Category Archives: Home page

DIY Solar Panel, Part 2

This is part 2 of my home DIY solar panels.  If you have not seen part 1 please look at that posting first.

https://offgridcommonsense.com/home-page/diy-solar-panels

 

In this part 2 I show you how I encapsulated the cells that are soldered together in the last post to make a working solar panel.  In this method I have used a material called EVA film.  This is the same film that manufactured panels are made with.

As I stated in the last post there are tools and materials that may be sharp, hot, cold, or anything.  Be careful when working with tools and materials.  I am in the process of updating all my instructables so please do not jump ahead and wait until i have posted it on here.

I would like to thank all my followers of this page.  If you have not already, please sign up for email  subscription to this blog so you will be notified when there is a new article.  To subscribe enter your email in the box provided in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to tell your friends about this page also.

Now here is the link to the instructable for Part 2.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Solar-Panel-EVA-film-style/

 

DIY Solar Panels

A few years ago I started building my own solar panel and battery system.  I am in the Process of updating all the Instructables pages that I made showing the tools and process I used to build my setup.  The main point of this website is to have a common sense approach about anything that relates to being off the grid, or even on the grid. With that kind of thinking in mind i came up with my instructables for building a backup or off grid power system that I have used during power outages or when I am working in the garage.  I tried to make it as understandable as possible for everyone.

My disclaimer is, BE CAREFUL!! Tools and materials can be sharp, hot, cold, heavy, or any other form that can hurt your body.  If you are unsure about something, find some one that can help you.

This week I updated the first Instrubtable I made for building a solar panel.  This first one is how to solder solar cells together.  Later there are more Instructables for assembling the cells inside a panel, but please wait to check those out until I have updated them and posted them on here.

I would like to thank all my followers of this page.  If you have not already, please sign up for email  subscription to this blog so you will be notified when there is a new article.  To subscribe enter your email in the box provided in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to tell your friends about this page also.

Here is the link to the instructables page,

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Solder-Solar-Cells-Together/

 

My EDC

I have had a lot of people ask me “what should i carry in an EDC?”.  That is not an easy question to answer because everyone’s situation is different.  Some people only need a pocket size EDC, while others need a 30 pound hiking backpack.

Each person needs to evaluate there situation and determine what it is they need to carry. What do you need around your home? What do you need for your job? What do you need when travelling?

There is a difference between an EDC and a Bug Out Bag or Get Home Bag.  An EDC is meant to be just what you use and it be on you everyday.  I can not give a list of every possible item that could be in an EDC.  I will just give you a list of what I carry and why, from my example I hope it will give you an idea of what you want to carry in your EDC.

These items are not in an order of importance, and not all of them are in my EDC pouch, but all these things listed are things I carry.

  1. Wallet.  I always have my ID and any cards that I need with me.  I’m married so I dont have any money in it.
  2. A survival card.  I have not used it, but its there “just in case”. i keep it in my wallet.
    survival card
  3. Small note pad. It is easier and faster sometimes than making a note in my phone.  There are times you may need to write something down and give it to someone.
    note pad
  4. Pens. There are always times you need to write down something. I always carry at least 2 pens.
  5. Keys. I cant stand being locked out. So I always have my house keys, work keys, and car keys, any others I need.
  6. Multi Tool. I prefer Gerber, in my experience they have held up the best to my abuse.  Mine is not exactly like the one below, I changed the tools in it with some of the tools from the tool I had before to customize it for my needs.  I did start with this model.
    gerber MP600
  7. Flash drive. I carry a 32GB flash drive with me all the time. I have copies of documents I may need.  I have Backup copies of files for my business, and I have backup copies of needed documents for my job.
    flash drive
  8. Coins. I always have a few dollars in coins.  I was always told to keep some coins for a pay phone, but now pay phones are almost non-existent.  So I keep some coins on me for the vending machines.
  9. Cell phone.  Need I say any more?
  10. Phone charger.  I have a large screen smart phone so I carry a charger.  The charger that came with my phone is one of the small cube USB types.  It easily fits in my EDC pouch.
  11. Ear phones.  These work with my phone so I can be hands free to talk, or listen to music or podcast when working.
    ear phones
  12. EDC pouch. I am able to fit all the items in this list into the pouch below after I made some modifications to it for my needs. The whole purpose of an EDC is that it is customized to your needs.
    EDC pouch
  13. Pocket knife. I use my pocket knife everyday.  For me it is my most used and valued tool. I prefer a partially serrated blade, spring assist open, ambidextrous thumb screw, liner locker, glass breaker, and seat belt cutter.
    pocket knife
  14. Knife sharpener.  I carry the Lansky Blade Medic.  I chose this sharpener because it can sharpen the serrated part of my blade.
    lansky blade medic
  15. Lighter.  I carry a small Peanut lighter because I dont use a lighter much, but “just in case”. My preferred lighter brand is Zippo, but i do not have a need to carry one with me all the time.  This peanut lighter is smaller and lighter and works for my seldom use.
    peanut lighter
  16. CPR mask.  I am CPR trained so I carry a disposable mask with me.
    cpr mask
  17. Band aids.  I keep a few kinds of band aids with my for minor injuries.
    bandaids
  18. First aid Cream.  When you use a band aid you will most likely need some first aid cream. I carry a few small packages with me.
    first aid cream
  19. Burn Cream. Some times I work around hot parts, so I carry some burn cream packets.
    burn cream
  20. Vinyl gloves.  I carry 2 pair of vinyl gloves in a little bag  because I am a first responder at work .  I use latex free vinyl gloves so I do not cause a reaction if someone has a latex allergy.
    vinyl gloves
  21. Tylenol. I carry about 10 Tylenol in a little bag with me for everyday pains.
    tylenol
  22. Tums. I carry about 10 Tums in a little bag with me.
    tums
  23. Flashlight. I carry a small flashlight all the time.  It is probably my most used tool.
    mag light
  24. Batteries.  I hate to have a dead flashlight when I need to use it. I carry 2 AA batteries in a little bag for my flashlight.
    AA batteries
  25. Hand sanitizer. I carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer for cleaning around a wound, or times I may not be able to wash my hands right away.
    Hand sanitizer
  26. Tweezers.  I carry tweezers because it is very common to get a sliver where I work. I carry these 2 point styles because sometimes one point style will not get the job done.
    tweezers
  27. Nail clippers.  I carry nail clippers because it is an annoyance to me when I have long or broken nails that catch on things.
    nail clippersThese are the things that I carry in my EDC.  It is up to you what you carry in yours.  The most dangerous tool I carry is a knife because I do not go into places that I believe I need to carry a tool such as a pistol.  For some of you this may be a tool that you feel you need to carry.  Or maybe you need to carry a canteen because of your area your area of work, I do not need to because most places I go have drinking fountains or I have water in my car.Evaluate your daily life and put together your EDC, never be afraid to customize what you carry and if your situations change then change the items in your EDC.

I would like to thank all my followers of this page.  If you have not already, please sign up for email  subscription to this blog so you will be notified when there is a new article.  To subscribe enter your email in the box provided in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to tell your friends about this page also.

Food and Water Estimator Worksheet

[download id=”2274″]

 

[download id=”2278″]

 

I had been looking for a way to calculate how long my stockpile of food and water will last me and my family.  I did not find what I was looking for, so I created my own way to calculate the time my stockpile would last.  I used Excel sheets to do all the calculations.

How these sheets calculate how long a stockpile will last is simple.  For water the entire amount of water is added up to a total in gallons, then divided by the number of gallons each person will need a day, then divided by the number of people living off the stockpile.

To calculate how long food will last all food items are converted to their calorie amount.  The entire amount of calories are then divided by the estimated calories needed per day to survive, then divided by the number of people that will be living off this stockpile.

The numbers that you enter for gallons needed per day, calories needed per day, and the number of people that will live from this stockpile are on the first sheet.  These numbers will affect the two yellow boxes.  One yellow box is the number of days food will last, the other yellow box is the number of days water and other drinkable liquids will last.

On the other sheets are where all the food calorie data, and water, are entered and totaled up.  When looking at the calories on the labels of prepackaged food be sure to get the total calories in the entire container.  Be sure to look at the number of servings per container multiplied by the calories per serving.

Below I have put two Excel files. The first one is the blank calculations sheets. The second file is the same sheet with some data already entered into it show how the sheets work. To get the calorie amount for non prepackaged food you will need to do some research.  If there is doubt about the number of calories in an item it is best to under estimate the calories. It is better to have more food than you believe you have then it is to be short.  After entering all your data it will give you an idea of places you may need improvements in your stockpile.

I would like to thank all my followers of this page.  If you have not already, please sign up for email  subscription to this blog so you will be notified when there is a new article.  To subscribe enter your email in the box provided in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to tell your friends about this page also.

Enjoy playing with the numbers and improving your stockpile.

 

[download id=”2274″]

 

[download id=”2278″]

 

10 Tips On How Prepping and Homesteading Saves Money.

There are lots of articles out there about how and why you should be a prepper and homesteader, but one area I have not seen as much information is how being a prepper or homesteader can save money, if done correctly.

There are lots of photos of people that have huge stockpiles of food and other items out there on the internet. Most people see that and thing that a huge amount of money was spent to get that stockpile. Some people did spend a lot of money and just ran out and bought everything. Below I will give tips on how to get that stockpile of food and items without spending your life savings, you just have to be patient.

Tip #1 Buy in Bulk/on Sale.

The best way to save money while growing your stockpile is to buy in bulk and on sale. If you are going to start a stockpile of food first you need a proper place to keep it. An organized shelf unit in a cool dry dark place is best. When you do start buying food don’t rush, take your time and look at what you and your family eats and make a list. You will also want to make a list of non food items that you and your family use. Once you have your lists look for those things on sale or in bulk packages. Some times you can find bulk packs on sale, increasing your savings. Dont forget to use your coupons!

If an item is on a really good sale don’t just buy 1 or 2 for your stockpile, get  as much as  you can afford to spend on those  items and have a place to store them. This will not work with items like milk that have a short shelf life, unless you are going to freeze it. But keeping it frozen cost electric, depending how long it was frozen you may not save any money.

It is best recommended that when buying bulk food to buy raw ingredients and re package them so they last longer.  Processed foods sometimes have shortened shelf lives, or they are full preservatives that I personally don’t want to eat.

Also be mindful of how and where you store your items.  Do not store water above paper products.  If there is a leak in a water container it will ruin your paper products. Do not store paper products next to a heat source like a furnace, water heater, or electrical box.  Never make a dangerous situation.

There are stores like Sam’s Club and Costco where you can buy things in bulk, but they have a yearly fee. If you do not buy enough in a years time it is not worth the fee.  I recommend finding family, friends, or start a local group to share the cost of the fee’s and have the person with the membership go buy the items for the group.

Tip #2 Only buy what you use.

Many people buy the premade emergency food buckets. If you want to go that direction I recommend getting one and try the food that is in it first before investing more money into them. You are wasting money if you don’t like the food that comes in them. If you do not like rice it is a waste to buy a 50 lb bag of it and think you will live on it if there is an emergency. There are many things that I don’t like to eat, but if it’s all I have I will eat it. But why make an emergency situation worse by only having food you don’t like around. By only buying the food and items that you use you will not waste as much.

 

Tip #3 Plant a Garden.

Most Homesteaders already have gardens or fields, but I believe that  preppers should also grow their own food. If you have the time and space planting a garden will save a lot of money.  Seed packs are cheap.  Even if you live in a small apartment you can still have a few plants in pots.  A seed pack may cost $0.99, but you can get multiple plants out of that seed pack.  How many pounds of tomato’s can you get for $0.99? If you only get one health plant out of a $0.99 pack of seeds you can easily get five pounds of tomato’s from that one plant. To increase the amount of money you save learn to save seeds for the next season.  If you find local people that also save seeds you can buy and trade seeds potentially reducing the cost of seed investment.

There are also other benefits  to planting your own garden. You can grow things that you like that may not be available to find in your local stores.  If you have more produce than you want find a local farmers market and sell it, or trade it.  Because you are choosing what is being planted you can select non-GMO seeds, or heirloom seeds, and plant as much as you desire. You will also know everything that is being put into the soil to feed your plants.  Start out with a plant that is easy to grow, something like a tomato or bell pepper plant.

Some herbs can even be grown all year long with out the need for a green house or hydroponics system. During winter months you can put a few pots on a window sill and still have fresh herbs.

Tip #4 Repackage

I said something above about re packaging food to make it last longer. There are a few options to repackage food.  There is an upfront cost to purchase supplies to re package your food, but all ways have there benefits.

The cheapest way is to use resealable bags, like Ziplock, to make smaller packages out of a large package of food.  This way will work for dry goods, but its not the best.  This may be fine for short term storage, but is not recommended for long term. If things are going to be stored in a freezer use the freezer rated bags.

Vacuum sealing works well for many things.  Dry goods can last a long time in vacuum sealed bags, some people also add oxygen absorbent packages to increase shelf life.  Some people say that vacuum bags can be re used, that is your decision to make. Vacuum sealing can also be done to some containers, not just vacuum bags.

Freezing is another good way to make your food last longer. I dont recommend freezing anything longer than a year because it can get “freezer burnt”.  This is probably the most common way of wasting money in food storage because food gets lost in the freezer.  Eating freezer burnt food may not hurt you, but many times it does not taste the best. Whats the point of saving money when buying a steak only to let it get freezer burnt and then throw it away because it taste bad.

Home canning is a  great way to preserve food.  Once the food is canned it does not need any refrigeration or freezing until the jar is opened.  I love canning my own food because I know all the ingredients that are in that jar and where they came from (my garden), and I can adjust my recipes to my liking.   Canned food last for years as long as the seal is not broken.  Fruits, Vegetables, Meats, Fish, and premade foods can all be canned.  There is an upfront cost to buy all the jars you need, the lids and rings, and the water bath or pressure canner pots.  The up keep is low, as long as the jars and rings are in good shape they can be used for years, only the lid needs replaced.  Never use a lid more than once.

Drying food is another way to preserve it.  Even when its been dried I still recommend using other methods above to make it last longer.  I like to dry fruit and then vacuum seal it for longer storage.

Tip #5 Trade or Barter.

You dont have to buy everything in your stockpile.  If you have extra produce from your garden you could always trade it for honey from a local bee keeper.  Maybe you know a local farmer that needs help on there farm, you could make a deal to trade your time working for the farmer in exchange for food.  Maybe you have skills that you can trade.  If you have skills as a carpenter offer those skills in exchange for something you are not skilled in, such as computer maintenance. Another example would be a woman that cans home made jelly can use her jelly to pay a mechanic for his labor time to fix her car. Many times labor cost more than the parts to fix an item, this is a great way to reduce the cost of repairs.  There is no limit to what can be traded as long as both parties agree to the trade.  This is an area that can be the most fun, you may be surprised what you can get through trade or bartering.

Tip #6 Raise your own animals or hunt.

This tip comes with some caution, you need to have the time and skills to take care of animals or hunt.  Many people keep a few animals on their homestead because it can be greatly cheaper to raise and butcher your own meat, collect eggs, or collect milk.  But to raise your own animals you need to feed them.  If you live in an area that has enough food for them to graze you can save money. If you do not live in an area that can support grazing you will have to buy feed.  Some feeds are expensive, so you need to do the math before you purchase any animals or equipment for animals.  Also research what medical care the animals will need. There are cost to hunting too; such as a licence to hunt in your state, hunting equipment, and butchering equipment. Butchering an animal may not be something you want to do so you need to know the cost to have your animals butchered and processed.

For me raising my own animals would not save money.  I have found local people that raise animals by the heard. I can not raise one or two animals and save money over getting my meats from these people.  It is more cost effective for me to buy or trade the beef farmer for his meat then me to raise, butcher, and package my own beef.  It is also cheaper to buy it from the farmer than from a store, the meat also taste better too!!

Tip #7 Make it yourself.

My family makes most of our food ourselves.  Raw ingredients are cheaper than processed foods. It does take some time to make it ourselves, but we can make it how we want.  Making it ourselves also makes us healthier because we are not putting in preservatives and dyes that we are consuming.  We still go out to eat, and sometimes get junk food, but most of what we eat we make.

Have you ever seen a product that cost $20 and had the thought “I can make that for $5”, try it.  You may be surprised at what you can make. How about you see a dress in a magazine or store, if you do not know how to sew maybe someone you know does.  There are many people out there that can make that dress for you for a lot less than what the store wants, then you can have it customized to fit you. This is another time when trading or bartering can save you a lot of money.

Tip #8 Do without.

What better way to save money then to not spend it at all. We all have things we would like to have, but do you really need it.  I see lots of things I would like to have in my Bug Out Bag, but it is not something that is necessary and would just add unneeded weight.

Everyone wants the newest version of things, but is it worth the money? Keeping what you have most times is much more cost effective than getting the latest and greatest version.

Tip # 9 Dont waste.

The best way to save money is to not waste it.  Dont cook enough food for 10 people when there are only 5 eating.  If the left over food is going to be eaten later that’s fine, but if it is going to be thrown away you are wasting money.

Can an item be reused or recycled? Why though something in the trash if you can recycle it and get some of your money back. Can an item be used for another purpose in place of buying more items?  Getting creative with what you have may keep you from buying more things.

Tip #10 Get family and friends involved.

It is always good to have a network of people to help you, your family and friends may be your greatest network.  If you have a large homestead and need the help to get the work done try getting family and friends to help.  Most times family and friends will work for much less than hiring some one you don’t know. Family and friends may also care more about the work that needs to be done then hired help. Maybe you have a brother that helps take care of the garden and keeps your equipment operating, and in payment he gets a share of what you harvest from that garden. How much would it cost you to pay a stranger for that same work?  This again may fall into the trading and bartering category, but you can normally get better deals with the people around you that care about you.

Conclusion.

These are just 10 tips, there are so many more out there if you look long enough.  These 10 in my opinion are the best ones to use and will save you the most money when trying to build your stockpiles, and also your community around you. Not all 10 of these tips may work for you in your quest to build your homestead or be more prepared, but I believe that is at least one tip here for everyone.

I would love to hear from you, if you have more tips please let me know in the comments.  Give me enough information that I can make another article for the next 10 tips!!

I would like to thank all my followers of this page.  If you have not already, please sign up for email  subscription to this blog so you will be notified when there is a new article.  To subscribe enter your email in the box provided in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to tell your friends about this page also.