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The Survival Buzz #161
Welcome to this week’s Survival Buzz with an update on my own preps and announcements from the Backdoor Survival blog.
What a crazy weather week here in Backdoor Survival land. One day it was sunny and warm, then next was cloudy, rainy and windy. One thing you learn when you live in Washington State is that the weather can be quite variable from day to day. Still, when you think about it, here in Western Washington we don’t get much snow and, further, here on San Juan Island we get an average annual rainfall that is 14 inches less than Seattle.
So no complaints.
That still does not mean that on days like this, I don’t yearn for sunshine, 80 degrees, and getting my hands dirty in the garden. Speaking of the garden, none of the lettuce seeds I planted on the deck have sprouted yet.
Moving on, more and more I find that prep-wise I pretty much have everything I need so the purchases I make are more along the lines of the “nice to have”. Along those lines, this week some small hand tools came in from Amazon but I don’t want to give you any details until they are tested, okay?
Last up for this week is that Shelly just finished making some shoe repairs using Shoo Goo. Having the ability to extend the life of our shoes could become important if the SHTF. And even during normal times, such as they are, it is always a good idea to save a few bucks by fixing things yourself.
That about covers it for me this week.
Backdoor Survival Mail Bag & Reader Tips
Wouldn’t you know it? After telling you last week that Rafflecopter woes are not my fault, more than a dozen of you sent emails telling me it was not working. Perhaps this tip from Karen will help.
I was having trouble with Rafflecopter on my phone but suddenly realized all I had to do was turn my phone sideways and then I could see the buttons as well as the check box that shows the entry.
Becky wrote asking about storing important documents on a cloud service in addition to on a flash drive.
One suggestion was to store important info on a flash drive (got most of that done) and also on a cloud service. Rather than tie up your time, can you point me to a cloud service that is reliable and cheap? Or a place to read and compare them?
My tip – I have accumulated several models of small LED flashlights (like go on a key chain) over the years. I recently took 3 to Wal-Mart jewelry counter to buy replacement batteries. The batteries cost more than the price of a new flashlight! Something to consider when shopping for these little handy items.
Here was my response.
No question that for me, the cloud service of choice is Dropbox. A free account gives you 2GB of storage at no cost. I use this for all of my client accounting data backups and have for years. Here is link to set one up: https://db.tt/nI724d8. If you use that link, we both get an extra 500MB. The free account should be all that you need – that is all that I have.
I always recommend a flashlight that uses AAs or 9V. I was once sent flashlights to review and use in a giveaway. They were $35 flashlights and did not come with a battery. The battery it used was obscure and not available locally. Online it was $8! I said thanks, but no thanks.
For those keychain flashlights, consider them throwaways or check Amazon for the cheapest price on button batteries.
Homegrown Food Summit – Free Online Event
I am pleased to invite you to participate in a free online event April 6 – 12. Majory Wildcraft is hosting the 2015 Homegrown Food Summit and it promises to be fantastic. I don’t know the exact time of the individual presentations but I do know that over 30 experts in backyard food production will be on hand to share their expertise.
For those of you that don’t know, Marjory is also known as the Martha Stewart of self reliance. She is the creator of the Grow Your Own Groceries DVD set and an all around caring lady that truly wants you to succeed in your gardening and self-reliance efforts.
Side note to self: I need to ask Marjory to join us for an interview on Backdoor Survival. Perhaps after the Summit.
Like I said, I am going to try to participate in as many of the events that I can squeeze into my schedule. Click here to register: 2015 Homegrown Food Summit.
Update on the AeroGarden – Week #4
The AeroGarden really took off this week. Look at the cilantro in the right hand corner. We are close to enjoying our first harvest! I am still biting at the bit to get a second unit but am exercising will power. For now.
Current Giveaways
The following giveaway is currently accepting entries. There is only one this week but wait until you see the lineup coming up! There are some great prepping items but a few just for fun items as well, Stay tuned.
The New 2000 Hour Flashlight + Giveaway
Remember, the deadline for all giveaway entries is 6:00 PM Pacific on Tuesdays.
In addition, all winners are notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate will be selected. Once selected, the names of winners are also displayed in the Rafflecopter on the original giveaway article. This usually happens on the Friday following the end of the giveaway.
Speaking of giveaways, the winner of the 55-Gallon Water Barrel from Emergency Essentials has claimed her prize. There were so many entries – and so many questions for moi. Oh boy. I am going to be busy answering for the next year if not longer.
For those of you that missed out, the Ultimate 55 Gallon Water Barrel Combo at Emergency Essentials is still a great deal and something to consider as you build up your long term water storage.
News from Our Sponsors
I know I sound like a broken record but it is sponsors that allow Backdoor Survival to remain free for everyone. Always. These days more and more of the quality sites are moving toward a membership fee model. I can hardly blame them; it takes a lot of work to maintain a dynamic website that is continually updated with new content.
Backdoor Survival is blessed with having 14 sponsors that pay a fee for their sidebar ads on this website. The newest is ReadyMan.com and they have a pretty cool deal for you.
As with all our our sponsors, please pay them a visit and show them your support.
The Final Word
The about covers it for me this week. I still have more half-started projects than I prefer, but can’t seem to find the time to finish them. First up is my taxes and then? Everything else. Hopeful I will have that PITA (taxes) completed by next week this time.
So what about you – what did you do to prep this week?
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
If you enjoyed this article, consider voting for Backdoor Survival daily at Top Prepper Websites! In addition, SUBSCRIBE to email updates and receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-book The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.
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The Survival Buzz “Almost Free” Department
These arrived very quickly; I was surprised. They are bright and with the included batteries, are a real bargain. As of this writing, $4.33 inclusive of free shipping.
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Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the items related to today’s article – mostly flashlights!
Shoe Goo
LE LED Headlamp, 18 White LED and 2 Red LED, 4 Brightness Levels
FordEx Group 300lm Mini Cree Led Flashlight: FAVORITE! More flashlights. At the time of this writing, the red one is only $3.80 with free shipping. It is super mini sized, bright and waterproof. Plus, it uses a single, standard AA sized battery.
Rayovac 6VADPT-B Battery Adapter with Batteries, 6-volt
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Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials: The monthly specials at Emergency Essentials feature discounts of up to 35% off sometimes a bit more.
A good value is the Do It Yourself SuperPail Combo which includes 8 x 6-Gallon Buckets with Lids, 8 x Metallized Storage Bags and a 10-Pack of Large Oxygen Absorbers.
Don’t forget that you do not need fancy equipment to seal the metalized bag. A cheap hair iron will do the job. Forget about a hose and a vacuum sealer. A $20 hair iron works great – just be sure to get one with 2” plates.
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Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.
Amazon has a feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.
The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
Shop Amazon Tactical – Great Selection of Optics, Knives, Cases, Equipment
Amazon Gift Cards
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
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The Survival Buzz #161 by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.
Source: http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/survival-buzz-2015-03-21/
