Food Storage :Where To Begin?

 

First  thing is  first,  make a  selection and  decide what  room   or  space  you  will use for your food and   first aid items. It should be the coolest place in the house.  The temperature should be a within the  40-60 degrees Fahrenheit range.   The room should stay dry at all times to avoid damage  or  spoilage to your  items.  Closets, under stairways, spare bedrooms,  crawl space or under beds,any unfinished area  of the home will work as well. North facing walls are cooler  because they are away from excessive heat  exposure from the sun.   This room is where you will store the foods  you  will use  to restock  your  pantry.   The  room  you  choose  will depend  on the  space  you have  available  within  your home. Whatever  space you  can  spare that  will serve to house  your  food  supply will be  good. The reasons for having a separate storage are  simple. Ever hear the saying “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket”?  In a true disaster scenario, it is better to lose some of your food , than all of your food!  Redundancy  is also the  key  to  this  strategy.  Having  the  same  items duplicated in  separate areas will  insure that  you have everything that  you  need should  an unexpected scenario arise.
To elevate the food up off the floor you  can  use  shelving, wooden  planks  or  pallets. The containers should never come in contact with the ground. The moisture from the  ground will rust the  cans  and  can get into the buckets.  Platforms can be made of bricks with wood across them to elevate the food up off the floor,  if you like.  A simple rotation system should be implemented to insure freshness.  The  best system would be  to  stock oldest food to be used first and the newest food to be held further back and moved  forward  as you replace  what  you  have  used. The air must be able to circulate around the food to keep it dry so make  sure they are properly  stacked to allow for this  air  space. Items  with  higher  oil content  or  dairy  products should  be placed  lower because  hot  sir  rises  and it will be  cooler closer to the  ground.
To insure proper rotation, always date the cans and put the newest cans to the back and use the oldest dated cans first. If you  leave a  space  under the  bottom  shelf then you  have  effectively  created a storage  space  for non  food  items.  Such as  cooking equipment, camping equipment ,sleeping bags, blankets, etc.  The smartest thing  you  can  do is  keep  everything  you  will need  for  a  survival  situation together that  way you will find it  when you need it.
If an  emergency arises  and you cannot  find  it ,  then you  might  as  well not have  it .  You may  not have the time  to  go  searching for  something  that is not  readily  available.   In an emergency  situation ….”Time is of  the  essence”.
Do not store food in an attic because it will get too hot and  your  food  items  will spoil.  Seal all cracks and crevices where mice or insects might get in.  Mice and insects  will ruin any unsealed buckets or cardboard containers.  The mice can eat right through the Mylar foil, cardboard and  even  some softer  plastics. Keep  these items in buckets with  sealed lids.  The moth larvae eat  through the Mylar also.  Heavy plastic containers, jars or metal cans with tight-fitting lids will keep mice and insects out.  You  can  also place a bay leaf in with grains, flour, beans, etc to keep them from being  invaded by insects.
Do not leave any food items that have not been sealed properly on the shelves  or you  will risk insect infestation.  Do not store chemicals in the same room as the food or  you  could  face  cross  contamination.
What  To Store.
The best thing to  do  is  focus   on the  foods  that you and  your  family  eat.  If  you  store  foods  that  you normally  do not  eat then you  will not  readily  use  them Rotating  your  supply is  important.  However  , if  you  do  not  eat the  food then you  won’t be  rotating it  will you ?  Not  to mention  that it is  important  for you to know  how  to  prepare the  foods  that  you  have  stored.
CANNED FOODS
Canned foods make an excellent food storage item. Typically, most canned foods have a shelf life of several years, some even longer.
They come in large varieties such as vegetables, meats, fish, soups and fruits to name a few.  Most canned foods, in an emergency situation, will not require that you heat or cook them before eating them. They may not taste as good cold, but they will sustain you. You can also take advantage of great sales on canned foods and stock up quickly.
You  can  also  look into stores in  your area  that  might  sell dented  cans  at a  reduced, price.  As  long  as the  cans  seals  have  not been  compromised there is  absolutely  nothing  wrong  with the  contents of that  dented  can.  Getting it at a  considerable  discount for it’s slightly  dented   exterior is a good deal  and an excellent  way  of  building  your food  storage  quickly  and  inexpensively.
BULK FOODS
Another choice for food storage are bulk foods. Generally they are more cost-effective because you are buying them in bulk quantities.
One thing you will need to do with bulk items after you purchase them is transfer them to  long  term  storage  containers.  Such as  5 gallon  plastic  buckets, #10  cans or Mylar vacuum sealed bags.  Many of the items that you can buy in bulk are items such as rice, grains and beans. If you are not familiar with cooking these items, you will need to educate yourself now. Cooking with whole grains takes time  and practice. Better to learn now than have to  learn  when you  and  you r family  are  hungry. These  items  can  be  very  versatile  once you learn to  cook  with them  and they  are  much  healthier  for you as  well.
Please  remember that  Salt  and  Sugar  are  essentials.  Salt is  necessary for  good  health and  sugar  is  needed to assist in making things   palatable and   for  energy.  Unless you  have the  money  to  buy cases of  honey.  Sugar will be   your  best  asset in providing the necessary calories  and  energy needed.  They  are  relatively  inexpensive in comparison to  most  other  bulk  foods.  Making it  rather  easy  to  stock up on these  two  very  essential  items.
**Another  thing  you  may  want to  consider  is that salt and  sugar  may   very  well be used   as  a bartering  currency during  a  crisis  when these items might not  be  readily  available.
Baking Items
Simple raw materials for baking, such as flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, oil and shortening, can be assets in a survival situation. With these staple items, you can make everything from pancakes or rolls to breading fresh fish. Powdered milk can be mixed with water. Oatmeal, wheat flour and sugar are other staples with which you can make baked goods.
For those looking for a simpler answer, mixes for muffins, corn bread and pancakes mean you do not need to add eggs or measure ingredients. These ready-made or pre-mixed ingredients can be time and  labor saving.  However, one  must  also  consider the  added  expense the pre-packaged  items will cost as  opposed to  bulk foods  that  you  can readily mix  to  make the same things at  a much  lower price.  If  your  budget  allows  then  feel free to purchase the  pre-packaged .
For long-term survival storage, honey stores for years and can replace sugar in recipes. Rather than storing flour or meal, purchase the raw grain and a hand mill. Then you can mill your own flour whenever necessary. Red winter wheat, golden wheat, corn and other grains can be purchased in 45-pound lots packed in nitrogen-packed bags and shipped in large plastic pails.   Or  you  can  purchase your own in the  local  feed  store and package them yourself.
Large canned goods, on the other hand, are difficult to transport. But if you’re stocking up your survival retreat or planning to weather the  storm at home, the large canned goods are easy to store and can keep you well-fed for months. While individual cans can be purchased, most popular are sets of multiple items. These are designed to provide a specific number of calories per day (they’ll recommend 1,800 per day, but you’ll probably want more) for a set period of time, often three months, six months or a year. Remember, however, if you have four people in your family or survival group, purchasing a one-year supply of food will only equate to three months worth for the family.
It is recommended that one purchase the largest set of these canned, dried foods one’s budget can handle. Then supplement the set with items tailored to you and your family or survival group. Also, MREs are excellent supplements, as prepared sets of #10 cans are typically vegetables, pasta and grains, while MREs are usually meat-based. Although there  are  some companies that  do  have the freeze dried  meats  available in  #10  cans if  it is within your  budget.
You may also want to add a few special items, such as hard candy, chocolate or desserts, to reward yourself , for quick energy or to  stave off  palate fatigue.
Don’t forget to add vitamins and mineral supplements.   Fruits, green vegetables and other items rich in vitamin C and other nutrients may be difficult to come by and a  good multi-vitamin can  make all the  difference in  your  nutritional  intake.  Well  worth  having in  your  food  storage.
MREs (MEALS READY TO EAT)
With these you will have a nice hot meal without having to cook. A disposable MRE heater provides a chemical reaction which heats the food.
Ease of portability of these meals is  also a  plus. They are small and easy to store, perfect for an evacuation scenario and keeping some in your car kit. They are also quite tasty. One disadvantage, however, is that they can be pricey and they do not provide as much roughage as you need. (This can lead to digestive problems if you plan to live on them for an  extended  period  of time.)
Beverages Other  Than Water
such as powdered milk, cocoa mix, a fortified fruit drink mix, evaporated milk, and some bottled juice.  In a winter emergency, having cocoa mix around is a blessing.  The  milk  will come in handy for many  things  including  cooking.  However,  one important  thing  you  must keep in  mind is  palate  fatigue.  If you  have the  same foods  over  and over  again  palate  fatigue  will set  in and in a survival  situation  it is  not a good idea  to  go  without  food.  Children  especially  can  suffer  from palate  fatigue  and it is  important  that  these situations  be  taken into account  when  building a  food  storage for  future   use.

Home Made Survival Foods
Canning goods is a tradition that will come in very handy in a survival situation.  From spaghetti sauce to your own jam. The types of  foods you can  preserve  with this  method  is  limitless.  However, when you are dealing with canning fruits, vegetables or meats, its important to follow the latest specifics from the true experts.
You can also dry, vacuum-pack and otherwise prepare food for storage. Vacuum pumps are available commercially or can be constructed in your own home. You can use them to seal dried food in mason jars and other containers.
When packing foods for storage, you want to eliminate oxygen (which is why a vacuum is so good). Bugs, such as weevils, and other organisms that can destroy your food need the oxygen to live, just as we do. That’s why commercial companies who prepare survival food pack grains, cereals, pasta, beans and other food in nitrogen-filled containers. You can accomplish a similar packaging yourself by using dried ice.
Simply take the 10 pounds of noodles (or 25 pounds of rice or other dried food) you picked up from the warehouse and put them in an appropriately sized plastic bucket with a lid that can create a good seal.  Add several chunks of dried ice. As it sublimates, your bucket will fill with carbon dioxide, which will displace all or most of the oxygen (since carbon dioxide is heavier, the oxygen should rise to the top and out of the bucket). Place the lid on the bucket, but don’t seal it all the way until you think the dry ice has completely turned to gas. This is a fine line, since you want to seal it before oxygen starts leaking back into the bucket.
Drying fresh  fruit ,  vegetables, herbs, spices  and  meats at  home is also a good  way  of  preserving  foods.
With a  good  dehydrator you  can make  fruit leather ( like   fruit  rollups) and  jerky.  Some  have  even dehydrated  scrambled  eggs.  You  can  dehydrate  any type of  food that  does not have a  high  fat  content ( at  can  turn  rancid  and  make  your  food  unappetizing).  Storing   dehydrated  foods  will  be  done  in the  same  manner as  bulk foods to  insure freshness and safety  when  you need them  most.  If  stored  properly dehydrated  foods can  last for 5  or more  years.
Comfort Foods
Coffee, hard candy and chocolate ( chocolate chips keep  well and  can be used the  same  as baking  chocolate and is  better than a chocolate bar when trying  to  maximize storage  space). Boosting morale with comfort foods can help keep spirits high in an emergency situation.
High Energy Items
You may need to make a special effort to keep your energy levels high, so stock up on items with plenty of protein and fiber. Peanut butter, granola bars and trail mix are recommended. Energy bars  and  protein bars  can  also  come in handy, if  you  can spare the  expense.  Also  having peanut  butter,  flour and  honey  you  can  make  high calories protein bars of your  own.
Specialty Items
Don’t forget to store specialty items that you might need. If you have a baby, cans of powdered formula would be good to have on hand, even if you’re nursing. Diabetics who eat certain foods and supplements will need to keep those on hand. Elderly people who use a meal supplement will need to stock that.
Making  sure  you  have an  ample  amount  of  cases  of  Ensure or  something like it would not  be a  bad  idea if  you have  children  or  elderly   family  members.  This  will help  to  supplement  their  diet and  keep  them  healthy in an  emergency  situation.
**Having nuts  like   almonds, walnuts, cashews and  grains like  rice and  oats will also give  you  an advantage aside  from the  menu  aspect.  They can all  be used  to  make  nut and grain  milk  to  supplement for  babies or  even lactose intolerant adults.  They  are  nutritious  and  easily  digested.
SEEDS
Many people forget this item. Seeds are a ‘must’ for every prepper in order to grow your own food.  In a long  term survival  scenario  it  will be  the  difference  between  surviving and  possibly starving to  death.   These should be rotated every year or two. Check your packets for an expiration date. As seed packets are inexpensive enough, it’s not a huge endeavor to rotate these.  Besides  you  can  always  practice  with  a  garden  now and use  those soon to expire  seeds in your own backyard garden and  grow  your  own  food.  Practice  makes  perfect.  A survival emergency  scenario  is not a  good  place to  practice skills that  you are  not  familiar  with.  Focus on  Heirloom seeds  rather  than  hybrid  as  they  are  stronger and have  stood  the  test  of  time.
**May  also  be  proven  to  be  valuable as  a bartering  method during  an emergency  situation  when seeds  would  not be readily  available.

Water (continued) My Tried and Tested Methods

 

These  are  methods  that  I  have  tried  and tested in  my  own  home. They work  for me. Look over them and see if  they  are  a viable resourced for  you and your  family. Only you know your  circumstance, family needs  and  your shelter.  Space, comfort  and  surroundings are very  important.  Do your research don’t  just take my  word  for it.   Your  knowledge  and the  skills  you  acquire are  more  valuable  than  any  amount of  prep  work  you  can  do  for  any  disaster scenario!

Rainwater
Rain Catchment  System
Now  if  you  have  property then  the smartest  thing to do is  to have a  rain  catchment  system.  This  way  you  can  always  have a  viable way  to  capture  water  when it  rains  and  you  do not have to  go very  far to  replenish  your  supply.   It can  be as  simple  as  purchasing  some inexpensive  plastic  trash  cans  with  lids that  you  can  line  with untreated plastic  bags .  Placed under a  downspout  from your  gutters.  Or  all  along the  length of  your  roof right  under the  overhang  where  water  collects  the most.  This  is  generally  at  corners or  where there  is a joint such as occurs in  split  level  homes.  They  can  be  placed  behind  bushes so they  are  not easily  seen.  That  way   you  avoid neighbors  complaining.  I  use  this  method  to  collect water  for  my  garden.  Twelve- 30 gallon containers and  I  always have  in  excess of 360 gallons  of  water  that  can  be  used.  If  I  needed  to use it  for drinking  all I  would need to  do is  filter  and  sterilize and  I would  have all the  water  I  needed for  as long  as it  rained.
If  you  have  to  leave your location  for  water  reason then it  would  be  best  to have a large  tarp.  No  matter where  you  go  that  tarp  can  be  set  out to  catch  rain  water  for you.  Most  o the  time it is best  to  dig a  hole and  place a container ( as  big  as  you  want  it to be anywhere  from a  5  gallon  bucket  to a  30 gallon container.  The choice  is  yours).  A  hole  is  made in the  center of  the  tarp and that hole is  placed  over  the container.  Making  sure  all  4 sides are  elevated enough  to  create a  slant  so the  water   will run  towards  the  hole naturally.  If  you  are  unable  to  dig a  hole  to place the container  beneath the  tarp.  Then  you  must  find a  way  to fasten the  4  sides  of  the  tarp securely above the  container.  Same  as  before  the edges  must  be elevated  enough  above the  container  as  to  create  a slant significant  enough for the water  to  flow to the  center where the  hole is.  Make  sure that  the  tarp is  well  secured as in a  heavy  rain the  weight  of the  water  will surely pull it  loose.   
Hauling  Water  From  an Outside  Source

• Streams, rivers, and other moving bodies of water
• Ponds and lakes
•  Natural springs
• Rainwater

Not  having the  ability  to set up a  rain  catchment system  or being  faced  with  drought conditions  where there is  no  rain then one  must  consider other  sources.  Nearby  lakes,  rivers  or creeks that  one  can  use  5 gallon  buckets for  transport.  Using  a wheel barrel , cart, wagon or  any viable  means  of  transport that  would  make it  easier  to  haul  the  water back.
Fire  hydrants nearby that  can  be  opened  to  access  water.  Remembering that  if  the  grid is  down   pressure  will be  low  and  if  that   hydrant  happens  to  be on a lower elevation then  gravity  will be working  in  your  favor  and  the  water  will flow.
Making the  water  safe  to drink
There  are  many  ways to make  water  safe to drink.  You  can  boil it  and  then  filter it  to  kill  microbes and parasites that  would make  you  and  your family  ill.  You  can  buy  a  Berkey  filter  which  many   people  swear  by,  although  it is  quite  pricey.  Not to  mention  having to  purchase  extra  filter  components for  when  they  need  replacement.  After all,  no  filter can  be  used forever without replacement.  Unless you have a  bio  filter.
Sand Filter
You  can  use a  gallon  bucket   filled with  sand  to  filter  out all of  the  solids, so that the  water is  ready  for  disinfection.   This  will help  by removing  all solid  matter  and  clearing  up the  water  getting  it  ready  for  disinfection.  If you  are  unable to  boil the  water due to  lack of  fuel  then there  are  alternate solar  methods  that  can  .  be  employed  to achieve the  sterilization  process.  A solar  distiller is  easy to  make  and  it  utilizes  the  heat  from the  sun  to   distill the  water no matter  how   dirty  or  contaminated  it is, into safe drinking  water
Slow Sand Bio Filter
You  can also  build  a slow sand  bio filter.  Using a 30  gallon or  so  plastic  trash can, fill it ¾  of the  way  with  sand.  A hole is  drilled into the  bottom  of the  plastic  container  and a  spout inserted  and  sealed before the  sand is added.   Then the sand  filter  can be  connected to receiving cans where  you  can have  your filtered water for use.  Or install a  spigot  where you  can  turn it  on and  off and add water  as  you  need it to  be filtered Always  being conscientious to leave  water in the filter.  Allowing the filter  to sit  without water  would  kill the   anaerobic  beneficial  bacteria( as  they  need  to  be in  an  oxygen  deprived environment  to  survive or the  bio  filter  will  crash and  become  useless.  As they  take a bit of  time to  become  established.  You  will know  that  your  bio filter  is  established when you  see the  slime  build up at the  top of  the  sand.  Yes  I  know  that  is  gross and  it  sounds  disgusting,  however,  nature  has  it’s  secrets  and  this is  one of them.  The  same  process is used to  keep  the  water  in  fish  ponds  and aquariums  safe.
Biological water treatment involves the use of naturally occurring micro-organisms in the surface water to improve water quality. Under optimum conditions, including relatively low turbidity and high oxygen content (as occurs  with  rain water  run off  from let’s  say a  roof), the organisms break down material in the water and thus improve water quality. Slow sand filters or carbon filters are used to provide a place on which these micro-organisms grow. These biological treatment systems effectively reduce water-borne diseases, dissolved organic carbon, turbidity and color in surface water, improving overall water quality.  Once  the  colony  of  beneficial  bacteria  is established  it  will take  care of  the  most  of the organisms that  can  make you  sick.  Biological treatment has been used in Europe to filter surface water for drinking purposes since the early 1900s and is now receiving more interest worldwide.
Quick Water  Source for Immediate Storage
There are  many  ways  to  store  water inexpensively  without  having to purchase cases  of   bottled water. They  can all be  used to  hold ordinary  tap water.  Yes, tap water.  At the  risk  of  offending  the  health  advocates out there.  The  true  reality  is that  not  everyone is able  to  afford to  purchase many things.  So  in the  spirit  of  being  not  only  practical but  realistic we will deal  with that  fact  and  address it  accordingly.  The  alternative would be  not  having  enough  water  causing  dehydration,  unsanitary conditions and  possibly  death.  Tap water is  the   single most  inexpensive  source  of  water  you  have  access to.  Using  tap  water and  the items  I have  mentioned  can  save  you  not only  plenty  of  money  , but it  could mean the  difference between  life  and death in a  situation  where  there is  no water  readily  available.  Not to  mention  the  simple  fact  that  it  has already  been  chlorinated  and  treated so that  it is  safe  to  drink.  You  need  not  add  anything to it  ,  just  make  sure  that  the vessels  you  use  for the  water are sealed properly  to  avoid  contaminants  from  getting in.   Saves  you  time in having to  go out  and  look  for  it  not to mention the fuel and  time you  would have to  put into disinfecting it to make it safe to  drink  and  use  for personal  hygiene.

***  I  would like to add here  that when water  is collected for  boiling disinfection it  is best  to  make  sure  you  have  stocked up on  paper  coffee  filters .  They  are  excellent  for  filtering out  the  larger  particles.

****  Throughout  this  blog  I  will be  presenting  diagram  and  schematics for DIY projects on  survival and green items that  will come in  handy.  Not  only  when the  grid  goes  down  but to save  money  as  well as energy.

See ya soon     …………………

 

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Rain  Barrels  will be  a valuable source  of  water both  for  conservation/sustainability and  for  survival if the  need  arises.  I have  had  a series of  rain barrels that  I have  collected. A  total of  12 – 30 gallon  containers that  will collect up to  360 gallons of  water in a  good   downpour.  As long  as it  rains I  will have  plenty of  water to  purify  for  drinking , bathing and  cooking  needs.  Using t he  greywater recovery  technique  I  will also have  plenty of  water  for  my  garden.  It’s a  win/win  situation.
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Harvesting Rainwater: How to Make a Rain Barrel

From harvesting rainwater in a rain barrel to composting your kitchen and yard waste in a compost bin, you can greatly increase your self-reliance by undertaking a few simple DIY projects.

By Betsy Matheson
May 12, 2011

 

Rainwater that is collected in a rain barrel before it hits the ground is free of many contaminants that water picks up as it filters through soil. This soft, warm (and free) water is perfect for plants, lawns, and many other outdoor applications. DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner provides a step-by-step plan to help you build a rain barrel, as well as many other DIY projects to increase your self-reliance.

COVER: CREATIVE PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL

The following is an excerpt from DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner by Betsy Matheson (Creative Publishing International, 2011). This handy book is your first step toward participating in the fast-growing self-sufficiency movement. Even if you live on a small urban lot, you can take steps to gain a little more control over things you consume using the plans in this book. This excerpt is from Chapter 1, “Collecting Rainwater.”

Practically everything around your house that requires water loves the natural goodness that’s provided with soft rainwater. When you know how to make a rain barrel, you can begin harvesting rainwater to irrigate your garden or lawn, water your houseplants, or top off swimming pools and hot tubs. A ready supply of rainwater is also a reliable stand-by for emergency use if your primary water supply is interrupted.
Collecting rainwater runoff in rain barrels can save thousands of gallons of tap water each year. A typical 40-by- 40-foot roof is capable of collecting 1,000 gallons of water from only one inch of rain. A large rainwater collection system that squeezes every drop from your roof can provide most — or sometimes all — of the water used throughout the home, if it’s combined with large cisterns, pumps, and purification processing.
Sprinkling your lawn and garden can consume as much as 40 percent of the total household water use during the growing season. A simple rain barrel system that limits collected water to outdoor (nonpotable) use only, like the rain barrels described on the following pages, can have a big impact on the self-sufficiency of your home, helping you save on utility expenses and reducing the energy used to process and purify water for your lawn and garden. Some communities now offer subsidies for rain barrel use, offering free or reduced-price barrels and downspout connection kits. Check with your local water authority for more information. Get smart with your water usage, and take advantage of the abundant supply from above.

Rain Barrels

Rain barrels, either built from scratch or purchased as a kit, are a great way to irrigate a lawn or garden without running up your utilities bill. The most common systems include one or more rain barrels (40 to 80 gallons) positioned below gutter downspouts to collect water runoff from the roof. A hose or drip irrigation line can be connected to spigot valves at the bottom of the rain barrel. You can use a single barrel, or connect several rain barrels in series to collect and dispense even more rainwater.

Plastic rain barrel kits are available for purchase at many home centers for around $100. If kit prices aren’t for you, a rain barrel is easy to make yourself for a fraction of the price. The most important component to your homemade barrel is the drum you choose.

Obtaining a Rain Barrel

Practically any large waterproof container can be used to make a rain barrel. One easily obtained candidate is a trash can, preferably plastic, with a snap-on lid. A standard 32-gallon can will work for a rain barrel, but if you can find a 44-gallon can choose it instead. Although wood barrels are becoming more scarce, you can still get them from wineries. A used 55-gallon barrel can be obtained free or for a small charge from a bulk food supplier. Most 55-gallon barrels today are plastic, but some metal barrels are still floating around. Whatever the material, make sure the barrel did not contain any chemical or compound that could be harmful to plants, animals, or humans. If you don’t know what was in it, don’t use it. Choose a barrel made out of opaque material that lets as little light through as possible, reducing the risk of algae growth.
A barrelful of water is an appealing breeding ground for mosquitoes and a perfect incubator for algae. Filters and screens over the barrel opening should prevent insect infestation, but for added protection against mosquitoes add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water in the barrel. This coats the top surface of the stored water and deprives the larvae of oxygen.

How to Make a Rain Barrel

Tools and Materials

• Barrel or trash can
• Drill with spade bit
• Jigsaw
• Hole saw
• Barb fitting with nut for overflow hose
• 1 1/2″ sump drain hose for overflow
• 3⁄4″ hose bibb or sillcock
• 3⁄4″ male pipe coupling
• 3⁄4″ bushing or bulkhead connector
• Channel-type pliers
• Fiberglass window screening
• Cargo strap with ratchet
• Teflon tape
• Silicone caulk

1. Cut a large opening in the barrel top or lid. Mark the size and shape of your opening — if using a bulk food barrel, mark a large semi-circle in the top of the barrel. If using a plastic garbage can with a lid, mark a 12-inch diameter circle in the center of the lid. Drill a starter hole, and then cut out the shape with a jigsaw (see Image Gallery).
2. Install the overflow hose. Drill a hole near the top of the barrel for the overflow fitting. Thread the barb fitting into the hole and secure it to the barrel on the inside with the retainer nut and rubber washer (if provided). Slide the overflow hose into the barbed end of the barb elbow until the end of the hose seats against the elbow flange (see Image Gallery).
3. Drill the access hole for the spigot (either a hose bibb or sillcock, brass or PVC). Tighten the stem of the sillcock onto a threaded coupling inserted into the access hole. Inside the barrel, a rubber washer is slipped onto the coupling end and then a threaded bushing is tightened over the coupling to create a seal. Apply a strip of Teflon tape to all threaded parts before making each connection. Caulk around the spigot with clear silicone caulk.
4. Screen over the opening in the top of the barrel. Lay a piece of fiberglass insect mesh over the top of the trash can and secure it around the rim with a cargo strap or bungee cord that can be drawn drum-tight. Snap the trash can lid over the top. Once you have installed the rain barrel, periodically remove and clean the mesh.

How to Install a Rain Barrel

Whether you purchase a rain barrel or make your own from scratch or a kit, how well it meets your needs will depend on where you put it and how it is set up (see Image Gallery). Some rain barrels are temporary holding tanks that store water runoff just long enough to direct it into your yard through a hose and drip irrigation head. Other rain barrels are more of a reservoir that supplies water on-demand by filling up watering cans or buckets. If you plan to use the spigot as the primary means for dispensing water, you’ll want to position the rain barrel well off the ground for easy access (raising your rain barrel has no effect on water pressure).
In addition to height, other issues surrounding the placement of your rain barrel (or rain barrels) include the need to provide a good base, orientation of the spigot and overflow, the position relative to your downspouts, and how to link more than one rain barrel together. Tip: Wherever possible, locate your rain barrel in a shaded area. Sunlight encourages algae growth, especially in barrels that are partially translucent.
Tools and Materials

• Drill/driver
• Screwdriver
• Hack saw
• Rain barrel
• Hose & fittings
• Base material (pavers)
• Downspout adapter and extension
• Teflon tape

1. Select a location for the barrel under a downspout. Locate your barrel as close to the area you want to irrigate as possible. Make sure the barrel has a stable, level base.
2. Install the spigot. Some kits may include a second spigot for filling watering cans. Use Teflon tape at all threaded fittings to ensure a tight seal. Connect the overflow tube, and make sure it is pointed away from the foundation.
3. Cut the downspout to length with a hacksaw. Reconnect the elbow fitting to the downspout using sheet-metal screws. Attach the cover to the top of the rain barrel. Some systems include a cover with porous wire mesh, to which the downspout delivers water. Others include a cover with a sealed connection (next step).
4. Link the downspout elbow to the rain barrel with a length of flexible downspout extension attached to the elbow and the barrel cover.
Variation: If your barrel comes with a downspout adapter, cut away a segment of downspout and insert the adapter so it diverts water into the barrel.
5. Connect a drip irrigation tube or garden hose to the spigot. A Y-fitting will let you feed the drip irrigation system through a garden hose when the rain barrel is empty.
6. If you want, increase water storage by connecting two or more rain barrels together with a linking kit, available from many kit suppliers.

Reprinted with permission from DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner, published by Creative Publishing International, 2011.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-ze0z11zkon.aspx?page=4#ixzz1huHxkrjR

 

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This is  an  awesome idea that  I use  at  home.  Although,  instead of placing  the  bucket underneath the  sink and  messing with the  piping  to  collect the  water.  I simply  use dish  totes ( the kind they  use  in restaurants for  busing  tables).  I  place  them in the  sink with  hot  soapy water and  the other  with  hot rinse  water.  I  wash the  dishes in one tub and  then  rinse  them in the other.  No  water is  wasted and the  water from the  tubs are  transferred to the 5  gallon  bucket when the dishes  are  done.  I  wanted  to  share  it  with  you.  The  more people  start  to  conserve  water  then  more   fresh  water  there  sill be.  Not  to  mention learning to  conserve  water  so that  you  already  know  what  to  do and  how  to  do it   when a  disaster strikes and  your life  will depend on  your  ability to  conserve.
It  is important to make  sure that the  detergent  you  use  is  phosphate free and  biodegradable.  So that it is  safe for your  plants and the   environment.
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Low-Cost Greywater Irrigation

Use greywater from your kitchen sink to water your vegetable garden with this simple irrigation system.

By Dana Cohen
August/September 2009

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Graywater-Irrigation-Low-Cost.aspx#ixzz1hu7XKqtN

A simple, portable watering system for a small garden.

DANA COHEN

I’ve always wanted to do more with greywater (also spelled graywater, gray water and grey water) — waste water from dishwashing, laundry and bathing — but as a renter, I wanted to invest my money and energy in a way that was more portable than traditional systems. I started by looking into rain barrels as a way to cache water and was amazed at how expensive they were. Then I found a few 5-gallon buckets at a construction site, and came up with this simple greywater setup that has worked well for me for the past two summers.

The setup is a 5-gallon bucket with a tap inserted, hooked up to a commercial drip irrigation system in my raised garden beds. I use one bucket per 2-foot-square bed.I clean the buckets, drill a hole, and insert a garden-hose-sized tap. To keep the tap from leaking, I cover the thread with Teflon tape, put a washer on the inside of the bucket and use a plastic hose coupler to secure the tap. I hook this up to the drip irrigation system.The drip irrigation kit was the most expensive part of this system at about $25. The tap and accessories totaled a little less than $6. I live in northern Arizona, and during the heat of high summer I use a full bucket a day in my sunniest bed.The source of the greywater is the leftover water from washing dishes, which I collect in another 5-gallon bucket I keep by the sink.

Dana Cohen
Fredonia, Arizona

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Graywater-Irrigation-Low-Cost.aspx#ixzz1huCkk0K2

Another  route that  some people  are taking  is  the  grey  water  diversion method.  This entails rerouting  the flow  of  grey water  from  main  sewer piping  established  by the cities and  counties to ensure that  the  grey water  can  be  utilized in a  more  efficient  manner.  Although  in some  States this is  illegal  many  are opting to the  clandestine  retrofitting to fill a need  for  conservation  and the  logical  and  ethical stewardship of  natural  resources and   our planet.