up the traditional duel view and with the latter being a mono view.

Firearms – To keep you safe and to potentially hunt with

Everyone has an opinion on what is best and if, indeed a firearm is necessary. We’ll let you make your own mind up. If you do decide to pack a firearm, it is vital that you learn how to actually use your firearm of choice. Get some professional tuition, and of course, only pack include a firearm in you Bug Out Bag if is legal and you meet all the restrictions and regulations in your state.

Books – So that you know what you are doing

SAS survival guideSAS Survival Guide 2E (Collins Gem): Perfect size for a bug out bag!

A good survivalist knows that, no matter how much they know, no matter how many blogs, guides and books that they read, they can never know enough.

With this in mind, here are two books that provide a high level overview of surviving upon nothing but your own wits and a well packed Bug out Bag.

You will not regret taking one of these books with you. They provide invaluable information and advice, even for the seasoned survivalist…

The Other (but no less important stuff) – Doesn’t fit into any of the categories above

Goal Zero Guide 10 Adventure KitGoal Zero 19010 Guide 10 Plus Small Adventure Kit

To finish off our Bug out Bag List, here are the items that make for equipment that doesn’t quite fit under any of the other titles (although they’re in many cases no less important… so certainly don’t overlook them!)

  • Sewing kit, duct tape, head net, 50 feet of 550 paracord, whistle, sunglasses
  • Small bottle of hand sanitizer
  • Some zip-ties
  • Maxi Pads – they can be used for wound dressing and the inner material can be used for tinder
  • Repel 100 Insect Repellent
  • Goal Zero 19010 Guide 10 Plus Small Adventure Kit

Build A DIY Generator From A Lawnmower (Total Project Cost $40!)

DIY lawn mower generator

So you know getting a backup generator is a great idea, but you just can’t afford to purchase one? Well, could you afford $40 for a small backup generator? If you search around at you local junkyard or landfill you should be able to pick up most of the bits required to build this DIY lawnmower generator.  There are a few extras you’ll likely need to purchase, but you could bring this in for $40.

As this is a DIY generator built from a lawnmower, it isn’t going to power your whole house, it won’t run your AC, heating or large kitchen appliances; it will, however, keep the lights on and power smaller electronics etc. Check out the awesome and very detailed build tutorial below.

Build A DIY Generator From A Lawnmower  (Total Project Cost $40!)

(I have added in another short KWN lawn mower generator post with some additional tutorials, that I found in the KWN archives, down below.)

So you want to be more self-sufficient, or maybe you just want a backup for when the power’s out?  The thing is, money is tight and you’ve looked into the buying a commercial generator, but you were put off by the cost or the quality of the cheap Chinese imports… What can be done? Well, how about converting the old unused lawnmower in the shed into a low-cost generator? Alternatively,  old lawnmowers can be picked up very cheaply at yard sales etc.

In its simplest form, this will be a DC generator which can be used to charge backup battery banks which can be used for backup power if your main power source is down.  With a bit more work you can fit a DC to AC inverter which would enable you to power your electrics straight from the generator.

The thing to bear in mind is – your average mower motor will not be as powerful as a commercial generator.  That doesn’t mean this is useless, just that it has its limitations.  It is a good option for charging battery banks and it would be a good back up for solar panels and wind turbines when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.  If you fit a DC to AC inverter you could also directly power your lights and other low power devices.

Check out the links for details and instructions: How To Convert A Lawn Mower Into A Generator & Converting a Lawn Mower into a Generator

(Photo from: cid2323 via Instrucables)

Military eBay – Get Your Ex-Military Equipment & Vehicles Here

Military auction

Are you interested in some ex-government and ex-military equipment? If so, you’ve come to the right place, as below, I will tell you how you can get hold of some high quality ex-government and military equipment and vehicles. Firstly though, I should state that there are no ex-military weapons available for sale here. There is pretty much everything else though, including: trucks, jeeps, boats, parts, medical supplies, audio/visual and computer equipment, plus ALL the usual military surplus gear, so stick around…

Weapons apart, the two websites below equal a prepper’s paradise! You can literally purchase everything needed to bug-in, or bug-out. You can purchase the entire contents for a bug out bag (including the bag itself), or your mobile base camp – tents, sleeping bags, cold/warm weather clothing and boots. These websites are also a goldmine for for folks interested in hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and whole load more.

The first website is – Gov Liquidation.  Gov Liquidation is an auction website, selling ex-government and military equipment and vehicles. In addition to ex-military vehicles, they also sell a whole range of technical gear (audio/visual/computers etc) and field gear and other military equipment. As it’s an auction website, the range of items for sale varies greatly. For example, sometimes there will be a lot of military vehicles for sale, other times, not so much. Just like eBay, you really do need to check regularly, if you are on the lookout for something specific.

One of the downsides of Gov Liquidation is that some of the smaller military surplus type items are sold in bulk, in job-lots. This is where second website Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet shines. Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet is more of a traditional military surplus website, selling individual items. It is not an auction. What they have listed on the website, they have in stock, at a set price. Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet has the widest range of military surplus gear and equipment you will find anywhere. In fact, Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet is the official retail outlet for Gov Liquidation.

Sidenote: A lot of people forget to look on Amazon  for military gear and equipment. The fact is lots of army surplus retail stores now sell via Amazon at great prices. If you find something on Uncle Sam’s or another store, it’s well worth just checking if the item is available on Amazon at a better price.

I highly recommend you check out and bookmark both of the above websites. To summarise – Gov Liquidation is great for vehicles, larger items and job-lots. Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet is the place to go for surplus kit and gear, and individual items.

Army eBay

How To Recharge (Single Use) Alkaline Batteries

How to recharge disposable alkaline batteries

I knew it was kind of possible to reuse disposable, single use batteries; as a kid we used to leave dead alkaline batteries out in the sunshine for a few hours, and this seemed to recharge them a little bit, so we could get a bit more use out of them… What I didn’t realize is that you can now actually purchase specific battery chargers which are designed to recharge dead single use alkaline batteries. Now maybe everyone else knew this already, but I certainly didn’t…

This means that once you have purchased one of these specific battery chargers, such as the: Maximal Alkaline FC999 Universal Rapid Charger, you then effectively have free batteries for life. Follow the tips below, and you don’t even need to purchase the disposable batteries to begin with…

FREE Batteries For Life? How?

Our local authority recycles dead batteries, they pick them up with the garbage once a month. If I went out into the neighborhood that day, I could literally collect 1000s of free alkaline batteries which could then be recharged and reused. Even if your local authority doesn’t provide this service, you could still get all the free batteries you need, by asking friends and family to save their batteries for you. You could also ask local stores and commercial premises if they could save their batteries for you.

Now I am sure there is a lifespan for recharging disposable batteries, so one set isn’t going to last forever. With this in mind, you’ll need to replace the free dead batteries you collect, from time to time. This shouldn’t be an issue, as simply ask friends etc to save all their used, dead batteries for you, and you should effortlessly have a constant supply of used, dead batteries to recharge.

Just to note – the Maximal Alkaline FC999 Universal Rapid Charger doesn’t just charge alkaline batteries, it also charges: RAM, Ni-MH, Ni-CD, AA, AAA, C, D, N, and 9V batteries, so it’s got you covered for everything. Additionally, you might also want to purchase a cheap battery tester, to check batteries are dead and check how well they have recharged.

Anyway, as said, this might not be news to some of you, but hopefully it is useful information and saves some money for people that didn’t know. All our flashlights, remotes and radios etc take batteries; not to mention, if you have young kids, you get through a huge amount of batteries with all their toys and games. If nothing else, it is for more eco-friendly to reuse old batteries, rather than just throwing them in the trash…

How To Stop Bleeding With Black Pepper

Use black pepper to stop bleeding

When it comes to survival and wilderness first aid, I highly recommend you carry a blood clotting agent with you in your first aid kit, personally I believe that CELOX produce the best consumer available blood clotting agent, as unlike many other brands, CELOX is also effective for people on blood thinners such as heparin and warfarin etc. You can purchase CELOX here from Amazon. It is quite expensive, but simply put – it could save your life one day…

If you do not have a clotting agent such as CELOX, you can in fact use simple ground black pepper to stop bleeding quickly for small to medium sized cuts/wounds.  Black pepper is naturally antibacterial and it also makes blood coagulate quickly and stop bleeding. Black pepper was commonly used by soldiers in the Second World War, and even today it is often used in professional kitchens (probably due to its availability) to stop cuts from bleeding.

It couldn’t be simpler to use black pepper to stop bleeding – simply pour a generous amount of ground black pepper onto the wound and apply pressure (and bandage if necessary) and it should quickly stop bleeding (please use common sense though as serious cuts may still require the attention of a physician).

Note: Finely ground black pepper works best, and no, black pepper does not sting when put on a cut!

Personally I keep some CELOX in our first aid kits for emergencies, but for day-to-day and around the home, black pepper is a useful alternative for smaller wounds.

Disclaimer – I am not a medical expert, this information is based on my own experience and research. Please do your own research and exercise common sense before trying this. If you have an existing medical condition or allergy, please check that this won’t interfere with your condition or medication.

DIY Quick Fix For Solar Lights

fix solar garden lights

Solar lights like the picture above are in 90% of American gardens, they make gardens look awesome and these little solar lights actually double up as emergency lighting if the power goes out. These solar lights are cheap, but often don’t work so well, and when they do, they normally only last a few years. A lot of people throw them away and just buy new ones… What a waste!

What many people don’t realize is that these solar lights usually come with very, very cheap/poor quality standard sized rechargeable batteries.  These batteries are not usually great, to begin with, but they deteriorate and lose their ability to hold their charge, very quickly. If you follow the simple tutorial below it will show you how to change the batteries in your solar lights.

If you actually replace the batteries with some good quality rechargeable batteries, you’ll likely be blown away at home much brighter the lights are, and how much longer they burn brightly throughout the night. They will literally be better than when they were new! The crazy this is – decent solar light rechargeable batteries don’t cost much anyway, so it’s a no-brainer. Just open up your lights, check what size batteries are inside. Then purchase and replace with some better ones. More information here: DIY Quick Fix For Solar Lights

How To Get Old Commercial Solar Panels For FREE (UPDATED!)

How to get free solar panels

That’s right, there is a way you can get solar panels for free! I know someone who did it and so can you. Here’s how it’s done…

Solar panels are used everywhere these days. They are often used by construction crews and traffic systems (signs, cameras & emergency signal lighting etc) and these are where we are going to focus, because they quite often have contracts with the solar panel providers. Whenever a solar panel become cracked or damaged, they are replaced under contract, even when they are still serviceable.

UPDATE: We have several solar farms locally, that generate and sell electricity as a business. I reached out to two of them. Both had old, in some cases slightly damaged solar panels, which still functioned. Both said I could have some of these panels for zero cost. In fact one of solar farms offered to deliver some for a small fee.

I enquired about the efficiency of these panels. It was explained that these old or slightly damaged panels were not as efficient as new solar panels (hence why they were replaced). With a solar farm, everything is about the efficiency at generating electricity. They are a business. That said, for home use (and at zero cost) these panels have years of life left in them. Additionally, if you have the space you can simply have more panels, to make up for any lower efficiency with these older solar panels. 

The solar panel provider ends up with a whole load of damaged but working solar panels. They can’t sell them so they usually have to pay to have them disposed of. What you need to do is find the contact details for the solar panel providers and give them a call to see if they have any damaged but functioning solar panels you can take off their hands.

The person I know who did this got around $800 of working solar panels for free, just for a bit of detective work. He saw a solar panel on a road sign and noticed the sign had a sticker with a phone number on it to report a problem. He simply phoned the number and asked for the solar panel provider’s details and gave them a call. A few phone calls later and a trip to their facility and he had a load of free solar panels.

I guess you could also try researching and directly contacting solar panel manufacturers too. They must get loads of panels that are damaged or defective that still work but can’t be sold. Even solar panel stores must get loads of damaged but working solar panels returned, or have panels that get damaged in storage etc. No one wants to pay to have to dispose of damaged goods.  Take advantage of this and you could get free or heavily discounted stuff that works just fine.

Just a little thinking outside the box can save you a huge amount of money. Give it a try, all you have to waste is a little time and a phone call.

Fish Antibiotics for Humans. What You Need To Know…

SHTF antibiotics without prescription

Firstly a disclaimer. I am not a medical professional. I have simply done my own research online to a level which satisfies my own needs. Please do your own research and cross check everything you read here. Also please use antibiotics responsibly and only when absolutely required. Overuse of antibiotics can cause its own problems, due to bugs becoming resistant to them.  See the links at the bottom of the page for more details on this.

Stockpiling medication for a future disaster or a collapse of society is straightforward when it comes to non-prescription medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen etc. They are cheap to buy and readily available. However, it is not so simple to acquire and stockpile prescription medications such as common antibiotics which are required to treat infections.

To have a stockpile of antibiotics in a long-term survival situation or a collapse of society would be useful if not vital. Infection will be a big problem in these kinds of situation; for example – take away our power, water/sanitation and groceries; replace with – fires/camp stoves, survival food and untreated water. On top of this, give us knives, axes and guns (which we are largely unaccustomed to using) to chop wood, hunt and defend ourselves and it is easy to see the need to have access to antibiotics. Lot of cuts and stomach bugs…

How To Stock Up On Antibiotics In Case The SHTF?

How do you acquire/stockpile prescription antibiotics in case of emergency? Well you could try to convince your doctor it is a good idea to give you a large amount of common antibiotics to stockpile (good luck with that one!), OR you could perhaps, just go down to your local pet store…

Believe it or not, many of the common antibiotics we are prescribed are also used to keep fish healthy in aquariums. Sceptical? I bet you are, so was I, but I looked into this, and many of the antibiotic medicines used to treat bacteria in aquariums contain the same antibiotics used to treat infection in humans..  The other strange thing is these aquarium antibiotics even come in the same common dosages which are used on humans. To me that seems very strange…

I have checked several sources, some of which were created by medical doctors, and below is a list of aquarium branded medicines which (at the time of writing) contain commonly prescribed human antibiotics.

Aquarium Branded Antibiotics Containing Common Human Antibiotics

  • FISH-MOX which is Amoxicillin 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/amoxicillin.html)
  • FISH-MOX FORTE which is Amoxicillin 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/amoxicillin.html)
  • FISH-FLEX which is Keflex 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/keflex.html)
  • FISH-FLEX FORTE which is Keflex 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/keflex.html)
  • FISH-ZOLE which is Metronidazole 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/metronidazole.html)
  • FISH-PEN which is Penicillin 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/penicillin.html)
  • FISH-PEN FORTE which is Penicillin 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/penicillin.html)

***I am not going to provide any information on correct dosages or advice on allergies/precautions or what each antibiotic treats etc.  It is entirely 100% your responsibility to do your own research here.  It is vital you can identify any tablets you purchase and know what treats what and the dosage/precautions etc for the people you are treating.***

Are The Aquarium Antibiotics The Same Thing?

My understanding is that if the pill identifier numbers are the same on the aquarium antibiotics, as on the human antibiotics, and vice versa, they have to be the same thing. This makes 100% sense to me as if you overdosed on one of the antibiotics, you would provide the pill identifier number to Poison Control for example, and they would identify the ingredients based on the pill identifier number regardless of whether they are prescription antibiotics or aquarium antibiotics.

All of the antibiotics above require a prescription from a doctor and usually a doctor will only prescribe a single course of treatment to cure your illness. However, they can all be bought from pet stores without prescription. This means you can stockpile these common antibiotics, in case the SHTF, something which would normally be impossible to achieve.

The bottom line is – we should not start going to the pet store when we have a cough or a sore throat, as it is clearly important to get a diagnosis and treatment from a doctor.  I think the thing to bear in mind is that in the future, if things go wrong, we will have to improvise many things and many things may be less than ideal.  We should be reluctant to take aquarium branded antibiotics today, but having access to some in a SHTF future could be vital.

I for one, will not be taking aquarium antibiotics whilst I have access to a doctor and prescription medications. If the SHTF in the future and aquarium antibiotics are my only option, I would cautiously and reluctantly take them. I say reluctantly as I am cautious about taking any drugs without them being 100% necessary. I will always try to give my body the chance to fight of an infection before resorting to antibiotic medication.

As a side note, I think anyone interested in emergency preparedness, or the outdoors, should purchase the book: Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to First Aid and Medical Emergencies. The book covers pretty much every medical emergency you are likely to encounter, including very detailed information and advice about treating infections, and antibiotics.

Whilst we are discussing antibiotics, be sure to read the two articles below, from the BBC. They make scary reading… Antibiotic overuse, and resistance is a real and very worrying.

How To Modify Your Generator To Run Silently With A Muffler

Modify a generator to run silently

A back up generator is a great  investment so you can keep the lights on, when the power’s off.  Also in many remote locations a generator is the only means of electricity. The problem is no matter whether you use your generator for emergency preparedness or to power your remote cabin etc, they are noisy as hell. They’ll annoy you, and annoy your neighbors! Also in a bug-out retreat a noisy generator could give away your location…

Why oh why, are generators so noisy? Why don’t generators come fitted as standard with some kind of muffler vehicles do? Or even if you could purchase an official muffler for your generator, that would at least be something… Unfortunately,  manufacturers just don’t seem concerned with the level of noise their generators produce. Luckily though, you can relatively easily adapt and fit a DIY muffler to your generator, and dramatically reduce the noise it generates.

Check out this link and you will find a tutorial which shows how to adapt a thrush muffler and fit it to your generator. The result should be a silent or near silent generator. I am sure there will still be some very low level noise from the motor etc, but there is no way your neighbors will hear it, and it should be a good option for a bug-out location as well.