20 DIY Survival Hacks, Money Saving Tips

 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

20 DIY Survival Hacks: What Are Prepper Hacks?

Prepper hacks are exactly what they sound like, hacks that any prepper can do with the bare minimum. In this article we detail 20 survival hacks any prepper can learn within a matter of minutes.

1. Fire Starter Survival Hack

We all know how important it is to have fire in a survival situation. But what do you do when you don’t have any dry tinder to start a fire?

Lucky for you we have a list of a number of products you can use as a fire starter. All of the household products listed below are highly flammable items and will work amazingly to get a fire started in a pinch. 

• Cotton balls soaked in alcohol
• Duct Tape
• Waxed Paper
• Chips
• Hand Sanitizer
• Pinecones

2. DIY Survival Alcohol Stove 

Sometimes creating a fire isn’t an option to cook your emergency food. However, there are other options for cooking food during an emergency

Our top pick for cooking when fire isn’t available is creating a DIY alcohol stove. Below we list the steps for creating one of these stoves out of items that are commonly found around your home or a campsite.

1. Find a metal can that is able to withstand the heat of a flame. An aluminum can, metal coffee tin, tuna can, or any other metal tin will all work for the survival stove.
2. Prepare the metal tin by drilling or poking holes in the top and side of the can to allow the flame to escape. (If the flame keeps dying inside, you can add additional air holes in the bottom of the tin to allow for more airflow.)
3. Add any of the DIY fire starters from the post from above to the inside of the can (Longer burning fire starters like alcohol soaked cotton balls work the best to avoid continuous stoking of the fire.) 
4. Create a stand out of wood or any other low flammable material you have to avoid smothering the fire when you place a cooking pot on top.
5. Make a second alcohol stove to move your cooking pot to if the flame dies out (This becomes more important the quicker your fire starter buns.)

3. Emergency Water Collection

Our top pick for water collection is a rain barrel; however, having a full size rain barrel isn’t always a possibility in some emergency situations.

More at:

https://valleyfoodstorage.com/blogs/inside-vfs/20-diy-survival-hacks-prepper-hacks-for-when-shtf?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_campaign=3%2F17%20Blog%3A%2020%20DIY%20Survival%20Hacks%20%7C%20Prepper%20Hacks%20for%20When%20SHTF&_kx=P73YZVEzsfGqOIQiC5FX0aoiYcdY6_bn0Rx7j5kLcYQ%3D.QaHb8U

 

 

 

USEFUL STUFF…

Catastrophic Inflation: “I’ve Never Seen Prices Jump This High, This Fast”

This is what the early chapters of an inflationary meltdown look like.  Last week, we were informed that “consumer prices were 7.9% higher in February than a year ago”, and that was being touted as the highest figure “in 40 years”.  Of course those that follow my website on a regular basis already know that the reality is much worse than that.  If the inflation rate was still calculated the way that it was back in 1980, it would be over 15 percent right now. 

We are already experiencing the sort of painful inflation that Americans were forced to endure during the Jimmy Carter era of the 1970s, and now the war in Ukraine is going to completely change the game moving forward.

Last week, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose 13 percent, and since this time last year it is up 38 percent.

 

Evaluating Tools to Help You Save at the Pump

 

How to Prepare for Hyperinflation [Something I predicted was likely to Happen w/ Biden]

Hyperinflation is one of those events that is often warned about among preppers. Over the last two years, more people than ever have had their eyes opened to this issue with the supply chain problems experienced across the world. While the recent supply chain problems may not have been a direct result of hyperinflation, it did show people what it was like to not be able to purchase certain goods. 

You don’t have to be a financial advisor to understand hyperinflation or how to prepare for it. When hyperinflation occurs, the cost of goods and services continues to go up while a person’s income remains the same. The result is that it takes significantly more money to purchase what you need. Or more simply, the money you have in your pocket isn’t worth the paper it's printed on. 

Several times in my life, I have heard that there is nothing you can do about hyperinflation except grind your teeth and get through it. I believe this is untrue and a dangerous idea. Like everything else in life, if you apply a little critical thinking, discipline, and action, you can be prepared for such times...

​How to Prepare for Hyperinflation​

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​How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half

 

When you read about what to stockpile for an emergency, you tend to see the same recommendations. Water tops every list, and rightly so since water is essential for survival.

In terms of food, however, rice, beans, pasta, and canned vegetables show up frequently as staples to have on hand. Then, you usually see sugar, flour, and other long-lasting foods. These are good options, but many other choices are often overlooked.

Here is a list of foods and ingredients that offer a long shelf life as well as nutrition that you will need in an emergency scenario...

​23 Most Overlooked Survival Foods​

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You may also like...

​35 Emergency Foods To Stock Up On

 

 

If You Find This Thrift Shopping, Buy It

As a professional reseller who has been combing through thrift stores for the better part of 30 years, I can help. If you’re ready to cut your shopping time in half, score bigger bargains or walk away with brag-worthy finds you can flip for cash, read on.

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/thrift-shopping-for-vintage-dansk-pepper-mills/

 

CREATING AN EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY-FOOD SURVIVAL REPORTS-FREE

Compliments of: The PoorManSurvival team

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgMpmQI6plfXiBqUHg-8SkA59L8f?e=YJZavA

A common survival concept is the idea of the 72-hour kit or bug out bag. It’s the stuff you would need in case you had to abruptly evacuate your home for three days and were totally dependent on the contents of the bag…

Natural disasters don't wait for a convenient time

And you shouldn't wait to prepare either. In some cases there is little to no warning.

Prepare now to lessen the impact of disasters and emergencies

 

Remember:  You can’t buy life insurance after you’re dead!

Better –Safe- Than- Sorry Super Survival Kit

Your Emergency Survival Kit Includes:

·        4Patriot Solar phone charger

·        72-hour emergency food pack [25 year shelf life+3 Bonus Meals]

·        Solar/Hand crank 4Patriot emergency radio

·        4Patriot Greens sample pack [Power supplement]

·        3 Luna Nutrition bars [assorted]]

·        Cleaning Wipe Pack+Personal Hygiene kit

·        Emergency Rescue Blanket

·        2-PackHand Warmers

·        Steel River Emergency Tent

·        Emergency Poncho

·        Deck of Playing Cards

·        Mini [42 piece] First Aid kit

·         American Natural Superfood sample

·         MACE Triple-action Police Model pepper spray/UV Dye

·         Face mask

And more-Full Details at:

·        https://www.ebay.com/itm/255146721578

 

 

Free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom!

 

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead

Not Prepared? 

That's Bad News...

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies…

 

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

 

 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production

 

 

DIY Mead-Beverage of the Gods, Gardening Goodies

 

 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

When it comes to making mead…you can use a wide range of ingredients as a homebrewer. However, these ingredients will impact the finished product, giving it a different name, depending on the ingredients you’ve used. It may not seem like much, but if you want to participate in homebrewing competitions or if you want to sell your mead, you must follow the rules.

While there are many types of mead and the list keeps growing, the main contenders you should know about are:

·         Traditional mead (also called show mead) is made with honey, water, yeast, and minimal flavor-balancing ingredients.

·         Melomel is any mead made with honey and fruits (usually, a single kind of fruit is used, but blends of various fruits can also be used).

·         Metheglin is a type of made that involves honey and herbs or spices.

·         Cyser is mead made with honey and apple juice or cider.

Like wine and beer, the alcohol levels of mead can vary, and it can be anywhere from 4 to 18 percent. Mead can be made very dry or sweet, and you can adjust the alcohol content and sweetness levels by balancing the amount of honey you use and the type of yeast used for fermentation.

Balancing the honey with a yeast quantity with a specific alcohol tolerance will ferment sugars in the honey that may leave residual sweetness or be fermented completely to dryness. To stop the mead from fermenting, many brewers use potassium sorbate.

Potassium sorbate is potassium salt and is the alternative to the natural sorbic acid that occurs naturally in some fruits as polyunsaturated fat. It is the synthetically produced version of the chemicals occurring naturally in nature. If you decide to use potassium sorbate, make sure the USFDA approves the products you’re buying.

Ingredients required for making mead

1. Honey

This is the core of the beverage, and you need to use raw or unfiltered honey. Brewers also use honey labeled as “natural” or “local,” but you need to know that such labels are not regulated, and even if you ask the retailer how the honey was sourced, chances are you won’t get unfiltered honey. While the best way to get raw honey would be to make it yourself by becoming a novice beekeeper, you can also get in touch with local beekeepers to buy raw honey.

Light wildflower honey is recommended to be used for making mead, but you can also use honey from sourwood, poplar, or basswood trees. If you want to use dark honey, keep in mind that your mead will have a potent flavor, and it may not be to everyone’s liking. When using dark honey, it’s recommended to mix it with lighter honey to obtain a milder flavor.

The honey to water ratio plays an essential role in the level of sweetness, even though the yeast used influences the amount of sugars fermented. The general rule to be followed is to use 2 ½ pounds of honey to 1 gallon of water if you want to obtain a mead between dry and semisweet.

If you use 3 pounds of honey to 1 gallon of water, you will get a mead somewhere between semisweet to sweet. However, if you want a sweet mead (desert-style), you can use 4 pounds of honey to 1 gallon of water.

The trick with using large quantities of honey is to avoid adding it all at once because it will underferment the mead or give off-flavors. You can add half the amount you plan on using, and after 2-3 weeks into the fermentation process, you can add the rest.

2. Yeast

Any type of yeast can be used to ferment the sugars in honey, but each strain has a different alcohol tolerance, temperature preference, and a distinct flavor profile. Most experience mead brewers use wine or champagne yeast, while the rest use commercially-sold mead yeasts or brewer’s yeast.

For higher alcohol content, wine and champagne yeasts are recommended, while for lower-alcohol mead, you can use any other type of yeast, including bread yeast.

3. Water

Water is an essential component used to dilute the honey and fermentable. You can use tap water if it’s filtered or dechlorinated. You can boil the water for 20-30 minutes or leave it outside in an open container for 24 hours to get rid of chlorine. However, many experienced brewers recommend using spring water for mead with a well-rounded flavor.

4. Flavoring and other components

As I’ve stated before, many ingredients can be used for making mead. So here are the most common ingredients you should know about and the basic techniques you should learn.

To make melomel, you will need to add ¼ of the total amount of fruit you plan to use during the primary fermentation stage. The remaining ¾ quantity can be added 3-4 weeks into the fermentation process. You will get only a subtle fruit flavor if you add all the fruit quantity at once.

Make sure the fruit is fresh and whole, and it wasn’t over-processed. Remove the stems and leaves and chop the larger fruits into chunks.

For making cyser, you will need to use apple juice instead of water for the fermentation. To obtain the desired flavor, you will need to taste different apple juices and blend various juices until you get that preferred flavor.

For making metheglin, you can use pretty much any herb or spice you can think of. The rule of thumb here is to use twice as many fresh herbs and spices compared to dried quantities. Some brewers prefer to add them whole to the mead, while others will make a tea and then mix it with the mead. The problem with using herbs and spices is that you can easily overdo it, and you need to follow the recipes closely or start with a small amount if you decide to make your recipe.

Brewers add fermentation enhancements to the must (unfermented mead) such as tannins, acids, and nutrients. These ingredients are added in small amounts, and they help obtain a well-rounded flavor. They can be purchased in powder form at pretty much any homebrew store.

There are also natural alternatives such as oak, walnut, grape leaves for tannins, or a squeeze of citrus fruit to obtain acidity. For nutrients that provide nutrition to the yeast, these can be obtained from unfiltered honey with a good amount of hive residue, or you can use bee pollen. If you are making mead with fruits or other botanicals, you might not need to add nutrients, but if you want to be on the safe side, you can always purchase and use a wine nutrient.

Making mead step by step

Here is a basic semisweet traditional mead recipe that you can try, and it’s pretty straightforward. If you are new to brewing, I recommend starting with 1-gallon batches. You will need the following:

Equipment:

·         One 3-gallon cooking pot

·         Two 1-gallon glass jugs

·         One 2- to 3- foot siphon tube

·         One 1- to 2- gallon container with a spigot, which will be used for bottling

·         A large funnel

·         Bottles with corks or caps

·         Bottle corker or capper

·         A stirring spoon

Ingredients:

·         2 to 4 pounds raw wildflower honey

·         1 gallon dechlorinated tap water (spring water is recommended)

·         1 teaspoon bee pollen or 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient

·         ½ teaspoon lemon juice

·         1 packet yeast

·         Flavorings of your choice such as fruits, herbs, or spices

 

Directions:

 

1.    Gather all the equipment and clean it with hot water and a natural cleanser.

2.    Pout 2/3 of a gallon in the cooking pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the water sit for 10-15 minutes.

3.    Add the honey and stir until it’s fully dissolved to obtain the must, then add the nutrients of your choice, lemon juice, and flavorings (if you decide to use any). Mix well.

4.    Let the mixture cool to room temperature for 30 minutes, then use the funnel to pour it into a glass jug. Make sure you leave 5 inches of headspace and swirl the jug to help aerate the must.

5.    Add the yeast to the jug by sprinkling it on the must, then put the airlock on the jug.

6.    Place the jug in a warm, dark place (70 degrees) and let it sit for two weeks.

7.    After two weeks, add more water to 2 inches below the jug’s opening.

8.    After two more weeks, transfer to another jug using the siphoning tube. Make sure the tube is positioned just above the yeast sediment. Store for 4 to 6 months at 60 to 70 degrees.

9.    Transfer the mead into the container with a spigot for bottling.

10. If you are using beer bottles with a capper or swing-top bottles, fill them about ½ inch below the opening. If you decide to use bottles with a corker, you should fill the bottles ½ to ¾ inch below the cork’s bottom.

11. Store the bottles in a cellar or basement and let the mead age 4-6 months. When opening the first bottle and your mead tastes a bit rough, let the other bottles sit for a few more months.

 

Making mead is not complicated, and it can be done even by those who are just discovering the art of brewing. This versatile honey-based beverage can be easily made at home if you follow the steps listed in this article and ensure good hygiene is maintained throughout the entire process.

Mead is a hearty addition to any home brewing arsenal…

 

USEFUL RESOURCES

 

Costs are going up for just about everything - but are corporations raising prices to maintain their profit margin, or are they using it as an excuse to inflate prices to milk greater profits out of hard-hit consumers dealing with pandemic and inflationary woes? 

It's not just consumer goods - the question applies to shipping companies as well, and UPS's 2022 rate hike is now under scrutiny by the New York Attorney General. UPS posted its best year ever in 2021 and announced substantial price hikes in 2022, the NY AG said as she investigates price gouging and pandemic profiteering.

NY Attorney General Scrutinizes UPS Rate Hike

The New York AG is scrutinizing shipping firms like UPS for raising rates to boost profits amid pandemic and inflation woes.

Read More

 

Creating a Labor-Saving Garden

Gardening can become more difficult as we age. Try these affordable options for creating a garden that won’t be quite so physically demanding to maintain.

 Gardening equipment:  Inexpensive Tools for Beginner Gardeners 

How to Get Started Composting on the Cheap

We explore the benefits of composting your household scraps as well as how to get started composting on the cheap.

Homemade Natural Dishwasher Detergent on the Cheap

Are you as conscientious about protecting the environment as you are your budget? You can help keep chemicals out of the water supply while keeping more dollars in your pocket with these recipes.

Ways to Stretch Ground Beef (and Your Grocery Budget)

Meat is often the most expensive component of a meal and a good place to look for savings. Try these money-saving ways to stretch ground beef and your food dollars further.

Because of where I live I can’t own a gun. I plan on using pepper spray for home defense. But someone said bear spray is better. What is your opinion? Which one should I get?

 

-From Margie T.

 

Answer: Most bear and pepper spray contain the same ingredient, oleoresin capsicum (OC.) However, the biggest difference is that bear spray contains a much lower concentration.

 

Pepper spray is a self-defense weapon intended to incapacitate humans. It can be effective at doing this due to its higher concentration of oleoresin capsicum.

 

Also, bear spray is designed to put out a wide cloud to discourage the bear. On the other hand, pepper spray is a targeted stream designed to incapacitate a person at close range.

 

For self-defense, I would get pepper spray. If you are a hiker, get some bear spray.

 

 

 

The world we used to know is rapidly unraveling….

 

It’s only a matter of time before we feel significant consequences.

Are you prepared for:

• Further supply chain disruptions, leaving stores with more empty shelves?
• Cyberattacks on the infrastructure we Americans need to live?
• Dirty water that is undrinkable?
• Blackouts across entire states?

 

·         Tried n True Bug-Out Bag Essentials…

Better –Safe- Than- Sorry Super Emergency Survival Kit

No one believed Noah until it was too late…

Natural disasters don't wait for a convenient time

And you shouldn't wait to prepare either. In some cases there is little to no warning.

Beat the odds for survival!

Prepare now to lessen the impact of disasters and emergencies

Better –Safe- Than- Sorry Super Survival Kit

Your Emergency Survival Kit Includes:

•  Solar phone charger
• 72-hour 4Patriot emergency food pack [25 year shelf life
• 4Patriot Greens sample pack [Power supplement]
• 3 Luna Nutrition bars [assorted]+Sunmaid raisin pouch
• Cleaning Wipe Pack
• Steel River Emergency Tent
• Mini  First Aid kit
• TRS 5N1 EDC folding tool
• 3-package meal sampler
• Paracord bracelet w/ compass
• Reusable Face Mask
• Personal Water Filter Straw
• 11-Piece Emergency Survival Kit 

We offer several sized kits at:

PERSONAL SURVIVAL PACK-Tried N True ‘Save-Your-Butt’ Essentials

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185325277360

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255419941572

 

4 FREE Digital Reports:

• The Water Survival Guide [Download]
• The Survival Garden Guide [Download]
• Top 10 Items Sold Out After A Crisis - [Download]
• How to Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half [Download]

 

URBAN SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

https://cdn.4patriots.com/downloads/pdf/reports/4Patriots-Ultimate-Survival-Handbook.pdf

 

 

Free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom!

 

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead

Not Prepared? 

That's Bad News...

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies…

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

 

 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production