Posted on 11/22/2013 5:53:31 PM PST by Kartographer
Last night I was able to sit down and watch the National Geographic channel's "American Blackout" show on YouTube.com (without family interruption!) I would like to offer an unbiased critique of the show.
The message of the show was very simple - to reach out to the average non-prepping American and illustrate how unprepared the general population is. The producers of the show used very generic stereotypical characters in order to relate to the widest possible audience. Every "type" of victim portrayed made simple but life threatening mistakes that were clearly illustrated to make a point about the importance of being prepared.
(Excerpt) Read more at survivalblog.com ...
“Do you know if they are made in the USA?”
Almost positive they are made where the company is, in Oregon.
The same here on the Gulf Coast with Hurricane Season. My grandparents had a fig and 2 pear trees, EVERY year we had syrup, jelly, and during the Summer there were bushels of peas, butter beans, corn, and potatoes. When ground beef went on sale, Nanny and Mama bought as much as we could afford (looking back now it wasn’t that much to a kid it was a warehouse full). Long evenings of shucking vegetables turned into homemade soup in glass jars way in the back of the cabinets.
We were poor, butI didn’t know it, not when we had peas and beans, rice and homemade corn bread.
I miss those days, seems like no matter how hard you work now, you still can’t make enough money.
Oh my gosh Metmom....Did I ever get a lesson in preparing yesturday...even for the very basic!
I had emptied all my stored water because it was time and had put off refilling. Low and behold I woke yesturday morning to no water from the tap as one of the towns main water lines had a serious burst, the soonest they gave for repair was 9:00 that night!
First thing I kicked myself for not filling the water containers....so of course I couldn’t even make a pot of coffee or dare to flush the John. So of course my thoughts went to ‘buying’ gallons of water at the store nearby....which would do.
But the experience sure made me think how unprepared I really was! What would I do if I went to the store and they were already sold out of water! What if they wouldn’t have the water on for weeks! The what!
It sure did wake me up how ‘FAST’ your circumstances can change.....we are so dependent on “stores”....and our community “supplying” our needs.
I could never figure out why people would burn their own neighborhood. Of course, later we found out that soviet agitators were involved and trying to start a race war.
We all thought that the hippies, draft dodgers, and dope-heads were awful and idiotic. Now their ilk is in positions of power. I feel like I went to sleep, and woke up in some bizarre parallel universe, where up is down and black is white - if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I liked my childhood. Liked the farm, and homemade food. Had no clue that we were kinda poor.
My favorite meal: Pinto Beans, Maters, Taters, slice of onion, and corn bread. Maybe even add some corn on the cob.
LOL. Talk about a starchy diet! Comfort food sublime.
That’s a plus for me if an American Company makes them. I try to avoid Chinese stuff, just because it feels like I am just sending them money to buy weapons they can use against us.
If anyone has a rocket stove they particularly like that is not overly expensive, I would really like to hear about them.
The first two rocket stoves seem to be the most highly rated (with numerous reviews and Youtube demo videos). All are priced similarly. The Deadwood, made of cast iron, will throw off much heat. The Stovetec is insulated with either vermiculite or perlite...to give off radiant heat for an extended time.http://www.deadwoodstove.com/......in Valera, Texas and Weesatche, Texashttp://stovetecstore.net/...in Eugene OR
Here is a unique stove. Pictured here is the portable backpacker stove. There is also a larger 'home' stove. What is unique that while cooking you can recharge your cellphone, run a led light or recharge rechargeable batteries through the USB port
http://www.biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/...in CA
I have the Deadwood stove.
Thanks, I’ll be checking them out.
There was one posted here recently made from four cinder blocks, three regular ones and one specialty.
Here, this shows it; you might have to suffer through an ad:
Doing this soon is on my to do list.
I’ve been a “Prepper” all my life.
The best thing, for me, about American Blackout, was the reality aspect, best put across by the use of the cell phone cameras and amateur camera videography.
City people, if they don’t make the most basic preparations, are indeed, ‘so screwed’...
“If anyone has a rocket stove they particularly like that is not overly expensive, I would really like to hear about them. We have built one from a coffee can. Hubby thought it was neat, and talked about making a really sturdy one using brick for outdoors. That talk could last for a few years, hence I would like to move forward and have something a little sooner.”
I made mine from an old 30# propane tank I liberated from the junk yard. Take off the valve (they unscrew) and cut an ~8” opening with a metal cutting wheel (Dremmel) on the same end. Lay the tank on it’s side. then cut a chimney with a hole saw at the opposite side. Mount a pipe to the chimney and use hinges to make a door with the 8” cutout. Low cost fun project.
You can weld or screw a piece of metal to the upper area for a cook top.
There are videos on you tube on how to make a woodstove from a tank.
There’s a reality check for you. Chances are, once everyone else realized that the water was off, there would be no water to be had for love or money. They’d have been sold out by the time you got there.
In the town we used to live in had regular power outages. We lived in an area of a few blocks that had old service and it went out 2-3 times a year for long enough to need the generator for the fridge.
Not counting ice storms and the NE blackout, and the furnace giving up the ghost once and the promised the next day part not coming in for a week.
Plus, here, once we get nailed with a nor-easter or a good lake effect event and they declare a state of emergency, it can be days before things get cleared out and I can get to the store.
I’ve learned to be prepared.
I'm jealous......
Me too...I only need the one “different” block and it would be done.
Thanks for the reminder...I will put it on this weeks list.
In more ways than one. Good opsec includes the understanding that the smell of cooking meat or other foods can carry for a long way. Those desperate and/or hostile enough will follow their nose right to you and yours.
If you store city treated potable water in a food grade container that is protected from bright light there is no need to change it out. The water should last forever under the proper storage conditions.
It the stored water needs aerating to keep it from tasting flat pour it back and forth through a sieve or clean screen wire. If you want to be extra sure of its safety heat it to at least 195 F degrees. That will destroy any living organism. A good rule is to bring it to a boil and then let it cool. It doesn’t need to boil for any period of time. You can also add a few drops of chlorine bleach to it and let it stand for half an hour before drinking.
Unless the water has had a poison added to it you will suffer no ill effects from its usage after boiling it.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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