by Winding Pathways | Mar 19, 2015 | Preparedness
We discovered another reason why every household should have basic camping equipment, even if the owners never go camping.
We hired a local company to repair, sand, and finish an old wooden kitchen floor. During the project we couldn’t access our refrigerator or stove. Camping gear came to the rescue. For a couple of days we cooked on our portable camping stove, while an ice chest kept yogurt, milk and other perishables cool.
Massive storms are increasingly knocking out utilities, and millions of Americans have had to endure upwards of a week without electricity. A camp stove, lantern and ice chest make riding out a storm more comfortable, and they can come in handy during a renovation.
This two burner Sterno keeps food warm but is less useful for cooking. Great for old style fondue parties!
There are three basic types of camping stoves. Most common are two burner gas models fueled by green propane bottles commonly sold in grocery, camping, and hardware stores. They are convenient and easy to use. A second type is fueled by gasoline, sometimes called Coleman fuel. These stoves are efficient but take skill and patience to operate properly. A third type is a simple folding stove that runs on gelled fuel, often called Sterno.
Propane and white gas stoves enable extensive cooking and many an outstanding meal has come off them. Gas and propane stoves must be used where there is good outdoor ventilation. Using them on an outside picnic table is ideal. Sterno type stoves don’t produce enough heat long enough for significant cooking but are handy for warming up food and making an occasional cup of tea.
A diversity of camping lanterns is on the market and they’re ideal for when the power goes off. Some are fueled by propane or liquid gas. But the safest and easiest models are battery powered. They are safe indoors and models with LED bulbs provide hours of light on one set of batteries.
This fast heating camp stove is great for backpacking and to heat water and cook food in an emergency.
Camping stoves, lanterns and ice chests can be purchased at big box and camping stores, but used ones are often found at garage sales at bargain prices. Be sure to have enough fuel or batteries on hand to last a week.
by Winding Pathways | Feb 5, 2015 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Preparedness
Every once in a while every homeowners needs to cut wood. Hedges overgrow. Branches break and land in the driveway. Trees need pruning. And sometimes firewood must be cut.
There’s been a recent evolution in saws that helps homeowners manage trees and shrubs. Muscle powered types have been around for years. Gasoline chainsaws appeared in the 1950s and keep improving in ease of use, safety and efficiency. Recently, cordless electric saws entered the market. Each type saw has strong benefits and some drawbacks.
USING MUSCLES
If you just need to cut a few fallen branches, don’t buy an inexpensive chainsaw at a big box store. For small jobs a sharp muscle powered saw is often best.
Here are some advantages:
- Much less expensive than a chainsaw.
- No need for gasoline. Human power works and yields exercise!
- No noisy motor to barrage the air or break down.
- Need little storage space and last for years.
- Blade can be re-sharpened or replaced on a bow saw.
Here is one disadvantage:
- Although generally safe, they can inflict a nasty cut.
Two types of commonly available muscle powered saws are useful in the yard.
Bow saws look alittle like an old fashioned bow without the arrow. A tubular steel frame forms the bow and a replaceable blade is the “string”. They come in sizes based on blade length from 12” to 36”. Medium sized ones are best for most backyard chores. Bow saws are ideal for cutting fallen branches into firewood. A sharp one slices through a three inch diameter branch with ease. The downside of bow saws is their somewhat ragged cut. That’s hardly a problem with firewood, but a clean cut is important when pruning living trees. That’s where a pruning saw shines.
Pruning Saws look somewhat like carpenter’s hand saws but normally have larger teeth and sometimes a curved blade. They are designed to cut cleanly with little tearing so the tree heals easily.
Muscle powered saws are efficient IF THEY ARE WELL DESIGNED AND SHARP. Buy a quality saw and keep it sharp. Store it in a in a dry place where it won’t rust. For long term storage, for example over winter, put a light coating of oil on the blade to reduce odds of rusting.
A SHORT PRIMER ON CHAINSAWS
Chainsaws come into their own when lots of wood needs to be cut, especially if it is of large diameter.
Early model saws from the 1970s and earlier were heavy, noisy and vibrated severally. But, newer ones are easier and more comfortable to use. They also incorporate safety features lacking on old timers.
A chainsaw’s cutting teeth zip along at about 60 miles per hour. Every tooth passes the same spot on the bar about 20 times a second! When properly sharpened they roar through wood but can do instant and major damage to human flesh.
Using a chain saw properly and safety takes skill. Even the most experienced operators wear safety equipment and always remember to work safely. Too many people who have never used a chainsaw buy one, rev it up and begin cutting without getting proper training or using proper safety equipment. BE SAFE!
Chainsaws range from small lightweight inexpensive homeowner models to heavy powerful logging machines. A motor powers a sprocket that drives a tooth studded chain round a “bar”. Most bars range from 14 to 20 inches. Saws squirt oil from a small tank into the chain to reduce friction and heat.
Buying A Chain Saw: Most chainsaws sold by big box stores are, essentially, throw away models. They are inexpensive and fine for small infrequent use, but for long term durability, ease of use and repair, invest in a quality saw. Before you buy ask if the store has a repair department. If not buy your saw somewhere else. Quality saws are sold at specialty stores that also sell safety equipment, spare parts and maintenance supplies. Chances are the sales person is a seasoned saw operator who will coach a buyer on operating the saw, safety and maintenance.
Remember those cutting teeth go 60 miles an hour! BE SAFE. Always wear ear, head and eye protection, leather gloves, leather boots and saw chaps. Safety equipment can’t prevent all accidents but it can help reduce injury should something go wrong. About 40% of chainsaw injuries are to the legs. Chaps are like an apron made of materials designed to slow or stop a chain should it impact a leg.
Saws are noisy and can permanently damage hearing. Muffs that fit over the ears or small plugs that fit inside ears are essential. Some people choose to wear both types of hearing protection at the same time for ultimate noise reduction. Safety glasses help protect eyes from debris that sometimes flies off the saw.
Head injuries account for about half of chainsaw deaths! Wearing a stout hard hat reduces odds of a head injury. Some operators use a hard hat that has a face shield and ear muffs attached.
ALWAYS BE SAFE. Some other safety tips include:
- Have a first aid kit and cell phone handy.
- Regularly inspect safety equipment. Replace anything that seems faulty.
- Keep the saw sharp and well maintained
- Take breaks to ward off fatigue.
- Saw when others know you are sawing and can help if needed.
- Check the chain brake before starting the saw. If it is in the forward position the chain should be locked and not move.
Chainsaws are potentially dangerous. Using one efficiently and safely is a high skill that comes with a learning curve. In some areas chain saw classes are available. Websites, books and You Tube videos help a novice learn saw techniques and safety. Watch and read before starting the saw! Videos and books can also help a novice learn how to properly sharpen their saw’s teeth.
Probably the best way to learn saw operation and maintenance is to find an experienced mentor and spend time working with him or her.
ALWAYS BE SAFE. Many scenarios can lead to chain saw accidents but two are too common.
One is haste. It’s tempting to fire up the saw without donning safety equipment and hurriedly work when there’s only a branch or two to cut. Always don safety equipment and take your time. The second scenario is fatigue. Wood cutting is hard work and wise experienced loggers in superb physical condition recognize when they are getting tired and take a break.
Employees of the U.S. Forest Service often use chain saws. A standard greeting between two of their staff isn’t to say, “Hi” or “goodbye”. They say “BE SAFE”!
One gorgeous summer morning high in Idaho’s mountains I witnessed a serious chain saw accident that could have been completely prevented. Our crew was all seasoned operators and typically we took a mid-morning break to rest and sharpen saws. We were on an old logging road and one of our crew was sharpening his saw. We heard a yell and looked over to see him clutching his hand. Blood curled down his forearm from a deep cut on his palm. A crew member applied pressure, put on several layers of gauze, and taped it tightly. I was appointed to drive him to the nearest hospital, which was an hour distant. The doctor sewed the cut shut.The cut happened when his hand slipped while filing a tooth. The saw was not even running. Had he worn leather gloves there might have been a cut glove but an uninjured hand.
LESSON: Wear leather gloves, even when sharpening a saw. |
Wood carefully cut, split and stacked.
BATTERY AND ELECTRIC CHAIN SAWS
In recent years many new types of electric saws have entered the market. Most corded models are designed for light work, not cutting many cords of firewood. They are lightweight, generally less expensive than gas saws, quiet, cut well and need no gas, although they require oil to lubricate the chain. Their downside is the tether, so they are only useful near an electric outlet.
Cordless electric chainsaws saws are powered by a lithium ion battery. They are amazing machines that merge many of the benefits of gas and corded saws. Stihl and other companies sell a wide range of yard maintenance tools that operate on the same battery as the chain saw. This allows for flexibility.
Quality battery operated saws allow plenty of cutting on one charge, but for long time use it’s wise to have two batteries. When one is in use the other is on the charger. Stihl claims that a fully charged battery gives about 35 minutes of trigger time and takes about 25 minutes to recharge.
BE SAFE: SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR GAS SAWS APPLY TO ELECTRIC AND BATTERY MODELS
WINDING PATHWAYS AND SAWS
Winding Pathways co-owner Rich Patterson began using chain saws in 1974 when he logged on Idaho’s Boise National Forest. He had the good fortune to be mentored by several experienced saw operators. For four months he cut down huge trees and bucked them into lengths. Since then he’s used dozens of saws for firewood cutting, tidying up his yard and for removing fallen trees from trails and ecological restoration at two nature centers where he served as executive director. Over the years he has taught many people safe and effective saw use and he’s purchased and used chainsaws of many brands and configurations.
STIHL COMPANY PROFILE
by Rich Patterson
About a dozen years ago I used my first Stihl chainsaw and now that is the only brand I use. My current Stihl 290 is about eight years old and has cut over 60 cords of firewood. It’s
Safety gear and quality tools make for safe cutting of wood.
reliable, solid, easy to maintain and fixable. Only one time did I have a minor problem with it. At the store where I bought it, the staff looked it over the saw and had it running smoothly in just a few minutes.
The Stihl Company was founded by inventor Andreas Stihl in 1926 in Germany. It came came to the United States in 1974 and today makes a wide range of handy tools for managing trees, turf and other functions. Most are made in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with many components made in the United States.
Stihl’s website, www.stihlusa.com, is an amazing resource. It includes videos and articles that help teach how to start, safely use, sharpen and maintain saws and other equipment. There’s even a link to help identify tree species. The site offers excellent education and technical information about equipment.
The Internet is an outstanding resource for information on the use and care of equipment and wood characteristics among other topics. Just remember that Internet videos and blogs are only as good as the person who or company that produced them.
Be Safe and happy cutting!
by Winding Pathways | Jan 19, 2015 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Foraging, Preparedness
Few cold winter evening experiences are as pleasant as sitting before the woodstove soaking up the warmth of a fire. That heat is essentially solar energy captured by the tree through photosynthesis on past summer days and released by fire in the dead of winter.
There are plenty of good reasons to consider wood heat and lots of reasons to forget it. Heating with wood is a lifestyle that requires elbow grease to cut, move, split, and stack firewood. Wood needs to constantly be fed into the stove and ashes must be removed every couple of days. Although attractive and cozy, burning wood brings pieces of bark and dirt into the home. These can be downsides, but many people love to work with wood, and cutting and splitting are pleasures, not chores. Wood heat can also save heating money, especially if the fuel comes free.
We have two woodstoves at Winding Pathways. Years ago we ditched our romantic but inefficient fireplace and added a stove. They are much more efficient than fireplaces, meaning that more of the energy in a chunk of wood ends up making a room comfortable and less goes up the chimney.
Now is a great time to plan for wood heat for next winter. It takes time to buy a stove and have it installed. To lay in next winter’s wood supply nearly a year in advance is critical.
The wood of living trees contains water that must be removed before it will burn well. Cut and split firewood stacked in a dry breezy place takes six months to a year for evaporation to remove enough water to transform it into efficient fuel. Late winter is a great time to process wood for next winter. We like to have all of next winter’s wood ready by the end of this March.
Wood is solidified sunshine mixed with minerals. Not all wood is created equally. The energy contained in a chunk is directly proportional to its weight. Dry hickory, for example, is about twice as heavy as the same size hunk of cottonwood and contains double the energy. To learn the heat value of different tree species simply Google Sweep’s Library Firewood BTU Comparison Charts. This chart lists heat values of wood by both alphabet and heat (BTU) value.
Utah State University’s link includes heat value, ease of splitting, smoke emissions, how much a wood sparks and fragrance.
For example, a cord of Maple (Sugar) weighs 3740 pounds and contains 23.2 million BTUs. In contrast a cord of Cottonwood weighs 2040 pounds and contains 12.6 million BTUs of energy. This relationship shows a homeowner would need process and store about twice as much Cottonwood as Sugar Maple to yield the same amount of heat.
Wood is usually sold by the cord or 128 cubic feet. That’s a stack eight feet long, four feet high and four feet deep. Hickory, black locust, white oak and sugar maple are the heaviest common woods of eastern and central North America. Cottonwood, basswood, aspen and most pines and spruces are the lightest. Elm, cherry, silver maple, hackberry and ash fall in between. In a normal Iowa winter we burn about three cords of a blend of oak, black cherry and maple. We’ve burned our share of “poorer” woods like cottonwood and box elder because it was available and we were short of heavier species. Lighter wood generates wonderful heat. It just takes a lot more of it than if we had hickory or oak. Wood is our main, but not only, heat source. We have a natural gas furnace and installed a gas insert into the old fireplace. Both work well and keep the house warm when we go on winter trips and are not around to feed wood into the stoves.
by Winding Pathways | Jan 12, 2015 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Energy Efficiency, Nature, Preparedness
People have the good fortune to sit in a warm home watching birds glean seeds outdoors in winter’s frigid weather. It is amazing that they remain active in temperatures that cause human frostbite after just minutes of exposure.
Birds have several adaptations that enable them to function in extreme cold. Perhaps most important is being clothed in highly efficient insulators – feathers. Even in our era of modern high tech insulation, goose down quilts and coats are warmer than any synthetic insulation, so the hundreds of feathers covering small birds keep them warm.
Birds have a high metabolism that produces toasty body heat but requires huge quantities of fuel. They must eat often and spend much of the day foraging. To fight the cold they devour high calorie foods such as weed seeds and frozen insects. But beef suet and sunflower seeds stocked in bird feeders also help keep them warm.
During extreme cold birds often overnight in the security of a dead tree. Tiny birds snugly pass howling blizzards tucked into small crevices. Wood is a relatively efficient insulator and birds squeeze between the bark and wood or in holes excavated by woodpeckers. Bird houses erected in spring to attract nesting wrens or bluebirds serve double duty as safe roosting sites.
Unfortunately winter is the season of death for many birds and other small wild animals. Cold, wind, snow, lack of food and predators take their toll and only a fortunate small percentage of young wild animals live until their first birthday.
This winter we have seen as many as four male and one female bluebirds at one time at our “dogfeeder” waterer.
During the winter provide plenty of seed and suet for the birds. And, remember that critical element – water!
Homeowners can help birds safely winter by protecting dead trees and erecting bird houses before cold weather arrives. Put the latter on your list to do this spring and give the birds a hand for next winter.
by Winding Pathways | Nov 18, 2014 | Nature, Preparedness
Few household items are as handy as a pair of binoculars. Sure, they are great for getting a close look at birds visiting the feeder, but they are also helpful to:
- inspect the roof from the ground for loose shingles. No climbing up a ladder.
- view from a distance butterflies, bees and other insects. No scaring them off.
- bring distant worlds into view from the backyard. In today’s overly lit cities and rural farmyards only a few stars are bright enough to see with the naked eyes. Binoculars bring many more into view along with planets, comets and even the International Space Station.
- make viewing ball games, concerts and large stage shows more interesting and intimate.
We don’t have just “a pair” of binoculars at Winding Pathways. We have several. Each of us keeps a pair in the car. One is near our dining room table, another in an upstairs bedroom and a final one in our offices. We also have a compact pair that gets tucked into the suitcase when we travel by plane.
Binoculars are an outstanding gift, but buying a quality pair without breaking the budget can get confusing. Dozens of brands and models flood the market and range in price from under $20 to several months mortgage payments. How do you choose?
Most people are best served by versatile general purpose binoculars. A few numbers are helpful to know. For example many binoculars are 8X40 or 8X42. The first number means how much magnification the binocs provide. In this case it’s eight power. The second number tells how large the lens is at the end of the binocular and indicates how much light it lets in. The bigger the number, the more light the binoculars let in and the wider the outer lenses are. In this case, if you divide the first number into the second, the result is around five. They will be a great general purpose pair of binoculars. Mini compact binocs commonly have a division factor of three. They will be easy to carry but less useful when the light is poor or for astronomy. On the other end of the spectrum are binoculars designed for low light. They will have large second numbers and are usually too big and bulky for general use but ideal for astronomy and spotting wildlife at dusk.
At Winding Pathways Rich prefers eight power binoculars and Marion uses 10 power models. As the power increases they become harder to hold steady without vibration and the field of view gets smaller. In other words you see less of the landscape with 10 power than with eight, so it may be harder to find that distant deer or bird. Ten power is great for people with steady hands.
Price gives some indication of quality. Avoid very inexpensive binoculars like the plague. If all you can afford is a $25 gift buy something other than optics. On the other hand there’s no point in buying expensive binoculars for general around the home use or for casual use. Fortunately optics on mid-priced binoculars has gotten much better in recent years, and outstanding models are available at modest cost.
We’ve used dozens of pairs of binoculars of many configurations and brands and believe those in the $125 to $250 price range are generally just fine for around the house use. Double the price and you’ll get better optics but you won’t get double the value because it takes companies more expense to get small improvements in quality.
Be sure the binoculars are comfortable in the hands, provide clear viewing, and are fun to use. We like to view butterflies and bees that are often only six to ten feet from our eyes, so close focusing is important to us.
So, what brand do we use? In recent years we’ve mostly purchased Alpen binoculars. They feature excellent optics at reasonable cost. But, many other brands are also outstanding. Binoculars can be purchased in stores, through catalogs or over the Internet. Buying in stores gives an opportunity to hold them and examine the optics before the purchase is made. Buying over the Internet makes returning, if necessary, easy and gives a chance to read reviews. Internet purchasing is becoming more common.
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From time to time Winding Pathways will profile companies that provides equipment or services helpful in managing and enjoying wondrous yards. We have used their products and found them well made. However, we recognize that competing companies sell excellent products and services, so we encourage people to shop the market and find goods and services they like at a price they can afford.
In coming months Winding Pathways will feature profiles of Murray McMurray Hatchery, The Seed Savers Exchange, Milwaukee Tools and manufacturers of bird feeders.
Our inaugural profile is of the Alpen Outdoor Corporation.
Tim and Vickie Gardner established Alpen in 1996. He had been VP of Bausch and Lomb’s Bushnell division and wanted to provide a line of sports optics that delivers high quality and value. Alpen sells a wide array of binoculars and spotting and rifle scopes.
Although a relatively new company, Alpen has won several prestigious optics awards including Outdoor Life Magazine’s GREAT BUY award seven times and its EDITOR’S CHOICE award once.
Alpen is a family owned business and, although smaller than big brands, it is proud of its superb customer service and its” no fault” lifetime product guarantee.
When asked what distinguishes Alpen binoculars from other brands, Tim Gardner replied, “We work to provide more value and better quality compared to other manufacturers. We keep overhead low and concentrate more on customer service than fancy advertising.”
Here are his suggestions for general purpose around the home binoculars: “I recommend eight power as it gives the best brightness, field of view and ease of use. A full size 8X52 or 8X25 is outstanding for general use.”
When asked what binoculars were best for children he replied, “The most important thing is for the binocular to be able to adjust to fit the smaller face and closer set eyes of children. Alpen has an 8X30 model designed for kids. It has barrels that are close together to fit a child’s face. Some double hinge compact roof prism binoculars can also be adjusted to fit small faces”.
Contact Vicki or Tim at Alpen Outdoor Corporation, 10329 Dorset Street, Rancho Cucamonga,
CA 91730. (877)987-8370. www.alpenoptics.com.
by Winding Pathways | Nov 3, 2014 | Preparedness
Zombies and Ebola are all the rage and have people worried, but they are a less likely threat than power outages.
Massive storms, like this year’s East Coast Halloween Horror, that dropped up to a foot of snow in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and have caused power outages in the Northeast and curtailed transportation are the serious hazard people should prepare for.
Could your family ride out a couple of weeks without electricity following a blizzard, ice storm, or major flood? Or leave on a moment’s notice if a fire or even lava flow threatens? (Think California and Hawaii) Taking simple steps in advance will make enduring days without power and out of your home a relatively comfortable time.
Winding Pathways encourages families to prepare for a big storm by assembling a kit containing easy to acquire and relatively inexpensive items like nonperishable food and water, and things most people never think about – like having a stash of cash on hand. Remember, credit and debit cards don’t work without electricity. A backup heat source that doesn’t require electricity keeps pipes and people from freezing should a power failure knock out the furnace.
This is the time to get ready for that weather emergency. For details check the Winding Pathways Blog on Preparedness . It includes detailed tips for disaster preparation.
