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I've been focusing on water and food at home and cold-weather emergency items in the car. There are so many things that could happen... I'm just thinking about which are most likely. I'm trying to focus on just a few things at a time.

Yes, I've heard the same thing about rain water. I guess well water has a lot of minerals and salts, depending where you are, and that isn't what plants generally want. I have used 55-gal barrels in the past but found that they were relatively expensive and difficult to plumb together. Also...

I've been on both sides of lurking. Sometimes you just want to click through some search results without signing up for yet another account.

My backpack finally gave out. The zippers were the main structural component and they started failing too often for me to repair. So I'm in the market for a new bag. I usually carry 1 MRE, small first-aid kit, rain gear (summer), snow pants and extra socks (winter), and a 1 L water bottle...

Looks good. And the automatic door opener is very clever. I'm gearing up to build a coop. It'll be a tractor-movable building :) And I'm thinking of using Paul Weaton's suggestion of multiple paddocks and a relatively stationary coop.

I think of myself as a good driver but I've had trouble getting up hills a few times since we moved out to the sticks. Does anyone else have chains? I have some and am wondering if it'd be worth putting them in the car. When I was reading about this topic, I found this link (below) to a...

In my garden, I avoid even hybrids because I want to be able to save seeds. It's that whole SS thing. What happens if you don't have access to a seed catalog when you need it? And it's just exciting to have the chance of discovering a mutant that tastes better, stores better, etc. I have a...

I like the kit. The price isn't bad, considering what you get. I'll probably use some of a second liner to cover the lid. It will stick out on the sides...

I'm planning on scraping it out with a rubber spatula. Then, probably wipe it out with paper towels. When it's down to a greasy film, I'll use soap and hot water. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I've tried the water-bucket and that works without too much disruption. Careful, if you have toddlers. Showering less and going without your dryer are good SS steps, too. And planning for weather and car emergencies is a good idea.

Found a source. I ordered 5. Now it's -3 oF and that vasaline is going to be really hard to deal with. Maybe I'll bring the barrel inside for a few hours before I try to scrape it out. Then there's the washing... http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=34137 Should I...

I'm in MN and it's really winter now. I put blankets in the car today. I'm thinking of putting the backpacking stove in the trunk, too. In a situation where you can keep warm, the next problem is water. Packing snow into a pan and melting it with a small stove is one solution. I have a...

I've been storing water in 1+ gal food-grade containers for about 6 mo. It's fine but I don't come by many of those non-milk-jug type containers. Also, they require a shelf, which is reserved for other SS items, like jars of food. I do have some 55-gal drums in the garage that I'd like to...

Hang dry your clothes if you can. Not only will it save energy, it'll prepare you for an off-grid life. Dryers consume a lot of power all at once, which is difficult to deal with when you're on battery/solar power.

Wood will rot if it cannot stay dry most of the time. The traditional solution to this problem is stone. If you can't find any stone where you are or if it is unsuitable for building, use concrete. Costs a lot more but works well enough.

I thought I had smashed it down enough.... And the bag of water on the top seemed like a good seal. It displaced some of the brine so I thought it was right. What should I do to save it? I used an un-iodized salt. It was advertised as sea salt. The odor is not like iodine or seaweed.

So I smelled something yesterday and looked in my bucket of kraut. Something's gone wrong. It's still covered but the water above the bag (the lid) was brown the other day but the kraut was still nice and green. Now some of the cabbage is going brown/black and the whole thing smells.... not...

My co-worker runs a serious famer's-market stall and farms about 8 acres. He starts his plants in the house by a window. So a greenhouse isn't really required. Although I want one. Just don't put the garden on hold until you have the highest high-tech gardening equipment.

I wonder if the soft stuff could be used in other ways---like garnished kraut [1] or in a ruben sandwich. There's no getting around the difficulty of eating a lot of the same-old-thing. Seems to have been a problem for people everywhere. Maybe that's why we're so excited about fruits flown in...

I'm in zone 4-5, so I'm jealous. Do you have mustard or kale through the winter, too?