Author: Damian Brindle

  • J, K, L, P-shaped Rocket Stoves

    J, K, L, P-shaped Rocket Stoves

    I’d never much considered the shape of a rocket stove. I’d always figured that the traditional L-shaped design was good enough, but this P-shaped design, built from strong steel, looks to be real winner if you don’t mind spending a bit of money on the parts. No matter the design, rocket stoves are very efficient!…

  • Disaster Preparedness for a Multigenerational Household

    Disaster Preparedness for a Multigenerational Household

    As disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more seem to be happening more often, families must take extra precautions to prepare. However, emergency preparedness for a family of four will likely look much different than prep with a multigenerational household. Multigenerational living has become increasingly popular in recent years due to rising costs, with 59.7…

  • The Complete Guide to Door Fortification

    The Complete Guide to Door Fortification

    Doorways are the most vulnerable parts of the house. They are likely entry points for menaces of all kinds — burglars, animals, pests, water — the list goes on. You might think your doors are secure, but chances are good that you’re missing some key security features. Here’s how to address all external threats and…

  • Freeze-Dried Grapes: My First Real Failure

    Freeze-Dried Grapes: My First Real Failure

    While we were at Costco buying groceries and Reese’s peanut butter cups, I decided some freeze-dried grapes would be nice, so I picked up two three-pound containers: As with every other fruit I’ve chosen to freeze-dry, preparation continues to be the most time consuming aspect since I had to slice every grape in half as…

  • DIY Terra Cota Pot Emergency Heater Variant

    DIY Terra Cota Pot Emergency Heater Variant

    Get yourself a terra cotta pot, 90 degree HVAC duct, small glass jar, birthday candles, and vegetable shortening and you can make a DIY emergency heater with relative ease. Not sure why she made two heaters for this test, but the idea clearly works. I read a few comments for the video, and one person…

  • 15 Winter Camping Tips

    15 Winter Camping Tips

    There’s nothing like the solitude and tranquillity of camping on a cold, snowy evening. With most animals and other people holed up for the winter, you likely have the whole frozen landscape to yourself, which can make for a truly unforgettable trip. Still, camping in low temperatures can be a challenge — there’s nothing like…

  • Freeze-Dried Charleston Chews, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

    Freeze-Dried Charleston Chews, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

    We had some friends come over last weekend, and I remember her saying she really wanted me to freeze-dried Charleston Chews. She had some on a vacation a while back and really liked them, so I figured I would surprise her. Then, while my wife and I were at Costco, I spotted some Reese’s Peanut…

  • Vesta Indoor Space Heater and Cooker

    I’m always interested to see new survival products coming to market, and this indoor heater/cooker by Vesta (which you can purchase at MyPatriotSupply.com) is an interesting one. It’s self-contained, and uses InstaFire canned heat, or I assume, any canned heat product safe for indoor use, though I would verify my assumption. For those living in…

  • This is How Vulnerable Our Power Grid Really Is…

    This is How Vulnerable Our Power Grid Really Is…

    Over the weekend, I took time to watch an hour-long presentation at GridDownPowerUp.com. It’s narrated by Dennis Quaid, and details all the ways our aging power grid is vulnerable to natural disasters, terrorism, cyberattack, EMP, and more. Although I probably knew most of the information presented, I was glad to watch the entire documentary because…