The Q&A portion of the Wild Bunch Dispatch will be held on this page from 7pm to 8:30pm (Mountain Time) today. Any questions you might have on the 66th issue please post here and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Some ground rules:
1) Please stick to the subject matter of the newsletter.
2) This is not a debate forum. If you have some concerns I’m happy to address them, but I can’t get into a long circular debate while other people have questions.
3) If I do not respond to your question immediately, don’t freak out. I’ll get to it, don’t worry.
4) Try to keep to one or two questions each time you write a post. Please refrain from essay-long multi-question posts. It is much appreciated.
I will begin discussion at exactly 7pm Mountain time. Looking forward to your questions and thoughts on the Wild Bunch Issue #66. The next issue of the newsletter will be released on November 30th. If you missed out on this discussion you can still subscribe for the next issue and participate. For more information on how to subscribe, visit the link HERE.
Regards,
Brandon Smith, Founder of Alt-Market.us
Discussion is now open on Issue #66.
One bad thing about winter is that’s when people tend to get sick most often, especially kids and the elderly. And in a grid-down scenario in the dead of winter it’ll hit them especially hard because even minor illnesses can become life-threatening. So stocking up on medicines is a must.
Antibiotics in particular would be important because winter always draws moisture and condensation into enclosed spaces that are not heated properly (grid down). This creates bacterial breeding grounds.
I would to your list natural antibiotics like oregano oil or if you can’t get an antibiotic from the doc, then fish antibiotics from your pet supply store will work in a pinch.
I bought some fish meds about 10 years ago. They turned out to be fake. Maybe some suppliers are real but how can you tell?
ThomasLabs makes the real stuff (Fishmox), but it’s tough to find lately. I bought a bunch before the pandemic panic, and it’s been scarce ever since. There are lists online of PetRX antibiotics – which ones are real and what human antibiotics they correspond to. Don’t let anyone tell you they are not the same, they are exactly the same, the dosages are just different. There are disinfo campaigns everywhere in the media run by Big Pharma to discredit Fishmox, but it works.
Hey Brandon! Great newsletter! We have been making many of these steps to prepare for grid down scenarios, including ones that might occur in the winter months. I hadn’t thought of a wood stove water tank, however. Do you have any recommendations in that area?
I think the tanks that attach directly to the stove pipe instead of the side of the stove would probably be the most efficient. There are some Amish-type wood stoves that have everything built in – cooking, heating and hot water, but they are expensive.
Brandon can you please provide a link for the Amish-type woodstoves that have everything built in? Thank you!
I can’t speak to the reliability of any particular retailer, but here’s a website that has the stoves I’m talking about:
http://www.antiquestoves.com/Amish%20Stove/index.htm
I’ve read in books on wild edible plants that pine needles are a good source of vitiman c. The inner bark is rich in sugars. Plus the resin can be used as waterproofing and making torches.
Do you know what particular variety of pine to use? Are all types consumable?
As far as I know yew is one of a handful that’s poisonous.
Good to know! Thanks!
White Pine.
Use fresh needles to make “pine needle tea”
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pine-Needle-Tea
Brandon, great advice on the dehumidifier buckets. Is there an ideal number of buckets for each room in regards to square footage? Would larger rooms need more than one bucket?
I think one per room would do the trick unless it is a very large space. The thing about modern houses is they are highly restrictive of air flow. This helps retain heat within the house but it also stop fresh air from circulating in, so moisture builds up quickly. I have found that this condensation is one of the biggest problems in wintertime – The wet air causes everyone to feel colder, it carries bacteria and mold, and it does damage to the interior of the house. Managing moisture and condensation is a big deal, especially when there is no electric heat to rely on.
Awesome. Thank you. You aren’t lying about the wet making you feel colder. Hunting this morning in damp 34 degree temps felt so much colder than hunting the previous Saturday in dry 27 degree temps. Good thing I had my hand warmers (like you recommended!).
Do you think it would be practical at all to try and raise warm weather fruits and veggies like tomatoes and squash indoors if you don’t have a greenhouse?
It depends on where you live. If you are in the south it’s possible, but you will still need some kind of heat in case there’s a frost. In the North, a greenhouse is untenable unless you plan to heat with wood for the entire season. It’s just not practical for the small amount you are going to grow. You are better off with a small indoor planter for lettuce, spinach and other quick growing greens. Get an LED grow light and this will help supplement you winter diet without using very much battery power. I would also get a few sprouting containers and start growing sprouts regularly; just watch out for old sprouts as they will grow bacteria as well. This should give you all the vitamins you need in the cold months.
Discussion is now closed on Issue #66. Thanks to all those subscribers who participated. If you missed out on this issue or would like to subscribe to The Wild Bunch Dispatch to receive future issues, visit the subscription page HERE.
Issue #67 will be released on November 30th.