Cold Times — How to Prepare for the Mini Ice Age Read online

  My original paper records, written in pencil so changes could be erased, looked something like this:

  Buy Date

  Item Description

  Qty

  Location

  Used

  Comment

  1/3/83

  Pasta 16 oz

  6#

  Pantry

  111

  Variety pks

  4/9/83

  Corn, Canned 16 oz

  24 cn

  Basement

  11111 1

  Under canned beans

  This was a perfectly useable system and helped me to see at a glance what I had and what I was running out of. I could write a shopping list directly off my records, rather than having to sort through cans and boxes.

  Not included in my records was whatever I had in the kitchen for daily use, for example, spices and cooking herbs next to the stove, and whatever cans and boxes in the cupboards, were “unrecorded extras” for my storage. They were bonus goods. We could probably have eaten comfortably for a week or two on that and what was in the refrigerator.

  A simple paper register, accounting book, computer spreadsheet program, or just a lined sheet of paper is enough to get your records going. Write in pencil. Get a lot of extra pencils and erasers.

  Once you have acquired a year’s worth of supplies, though, a paper record quickly becomes unwieldy. It can be done, but you will need a separate page for each of several hundred items, collected in alphabetical order in a binder so you can remove and add pages as you go. A paper record is MANDATORY, even if it is only a printout from your computer spreadsheet. That is because, as you know, computers go down, the grid can go down, and you will still need to know what you have.

  If you are comfortable with computers, there are several good storage programs available online. Search for “food storage program”, and check out several until you find something you like. Make sure you can store your data on your computer, not only on the provider’s servers. Use a good anti-virus program while you check out any of these websites.

  My experience is with the LDS-affiliated Food Storage Planner program, available as a download and in a CD format (https://www.foodstorageplanner.com/five). The program has a “standard” set up that lets you start by assessing your supplies in comparison to a time period you chose – 1 week to 1 year – by the number of people you plan to feed. You can customize the foods on your list, remove the standard ones you don’t use, change quantities and food names, and decide if it is basic survival, mid-level comfort, or luxury goods. Best of all, you can print out a shopping list of needed items, and your whole pantry list as well. The system is very well thought-out and can be used with only a short learning curve.

  If you store your supply information on a computer, be sure to back it up to a dedicated flash drive and paper printouts. When you add or use things from your storage, write it down and then update your program from your list.

  Cooking Supplies

  As you collect your basic food supply, it is also time to start collecting the means to cook your food and getting familiar with using each one. Recall that one of the assumptions this book is based on is that there are going to be times when the grid is down, there are no propane deliveries, natural gas is not available, and we must rely on methods that are not commonly used today.

  During the awakening transition period, switching from a regular electric or gas home stove may become a necessity, at least on some occasions. People who have RVs useable for boon docking or dry-camping (away from an RV park and running off of their own power) are generally set up to cook on propane stoves. They will often use backup electric power provided by a portable generator and/or solar power – even running a microwave from time to time. So it is not a huge change from standard home meal prep, but changing cooking methods IS a change, and any change requires practice to become skilled at it.

  One of the easiest transition stoves is a standard “camp stove” –either powered by a 1-pound propane canister, or by “camp fuel”. Most are two-burner set ups. There are multiple manufacturers, including Camp Chef and others. They run around $65-$90. Burners can be lit by a match, or by an intrinsic spark system. I’d suggest you get at least one camp stove, as soon as possible. Set it up and cook on it. It’s a simple change. A 1-pound canister of propane will last several days, and runs about $4 each. Get 8 of them. Store canisters in an outbuilding or garage, never near any live flame source, such as a gas water heater.

  Another option is a butane stove. These are commonly single-burner, and use a butane canister like the type used to refill cigarette lighters. Similar types of stoves are also made by many other manufacturers including Camp Chef, Coleman, Gas One and others. They run around $35. These are used like the camp stove, but only handle one pot at a time. Their real benefit is that they are light enough to carry with you, if you have to leave in a hurry. Get extra butane, if you go this route, and maybe a couple extra stoves for backup. Butane Canisters run around $2 each, if bought in a case of 12. With either of these stoves, you can cook a tasty meal, even if the power is out for days.

  The “upscale” version of a camp stove is Camp Chef’s 2-burner stove and oven set up. The improvement is the addition of a small baking oven. These run about $250, and will operate at high burn for about 5 hours on a one-pound propane canister.

  If you want hot meals but want to conserve fuel, consider the “hot pot”. There’s lots of variations on this idea, but basically it is a heat retaining container into which you put a covered boiling pot of something (soup or anything that requires long slow cooking). The container is then closed, and in a few hours the something will be ready to eat. Fuel use is much lower than continuing to heat it for hours. The hot pot is effectively a slow-cooker, without the electricity.

  One way to make a hot pot: use a large heavy cardboard box, and line the interior with aluminum foil. Next, fill it to the brim with straw and pack it down fairly tightly – that provides your heat-retaining medium. You could also use fiberglass insulation or any medium that won’t melt or outgas when you put a hot pot on it (don’t use Styrofoam right next to the pot for that reason).

  Scoop out a bit of the insulating medium so your pot will fit down into the box. Bring your pot of goodies to a full boil, cover, and carefully settle it into the indention, then cover with the insulating medium and a bath towel or two. Check it in a couple hours – it should still be quite warm and well on the way to table ready.

  Another cooking method, if you have sunny days, is the solar oven. This is, effectively, an oven-sized insulated box that has a clear glass top and reflectors that focus sunlight onto the matte-black interior behind the glass. A commercial or home-made solar oven can reach high 350oF+ degrees, and easily cook bread, soup, or meat dishes.

  You’ll need to make sure the glass front is pointed directly at the hot sun, and adjust the position every 30-minutes or so during the cooking time, but otherwise it’s just like using a standard oven.

  Commercial solar ovens run around $300. Homemade ones can be made by placing a smaller cardboard box inside a larger one, insulating the space between them with Styrofoam or layers of cardboard. Paint the interior of the small box flat-black with tempera or other non-toxic paint. Glue aluminum foil on the large box’s flaps to create reflective surfaces. Place a piece of window glass over the open front – and you’ve got a solar oven. I made one years ago using a black plastic bag for the box interior, and it got so hot that the plastic melted!

  For equipment: a fry pan or two of cast iron and stainless steel; a couple of stainless steel pots, one large for stew, one medium for everything else; a couple lidded casserole dishes or Dutch oven, porcelain over steel or cast iron; and any special equipment you like or prefer. Forget about lightweight non-stick supplies – they won’t last, and you may not be able to find replacements. Consider a small pressure cooker, too – you can cook a pot roast with potatoes, carrots, onions, and spices in half an hour. Or prepa
re beans in about the same time. That is a huge saving in fuel. A medium sized pressure cooker/canner can also be used to purify water for drinking, too.

  Finally, set in a supply of paper (not Styrofoam) plates and bowls. These can be burned on a campfire or in a fireplace after use to keep you warm. If you are in a power-down situation where you must rely on your backup food and cooking methods, you will most definitely not want to boil water to do a load of dishes several times daily.

  5 WATER: purifying, Collecting, Storing

  We’ve looked at storing purchased foods, setting up record- keeping systems, and methods of cooking that work when the grid and natural gas systems are unreliable. We will continue discussing food production in the chapter that comes after this one. There’s a gap between the two food chapters because once you’ve got your basic food, you must immediately put in your water system. Without water, you’re dead within a week. Without clean water, your hygiene disintegrates, and life-threatening disease sets in.

  In reality, the water chapter should lead all others, including Place since a place without natural water is called “a desert”. You can’t live there.

  So, how do you know the water currently coming from your tap is safe – that is, having a low count of dangerous bacteria, being free from damaging chemicals, and safe enough for a baby to drink?

  The real answer is: you don’t. In reality, you merely trust your community water system to take care of that for you – and, in the main, they do. Except in Flint, Michigan, or Fresno, California, where the tap water was laden with enough lead to sicken anyone who drank it, which was, of course, the entire city.

  You can contact your town’s water service, and request the latest analysis of the water, and I do encourage you to do that. There may be a charge for this, or it may be available at the water company’s online site. The report should show the levels of various natural and manufactured chemicals – arsenic to nitrates – as well as bacteria that was found and eradicated by chlorine or other means. Of course, I would guess that Flint’s routine water report forgot to include dangerous levels of lead…but other regions are hopefully more forthcoming.

  There is one thing that your service’s report will tell you clearly: somebody has been taking care of the purity of your drinking water and bringing it to your tap. It didn’t just occur spontaneously. It took many people’s thought, effort, time, planning, and consistency to make it happen. In most cities and towns, it has been going on for generations, literally. Prior to that, if you wanted water you had to haul it, collect it, and store it yourself.

  And that’s why many people take their safe water for granted. It’s always been there. It always will. Until it’s not. Then, having absolutely no idea that water in a pond, pool, stream, or river might be “different” from what comes out of the tap, they drink. After several weeks of debilitating diarrhea and maybe a stay in the hospital, they know better. Don’t be that person.

  The creation of modern water systems was the product of horrific outbreaks a century ago of water-borne disease – cholera, typhoid, dysentery – that killed thousands of people. At the time, city folk used public latrines that seeped sewage into the community wells. The residue percolated down into the water table and ended up at the “town pump”. Public health officials found the relationship by tracing outbreaks to individual water pumps. That’s why we have sewers and sewage collection systems in cities and towns: so we don’t contaminate our own drinking water. Placement of latrines will be considered in the later Hygiene chapter.

  Purifying Water

  Because of the criticality of having clean drinking water, we’re going to examine the purification process before we talk about getting and keeping water. Once again, we’ve got a way to purify water that is appropriate for the early awakening transition period, as well as lower-tech purification processes that are suitable for the Zen-slap phase and thereafter.

  Least Expensive Methods

  First, any water must be passed through a filter to remove particulate matter – bits of leaf, dirt, and so on – and this can be accomplished with a coffee filter, a clean kitchen towel, or even a t-shirt. Pour your water through the filter so that you have visually clean water without extra floating things in it.

  The most effective and least expensive method to purify water is to simply bring the filtered water to a rolling boil (bubbling surface) for 10 minutes or so. That kills all bacteria and protozoa and other potentially infective nasties. This does not remove chemicals or poisonous metals, just the germs and bugs.

  The next-most familiar and inexpensive method is bleach. For a gallon of water, use ¼ teaspoon (about 20 drops) of chlorine bleach. Stir well, and let sit for at least one hour. It’s now ready to use. This works out to about 5 drops per quart. Use only pure chlorine beach – Clorox, Purex, Off-Brand, makes no difference, as long as it is only 5-6% calcium hypochlorite and no additional scents, detergents, or modifiers. This is NOT the “color-safe bleach”, so absolutely do NOT use that type. There is “concentrated” chlorine bleach, 8.25% -- if you have that, use about 2/3s of the dose (14 drops per gallon). Your water will have a slight bleach odor, which is not harmful to you. This kills most bacteria and protozoa, but does not remove chemicals or metals.

  Similar to bleach, iodine tincture can be used. You may buy “tincture of iodine” at most drug stores or Lugol’s Solution 3% online. A 2 ounce dropper bottle runs about $5-$10. Use 10 drops per quart of water. Shake or stir well and let it sit for an hour. It will have an iodine flavor. Don’t use this if you are allergic to iodine or shellfish. This kills most bacteria, although it might not kill giardia protozoa – best bet is to boil the water – but does not remove chemicals or metals.

  You can treat water before use, or treat water when you are putting it into storage. If you have 100 gallons set back for immediate emergency use, you won’t be in a panic if the electricity goes off suddenly, or you can’t trust whatever comes out of your tap. Simply add the appropriate amount of bleach or iodine, and tightly cap the container. Your water will remain drinkable for a year or two. After that, use it to water your garden, and refill with and treat another batch of water.

  Keep in mind that bleach in an unopened bottle will only maintain its potency about 2 years; iodine might last longer. Once the container is opened, both lose potency relatively quickly….figure a year. Clearly, treating water with these chemical approaches is a short-term method, better used in the early transition stage while you adjust to the Zen-slap that is coming. Later, if your water supply is from an unpolluted and reliable source over which you have full control, you will probably be able to drink that water without any difficulty, even if it is laden with local/regional bacteria. Effectively, you will have developed immunity to your water’s bacteria. People new to your area, however, may develop diarrheal conditions when they sample your unpurified water.

  Another method that is most efficient if done ahead of time, is to can your water in Ball or Mason jars. Take clean quart jars, fill with filtered visibly clean water, put on the lids and bands, and place the jars into a canner. This is “water-bath canning”, as used to can jams and fruits. Cover with water 2” above the top of the jars. Bring the canner to a boil, and boil for 30 minutes. Let it cool, and remove the jars to a wooden cutting board or towel-covered surface. As they cool to room temperature, the lids will seal with a pop. Once cool, store away in a safe spot. It will remain bacteria-free indefinitely. Once again, living parasites are destroyed, but dangerous chemicals or metals may remain.

  If you see white sediment settling out in your canned water, it’s probably minerals from your “hard” water supply, not very good tasting but generally not harmful, either. Scoop out when you use the water, or pass through a coffee filter.

  Countertop Water Filters

  Moderately priced gravity water filters are among the most popular, easy to use, and effective methods of making questionable water safely drinkable. On average, these cost $200 to $300 each, and
individual filter elements are about $25 to $50 each.

  The Big Berkey is one of the best known; it’s been around for decades and according to their advertising will remove bacteria, parasites and cysts, as well as herbicides, pesticides, solvents, radon and trihalomethanes – and reduces nitrites, nitrates, lead, mercury and, with a separate filter, fluoride. There are multiple sized Berkeys, as well. Filter elements are secured to the top container, water is added, and it passes through the filter elements and drips into the lower container. A spigot lets you get your water directly from the clean holding portion. Although they come in a pretty blue plastic form, get the stainless steel one. It will outlast you, won’t break if you drop it, and still works if it’s dinged or bent.

  A nice feature is that you can test the effectiveness of your filters by adding red food coloring to the top (unfiltered) container. The filtered water should come out of the spigot clear, showing that the filtration is thorough. Filter elements last about 6,000 gallons. If your family filters 3 gallons of water daily for drinking and cooking, your filters should last around 2,000 days, a little over 5 years, before the filter elements need to be replaced.