PPrepper knowledge! Alternative power and solutions

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

As RED SQUARE is pretty much my only social network, thought I'd start a topic on this. I've studied a lot on this over the years and actually at one point Started putting that knowledge into a book of sorts to pass along to my kids and grandkids. There's so much we have forgotten about keeping labor to a minimum and comfort to a maximum without readily available electricity and fuels. So share what ya know, ask what ya want!

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

@DennisThornton@Maxwell-8 There ya go fellas! An alternative power and solutions topic!

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

On youtube, I think sensible prepper is a good source, he got me waked up. I have a supply of food, water, 3000 gallons of diesel, trying to reach the minimum off 1000 rounds of ammo.

 

BUT, supply's is only so much, having the skill and proper mindset is key!

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

Thats me here, I do have a small stock to get by, but the knowledge and the skill are the REAL commodity and don't take up space, and can't be stolen!! My thoughts are to make my life as easy as possible and be able to produce stuff most folks can't as valuable trade goods.

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

For instance, rather than have tons of ammo, I always figured an air rifle would be my main goto for hunting etc. I keep normal firearms and enough ammo for defense, but thats about it(always figured id take out whoever was out to get me and take THEIR ammo!)

 

[Pullstart 62,912]

I have a funny question.  Anyone salt cure their meat?  I have 50-100 lbs of salt, two freezers full of meat, but don’t know proper methods to mix ‘em up for best curing and lest wastefulness.

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

We had an old shed here where they cured meats. They used a salt rub method, where during just the right temperature time of year they would repeatedly apply a salt rub to the meat sometimes adding sugar, honey, and other spices. You can also just bury your cuts in a box of salt and just turn them etc. until completely dried out. (now this is RAW salt curing the meat will still have to be cooked when you're ready to consume, and you may have to rinse out some salt content) Sticks in my mind proper temp is 30-40 degrees(just above freezing) and ya do need a little airflow to remove moisture, but small cuts can be done in a cold fridge.You can also do a brine method where you steep the meat in a heavy saltwater solution, or combine both methods.

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

For my efforts, I would only use salt curing as a flavor enhancer, and rather smoke the meat, then dehydrate. Canning meat is also very easy and very long lived. Freezedried is the best for longevity, but requires some specialized equipment like a vaccum pump etc.(have all the parts for one here but haven't gotten around tuit.)

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

Heres a pretty good rundown of the salt curing process, nitrate additives, etc. With some curing recipes and suggestions on commercially available curing salts.

 

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Grandpa butchered, smoked and salt cured bacon and hams.  Butchered in late fall, not sure of all the details but smoked for a few days and then enough salt to cover.  Might mold here or there but that was cut off and fed to the chickens.  High BP prevents me from enjoying it anymore, and honestly, pretty salty even when I was young.  I only raise chickens but I did think about raising a hog.  I got over that though.  I have raised rabbits and really think that's a great idea for many, but got the chickens to fight the darned ticks!  I'm gardening more than ever and felt real good about that last year when I was looking at empty grocery shelves and EVERY seed company was Out of Stock!  Canning jars!  Gone!  Fortunately I had enough and with dehydrators and freezer nothing went to waste.

 

https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/  

 

Lot's of good ideas above.  I YouTubed a lot with the Sensible prepper, David Canterbury, ReallyBigMonkey1 and others.  Got some great ideas.  I like the kit mentality and the size depends on whether I have to carry it on me, in the truck or not at all.

 

With SO much collective knowledge on this forum perhaps it would be a good idea to try to grow and pool some prepper ideas.  Steam engines, Sterling engines, biodiesel, alcohol, wood gas?  I'm rather curious what we could come up with!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

29 minutes ago, Wheel Horse 3D said:

For my efforts, I would only use salt curing as a flavor enhancer, and rather smoke the meat, then dehydrate. Canning meat is also very easy and very long lived. Freezedried is the best for longevity, but requires some specialized equipment like a vaccum pump etc.(have all the parts for one here but haven't gotten around tuit.)

I've looked into freeze drying and was only held back by the over a thousand dollar entry fee!  Can easily spend more still!  I to have a couple of vacuum pumps and spent a little time reviewing the process.  Too much going on I guess...  So, I dehydrate.  Not quite as good but MUCH cheaper!  And I can!

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

That parent site or the national institute for food preservation is a good source for all kinds of preservation techniques

https://nchfp.uga.edu/

[DennisThornton 4,769]

1 hour ago, Maxwell-8 said:

On youtube, I think sensible prepper is a good source, he got me waked up. I have a supply of food, water, 3000 gallons of diesel, trying to reach the minimum off 1000 rounds of ammo.

 

BUT, supply's is only so much, having the skill and proper mindset is key!

You got 3000 gals of diesel?  Good lord!  I might have 50...  I might up that to 250 soon but I doubt I'll exceed that.  However, it does make me think that I should have a decent sized pto generator because at least I could store and run diesel for AC power.  

Yeah, I like that idea!  But 3000 gals?

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

2 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

I've looked into freeze drying and was only held back by the over a thousand dollar entry fee!

Me too, so I managed to come across a Harbor freight vaccum pump, a nice old Big pressure canning vessel, and a couple smaller ones. Still need to find a mini freezer for the cooling coils. I figured with the correct vaccum or pressure switch and a timer of some sort, I can pretty well automate the thing. Entire investment to date abt 30 bucks and that included an industrial adjustable vaccum switch I found online for the right range.

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

1 hour ago, Wheel Horse 3D said:

I always figured an air rifle would be my main goto for hunting

GREAT point, got a gamo, powerfull enhough to kill a hog, but silence enhough it won't attrac attention.

 

I am already loving this topic, so many good tips. We as hunters always vacuum our meet. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Just now, Wheel Horse 3D said:

Me too, so I managed to come across a Harbor freight vaccum pump, a nice old Big pressure canning vessel, and a couple smaller ones. Still need to find a mini freezer for the cooling coils. I figured with the correct vaccum or pressure switch and a timer of some sort, I can pretty well automate the thing. Entire investment to date abt 30 bucks and that included an industrial adjustable vaccum switch I found online for the right range.

I'm sure homemade is doable.  Could even set the pressure vessel right inside a chest freezer.  I remember reading about temp and pressures but I don't remember what I read..,.

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

And ammo for an air rifle is easy to cast! Don't get me wrong, I can take some hay ,urine, and a campfire and have the chemistry stuff to make somethin go boom, but compressed air is so much easier.

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

5 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

You got 3000 gals of diesel?  Good lord!  I might have 50...  I might up that to 250 soon but I doubt I'll exceed that.  However, it does make me think that I should have a decent sized pto generator because at least I could store and run diesel for AC power.  

Yeah, I like that idea!  But 3000 gals?

Hahahha, My grandfather had an old garage, with different tanks good for 3000 gallons. Some were original for keeping motoroil and transfluid in stock in bulk. 

3000Gallons and still no diesel generator, haha, I am trying to find a good one at a decent price, but can't find one.

If a motor goes out in my WH, I am converting it to diesel for sure!

Edited May 11, 2021 by Maxwell-8

[DennisThornton 4,769]

1 minute ago, Maxwell-8 said:

GREAT point, got a gamo, powerfull enhough to kill a hog, but silence enhough it won't attrac attention.

 

I am already loving this topic, so many good tips. We as hunters always vacuum our meet. 

"to kill a hog"?  Really?  I've got 2-3 rather high powered ,177 and .22 air rifles but I never thought about them being able to take down game bigger than a rabbit..

 

And two vacuum ideas here, vacuum packed then freeze meats for sure but also the vacuum/freeze dried method.  The first I do now but only hoping to be able to freeze dry before I die...

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

1 minute ago, DennisThornton said:

I remember reading about temp and pressures

Yep, the nice thing is temp and pressure are so related(if you reduce pressure the temp goes down) that after the first prep freeze, ya really dont need any other temp control but the vaccum pump. The freezer is just to keep the moisture trap working correctly and freezing to keep the moisture outta your pump.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

3 minutes ago, Maxwell-8 said:

Hahahha, My grandfather had an old garage, with different tanks good for 3000 gallons. Some were original for keeping motoroil and transfluid in stock in bulk. 

3000Gallons and still no diesel generator, haha, I am trying to find a good one at a decent price, but can't find one.

If a motor goes out in my WH, I am converting it to diesel for sure!

Lots of virtues with diesel power but cheap isn't one of them.  

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

2 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

"to kill a hog"?  Really?  I've got 2-3 rather high powered ,177 and .22 air rifles but I never thought about them being able to take down game bigger than a rabbit

oh yeah you can get pcp rifles up to .50! Big game air rifles..check out Quackenbush(top of the line) Benjamin and AirForce Texan .50 (A .30 cal or so should do for most my stuff)

Edited May 11, 2021 by Wheel Horse 3D

[DennisThornton 4,769]

2 minutes ago, Wheel Horse 3D said:

Yep, the nice thing is temp and pressure are so related(if you reduce pressure the temp goes down) that after the first prep freeze, ya really dont need any other temp control but the vaccum pump. The freezer is just to keep the moisture trap working correctly and freezing to keep the moisture outta your pump.

I'd like to see these ideas put to work.  I've got enough to get started.

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

Just now, Wheel Horse 3D said:

oh yeah you can get pcp rifles up to .50! Big game air rifles..check out Quackenbush(top of the line) Benjamin and AirForce Texan .50

I have seen buffalo's beeing killed with  air rifles

youtube: "gamo keith warren" he kills hogs with his.22 gamo

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

The freeze drying setup could be scaled to whatever size too, just take longer to process with a larger main vessel. Main vessel ouside of freezer, cooling vessel inside of freezer, maybe with some fins inside for moisture to collect on. Pressure switch hi/lo and a countdown timer(or monitor manually). When the vac switch sees high pressure it kicks on the pump till it reaches low. (pressure below the triple point of water) then your sublimation starts, ice in the food, turns directly from ice to vapor an in doing so increases pressure in the vessel, which kicks the pump on once it reaches the setpoint right at the tripple point pressure. This cycle repeats as needed. Once the majority of the moisture is out, at some point you can go no further without inducing some heat into the system this can be ambient air temp, or you can add a small hot plate under your main vessel, and relay it to kick on every time the pump kicks off from the pressure switch. A timer can tell you how long the pump has been off and at a given time(say 2-3 hours) and the pump stays off and the hotplate on(LOW) then you should be complete. as much moisture as can come out has come out. Of course theres specific setpoints, and temperatures you should work within, but thats the basics.The cooling coils just trap the moisture. Also be sure to bleed open the system after a run from the food side NOT the pump side, so no contaminants from the pump(oil etc) cant get to your food.Id prefer to contaminate the pump oil a bit and have to change it later than contaminate the food. After a run defrost your cooling coil and drain the moisture, and start again!

Edited May 11, 2021 by Wheel Horse 3D