Innovation is key in survival, and oddly enough some of the most ingenious people in the world are the very inmates inside our prisons.
Now, I’m not saying you should take all your advice from prisoners… but when it comes to improvising, we could all learn a thing or two from them.
One example is how to make a “prison lighter” using only a few basic supplies. This way, if you lose your lighter, your matches get wet, or if any number of other disasters should befall you… you will still be able to get a flame going.
This new video exposes how an age old “prison hack” is now a crucial survival skill. Watch the video below, then scroll down for a more in-depth tutorial.
1. Start with a gum wrapper and a battery.
NOTE: This trick will ONLY work with a foil-backed gum wrapper.
2. If you don’t have a loose battery on hand, remove one from your flashlight. (Don’t worry — you can put it back later.)
3. Cut the gum wrappers into hourglass-shaped strips.
4. Your gum wrappers should look something like this:
5. Now, take one of your ignitors and hold the ends against the ends of the battery. After a few seconds, you will notice it starting to smoke.
6. After a few more seconds, you will see a flame emerge.
7. You can now use your DIY fire starter to start a roaring fire in no time!
The reason this works is because the foil in the gum wrapper acts as a conductor for the electricity produced by the lighter. The paper of the gum wrapper then ignites, and burns long enough to be used as a fire starter.
This is just one of many ways to start a fire with improvised materials. Learn more here.
Do you have any DIY fire starting tips of your own? Share them with us in the comments!
Are you looking for ideas on how you can transform a vehicle into a roaming home? Read on and gather ideas to create a beautiful bus renovation.
Watch As These Homesteaders Turn Old Busses Into Livable Quarters!
If you like the idea of living in a roaming home and travel the open road without the worry of not having the comfort of a home, your best option is to do a bus renovation. Many bold DIY-ers have made their dream of roaming home come true. Read on and look for that beautiful roaming home that can take your heart desires anywhere.
Winkelman Architecture transformed this short bus into a livable quarter for 12 passengers and a driver. It has a Moroccan-inspired interior, multicolored beads, tassel lamps, and Arabian textile prints. With plumbing (toilet and sink) as well. View it here.
Built by carpenter Adam Collier-Woods. It has an amazing space that can accommodate up to 6 people comfortably and offers 2 double bedrooms, a full-size kitchen, and log-burning stove. Available for rent in the heart of Sussex countryside. Check it out here.
If you just want a tiny place for you to travel with, you must see how the Franklin Vintage Caravan was transformed into a tiny house. Check it out here.
4. Rustic Masterpiece 2001 GMC Bluebird School Bus
Built by young couple Alyssa and Will and it took them 5 months to complete but the transformation of the 2001 GMC Bluebird School Bus into a new livable rustic masterpiece was a dream come true for the couple who wants to take a journey across the country in their bus, working on the road and look into what America has to offer. Check it out here.
5. Sweet Home Transformation of 1989 Thomas Saf-T-Liner MVP
Built by Jake Von Slatt following an inspiration from the book Rolling Homes by Jane Lidz. He transformed the old 1989 Thomas Saf-T-Liner MVP school bus into an amazingly livable family quarter out from mostly recycled and salvaged materials. It’s complete with kitchen, bathroom, bunk room, salon, and a master’s bedroom. View the transformation here.
Built by an architecture student, a truly practical living quarter out from an old bus. Complete with bathroom, kitchen, setting, and a bedroom. Check it out here.
7. Hospitable Home Transformation of the 1998 Thomas Built Bus
Who would not be amazed how the designer transforms this 39 foot Thomas School bus into a comfortable and hospitable living quarter that sure to fit an adventurer who loves to move from place to another. Check it out here.
Built by Stephanie Adams who dreamt of having a simpler life with less distraction. So, she purchased a 220-square-foot 2000 diesel model school bus and converted it into a comfortable mobile home that has all the comfort of a home which includes furniture, natural light, fridge, oven and more. See the full conversion here.
What can 2 talented women build? A chic living space out from an old bus that is complete with bathroom, bedroom, storage, kitchen, and even air conditioning. Check it out here.
10. 1948 Chevy Bus Transformed Into a Bohemian Home
Who would not love to live in a Bohemian house that moves from one place to another? It has a cozy wood-lined interior, fitted with built-in couches, closet, kitchen and a wood stove. It also has a wooden loft to the back with a large window that is perfect for a full-scale view when traveling. Get the full view here.
Got time for one more roaming home? How about an ambulance transform into a tiny home for a family of 6 and dog? Well, let’s watch this video from Justin Bozeman
Did you enjoy how old busses transform into a living quarter? Which one will you try? Let us know in the comments below.
Vegetables typically get one go-round in the kitchen, and then we toss the carrot tops, sprouted garlic or celery bottoms in the compost bin or garbage can without giving it a second thought. Who would imagine that many kitchen scraps actually have the potential to regrow into usable vegetables?
Most vegetables won’t regrow indefinitely, and they probably won’t grow enough to feed your family for very long. However, re-growing vegetables can save you money and in the meantime, many are attractive, decorative plants that bring a bit of the outdoors into your kitchen. If you’re looking for fun gardening projects to inspire kids, this one is sure to be a hit.
Try these vegetables:
1. Celery, bok choy and romaine lettuce – Slice the bottom from the bunch and put it in a bowl of warm water with the cut side facing up and just the root end submerged. Watch for leaves to emerge from the center as the outer section gradually turns yellow and deteriorates. Once the celery bottom has several healthy leaves, plant it in a container filled with potting mix, with only the leaf tips showing above the soil.
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2. Avocado – This is an old trick that kids love. Unfortunately, the plant isn’t likely to bear fruit unless you’re patient and willing to wait a dozen years or so. In the meantime, enjoy the lush, green plant.
To grow an avocado plant, just use toothpicks to suspend a cleaned seed, wide end facing down, over a glass of water so only the bottom half of the seed is submerged. Place the glass in a warm spot where the avocado is exposed to indirect sunlight. Check the water every day and add more as needed.
Once the stem grows to about 6 inches, cut it down to about 3 inches. When you notice new leaves, plant the avocado in potting mix with about half the seed above the surface of the soil. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
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3. Potatoes – Cut potato peels into 2-inch chunks, each with at least two eyes. Set the chunks on the countertop to dry for a day or two, and then plant them in a large, deep container with the eyes facing up. Cover the potato chunks with 4 inches of soil, and then as the plant grows, add an extra 4 inches of soil. The new, tender potatoes will be ready to harvest in a few weeks.
4. Onions – Slice the root end from the onion, along with about a half-inch of the onion. Plant the onion in potting mix, root side down, and water as needed to keep the soil moist. The onion should be ready to harvest in several weeks. At that time, cut off the root end and grow yet another onion.
5. Ginger root – Plant a small chunk of ginger root in potting mix, with the buds facing up. Water as needed to keep the soil moist, and then harvest the entire plant, roots and all, in a few months. Grow ginger root indefinitely by saving a small chunk from the new root.
6. Garlic – If you’ve left a garlic clove a little too long and it’s sprouted, don’t throw it away. Just plant the clove in a pot with the root end facing down. When the clove is well-established and displays new growth, trim the shoots so that energy is concentrated on the clove. You can grow garlic this way indefinitely; just start a new garlic clove from the newly grown bulb.
7. Carrots – Unfortunately, you can’t grow new carrots with carrot tops, but you can use the lacy tops as an attractive garnish. Put the carrot tops in a tray or dish with a little water, cut sides down, and place the dish in bright sunlight. Check the carrot tops daily and replenish the water as needed. Snip off small amounts as often as needed.
8. Cilantro – It’s easy to start this pungent culinary herb by placing a few stems in a jar of water. When the stems root, plant them in a pot. The new plant will be ready to use in a few months.
What advice would you add? What vegetables would you have placed on our list? Share your ideas in the section below:
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida man was arrested, handcuffed, strip searched and put in jail because a police officer could not tell the difference between doughnut glaze and crystal methamphetamine.
“I kept telling them, ‘That’s … glaze from a doughnut.’ … They tried to say it was crack cocaine at first, then they said, ‘No, it’s meth, crystal meth,’” Rushing told The Orlando Sentinel.
Unfortunately for Rushing, two field drug tests identified the glaze from a Krispy Kreme Doughnut as methamphetamine. Police found it on the car’s floorboard.
“I got arrested for no reason at all,” Rushing said.
After the arrest, he spent 10 hours in jail and had to pay a $2,500 bond. Charges against him were later dismissed after a laboratory test revealed the substance, in fact, was doughnut glaze.
Rushing had just dropped off a friend at the hospital and was picking up another friend at a 7-11, when he was stopped by police. Cpl. Shelby Riggs-Hopkins of the Orlando Police Department had spotted Rushing doing 42 in a 30 mph zone. She had been watching the convenience store because of complaints about drug trafficking in the neighborhood, The Sentinel reported.
Search Leads to Jail
When she saw that Rushing had a concealed weapons permit, Riggs-Hopkins asked for permission to search his Chevy. He agreed and she spotted the doughnut glaze.
Image source: Flickr
“I recognized through my 11 years of training and experience as a law enforcement officer the substance to be some sort of narcotic,” Riggs-Hopkins wrote in a report. “Rushing stated that the substance is sugar from a Krispie Kreme Donut that he ate.”
Riggs-Hopkins was not swayed and arrested Rushing. The New York Times and Pro Publica reported earlier this year that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory determined that 21 percent of field tests are wrong.
Rushing got off easy; New York resident Alexander J. Bernstein spent 29 days in jail in Pennsylvania because a state trooper’s drug test identified homemade soap as cocaine, Off The Grid News recently reported. Bernstein sued the state and received a $195,000 settlement.
Not surprisingly, Rushing has hired a lawyer and is planning to sue the city of Orlando over the arrest.
“It was incredible,” Rushing said. “It feels scary when you haven’t done anything wrong and get arrested. … It’s just a terrible feeling.”
Rushing said he won’t ever treat police stops the same.
“I didn’t have anything to hide,” he said. “I’ll never let anyone search my car again.”
Orlando Police maintain the arrest was a lawful one, but also acknowledged that they don’t know the percentage of false positive field tests.
“At this time, we have no responsive records. … There is no mechanism in place for easily tracking the number of, or results of, field drug testing,” a police spokeswoman told the newspaper.
What is your reaction? Share it in the section below:
With a nickname like the Green Mountain State, you know you’re in for a treat when you take a camping trip to Vermont.
No matter what you like to do in the great outdoors, you can’t wish for a more beautiful place to do it than Vermont. Whether you enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, kayaking, horseback riding, or even hot air ballooning, you’ll find all of these activities and more in Vermont.
Here are our picks for the top 10 campgrounds in the Green Mountain State.
1. Moose River Campground
This campground is located in Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom,” an area that combines rolling hills, valleys, forests, rivers and vast expanses of farmland to create one of the most stunning scenes to be found anywhere. Whether you want to kick back and relax by the river or explore the surrounding maple country, you’ll find what you’re looking for at Moose River. Click here to learn more.
2. Townshend State Park
Townshend State Park is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and get back to the basics. Located at the base of Bald Mountain, the park boasts a wealth of hiking trails, creeks, pools and waterfalls for the enjoyment of its visitors. Click here to learn more about camping at Townshend State Park.
3. Gifford Woods State Park
If you’re a hiking enthusiast, you’ll love Gifford Woods State Park. With its close proximity to the Appalachian and Long trails, two of the most popular hiking trails in the country, this park has long been a favorite of hikers. It’s also a great place to enjoy Vermont’s beautiful fall foliage. Click here to learn more.
4. Big Deer State Park
This state park offers beautiful forest views, great hiking, 23 tent/RV camp sites and 5 lean-tos. It’s the perfect spot for a quiet, peaceful weekend getaway. Click here to learn more.
5. Apple Island Resort
Located on beautiful Lake Champlain, Apple Island Resort can’t be beat for gorgeous scenery and great fishing. Camp sites are spacious and perfect for RV camping. Click here to learn more.
6. Champlain Valley Campground
Enjoy more great fishing and beautiful views of Lake Champlain at Champlain Valley Campground in Swanton, Vermont. There’s also a boat launch pad, great spots for swimming and a playground for the kids. Learn more here.
7. Half Moon Pond State Park
Half Moon State Park is nestled within the larger, 3500-acre state park known as Bomoseen. This quiet, secluded camping area is perfect for hikers of all experience levels, with trails ranging from a short walk to a full-day hike. There are campsites to suit every taste, from primitive sites to fully-furnished cabins. Learn more here.
8. Brighton State Park
This remote state park is perfect for those who are serious about hunting, fishing or the outdoors in general. The area’s old logging roads offer great adventure for those looking to go off the beaten path. Of course, there are plenty of camp sites for those looking to spend a night or two at this breathtaking, remote park. Learn more here.
9. Moosalamoo Campground
Located at the base of Mt. Moosalamoo, and with a loop consisting of 19 irregularly spaced campgrounds, this small, remote campground is a treat for hikers and those seeking a quiet, secluded getaway surrounded by nature. It’s also one of the best places to see the fall foliage of Vermont. Learn more here.
10. Underhill State Park
Located in Mt. Mansfield State Forest, on the headwaters of Brown’s River and the west slope of Mt. Mansfield, this park is a favorite of outdoorsmen of all stripes. Enjoy hiking, fishing, rafting and even skiing at the nearby resorts, all from the comfort of one of the park’s several campsites. Learn more here.
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best Vermont campgrounds! Did we forget one? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for top homesteaders to follow on Instagram? Does the homesteader way intrigue you? Read on and find out the top homesteaders to follow on Instagram!
15 Top Homesteaders To Follow On Instagram
If you are interested in living off grid and planning to explore a life outside the comfort of the modern world, you must be aware that you are not alone. More and more people are really doing great becoming self-sufficient and finding ways to create things from scratch. To help you out to which fellow homesteader you can follow to get some tips and guides about homesteading, we’ve compiled, but listed in no particular order, the 15 top homesteaders you can follow on Instagram!
The Prairie Homestead is Jill Winger’s homestead blog. Jill’s blog will let you discover the freedom brought by homesteading and teaches you different ways to your roots and write your own homesteading story.
A farm located in the hills of Central Vermont. Kate who’s a mother and a farmer presents beautiful photos of her Icelandic Sheep, Devon Cows, Ossabaw Pigs, her wonderful life and her family’s experience on their farm.
The Elliott Homestead is own by Shaye Elliot and its filled with her homesteading experiences. Here, she allows you to enjoy life on her farm and shares ideas on how to can peaches, the use of cloth diapers instead of disposable ones and tasty dishes you can make by using the crops you’ve grown.
Heather of The Homesteading Hippy began her homesteading adventure when they’ve bought their first house in 2006 and have attempted to start their first garden by raised bed boxes and planting over 200 seeds and plants in a very limited space, though they didn’t have plenty of produce at that time but since then she learned a lot about how to become a successful homesteader and wishes to encourage her followers and readers to start where they can and learn along the way.
5. Root Simple
An urban homesteading blog by the authors of Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World and The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heat of the City, Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne. It covers the topic about going back to basics, gardening, DIY living, urban homesteading, herbal medicines, animals, transportation, saving, and food preservation.
Terry Page of Homestead Honey shares their off-grid homesteading and shares radical inspiration and practical advice for your homesteading journey. Few of their popular posts include “Building a Tiny House,” “Living Off-Grid,” and “Organic Gardening.”
Features the lives of the young family in the west Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada. Through their blog, they wish to inspire others how to reduce grocery bills and help increase their self-sufficiency and health through food preparation and gardening.
Chickadee Homestead is Lindsey Field’s little space to inspire others to become self-reliant and to live a natural lifestyle. It is where she shares her love and interest for all simple things, natural, and homesteading. Her website focuses on natural and organic farming practices.
Wife and husband Louisa Conrad and Lucas Farell moved to Townshend, VT and started their own goat farm. They produce a farmstead confectionery and sells goat’s milk cheese and caramels.
Olive and Owl is an urban homesteading blog that is filled with a homemaker and mother’s radical goodness, from cooking with whole foods and gardening, crafting, and parenting.
Double N Urban Farm is an urban homestead blog of a happily married couple that offer tips and advice on how to savor the freshest produce by using organic methods and also educating their readers about the importance of going local.
Farmer Meg’s Digest is managed by an experienced homesteader, Megan Paska. She’s from Baltimore, MD, who have finally moved to a large farm in NJ with her husband. They have an acre of herbs, flowers, and vegetables, operates a CSA that feeds about 45 families and 100 heritage chickens.
If you are looking for adventures, recipes and the good and bad and everything in between of real homesteading The Easy Homestead is the site to check. It’s a blog created by Jean and her husband Beau and it talks about their coming-to-be farm which they named “North Fork Farms.”
Seven Acres Farm were developed and managed Jocelyn and Chris who moved on Seven Acres Farm in August 2014. Their goal was putting permaculture theory and a variety of ecological growing techniques in growing their own food. If you’re looking for ways to grow healthy veggies and happy flower, Seven Acres Farm website is for you.
The Kneady Homesteader is Heather Conn’s journey from being a city girl into homesteader. She is a city girl on a mission to teaching herself all about living self-sufficiently and being more self-sustainable. She hopes to inspire even one person to follow their dream like what she did and to enjoy her journey.
There you have it, the 15 Top Homesteaders To Follow On Instagram! Are you up for getting tips for your homesteading? Let’s watch this video from our favorite Youtuber’s OFF GRID with DOUG and STACY
Which top homesteader will you follow on Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.
According to the American Bar Association, about 55 percent of Americans die without a will – the essential document that protects your family from the legal complications and in-fighting that can follow a death.
But even a will may not encompass all the information you need to impart to your family. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork used to track your existence. Even as you move to a more self-sufficient lifestyle, a paper trail will follow you; it’s a feature of the modern age.
Don’t be the only member of your family who knows how to keep your home and lifestyle operating, your wishes in case of death, or where the family jewels are hidden. Prepare a spreadsheet with the following information, and store it in a fireproof safe or other secure location (making sure everyone knows where to find it).
1. Family identification. Document the location of the birth certificates and passports for all members of the family, as well as Social Security numbers, medical information, adoption records, marriage and death certificates, birth dates and legal names.
2. Contacts. Make a contact page for family members and close friends, legal professionals, insurance companies, financial advisors, and anyone else who has been responsible for maintaining your records.
3. Assets. Detail all assets, such as real estate, vehicles and valuable items. Be sure to list specific information as appropriate, such as serial numbers, Vehicle Identification Numbers and the location of deeds for property. Don’t forget to list financial assets, including bank accounts, investments, stocks and bonds.
4. Liabilities. Maintain updated records for loan information and amounts, credit cards, mortgage and personal lending. Be sure to include specific information about agreements as well as the location of documentation.
Image source: Pixabay.com
5. Insurance. Quick access to personal, medical and property insurance policy numbers can speed the company’s ability to provide you with the insurance payments needed to quickly bounce back in an emergency. Make sure you, your spouse, and your next of kin all know the location of and value on insurance policies.
6. Bills. After an emergency or death, bills for items and services purchased earlier will still be owed. Include the account numbers for utility companies, payment information as well as frequency of billing, and the details of any agreements. Contact numbers for billing companies can help your family stop unwanted services before becoming inundated with bills.
7. Emergency plan. Make an account of your family’s plans in case of emergency, upheaval or accident. Determine a meeting place and detail the location of emergency supplies. Make sure even the youngest children have been prepared to find shelter, basic supplies and the rest of the family so they will know how to react if things become chaotic, and practice relevant drills at least once per year.
8. Final arrangements. A will and living trust are necessary for helping your family make decisions in case of your death or incapacitation. All adult family members should have a legal will, as well as written instructions for any actions desired in case of death. This is particularly important in families with children or other dependents, in order to provide for their future and indicate who should be responsible for their safety. Be certain to discuss your plans and desires with close family members and entrust them with your wishes.
9. Homestead journal. Update regular seasonal logs about what you do to your property, how the homestead is made to be productive, plans for future development, and the location of needed equipment and supplies. Enter relevant information about livestock and pets, as well, including veterinary records, pedigrees and directives for ensuring their health. If you do not plan to have your next of kin run your homestead in the event of your death, a detailed plan about how to divide and liquidate assets should be included in your will.
There are many resources available online to help you prepare your “in case of emergency” document. The US Department of Health and Human Services provides a list as a jumping-off point.
Prepare and store the document digitally and in hard-copy, talk over your plans, and make sure everyone understands where to find the information. Providing your family with the tools to pick up the pieces in a worst-case scenario is a realistic approach to guaranteeing their continued prosperity and safety. Don’t leave them stranded.
What would you add to our list? Share your tips in the section below:
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