Best Batteries for Emergency Preparedness

Stock rechargeable batteries! This has long been dispensed as preparedness advice. The reasoning behind this advice is of course to have the ability to recharge the batteries for additional use once exhausted. If the stores are closed or you can’t get to them for more batteries at least you can rely on stash of rechargeable batteries. Depending on how the long the power is out, they may last you just long enough to get you by with a few modern conveniences like flashlights, headlamps and radios.

At present, there are four main types of rechargeable batteries that are commonly available for use in place of disposable batteries in electronic equipment. There is also larger Lead-Acid batteries (auto and RV) which are also rechargeable but for the purposes of this article I am only covering smaller consumer dry cell batteries.  Rechargeable batteries are not all equal, each has it’s own positives and negatives, so which kind should you get? Keep reading and I will break down the different types of batteries for you below!

Non-Technical Battery Lingo for Normal People:

Voltage: Strength of power output of the battery. 1.5 volts is what disposable batteries commonly put out, so rechargeable batteries put out a little less, but are still within the range of what consumer battery appliances need.

mAh: Milliamps Hour (mAh) is important because it’s the easiest way to distinguish the capacity of a battery. The higher the mAh, the more power the battery stores and the longer it will last before needing to be recharged. The higher the number is usually better. Think of a car’s gas tank.  Voltage is how much gas is being used, and mAh is the size of the gas tank (source).

LSD: Low Self Discharge; they won’t lose much energy while sitting around unused. Which means long shelf-life.

Charging Cycles: When a battery is completely drained and then completely charged up to full,  or when a battery is partial drained and charged up to full that is one changing cycle. Batteries that can hold up to many changing cycles are usually preferred.

1. Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) Batteries

These batteries used to be the only type of rechargeable batteries available, NiCad batteries are harder to get now due to restrictions on poisonous cadmium that is used in their manufacturing. However, NiCad batteries are still in use for low-drain applications such as solar yard lights, remote controls, smoke detectors and emergency radios.

Overcharging Ni-Cd batteries can reduce cycle life (the number of times the battery can be charged).  Smart chargers know when the battery is full and stop charging.  Dumb chargers run on a timer and will almost always overcharge or fail to fill up the battery. You can charge whenever you like, but constantly draining them completely before charging actually shortens their life but on the same hand if you don’t, NiCd batteries have been known to suffer from a  ”memory effect” which is when the battery remembers where it was last drained prior to recharging and from that time forward voltage drops as if the batter is going dead. In reality there is more power left to spare but voltage will drop as if the battery is going dead, while some manufacturers dispute this claim it remains widely reported. Occasional draining down to 1.0V is okay, and even recommended(source). A good brand of NiCd batteries you may recognize is Tenergy.

 2. Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) Batteries

The successors to Ni-Cd batteries, these commonly used and relatively inexpensive batteries are also the batteries that power some hybrid and electric vehicles. They can be relied on for most applications, but older batteries which have problems with self-discharge should never be used in smoke detectors as they can suddenly run out of power and leave you unprotected (source).

Remember that NiMH batteries come in two flavors: LSD and regular. LSD is “Low Self-Discharge”, which means long shelf-life (they won’t lose much energy while sitting around unused), vs. normal NiMH’s which go dead after a few months of sitting around. Given that, there’s not much incentive to get the normal NiMH’s, since they’re not any cheaper, and their capacity is only a little higher (2700 mAh for a normal NiMH vs. 2400 for a similarly-priced LSD NiMH). A good brand of Low Self-Discharge rechargeable battery is Eneloop, the Eneloop XXX batteries are one of the market’s best in capacity and charging cycles.

So how do you know whether a battery is the LSD kind or not? The easiest thing is to look for the good LSD-only brands: Eneloop and Imedion. You can also look for any of the marketing “code words” that indicate LSD, such as “Pre-charged” (since normal NiMH’s always require charging before use), “Ready to Use”, or “Hybrid” (source).

3. Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) Batteries

One of the newest types of rechargeable batteries for consumers, larger nickel-zinc battery systems have been known for over 100 years. Since 2000, development of a stabilized zinc electrode system has made this technology viable and competitive with other commercially available rechargeable battery systems. However because of their unique chemistry an voltage they require a special charger.

NiZn batteries are recommended for high-drain applications such as cameras, flashlights and outdoor equipment. The AA size NiZN batteries produce 1.6 volts which is higher than the voltage of disposable batteries as well as of NiMH batteries, which allows for better performance in motorized and light emitting equipment. However the main manufacturer of NiZn batteries discontinued production of them so they are no longer widely available. They also reportedly suffer from reliability problems, after only a few charging cycles the batteries self discharge considerably faster (source 1and source 2).

4. Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Batteries

Li-ion batteries are sold as replacements for camera batteries, and they are also the most common batteries used in laptop computers, and some cell phones. Because they are easy to manufacture in different shapes, they are becoming the standard for use in personal electronics, and a built-in battery protection circuit keeps the battery operating safely preventing overcharge. They also store fairly well, therefore, having back-up battery packs for appliances that require them is not a bad idea. Unfortunately they are only available in the 3.6 voltage – accidentally using them in an appliance meant for standard batteries could easily fry the circuitry (source). Options for off-grid charging of lithium ion powered cameras, phones, GPS devices and tablets have expanded greatly in the past 4 years. Goal Zero’s solar recharging kit is one such highly recommended option that can be used to charge your USB capable devices and/or a pack of NiMH batteries. 

 5. Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries (RAM)

Less common than other types of batteries, rechargeable alkaline batteries are similar to single-use alkaline batteries but have a chemical composition that allows them to be recharged. They are best used in low-drain applications, but once charged they are known to hold their charge for longer than other types of rechargeable batteries. If they were commonly manufactured and easy to find this would make them ideal to have available for backup or emergency use. However they have been basically pushed out of the market by the newer (LSD) NiMH batteries. RAM batteries also require a special charger as NiCd and NiMH chargers won’t work (source).

 Battery Chargers for Emergency Preparedness

If storing batteries and not using them, you may want to periodically test them to make sure that they have not discharged. Dead batteries are of no help in an emergency.

Ideally you want a charger that will charge both NiCd and NiMH batteries so that you will have the option of using them in everyday life right now and also some stored away for emergencies. There are many nice smart chargers on the market that can safely charge both NiCd & NiMH batteries, and even recondition them for additional use when plugged into a source of AC power(click here to see a well rated charger that also reconditions batteries), however, when you narrow the field down to solar chargers your choices are considerably slim. A regular wall charger is still useful to have especially if you start incorporating rechargeable batteries into everyday life.  A solar charger is must for emergency preparedness as a battery charger that plugs into the wall wound be of little use in an event the grid goes down, therefore an alternative to that is solar power.

C. Crane makes an exceedingly affordable (under $30) and well rated a solar battery charger, that charges AA, AAA, C and D sized NiCd and NiMH batteries. While it is not a ‘smart charger’ the Solar 11 in 1 Battery Charger by C.Crane does have a very easy to read charge meter right on the front of it – a little vigilance is all that is required to make sure your batteries get a full charge. Another great charging option if you have the funds is the before mentioned Goal Zero Kit for AA and AAA batteries, which is actually a smart charger so you will not have to worry about over charging standard NiMH batteries (source). While Goal Zero will not endorse use of NiCd batteries with their product many reviewers have claimed the kit recharges them just as well. Since both these chargers are small in capacity my only advice is if you have the money, get two of them or in the case of Goal Zero to purchase an additional battery pack if necessary.

The Great Solar Yard Light Question

Can I use my solar yard lights as a solar battery charger?

(c) Stephanie Dayle 2014

You may have noticed some solar yard lights come with a replaceable AA or AAA rechargeable battery. The lights with these standard sized rechargeable batteries have become coveted items in emergency preparedness for their potential use as a super cheap battery charger.

The AA or AAA  batteries that come in solar yard lights are typically NiCd batteries (some solar lights use NiMH batteries instead, but not many). NiCd batteries have different characteristics than the NiMH batteries and should not be used interchangeably in solar yard lights. Usually solar yard lights are specifically designed to recharge the size, type and capacity (mAh) of battery the lights originally came with. This is why the slightly lower capacity (600 mAh) NiCd “Moonrays”are usually recommended as replacement batteries for solar yard lights.

(c) Stephanie Dayle 2014

“Moonrays” are manufactured for solar yard lights with a slightly lower capacity which is better suited to the standard solar charge the lights usually give, so the batteries are not constantly under or over-charged. Always read the documentation that comes with your lights to see what type of batteries are needed; this well give you a better idea of what battery to keep on hand.

If the batteries you use for other appliances are compatible with your solar yard lights they do indeed make a handy recharger, but attempting to recharge a different type and/or capacity of battery could lead to over or undercharging issues (including overheating) unless you want to constantly test the battery all day to insure it gets a proper charge and is not damaged (source).

That being said, if I wanted to use solar lights to recharge batteries for use in other appliances I would go with the higher capacity Tenergy NiCd batteries (1000 mAh) and just be happy with whatever extra charge I got from the daylight over the Moonrays, knowing that they may end up always being slightly undercharged.

Rechargeable Battery Tip:

Battery spacers (pictured to the right) are a great way to turn small batteries like AAs into larger C or D size batteries so that you don’t have to buy all the battery sizes out there for emergency preparedness! Click here to find them.

While there is still much to learn about rechargeable energy choices I hope this helps answer some of the most common questions about rechargeable consumer batteries.

Natural Remedies to Stay Healthy During Winter

In addition to staying warm, there are a number of other concerns including colds and the flu that you need to consider if a SHTF scenario happens during the winter months. Cold weather can be lethal to the old and the sick so your main priority is to remain healthy.

Throughout the following paragraphs, we’re going to review several natural remedies to help you stay healthy and survive the winter.

Eat and Store Plenty of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the main tools that your body used to maintain a healthy immune system and absorb iron. You need it to survive so you need to make sure that you have plenty stored. Citrus is, of course, the most well-known source of vitamin C but there are many others that you may not even know about.

• Bell peppers
• Rose hips
• Guava
• Kiwi
• Strawberries
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Nasturtium leaves and flowers

The list goes on and on. Can your foods or dry them and make sure that you’re getting plenty of vitamin C as a natural remedy to stay healthy and survive the winter. Men need about 90mg/day and adult women need about 75mg/day.

Thyme

In addition to making your food taste delicious, thyme has been used forever as an expectorant. In other words, when you cough, thyme helps to break things loose so that they come up instead of sitting in your chest and causing pneumonia or infections. It’s easy to dry and can be either eaten in your foods or brewed into a tea. To make the tea, just add 2 teaspoons to boiling water and steep.

Garlic

We would be totally remiss if we didn’t include garlic in our list of preventative herbs. Seriously folks, this pungent little clove is so mighty that it can help you avoid colds, high blood pressure, and any number of other agues. It’s an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent so eat as much as you want! Since it stores well either fresh or dried, it’s a great addition to your winter stockpile. Keep it in the cellar and it will stay good for months, just like your onions.

Licorice Root

For centuries, licorice root has been used to treat colds and other illnesses. It contains a chemical call glycyrrhizin that we now know has some pretty potent antiviral properties. As a matter of fact, it’s so powerful that it’s being studied as a tool to fight such whoppers as AIDS, SARS and the Avian Flu, in addition to the regular flu. It’s also an expectorant so you’re getting a double bang for your money. Licorice root may interact with other medications so if you’re taking anything, talk to your doctor now about it.

Echinacea

You’ve probably taken Echinacea in pill form at home but this is also an easy plant to grow if you’d like to make it part of your herb garden. The leaves are great to treat bug bites if applied topically and to boost your immune system if made into a tea. The roots have antiviral and antibacterial properties and have been used in holistic medicine for centuries to treat coughs, colds, bronchitis, tonsillitis and the flue. It’s even good for ear infections.

Elderberry

You can grow these fresh and store them or you can stock up on the extract from your local herbalist. Either way, elderberries can shave up to four days off of a bout with more than 10 different strains of the flu. In addition to the extract, there’s also a liquid supplement called Sambucol that you can order from several different places.

The bottom line is that if you lose your health in a SHTF situation, your chances of survival plummet. Keeping these herbs on hand will help keep you healthy and many of them are also multi-purpose, so it’s just good prepping to include them in your stockpile. Remember to rotate them just as you do your food unless, of course, you’re growing them fresh.

We’d like to stress again the importance of hand washing and maintaining good personal hygiene in the fight against disease. Many of those in the know swear that it will be the mass spreading of disease that will be the downfall of most of our race in the case of a long-term SHTF situation so keep that in mind and make sure that you have plenty of soap, bleach and other sanitation items stored. It will literally save your life.

The Ten Virgins

What You Need to Know about Water Tablets

Water purification tablets are an ideal one-step back up form of water treatment. They are especially good for  Get Home Bags and Bug Out Bags because they are light weight and inexpensive. Water purification tablets are also great to store in your vehicle or your bug out location to disinfect water on demand. Even though you are limited to the supply you have on hand they offer an easy way to make questionable water safe while a larger purification system is being set-up.

I use water purification tablets in my backpack during recreational trips into the backcountry as a back-up form of water treatment. If the water supply I am drawing from is extremely shady I combine both a filter and the tablets to ensure my safety.

Aren’t They Toxic??

All water tablets are toxic to some extent. They all contain pre-measured tiny doses of substances that kill water pathogens but not the people drinking the water. As long as you are not eating them straight or crunching on them like mints they are safe when used as directed. If you would prefer not to use chemicals to sanitize your water there are several effective water purification methods that are chemical free like boiling and SODIS (water purification with sunlight).

What is Best, Tablets or Droplets?

Water purification tablets are usually recommended for bug out bags and get home bags over the liquid drops because tablets are lighter weight and easier to use in a high stress situation. Tablets are also the running choice for the military and FEMA.

What’s the Deal with Cryptosporidium and Giardia?

Cryptosporidium is a genus of apicomplexan protozoans that can cause gastrointestinal illness with diarrhea in humans. According to the CDC it is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States. In a disaster situation where government maintained services are effected, it is highly likely that this protozoa parasite will find its way into our water supply. That is why it’s a big deal in emergency preparedness. (Source)

Giardia attached to the wall of the small intestines.
Public Domain Photo – CDC

Giardia is also an infectious protozoa and it is a big deal in emergency preparedness because it can have such a dramatic effect on your health. The symptoms of Giardia, may begin to appear 2 days after infection, include violent diarrhea, excess gas, stomach or abdominal cramps, upset stomach, and nausea. Resulting dehydration and nutritional loss may need immediate treatment (if it is available). The typical infection within an individual can be slight, resolve without treatment in about 2–6 weeks, although sometimes longer and sometimes the infection is more severe requiring immediate medical attention. In a disaster situation if medical help is not available and no one has time to keep you hydrated, the situation could become life threatening. (Source)

What type of Tablet is Best?

There are three main types of water purification tablets on the market right now, and they are not all equal – each one has strengths and weaknesses. Choose the purification tablet that works the best with your situation and location. I will briefly break down each type of tablet.

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Chlorine TabletsBrand names you may recognize for this type of tablet are Aquatabsand Rothco’s Military “Chlor-Floc“.

NaDCC, also known as sodium dichloroisocyanurate or sodium troclosene, is a form of chlorine used for disinfection. NaDCC tablets are different and improved over the older chlorine based (halazone) tablets. They are available with different chlorine content (e.g. 3.5 mg to 10 g) to treat from 1 to 3000 liters at a time. They are usually effervescent (meaning that escaping carbon dioxide gas causes the tablets to dissolve quickly, with a ‘fizz’), allowing the tablet to dissolve in less than 1 minute. When added to water, NaDCC releases hydrochloric acid which reacts through oxidization with microorganisms and kills them. Many tablets advertise no chlorine after taste. Unopened NaDCC tablets have a shelf life of 3-5 years, if opened they should be discarded after 3 months.  (Source) (Source 2)

General NaDCC use: Fill a container up with one quart of untreated water, filter water to remove large particles. Add one tablet (depending on manufacturer).  Minimum wait time is 30 minutes, one hour will be more effective especially with colder water or water with a higher pH.  Always follow product usage instructions to the letter. NaDCC is not effective on Cryptosporidium or Toxoplasma (which can be especially harmful to pregnant women and young children) but it is more effective on Giardia than iodine. Always follow product usage instructions to the letter. (Source) (Source 2)

Iodine TabletsBrand names you may recognize for this type of tablet are Potable Aqua,Coleman, and Coghlans.

Iodine Tablets use iodine to purify contaminated water. Most iodine purification tablets tend to leave a funny taste to the water and some discoloration, however vitamin C or ascorbic acid can be added after the treatment time to improve the taste and remove the color. This often comes in the form of two bottles with two separate tablets. Iodine water treatment has been proven to be somewhat effective against Giardia and not effective against Crytosporidium. (Source)

General iodine tablet use: If water is turbid lightly filter it prior to purification. Next use two tablets (or however many the manufacturer requires) in one quart of questionable water and let it sit at least 30 minutes prior to drinking preferably one hour especially if the water is cold or cloudy. An unopened bottle of iodine tablets should last four years, while an opened bottle kept in a dark place should be discarded after one year. Always follow product usage instructions to the letter. (Source)

Chlorine Dioxide Tablets
Brand names you may recognize for this type of tablet are Katadyn, Potable Aqua, andAquamira.

Even though the word “chlorine” is in the name, chlorine dioxide is neither iodine nor chlorine. It uses a highly active form of oxygen to purify water so it leaves absolutely zero taste. As a nice bonus the action of chlorine dioxide causes alot of sediment to drop out of suspension (fall to the bottom) leaving the container of water more clear and further improving flavor. While the general printed expiration date of chlorine dioxide is four years out, if it is kept in temperature controlled environment it can last indefinitely. Chlorine dioxide tablets are a good choice for those allergic to iodine, with thyroid problems, or on lithium.  (click here to learn more about chlorine dioxide)

General chlorine dioxide use: Fill a container up with one quart of untreated water, filter water to remove large particles. Add one tablet. Keep it away from sunlight, and wait.  30 minutes will kill viruses and bacteria found in pretty clear good looking water 60°F and warmer. Four hours of wait time is required to kill protozoa, also four hours of wait time is required for all viruses and bacteria if the water is very cold and/or turbid. Always follow product usage instructions to the letter.

 Inventory Issues

Nearly a year ago today American Preppers Network reported to you an inventory issue with all chlorine dioxide water purification tablets (due to a number of factors but the main one effecting inventories was that several government agencies had placed large orders and all of the manufacturers had standing contracts that needed to be fulfilled before surplus product could be made available to the public) and that they would be unavailable for 4 months. Those four months turned out to be almost a year.

Until last month chlorine dioxide tablets were completely out of stock and there was only a limited supply of chlorine dioxide droplets available. Granted there were many other types of iodine and chlorine water purification tablets available but chlorine dioxide tablets were completely out of stock. Considering that the supply line of chlorine dioxide tablets is so easily overwhelmed – I would recommend stocking up on them now, as a opposed to waiting until it sounds like a good idea, only to find out that they are once again out of stock. Better to have them and not need them – than need them and not have them.

Please note: There are many articles on the internet about water purification tablets – any similarities are merely coincidence.

Uses of Salt for Survival

In any situation, it is important to know how to maximize the resources at your disposal. With a little knowledge and creativity, you can greatly expand the number of uses a particular item has.

Take salt, for example. Everyone who wants to be prepared should have an abundant supply of salt in their homes since it has so many practical uses that would greatly benefit such a scenario. That also makes salt a perfect bartering item.

Uses for Food

The main purpose of salt for most people is to add a bit more taste to their food. However, salt can be so much more useful in the kitchen thanks to the many applications it has.

* Prevent the browning of fruits and vegetables. Food storage is one of the main concerns for people preparing themselves for a disaster. Every new technique that preserves food under conditions where electricity is no longer available is welcomed. Salt can be used to stop fruits and veggies from browning. Normally, this is something that can be done with lemon juice or vinegar, but a bucket of salty water will also do the trick.

* Preserve food naturally for long term survival. Salt works by dehydrating the food as well as the microbes present in the food. This way the microbes are prevented from contributing to decomposition. Most especially, mold and yeast cannot grow in food pretreated with salt. Food preserved this way could last for years.

* Fresh egg test. There is a simple way of telling whether an egg is good to eat or not using salt. All you need is a cup of water with two teaspoons of salt in them. If you drop an egg in the cup, a fresh one should sink straight to the bottom while an older one would float. An older egg has more buoyancy because the air cell inside of it increases. However, this does not necessarily mean the egg is bad. You still have to crack it and smell for any foul odors to see if it is truly rotten.

* Make cheese last longer. Another food which has an increased lifespan by using salt is cheese. Even when it is preserved properly in a refrigerated environment, cheese will inevitable spoil due to mold. This cannot be prevented with salt, but it can be delayed. All that is necessary is to wrap the cheese before storing it in a damp cloth moistened using saltwater.

* Put out grease fires. When cooking, a grease fire is one of the most dangerous things that can happen. It can overcome the entire kitchen in just a few moments and, eventually, the entire home. One thing to never do is to throw water on top of a grease fire. The water evaporates instantly and spreads the fire all over the room. Instead, throwing salt on top of the grease fire will create a crusty layer without oxygen, thus smothering the flames. Moreover, the salt also acts as a heat sink, dissipating the heat.

Personal Care Uses

Already, salt is proving itself to be quite useful in the kitchen alone. However, it still has the potential for many other uses, some which are related to personal care.

* Get rid of itchiness. Salt can be used for bee stings, mosquito stings, poison ivy and any other types of problems that cause rashes and itchy skin. The salt will not reduce inflation and will not make the rashes disappear, but it will cool down the skin and get rid of that itchy sensation. What you need to do is apply a cloth which has been soaked in saltwater to act as a compress. Alternatively, you can also dampen the affected area and simply apply a handful of salt to it. For the latter, it is important to make sure there are no open wounds. Applying salt in this case would be really painful.

* Treat mouth problems. Any kind of sores in the mouth such as abscesses and cankers can be dealt with using salt. What you need to do is to rinse your mouth several times a day using warm water with a little salt in it. It will help deal with the pain, but make sure not to put too much salt in it.

* Provide tooth care. When resources are scarce, salt can also be used to look after your teeth. First of all, it can be used to extend the life of a toothbrush by simply soaking it in saltwater. Furthermore, a very efficient solution can be made by combining one part of fine salt with two parts of baking soda. This mixture can be used on a toothbrush to act as a toothpaste replacement. It can also be mixed with water and used as a rinsing solution.

Home Care Uses

Looking after your home is important whether SHTF or not. Salt can be used as a replacement for a surprisingly large amount of products. Their purposes are very diverse, but they do have one thing in common – they all benefit the home.

* Prevent ant invasions. If a home is suffering from ant intruders, salt can be of use as long as you know where the ants are entering from. A simple line of salt placed at the doorways or on the window wills is enough to deter the pests. Ants will not cross over the salt.

* Get rid of poison ivy. Another invader which can be dealt with using salt is poison ivy. For this, you will need a mixture of salt and soapy water – about three pounds mixed with one gallon should be enough. This mixture should be sprayed on the leaves and stems of the ivy. However, you need to be careful to avoid the plants that you do not wish to kill.

* Get rid of stains. Salt can be used to get rid of a wide array of tough and stubborn stains. All you need to do in this situation is to soak the fabrics with the stains in cold saltwater. This works for clothes, but also for carpets, drapes and rugs. It should be able to remove blood, sweat, wine, ketchup etc. It can also be used to get rid of certain unpleasant odors from clothes.

* Clean around the house. There are a large number of common items which can be cleaned using various solutions containing salt. For starters, refrigerators can be cleaned using a simple mix of salt and soda water instead of using chemicals. Cast-iron pans with grease on them are also easy to clean by sprinkling salt on them and then using paper towels. Wooden tables can be cleaned of glass ring stains using a paste made out of salt and vegetable oil. Sink drains are kept smelling fresh and free of grease deposits by regularly pouring a mixture of hot water and salt down them. Items made of brass and copper can be cleaned using a paste made out of equal parts salt, vinegar and flour.

Food: Resupply

Unless a crisis is quickly resolved, preppers eventually will have to produce their own food to replace what they consume. This will require them to cultivate crops and raise animals, either for meat or to produce milk and eggs.

• Know Your Climate. You need to learn about the climate in which you live, and become familiar with what crops are compatible with that area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a Hardiness Zone Map that divides North America into 11 different zones, each 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter or cooler than adjacent zones. Because of climate change, it’s actually now possible to grow some crops in areas—fig trees in Boston, for example—where they previously would not have survived.

• Know Your Land. The U.S. is blessed with close to a billion acres of arable land—that is, soil suitable for growing crops—than any other nation on earth, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture website. We have so much good cropland, in fact, that we turn about 3,000 acres of it each day into suburban neighborhoods and strip malls. But that’s probably a plus for preppers, since it’s possible to find arable land all over the place that’s not currently being used. It’s relatively easy and inexpensive to run tests on your soil to see whether it is sufficiently fertile to grow the crops that you need. If you’re looking to buy a small farm, such as the one where Scott Hunt and his family live, the New England Small Farm Institute offers a useful primer entitled, “How do I find a farm or farmland?” which contains links to plenty of other resources.

• Remember That You Need Water to Produce Food. Hunt gives one bit of sage advice: If you’re going to buy land for growing food, try to find a property with a water source such as a stream. According to the University of Minnesota agriculture program, each tomato plant that you grow requires as much as 35 gallons of water per growing season, and every corn plant requires a hefty 54 gallons. It’s no wonder that about a third of the annual U.S. water consumption goes to irrigating crops, according to USDA. How much water you require also depends upon what you do with it. Here’s a USDA guide to irrigation methods for agriculture. Two major methods are drip irrigation, a highly-efficient technique in which water is pumped into pipes filled with holes that are laid among or buried alongside rows of crops, and spray irrigation, in which mechanized sprayers or hoses are used to douse plants. The latter is faster but less efficient, since a lot of the water evaporates.

• Strive to be a Year-Around Food Producer. Since you need to eat year-round, ideally you should strive to produce harvests throughout the year. Crops such as asparagus and winter lettuce can be planted in the fall, and harvested in the spring. In climate zones with cold, harsh winters, greenhouses equipped with beds for hydroponic farming, which grows crops in nutrient-soaked water rather than in soil, may help fill the gap.  Hydroponic facilities in the Syracuse, New York area, for example, reportedly grow romaine lettuce, tomatoes and other foodstuffs for local supermarkets throughout the winter. From Horticultureresource.com, here’s a beginner-friendly guide to hydroponics.

• Don’t Forget About Animal Protein. The average American consumes about 195 pounds of meat annually, and providing that much animal protein in the wake of a societal breakdown is likely to be a daunting challenge for preppers. Cattle, which generally need to eat 12 to 14 pounds of grain or grass forage each day, may prove too difficult to maintain. Hunt recommends raising smaller animals for food. He recommends raising rabbits, which require little space and can convert about 20 percent of the plant protein they consume into animal protein. That ratio is exceeded only by chickens, but poultry need higher-quality food, such as grain and soy cakes, that could be consumed by humans, instead of the plant cellulose that rabbits eat. From Mother Earth News, here’s a basic guide to raising rabbits for meat. Raising goats for meat is another option, if you have a pasture that they can surround with a fence high enough to keep out predators. Aquaculture systems to raise fish are another useful protein source, according to Hunt. From the government of Australia, here’s a how-to- guide for aquaculture.

                BOX: If You Only Do Three Things

• Look for a piece of land with a water supply on the property.  Hunt recommends this as the surest way to find both arable land and to guarantee that you’ll be able to irrigate it.
• Learn to like broiled rabbit.  Rabbits are cute, but they’re also one of the most efficient sources of protein that a prepper can have.
• Figure out what crops will grow best in your climate zone.  If you plant the wrong stuff for your part of the country, you’re going to be in trouble. Know what plants flourish in your climate, and you’ve got the best chance to be self-sufficient.

A Few Facts You Ought To Be Aware Of...

#1 The unemployment rate in Greece has hit a brand new record high of 28 percent.

#2 The youth unemployment rate in Greece has hit a brand new record high of 64.1 percent.

#3 The percentage of bad loans in Italy is at an all-time record high.

#4 Italian industrial output declined again in December, and the Italian government is on the verge of collapse.

#5 The number of jobseekers in France has risen for 30 of the last 32 months, and at this point it has climbed to a new all-time record high.

#6 The total number of business failures in France in 2013 was even higher than in any year during the last financial crisis.

#7 It is being projected that housing prices in Spain will fall another 10 to 15 percent as their economic depression deepens.

#8 The economic and political turmoil in Turkey is spinning out of control.  The government has resorted to blasting protesters with pepper spray and water cannons in a desperate attempt to restore order.

#9 It is being estimated that the inflation rate in Argentina is now over 40 percent, and the peso is absolutely collapsing.

#10 Gangs of armed bandits are roaming the streets in Venezuela as the economic chaos in that troubled nation continues to escalate.

#11 China appears to be very serious about deleveraging.  The deflationary effects of this are going to be felt all over the planet. The following is an excerpt from Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's recent article entitled "World asleep as China tightens deflationary vice"...

China's Xi Jinping has cast the die. After weighing up the unappetising choice before him for a year, he has picked the lesser of two poisons.

The balance of evidence is that most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong aims to prick China's $24 trillion credit bubble early in his 10-year term, rather than putting off the day of reckoning for yet another cycle.

This may be well-advised for China, but the rest of the world seems remarkably nonchalant over the implications.

#12 There was a significant debt default by a coal company in China last Friday...

A high-yield investment product backed by a loan to a debt-ridden coal company failed to repay investors when it matured last Friday, state media reported on Wednesday, in the latest sign of financial stress in China's shadow bank sector.

#13 Japan's Nikkei stock index has already fallen by 14 percent so far in 2014.  That is a massive decline in just a month and a half.

#14 Ukraine continues to fall apart financially...

The worsening political and economic circumstances in Ukraine has prompted the Fitch Ratings agency to downgrade Ukrainian debt from B to a pre–default level CCC. This is lower than Greece, and Fitch warns of future financial instability.

#15 The unemployment rate in Australia has risen to the highest levelin more than 10 years.

#16 The central bank of India is in a panic over the way that Federal Reserve tapering is effecting their financial system.

#17 The effects of Federal Reserve tapering are also being felt in Thailand...

In the wake of the US Federal Reserve tapering, emerging economies with deteriorating macroeconomic figures or visible political instability are being punished by skittish markets. Thailand is drifting towards both these tendencies.

#18 One of Ghana's most prominent economists says that the economy of Ghana will crash by June if something dramatic is not done.

#19 Yet another banker has mysteriously died during the prime years of his life.  That makes five "suspicious banker deaths" in just the past two weeks alone.

#20 The behavior of the U.S. stock market continues to parallel the behavior of the U.S. stock market in 1929.