Today, we are going to talk about the modifications I’ve done to my Ka-Bar Survival Knife.
I actually have added a survival kit to my Ka-Bar Survival Knife sheath because I think it is a good idea to have a redundant kit to my main survival kit.
Just in case I’m separated from or I can’t use my main survival kit for whatever reason, I still have the survival kit or my Ka-Bar Survival Knife sheath to help me survive and live a little longer until help comes or get out of the trouble the bad situation I find myself in. Everyday Carry EDC Knives
Survival Kit for the Ka-Bar Survival Knife
Here is what I carry and the set-up.
I have a big piece of a bicycle inner tube, some (like myself) call it a Ranger Band.
And I use it to wrap around the items that go on the sheath itself.
The items I carry in my survival kit I try to cover those five aspects regarding survival which are shelter, fire, water, food, signaling and navigation.
Actually, some people might consider it six aspects because signaling being one aspect and navigation being another aspect.
But I can pretty much add the two of them in the same category.
That would make no difference to me as long as you have a way to do some signaling, to signal for help and to navigate.
First is shelter, I have three meters of nylon cordage, a nylon cord.
And I have another two and a half meters of paracord.
So that gives me a little more than five meters of cordage which I can use to help me make a shelter or for any other types of survival activities or tasks which require cordage.
And we have to remember that cordage is one of the most difficult items for you to make, for you to reproduce out there in the wilderness in case you find yourself in the need of having this type of material and you don’t have.
Anything work that needs for cordage, you’ll see how precious these things are and how difficult they are to be reproduced.
Anyway, apart from these five meters of cordage here I don’t have anything else on this kit here to help with the shelter thing.
For fire, I carry a Magnesium Fire Starter which has a flint on the side.
Which is a type of fire starter material.
And then can use it to make fire very easily and very effectively.
I really like this magnesium bar and the flint.
Sometimes I don’t even have to use magnesium. I don’t have to scrape the magnesium.
Just making a sparks with the flint would be enough to light a fire.
In case you have a good tinder like the one I prefer (and in my opinion is one of the most critical survival items) is a tampon.
And the reason I pack one in my survival kit is because that gives me a big amount of tinder in a very little volume because it comes wrapped in plastic which also helps to prevent water from soaking into the tinder in case it rains.
It will catch fire very easily.
And I think it’s a very good idea for you to carry some type of artificial tinder to help start a fire.
I can always use a piece of the inner tube as tinder.
I can cut off the inner rubber tube in case things are too damp, too much moisture on the ground.
It’s a good idea to use some piece of burning rubber to keep fire burning longer and to help dry out the material you’re using.
If you were out there in the boonies during that period, you really want to have a good way to help you start up fire.
Water
I always have in my possession a LifeStraw Personal Water Filter.
This way, no matter what, I will be able to have safe drinking water.
It’s essential.
Food
For food, I have 10 meters of fishing line wrapped on a piece of leather.
And it’s also wrapped with tape, so the fishing line is not going anywhere.
It’s all packed in a little plastic bag, I have hooks, fishing weight, lead weight.
I have some safety pins, and I have needles.
If I have to repair my equipment, I can use this nylon thread for fishing too.
And of course I carry my P-38 John Wayne Can Opener I’ve had and carried since Boot Camp.
GI P-38 Can Opener (5-pack).
So I think those are multi-use items which I like to carry.
Navigation
Well, for navigation, I have a liquid-filled compass which I know it ain’t very precise in terms of giving you a very precise direction.
But it will tell you where north is in case you can’t see the stars, you can’t see the sun.
That should be enough to help give you a general direction, where you’re going to.
For signaling. I have a mirror, which is an aluminum case.
So it is very good for signaling.
But it will reflect sunlight.
Ka-Bar Survival Knife
Ka-Bar Survival Knife
And I’ll tell you something about the Ka-Bar Survival Knife (Check Prices Here)e.
It has a big blade, It’s good for batoning, for chopping through large chunks of wood.
But for smaller camp tasks, it isn’t very good, because it doesn’t give you much control of what you’re doing.
So what I did is, I took a small 3-4 inch piece of a broken hack saw blade and I had the spine (non-serrated side) sharpened.
Then I wrapped some duct tape on it so I can use little handle.
And this little blade here gives me a smaller tool to use in case I have to perform some smaller camp tasks like maybe skinning game or fish.
I can use the serrations on the spine of the little blade to cut little notches.
And it’s a good idea to have a smaller blade in case you have to perform some more precise cutting tasks.
It’s a way better than a bigger blade which doesn’t give you much control of those smaller tasks.
And it is very easy to be sharpened too, it is carbon steel.
Not to mention, I can use this blade to throw sparks on my flint or on my magnesium bar.
So I carry this blade in this little sheath.
I made it using plastic I cut from a soda bottle, wrapped it with duct tape.
That’s it, these are all the items I carry in my survival kit for my Ka-Bar Survival Knife.
I love the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife! For me this is the standard by which I measure, compare and judge all other knifes.
The KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife has proven itself in survival situations, combat situations, work and utility situations.
It’s a great knife, an incredible knife.
There are knives out there that are specially designed for a specific task/use and niche and will outperform the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife for that narrow usage.
The KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife (Check prices here) is does everything well but is not the master of anything.
I try to avoid any knife that is not equal or on-par with the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife because I considered the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife the standard.
I think it’s a great survival knife especially in this price point, it’s a proven knife.
It’s hard to beat the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife at this price point, it is an exceptional value for a survival knife.
Ka-Bar Survival Knife
I want to say that the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife is a great knife and its point break and for its intended use.
However, as a Prepper or a Survivalist, there may be knives that are just as good or possibly even better.
Now, as a personal judgment as to your specific use of the knife, for example, there’s a Becker BK2 and I believe KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife now currently makes it.
So maybe for some, if you want to pry things and really abuse your knife, this maybe a better choice than a KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife.
KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife Is not just for Fighting
Now, just for a fighting knife, if you are just going to fight with the knife, I would choose the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife.
The Ka-Bar is more streamlined, easier to wheel, has a little bit longer blade for penetration.
So see, you got to understand the purpose.
What’s the use of knife?
What’s the intended purpose and use?
That’s critical.
Now, I did compare it to another knife, the Cold Steel Recon Scout. Some people are calling it a Trail Master.
It’s similar to the Ka-Bar, so there’s a full whole grind and it’s a little longer, a little different than a KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife.
That’s why I like this Cold Steel because it is thick.
It has about the same durability, somewhere durability of the Becker BK2 and it doesn’t mean that – the Ka-Bar is also very durable knife.
It’s proven. But this is a little thicker and it’s a little longer so it’s a combination of durability and fighting ability.
And that’s why I choose the cold steel knife because preppers and survivalists have different needs.
Now, none of these knives maybe as good as some bush crafting knife if you’re just going to be a survivalist and do skinning and a little – and things of that nature.
If you’re not going to use it for combat and you’re just in a survival thing, but there may be better choices.
I’m not saying these are the best of the best.
But these are quality, quality knives.
Now, here is another knife that is really a good quality.
It is a Randall Design Ontario.
This is not the RAT.
This is the TAK.
And this particular knife is a great knife.
This is for a specific purpose because I wanted a small, every day carry knife that I could stick easily into my expedition or bug out bag because it was easier to carry on a day basis.
It’s durable, and it’s smaller, shorter than any of these knives, it’s even a shorter blade than the Becker BK2 and perhaps not as durable.
I don’t think.
Or it’s not quite as thick but this is a D2 steel.
Now, if I was going to bug out in my bug out bag, I would prefer this knife.
And I didn’t have this, the Becker BK2 would work, the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife would work.
All these knives are great, phenomenal knives and they fit the needs of a prepper.
And I’m talking about for prepping because here is a scenario, as a prepper, you are not in a survival situation that may last until you’re rescued.
You’re in a survival situation that may last the rest of your life.
You may be driven off your retreat.
You may be bugging out.
You may – if you have an inferior knife and it breaks, what are you going to do?
Which is a modern update on what is an absolute classic knife.
I bought this particular version because I felt it would be useful and suitable for me if I did decide to carry it out in the bush.
So we will just have a quick talk about what this particular knife has different to the original.
The original of course had the stacked leather washer handle.
This has a modern material in it which is called Kraton G and again this is foliage green.
So they’re very nicely finished up.
It has got grooves and it has got a slight texture into it and just a little bit of softness to it and very, very grippy handle, very nice feeling handle in hand.
But basically the design is by and large as it used to be.
It has got a false edge up on the top.
It’s flat ground and of course you can see it has got these blade grooves in it.
Stamp is on the side, made in the USA.
On the other side you can see, “KA-BAR, Olean, New York”.
So this is an absolutely classic American knife.
Any serious knife collector has probably already got KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife.
If you don’t, go ahead and get yourself one.
The steel on the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife is 1095 Cro-Van.
So it makes it again a good wilderness type steel.
Good tool steel that will hold up to a bit of abuse and on YouTube, you would see plenty of guys who have successfully used this knife in the outdoors splitting logs and pretty much any other task you can think of.
KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife Versatility
You could use it for hunting, camping, hiking, obviously military use.
I believe there are still people who carry this every day.
This is their KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife and probably also a service or survival knife quite adequately.
There are better options of course but this would certainly do the job for you.
Particularly the sheath that comes with this version and again it’s color-matched.
I should mention there are other colors available, black handle, black sheath.
There’s also a desert version which is kind of a sand color obviously to suit the current feat of military operations and the sheath is excellent, really excellent.
It’s made up of fiberglass-reinforced nylon.
They are riveted and molded.
The KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife will fit an ambidextrous, going right or for you left handers like me, left-handed, it goes in lefty style.
The sheath has four rivets, nice and solid and grooved.
You could use some para cord for those grooves if you wanted to secure it to your leg or pack.
And little drain hole down at the bottom to let water out of the sheath.
What I’m really impressed, if you have a look at the profile that the sheath has narrowed, that is really brilliant.
This rides incredibly well on your side.
It’s just a perfect sheath for this knife actually.
So the KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife and sheath combined, 14.7 ounces or 420 grams which considering you’re talking about a full seven-inch knife.
I think that’s more than reasonable. Balance on the knife is really good.
Now the balance point is just around guard so it’s basically a perfect balance and you can imagine.
Not that I’m any sort of knife fighter but it’s going to be a very quick knife in that sort of application.
Ka-Bar Knife quality
The quality of the knife, actually I’ve got to say I was very surprised at just how good quality this is.
The fit and finish is excellent.
The blade finish is a very fine black finish, very even.
Joined down the bottom towards the guard, it’s all really nicely finished off.
Interestingly enough this is, as I said, a modern update of a classic but I do like the fact that it still holds skill in its manufacturing.
You can see just through the back of the pommel, that’s where your tang comes through and that’s actually attached with a pin.
This pin runs through and attaches to the handle and that’s right from day one back in World War II.
So I really like that.
This is a combination of great old skill way of building something and craftsmanship and some modern materials.
So a perfect knife for me.
I love the color.
I think the foliage green just looks sensational and it certainly suits any environment.
So in conclusion, this KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife is very high quality.
The value on these is absolutely outstanding, incredible the price you can pick these things up for and an outstanding value for what you’re getting.
Really great collectible.
KA-BAR Fighting Survival Knife is a must-have for any serious knife collector to have at least one of these things.
There’s, as I mentioned, various versions.
Maybe you want to get yourself one of these and actually use it for work.
You might buy a commemorative version to have in your collection and have on display.
There are so many reviews on the Becker BK7 Knife.
There is a reason for that.
It’s a great knife.
Specs for Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Knife
It’s high carbon steel, 1095 Cro-Van, and Rockwell Hardness 56-58.
Even better: It’s made in the USA.
It’s a quality 7-inch blade with a saber or flat grind, not a full flat which I found does a great job splitting wood, that type of grind.
Full flats are also good.
But I almost prefer saber grinds if I’m having to split a bunch of wood.
The BK7 weighs 12 ounces and is 13 inches overall.
It’s a beefy, hefty blade.
Ka-Bar Becker BK7 knife
Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Knife Review Field Test
But as we found out in our field testing, for the price point, you really can’t beat it.
One of the things you might have to do with this Becker BK7 Knife is do some chopping.
It may not be ideal for chopping as a hatchet or a larger RTAK II, SP50 by Ontario or the Ka-Bar Becker BK9 Knife (Check prices here) might chop a little bit better.
The handle design works well. I can get my two fingers, my thumb around very secure grip.
And I can really get that good swing motion, I really like that.
A lot of bigger knives don’t have this little cap on the base of the handle and the knife tends to slip out of your hand and it just takes more time.
You’re constantly fumbling with it, trying to get a good handle on it, it’s not sliding out.
This is a good survival weight and size.
This is something you can carry on you.
I’m not going for a day hike with an Ontario Knife RTAK-II(Check Prices Here) on.
It’s just not going to happen.
Whereas a Becker BK7 Knife, I could definitely carry this in my pack around my leg.
You may have the biggest, awesomeness, heaviest knife in the world but if you’re not hiking with it, you’re not going to have it when you need it.
So the Becker BK7 Knife has the weight it needs to do the job but not too heavy.
Batoning with Becker BK Knife
The Becker BK7 Knife does a fine job batoning.
It has a got a 7-inch blade with a 3/16th inch spine.
It’s going to do a great job when it comes to splitting and chopping wood.
That 7- inch is going to give it a lot of room to be able to expand wood, without much effort and get some kindling for the fire. Check Prices Here for the Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Combat Utility Fixed Blade Knife (7-Inch)
The only downside with this knife when it comes to batoning is the unsharpened wedge.
It really chews up your stick.
Smaller pieces of wood, they’re going to break really quick because it’s so thin and that’s where a drop point design is a little bit better but they are selling this to you as combat utility knife.
So their unsharpened swedge can kind of hurt you sometimes with batoning.
But other than that, it’s a great splitter. It’s going to split all these wood amazingly well.
BK7 Knife Detail work
What’s cool about this knife for the most part is that you can do detail work with it.
With some big knives, it’s difficult to do detail work.
But if I choke up on the handle and blade a little to do some feather sticks to get this fire going, we’re just doing some carving and whittling.
It does a good job.
It’s going to bite in well.
And you’re going to get some of that feathering stuff with a big knife which is nice because again like I said, some of those bigger knives, it’s just difficult to do.
It’s not very comfortable, all those different things.
If you got a big blade, it just makes it hard to use for this kind of more detail work.
Becker BK7 Knife negatives
There is one hang-up I have with the Becker BK7 Knife.
It’s a great knife overall, and you can’t go wrong with it for the price point.
There is big amount of movement on the thumb ramp when I’m doing my more detailed work.
It’s called a utility/combat Becker BK7 Knife so they are saying that you can use this in combat situation.
I probably never would.
I probably would have a smaller, lighter, faster knife.
The thumb ramp does not help me with this detail stuff and actually begins to cramp my thumb.
My thumb is not comfortable and my joint gets sore relatively quickly.
You can hold it without your thumb on the thumb ramp, and then that takes away that pain and you can do your detail work.
Other Survival knives to consider
So while it’s not a dealbreaker, I would prefer something much more along the design of the Becker BK14 Knife.
It’s flat for the thumb ramp, so then I can get my thumb where I need to and it’s more comfortable whereas with the Becker BK7 Knife, you got that thumb ramp with the jimping.
I can only do very minimal amount of stuff like this and then it’s going to start to cramp my hand.
I just don’t prefer cutting wood like this.
For detail work though, the Becker BK7 Knife does a good job.
Becker BK7 Knife overall is going to be a great 7-inch survival knife for you.
You get a very good quality sheath.
It’s going to last a very long time.
You get the 7-inch blade, made in the USA with a good warranty, 1095 steel.
It’s going to baton well and you can do your detail work.
You can do your chopping.
You can do a lot of things with this Becker BK7 Knife.
Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Knife Review
With that being said, there are some other knives on the market that I would prefer.
It protects your guns and also portrays you as a responsible gun owner.
One of the main reasons for owning a gun safe is to keep children safe from accessing your firearms.
Children are curious by nature and properly securing them in a gun safe is the responsible action to take.
Moreover, there are many states that require gun owners to keep their firearms safely secured.
This is merely to keep the children safe from gaining access to them.
You also save quite a lot of money if you own a gun safe (Check Prices Here.
Most homeowner’s insurance gives you a discount if you protect your guns against theft and fire.
To Show That You Are Responsible With Guns – Gun Safe
There are many anti-gun groups that are constantly trying to portray gun owners as irresponsible.
This is mainly done to stop people from purchasing guns.
However, owning a gun is your right as a citizen of the USA.
But it is also your responsibility to abide by the laws of the state and make properly secure your guns and one effective way is via a gun safe.
This is why it is best to get a gun safe.
Keeping a gun safe will show that you are a responsible gun owner.
It portrays that you are fully aware of the severity of gun related accidents and are doing your part to prevent them.
Owning a gun safe will also give you piece of mind but also reliable access when you need it.
To Prevent Access to Children
When you have guns at home, there is always a danger that your children, or children visiting your home, may gain access to them.
Children are not aware of how a gun has to be handled and should be kept out of the reach of children without proper supervision.
Or an unfortunate accident could take place and end up hurting others or themselves.
Most individuals make it a point to lock their guns in a cabinet or cupboard, but that is quite frankly unreliable and easily accessed by children.
A gun safe is meant to secure the firearm and only you will be able to access it.
Gunvault Deluxe Gun Safe
To Keep Your Guns Safe
Most gun owners have a valuable gun collection.
While some guns may be brand-new and easily replaceable, others have sentimental value or are vintage or classic.
Such guns are difficult or impossible to replace.
Thieves often look for such guns and why it is essential that you keep your guns safe.
There are certain gun owners who have special guns.
These guns may be heavily modified or customized made to order.
In most circumstance, modified and highly customized firearms are not usually covered by homeowners’ or Homestead insurance.
If such guns are stolen, the owner would only be covered for the actual cost of the gun, if at all.
The hundreds of dollars spent on modification and customization would not be covered.
Discounted Insurance Rates
Homeowners’ and Homesteaders insurance covers each and every item that is in your home including your guns.
But there is a coverage limit up to which the value of guns is covered.
If you own more guns than the coverage limit, you will not be covered for it.
On the other hand, if you want to get extra coverage, you will have to secure a Rider and possibly pay a hefty sum.
However, if you get a gun safe, you can get a significant discount on the insurance rates.
This will not only keep your guns safe, but it could save you money as well.
What to Look For When Buying a Gun Safe
Buying the right safe for your situation is essential.
There are many things to consider when buying a safe, including your budget, quality of the safe and where you will be using the safe.
An important factor to consider is the build quality of the safe.
If it is not a quality constructed safe, it will not be the secure solution you are seeking and money could be wasted.
Lastly, you should consider the type of guns you own.
Build Quality of Gun Safe
The build quality of a gun safe is one of most important thing to consider.
Most standard safes come in 12-gauge steel.
This steel is quite strong, but it can easily be tackled with an axe or a crowbar.
Moreover, it is not quite heavy.
A couple of thieves can easily carry it out of your home and then open it elsewhere.
A 10-gauge steel safe, on the other hand, is a whole different story.
You should also inspect the fit of the door and seems to be sure it doesn’t allow for easy prying and can’t be opened without a plasma cutter or grinder.
The heavier the steel gauge, the more expensive the safe is.
Suitable Budget for Gun Safe
Determining the budget for a gun safe is a personal factor.
There are times when you absolutely need a topnotch gun safe.
There are gun owners who do not require, or can afford, extra protection or features.
A standard gun safe without all the bells and whistles can meet their needs.
If you have an expensive gun collection, then a top of the line gun safe is the best option.
We highly recommend that you purchase the best quality gun safe you can afford and fits within your budget.
It all comes down to your personal preference.
If you have money to spare, then you should get the best quality gun safe you can afford.
Determine Where You Will be locating the Gun Safe
There is no point in buying a gun safe that you can’t get into the location your home where you want it.
The first and foremost thing you should do is determine where you want to place the gun safe.
The best place is a location that it remains out of view of visitors, thieves and burglars.
Options might be a basement, closet or a room with no outside view and that you can control access.
Take measurements of the area where you want to place the gun safe.
But the most critical factor is weight!
Most gun safes are heavy, bulky and usually come assembled.
Positioning your gun safe will/could impose significant challenges.
Pre-planning properly will help ensure that the gun safe you purchase is a perfect fit for your home.
Type of Guns You Own
You should also take into consideration the type of guns you own.
Most big gun safes advertise a lot of space.
In reality, those safes can only store half of the guns properly.
Yes, I’ve seen the picture of the interior of safes with the guns neatly and properly placed and it’s a perfect fit.
But, not all guns are the same size (barrel length, width and or course stock sizes can vary).
You might be able to store the specified number of your guns, but it might be a challenge and the space will be extremely crammed.
So much so that you will not want to unload even a few of them to get at the particular gun you want…which will always be the one in the back.
There is no point in buying a large gun safe if you own handguns only.
I prefer (and own) a gun safe that has both long gun space and dedicated handgun storage and selves for miscellaneous gear and items.
Also, keep in mind that at some point you might want to expand your collection and will need additional room in your gun safe.
These are a few reasons why the type of guns you and what uses, should receive close consideration when determining the type of gun safe you want to buy.
I recommend (and I practice this myself) that it is better to purchase 2 or more gun safes of higher quality but of moderate size to accommodate efficiently my needs.
Attributes Of a Good Gun Safe
There are many attributes of a high quality gun safe.
You should consider each aspect of a gun safe properly.
Make sure you ask the manufacturer or dealer detailed questions regarding the operation and safety features of the safe.
Keep in mind that the door will be the most fortified part of the safe and the walls noticeably thinner.
A good quality safe will be constructed of 10 gauge steel with 5/16th solid steel plate door.
Do not overlook the fit (gap) of the door of the gun safe.
If a thief can get a pry bar in between they will be able to peel back the steel.
handgun safe Fort Knox
Heavy Gauge Steel
The best type of steel is a 10-gauge.
However, such safes are quite heavy and difficult to move.
But then again, these gun safes provide the best possible protection.
But you can also choose the 12-gauge steel option for average protection.
Number of Draw Bolts on a Safe
Gun Safe doors are locked into place by draw bolts.
Average safes have one or two draw bolts.
But good quality safes have multiple draw bolts, number of which will depend on the overall size of the safe.
One thing to keep in mind is that the more draw bolts a safe has, the more difficult it is to pry such a safe open.
Safe Fire Safety and Seal
Most safes are made of steel only. Such safes are not that fire resistant.
If fire resistant safes are an important feature, you should look for a safe that has concrete lining for fire protection, a fire seal and has a fire rating from the manufacturer.
The fire seal ensures that smoke and heat cannot get easily into the gun safe.
This keeps your guns and other items safer if there is a fire.
Locking Mechanism Options on a Gun Safe
Bear in mind that each and every safe can be cracked, burned, cut or pried open given enough time and the right tools.
Low-end safes can easily be opened with minimal effort.
However, good quality safes require a lot of time to be cracked.
The better the locking mechanism of your safe, the more difficult it will be for thieves to gain access.
The only difference is the time it takes.
You have four basic types of locking mechanisms: Biometric, Combination Dial, Keyed and Electronic Keypad
I’ve had the above types.
Key are definitely out, they are a pain to keep track of and you have to secure them to secure access to the gun safe.
I’m just not coordinated enough to open a traditional spin dial on the first try…usually takes 2 to 4 tries.
It’s also a slow process and it never fails that as soon as I spin the dial I need to get back in there to put something back or retrieve something…never fails!
Biometric has two quirks that I do not like; beeping noise if it doesn’t read your fingerprints correctly, and that sometimes it can take several minutes and tries for the reader to read your prints so you can gain access.
I highly HIGHLY recommend an electronic keypad regardless if it is a full size safe or a handgun safe for your nightstand, office or vehicle.
You can program it with an easy to remember number of your choosing and it is very efficient and fast to access the safe when you want.
Options for Bolting the Gun Safe to the Floor
Another option I strongly believe in but rarely implement, bolting the gun safe to the floor.
This will keep the safe from tipping over when you open the door.
In addition, it will keep thieves from caring off with the safe altogether.
Make sure the bolts are secured with an over sized washers and bolts, it will defeat the purpose if the bolts can be pulled out from the floor or the gun safe itself.
Type of Gun Safe to Purchase
If you have handguns, pistols, rifles and/or other items you want secured, you should consider purchasing a full size cabinet gun safe.
This will have sufficient room for your rifles on one side and shelves for your hand guns, bullets and such gun safes can even be used for storing important documents, jewelry and other valuables.
Now, I want to be really clear about Gun Safe…I think a good full-size gun safe is an important but having an easily accessible gun safe for your pistol is critical.
“How do I store my gun at home securely using a Gun Safe?”
How do I secure that?
Well, there are a couple of things that I want to stress to you.
First of all, this is not something that you would put the gun in at home.
I’m going to recommend that you carry the gun on your person at home.
That way you have it for immediate access if something happens at the door or get surprised in the backyard, on your own property.
So this is not an excuse not to carry your gun.
The first style is a tumbler style combination lock.
Here is an example which I recommend if you go this route: GunVault NV300 NanoVault with Combination Lock (Chcek Prices Here).
And all you have to do is remember what you set your code at, really just straightforward just like a luggage or a small lock box.
The second style has a key with it.
I recommend, having had both of them, use the tumbler style.
The reason is once you secure your gun in here, you may be separated from that key, they maybe in your pants’ pockets, on the floor of your bedroom, maybe somewhere in your hotel room, you may have left it in the car.
You may have put it in a briefcase.
It could be in a number of places.
There’s no way that you can misplace this combination.
So simply put – all you do is you set your combination, factory default is usually 000.
Once you got this set, you simply open it up.
This will secure a relatively full-sized hand gun, most of your Glock, your 1911’s, all fit in here.
Here is a key lock gun safe we’d recommend if you choose to go this route: GunVault NV200 NanoVault with Key Lock, Fits Full Size 1911 Style Pistols.
When I was traveling a lot, what I would do is put my gun and a couple of empty magazines, maybe a pocket knife, a cigar cutter or whatever I had that TSA really didn’t care for, and lock it up and put it inside my check bag, didn’t take up a lot of room and I could have my kit ready to go.
Oftentimes I’d put the gun in the holster in there as well so when I got to the airport, got my check bag,
I can load up and I was ready to go get my rental car.
This is the minimum level security.
Now, let me just talk about a couple of things I don’t like.
First let me talk about the little slot that you can put a cable through, loop the cable back around, has a little crimp on it.
This prevents it from just being simply grabbed.
You can put it around the bed in a hotel room, a piece of furniture; put it around the car seat, anything that would be closed loop.
It’s not going to be permanent.
It’s not going to prevent it from someone with tools but it will prevent a casual grab of the box.
A couple of detracting things I don’t like.
The mechanism on the top, can be kind of moved around and it wears down as you access the box.
And this is just what you just got to expect that you’re going to have to be careful with.
There are better solutions out there but I like it just as a first line of defense and also for travel, it works really well.
And I would call this in a low threat environment and really it’s a tamper-resistant device that meets the requirements of storing the gun.
biometric gun safe
The second safe, is what I consider to be an electronic, biometric gun safe, meaning, I entered the combination with my fingers.
Some of them have fingerprint scanners that you can program for different things.
It also has a key override on it as well.
This safe in theory is really great because at night you can walk up and simply feel the buttons and this one I’ve set a really simple combination.
But if you don’t enter the code right, it’s going to start beeping.
If I need to access my gun in the middle of night because I think someone is in my home it’s going to be making a lot of beeping noise, this safe may not be the best choice.
And the reason I say this is it’s going to alert anyone who can hear in a silent house that I’m doing something, that I’m awake, that it’s going on.
Biometric gun safes to consider:
Sentry Safe Biometric Quick Access Pistol Safe
BARSKA Biometric Safe
Viking Security Biometric Safe
When the safe opens, it kind of opens vigorously but not all the way.
And in this safe, you can have a little problem when you try to get a full-sized gun out of safe because you really can’t access the gun firmly and get the gun out.
The problem is with this safe, I don’t like because it makes a lot of noise.
It’s not particularly small, but yet I still can’t put my hand in and access a full-sized hand gun.
It always beeps.
Enter too many times, this thing perpetually beeps until you pull the battery pack out of it.
I’m not a big fan of this safe.
I’m not a big fan of the biometric gun safes.
These things lock up and it could be difficult to get into.
Premier personal gun safes
Gunvault SpeedVault SVB500 gun safe
Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault Pistol Gun Safe
Gun Safe Fort Knox
The one I like that woks for me is made by Fort Knox, made in the USA, Fort Knox FTK-PN Personal Pistol Box Handgun Safe.
It has a combination lock that you push buttons on. But NO BEEPS.
You turn this latch, it’s on hydraulics.
It opens up for you.
And then you can access your gun.
What I like about this safe is I can literally put a full size weapon gun in and access it.
Couple of things I like about this safe from Fort Knox, first of all, I can just simply close this safe and if I don’t turn the tumblers, it’s still open even though it’s closed.
So, if I’m a situation where I don’t have small children or things like people that I don’t know come into the bedroom I simply turn this latch and now my gun is secure.
handgun safe Fort Knox
The other thing is this is significantly heavier than either one of these two.
So, in a safe, I don’t want the safe moving around as I try to access it.
All of these can be secured but this one I like because it has some significant weight to it.
The next thing is if I was going to attack a safe, most people will tell you that you’re going through the corners.
You put a pry bar in here.
You pry it down.
You’d break the safe open.
Rather than just going at it from, straight from the metal, you always go to the opening.
What I like about this safe is that we have overlapping corners.
We have overlapping corners on the inside.
So you can’t just get a crowbar in there and get leverage on it.
What you’re going to do is start bending the heavy outside metal.
The other thing that I like is it comes with two layers of foam in the safe.
With two layers of foam, I can set it up so that I can put any gun at the top of it or I could put a gun and a holster and extra magazine.
What I oftentimes do is take my daily carry rig which it will be a flashlight, it could be an extra magazine.
I can place all of them in there as well.
When I get ready to leave in the morning, all my gear is ready to go.
I think if you’re going to have a home safe, this is the one to invest in.
Let me just review for you real quick why I like this.
One, it gives me the option of closing it without locking it.
It gives me the second option of once I try to access the safe, I don’t have any noise going on.
It’s heavy but yet it’s hydraulically-assisted on the opening so I’m not going to fumble with it and I can access the gun with a full firing grip when I get into the safe.
This I think is the way to go if you can afford it.
This safe is around about $200 but it’s the only one you’ll ever have to buy.
It also makes a good alternative if you can’t afford a full upright safe.
This is a great alternative.
Even to store a couple of handguns in, one underneath the lower foam, put your daily carry gun here.
You can secure those.
Here are two other handgun safes I’m might purchase for another part of my home and business:
Gunvault Deluxe Gun Safe
Gunvault GV1000D Mini Vault Deluxe Gun Safe
Gunvault GV2000S Multi Vault Standard Gun Safe
Vehicle Gun Safe Comparison
“How do I store my gun in my vehicle securely using Gun Safe?”
Here to review personal Gun Vaults or Gun Safe for your vehicle.
It’s a gun box put under your seat.
It doesn’t provide full gun safe security but if you need to stop at a parking lot, you can at least know that’s going to slow people down.
So this is the one that I’ve had for a few years.
This is called the GunVault NV300 NanoVault with Combination Lock by GunVault and it’s a real solid piece of material.
It probably weighs five pounds.
It got a little padding in it.
It holds a full size 1911 and the way it works – it’s obviously the most simple thing you can get too.
The way it works is you would take the cable and run it around the base of your seat bracket.
And the run the cable through the cable notch.
You could either leave it like that or you can wrap it around the lock catch and it provides a way for you to be able to pull the thing out from under the seat, put the gun in it, lock it and go on your way.
It takes about 10 seconds to do.
Another great option is called the Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault Gun Safe.
Right off the bat, it’s not quite as heavy which is a little strange.
It’s a little bit taller.
So theoretically actually it will hold more at that point.
The locking mechanism is different so instead of being hinged, you actually slide it out.
So based on the size of it, I’m going to say it might be a tight fit for a full sized 1911. I
t may. It will definitely hold a compact which is what my daily carry is.
The way this one works is you put the cable obviously around the seat the same way as the other one and put the end in and when you lock it, it latches onto the cable.
So now you cannot it slide out because the base of the cable is in the way.
So personally, that is kind of annoying to me.
I’ve got to pull the cable out and that’s attached to my car.
But now the cable is detached and I’ve got to go fishing for it.
This box is actually a little bit lighter.
I think the material is about the same but it doesn’t feel quite as solid as the other one.
So pretty much that’s all I can say about them.
They both work.
They’re both about in the same price range.
I bought these both on Amazon and so I hope this has been helpful.
I know there’s not much to it but that’s pretty much it.
Here is other Car Gun Safe if you have the room I HIGHLY recommend the Gunvault SpeedVault SVB500 gun safe:
You can apply for a Modern homesteaders life insurance, but it would be better to first do some research regarding what your insurance will be covering.
Lets first talk about what living off the grid is all about.
The meaning of living off the grid is misinterpreted by many as a life full of hardships or a life wasted on substance abuse.
This is not at all what living off the grid means; in fact it is quite the opposite.
Living off the grid does not involve cutting yourself off from the rest of the world and living a life of a caveman hunting for meat.
It does not mean that you will have to stop using modern appliances that make life easier for you.
All that it means is that through various techniques and technology you and your family can now create and sustain your sources of energy using nature’s power.
Just like anybody else, you will still be a citizen of the United States entitled to your rights to claim a homesteader’s life insurance.
Living of the grid may prove to be a wonderful experience in which you feel yourself in harmony with nature and cleaner environment all around you.
This is your chance to give something back to the environment that most of us so ruthlessly destroy every day.
Homesteaders Life Insurance
Modern Homesteaders Life Insurance
Applying for a homesteader’s life insurance can be a good idea if you want to ensure that your next of kin gets a substantial amount, tax free, in case of your death.
Living Off the Grid Defined
Homesteading and Living off the grid entails a cut-off from any sort of outside source of power in the form of electricity, water and sewage, gas and heating.
There are now a lot of ways you can be self-sufficient in all of the above mentioned energy sources.
There are many homeowners who live off the grid by providing their own source of electricity but depend on the public provision of water and sewage.
Many tend to develop their own water and sewage systems but depend on public electricity provisions.
The main purpose of living off the grid is to rid yourself of various utilities bills.
Many find it increasingly difficult to pay for their utilities bills and homesteader’s life insurance premiums every month.
Now you can eliminate extra costs so that you can focus on saving money for important things like your kid’s college tuition and your homesteader’s life insurance.
You can become self-sustained through harnessing nature’s power in the form of sunlight and powerful winds.
Residential Solar System
Through the installation of a good solar panel system you can easily store a lot of energy coming from the sun in the form of sunlight.
Through an intricate system the sunlight is stored in the panels is then broken down to provide alternative current which in turn will power your house for a longer period of time.
This way you may grow a bit more self conscious about saving energy and conserving energy, ultimately leading to a balanced way of life.
Another way you can become self reliant in harnessing energy is through wind.
You can get powerful winds turbines installed which are propelled by the force of the wind.
The power that the turbines create is then transformed in to energy and then electricity.
You can either install one or both of the systems in order to get more energy.
For example in winters when the sun does not shine for longer periods of time, your solar panels will catch sunlight as much as they can during the day.
Wind Energy For Your Home
And upon night fall when winds are generally blowing in the winter, your turbine system would allow you to store wind energy to be used for creating electricity.
You can even invest in producing 100% energy, this way you can store what you require and sell the rest of the energy to the power companies earning money.
This also ensures that the energy you have created in excess is not wasted.
You can even use that energy to pay off for your homesteader’s life insurance premiums by using the money you get by selling the energy to power companies.
If you are considering living off the grid you must also get backup generators and batteries which can store excess energy in case when you really need it.
There are times when the sun doesn’t shine for longer periods and in these situations your backup generators kick in using the excess energy to power your house.
homesteaders life insurance
Homesteader’s Life Insurance
In America there are many households which started to live off the grid, unplugging from the system and generating their own source of food and energy.
As they do this, various life and health insurance companies bring out different homesteader’s life insurance coverage options for such households.
To save the greatly depleting fossil fuels, many households are reverting to creating and consuming their own energy.
They recycle, reuse and make sure everything they do result in positive results for both the environment and themselves in the short and long run.
There are specific insurance companies which allow discounts for homesteader’s life insurance for individuals who are less dependent on public utilities and create their source of power.
Some give up to five percent concession on premiums if homeowners install solar panel systems and geothermal pumps to power their homes.
Living Off the Grid Does Not Mean that You Live Without Any Power
According to Cyril Greenya who is Donegal’s (insurers) chief underwriter; “If someone is living in a house with no heat and no water, that’s not somebody we would like to insure.
If they have wood fireplaces or coal stoves, that’s not something we want to insure.
Now you’re talking about a fire hazard.
But geothermal and solar are different. They’re safe.”
Some homesteader’s life insurance companies require that you install solar panels and geothermal pumps via a professional in order to get insured against any hazards.
Insurance companies discourage getting the job done by inexperienced individuals who risk destroying your house through improper insulation and installations which end up damaging entire systems.
There are many homesteader’s life insurance companies that do not give out homesteader’s life insurance coverage to households which are powered by wind, yet.
‘Going Green’ Insurance Coverage
Over the years there have been a lot of homesteader’s life insurance companies which have provided customers with substantial discounts for owning ‘Green’ homes which are environmentally friendly.
According to reports made on these insurance companies it was discovered that in 2009, 22 homesteader’s life insurance companies provided 39 services and products in order to promote the construction of buildings that are environmentally friendly.
These companies also promote the renovation of older buildings using environmentally friendly techniques.
Since the report came out it has been discovered that there are now even more companies providing homesteader’s life insurance for households ‘going green’.
Michael Barry, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute was recorded as stating;
“Alternative energy coverage is a niche business, but as more homes are being built that are so-called eco-friendly, and as more homeowners take an interest in them and as more builders build them, you will see more insurers cater to this audience.”
Many Insurance Companies Do Not Quote Lower for Off the Grid Homes
Unfortunately some of the most reputable insurance companies in the United States do not indulge offering lower quotes for homesteader’s life insurance for households living off the grid.
Je McCollum, a representative of State Farm was reported stating;
“We have no problem insuring homes that are off the grid, we’ve been around more than 80 years, so we were insuring homes that were off the grid before there was a grid.”
Do Not Get an Additional Coverage for modern Homesteader’s Life Insurance and Home Insurance
It is not necessary to get additional coverage for your solar panels and geothermal pumps since your general insurance policy covers all of this.
You will only have to make sure that your policy precisely defines the cost of replacing it would cover for repairs to your home.
Many speculate that with the rising popularity of homesteaders in the country, more insurance companies will start providing coverage for homeowners using alternative energy.
According to USA Today, it was reported that over 250,000 families now live off the grid in both urban and suburban areas.
Mentioned below are some of the benefits of Living of the Grid with modern Homesteaders Life Insurance:
Sustainability
You can grow your own food and energy to power up your house without any outside influence.
This will allow you to save hundreds of dollars in utilities bills which you can put to better use.
A sustained food supply means that you will be able to consume healthy and non-GMO based foods.
Plus you can even sell some of your fresh organic produce for twice the price.
‘Going Green’
Self sustainability will allow you to become more environmentally entwined and you will stop wasting resources and energy.
Turning off excess lights, turning off running water when shaving or brushing your teeth etc. are all things that you will need to do in order to save energy and the environment.
Utility Independence
The feeling you get when you do not have to pay for you utilities month after month and knowing that you can grow your own food and supply your energy is out of this world.
This free and independent feeling is a reward unlike any other in this day and age.
You will not have to depend on anybody.
Going Green Can Save Money
‘Going green’ might save you a considerable amount of money.
Living off the grid can be a bit expensive initially, but once you have installed your systems and recovered your investment in about 5 to 10 years, you will see how much money you can save living off the grid.
Plus you will not have to pay an increased amount of utilities and fossil fuels.
Some Considerations for Off the Grid Households
There are several advantages of living off the grid but it takes a bit of time and money to set up the entire process.
Here are some things to consider when deciding to go all green.
You are your own power company:
When you pay for your utility bills you are also agreeing to pay a percentage amount on salaries of all those who are employed by the power companies, the workers, the maintenance people etc.
When you are off the grid you will have to spend a lot time making sure that everything is in check along with setting the entire system up.
Regular Investment is required: In order to go entirely off the grid it is required that you invest a lot of money in backup generators for the house along with batteries that can store the energy that you produce.
Based on the qualities of the batteries you may have to buy a new one every 5 to 15 years.
Plus generators require gas and tools you will have to buy a lot of that daily in order to keep the generators running in case of a power outage.
All in all, it is better to apply for your homesteader’s life insurance policy when you go out to get an insurance coverage for your off-the-grid house.
Homesteading Increasingly Popular
Homesteading has become increasingly popular and if the trend continues like this there will be more homesteaders life insurance companies serving alternative energy-backed homes with more services and products.
If you are fed up of paying utility bills every month by working two to three jobs than it is better to switch to a more self-sufficient, satisfying and rewarding way of life.
A homesteader’s life insurance policies may be really flexible depending on the needs of the one who has applied for the policy.
The death benefit is subjected to a decrease or increase at anytime depending on the policy owner.
Plus you can even decrease and increase your insurance premium which is another benefit of having a homesteaders life insurance coverage.
First of all going green would mean that you no longer depend on the conventional systems that your government provides to you, for example gas, electricity, sewage, etc.
Secondly, you may end saving thousands of dollars by producing your own energy because you will be the one in charge of everything.
According to reports, when you pay a utility bill you are charged a percentage amount which goes directly to the faculty and maintenance people working for the energy company.
Applying for Homestead Insurance
Getting homestead insurance should also be on your top priority list but before you do that it would be a good idea if you do some fact-finding on your own with regards to what kind of coverage you will receive from your insurance company.
Living off the grid does not mean that you will have to live the rest of your lives sheltered in a cave with a fire as your only heat source and skins of cow or sheep as your clothes.
It does not mean that you will have to stop using technology that makes life easier.
In fact, living off the grid means using technology and techniques that modern science has discovered in order to adequately and sufficiently produce your own sources of energy.
It is entirely possible and easily doable.
You will be using the power of nature and putting it to good use, the power of sunlight, wind and rain can be harnessed and transformed into energy in various forms.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with going green and like any other US citizen you will also have the right to get homestead insurance to protect you against theft, vandalism and property damage.
Living off the grid and going green can be a really good experience and also gives you the chance of giving something back to the environment.
It will allow you to help preserve the environment and be in harmony with nature and its wonderful gifts.
Plus, you can even grow your own food in your backyard and start a business.
There are many people in the US who have successfully turned their gardens and backyards into harvesting grounds.
You can easily plant organic seeds and harvest organic vegetables which are non-GMO.
Homestead Insurance
Through your homestead insurance and strategic planning, you can then market your products at twice the market rate due to the freshness of your produce.
You can even buy a couple of hens for producing eggs.
Fresh eggs are healthy and full of nutrients as opposed to those which are kept for a long time before being shipped and transported to supermarkets.
You can sell fresh eggs to those who enjoy good food, free of chemicals and artificial enhancers, at twice the price or keep them for your own consumption.
You can even keep a couple of goats for milk.
Goat milk has been scientifically proven to be good for infants who have problems digesting processed milk.
You can either sell the milk or keep for self-consumption.
Homestead Insurance
Homestead Insurance and the Purpose of Going Green
Living off the grid requires you to cut off any outside sources of power like electricity, heating, sewage and water.
That being said, many households keep one source of energy for themselves and use other sources through normal means.
For example, you can produce your own electricity but use normal water and sewage services.
Many live on state electricity but have their own water and sewage facilities.
The main idea is to minimize your monthly expenditure in forms of utilities bills and other state bills.
Paying for your homestead insurance and utilities every month can be really frustrating.
Instead, if you provide your own energy you can use the money you save to pay homestead insurance premiums.
You can even sell excess energy to energy companies.
You can harness the power of nature through various methods and technology.
Solar Panels
You can purchase solar panels and install them on your rooftop or in your front lawn to provide adequate sunlight exposure.
The solar panels will absorb the heat and light from the sun and break it down, creating energy which will flow through an AC switch and generate electricity.
You can also become self-sufficient in providing electricity for your household by installing a wind turbine.
Winds blowing in your locality will move the turbine and create electricity through an intricate system.
You can either install both solar panels and wind turbines or one of them.
Solar panels are relatively more cost-effective.
You can also invest in becoming self-sufficient in all forms of energy.
You can even use the excess energy you create to pay for your homestead insurance premiums.
If you desire to live off the grid in the US or anywhere else, it is also important that you consider creating a separate budget for backup generators and batteries that can store energy in case you experience any difficulties in producing energy through the alternative sources.
Homestead Insurance
Due to the steady increase in households going off the grid in the US, producing their own food and energy, there are many insurance companies which now offer insurance coverage deals and packages.
To save fossil fuels from being depleted, many households reverted to recycling and creating their own energy.
Also, for insuring farm equipment.
There are few homestead insurance companies which provide discounts to people who are self-reliant in producing their own food and energy.
Some companies may also give up to 5% off on insurance premiums for households that have solar panels installed along with geothermal pumps.
Do not like to insure homeowners who live without heating and water systems.
They do not encourage insurance if such households depend on firewood and coal for heating and cooking because that is potentially dangerous and a mishap just waiting to happen.
But they are willing to insure people who at least have proper solar panels and geothermal pumps installed to become self-sufficient.
Secondly, insurance companies do not cover improper installation.
It is required that you get your solar panels and geothermal pumps installed at par with the company’s standard and you will have to hire an experienced professional for the job.
Also, many insurance companies do not insure wind powered households.
Insurance companies over the years have provided their clients discounts for setting up environmentally friendly houses.
According to reports, there are some insurance companies which have provided a number of different products and services to households that are going green.
Many homestead insurance companies encourage environmentally friendly households and opt to invest in the renovation of old buildings using techniques which promote environmental safety.
Michael Barry, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute, was recorded stating “Alternative energy coverage is a niche business, but as more homes are being built that are so-called eco-friendly, and as more homeowners take an interest in them and as more builders build them, you will see more insurers cater to this audience.”
How to get Proper Homestead Insurance
When you decide to apply for an insurance policy, you do not get any sort of additional coverage for geothermal pumps and solar panels and your umbrella policies will cover all of this.
You must determine whether or not your insurance policy covers the cost of replacing and renovating your home in case of any hazardous event.
According to research, many analysts argue that due to a considerable increase in the number of environmentally friendly homes, insurance companies would have to draft insurance policies for such households.
Over 250,000 households live off the grid in the US. Here are some advantages of having homestead insurance:
Sustainability
Growing your own food gives you the advantage of eating healthy and you can avoid having to eat GMO food products as well as processed foods.
Plus, you can even sell your produce for a reasonable amount of money.
Generating your own power allows you to save money because you will not have to pay utility bills.
Saving the Environment
Self-sustainability will let you be in harmony with nature and will allow you to become more self-aware.
You will end up saving a lot of energy by making it a habit to turn off lights when not in use, saving water as much as you can, etc.
This way you will be giving back something to the environment instead of destroying it.
Insurance against Damage
Your homestead insurance coverage will allow you to claim damages for any issues with your solar panels or geothermal pumps and your household tools.
No Frustration, No Stress
By producing your own power and becoming totally self–sufficient, you will not have to pay hundreds of dollars in utilities each month.
What you earn you keep.
However, it is imperative that you take good care of your equipment.
Plus, you will not have to depend on anybody.
Long Term Investment
Living off the grid can save you tons of money but you will have to invest some of it to set everything up including your homestead insurance.
Initially, the cost will be high, the equipment and machinery is expensive and the time it will take you to recover what you have invested in the ‘going green’ process will take about 5 to 10 years to recover and after you have recovered your investment, you will save a lot of money.
Plus, you will not have to pay any tax at all on your utility bills.
Things to Consider When Living Off the Grid
There are pros and cons of everything but for living off the grid the only con is cost.
Though everything good takes a bit of cash and time to pan out, you might have to considerably invest in this way of life.
But rest assured, once you have recovered what you have invested you will not have to worry about anything else apart from maintenance.
You Own Your Own Power Supply living off the grid
Ever noticed that there is a small percentage of money charged in your utilities bills apart from the actual charges.
Well, that percentage charged is for the salaries of all the people working under maintenance of the power company.
You are paying for their salaries.
Going off the grid would allow you to save this money but you will have to invest your efforts and your time in making sure that everything is working according to plan
Investment
If you plan on going off the grid permanently and have made the necessary arrangements, then you will have to not only invest in the technology but also a backup generator and some batteries.
The excess energy produced can be conserved, even supplied back to the grid.
You will require a battery to save this energy.
The batteries are a bit pricey and need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years, based on its quality.
Never compromise on the security of your house so before you do anything else it is better to first get homestead insurance so that you are protected against theft and wrongful products.
These days, homesteading has become a way of life and people are becoming more aware of what is harmful for them and what is not despite what is being shown on the media.
People have become aware of the destruction heavy industrialization is causing to the environment.
That is why nowadays most people grow their own food and vegetables.
Homestead insurance policies can be really ideal and flexible depending on the company you are getting the policy from.
It is perfect if you want to escape the daily stress and frustrations of life.
Paying utilities bills every month can be a really frustrating task.
Water, gas, phone and power bills all haunt you each month when you go out to the morning paper and hesitantly check the mailbox.
For some people paying bills can be an extremely hard task, especially when they are working 2 or 3 jobs.
A considerable portion of your wages goes directly into paying the bills.
But what if you can cut back on some of the things, what if there was a way of completely living off the grid?
Well, fortunately for you, there are indeed a number of ways to escape the pressure of paying your monthly bills.
One of the first steps we recommend is to be completely at peace with this journey and dream you are embarking.
Click here for available resources we think is a good idea for all.
Living Off the Grid
Living off the grid is becoming quite popular these days and people are opting for a life free of financial constraints and are instead choosing to live independently.
And by independently it means to permanently or at least try not to depend entirely on natural resources.
The Electrical Grid
The grid refers to a linked system of electrical power units (those large wired poles you see on your drive back home) that deliver power in the form of electricity and telephone lines to households and corporations all over the country.
There is a separate grid system for water and natural gas.
Living off the grid requires shutting down all these power utilities which keep the light, gas and water going in your house.
Don’t worry, you won’t have to live like a caveman; there are ways that you can create your own utilities.
Different ways to live off the grid
Many homeowners choose to get their power grid off for electricity and develop a way produce their own power.
This way, they can live off the city’s water and sewerage system.
On the other hand, many homeowners tend to cut off their water supply and dig wells to be self-sufficient as far as water is concerned.
They take care of the sewage by getting septic tanks installed and voila, no water and sewerage bills ever!
In the US, there are quite a lot of people who are living off the grid and becoming self-reliant on some form of fossil fuels or the other.
It is still difficult to accurately measure how many people are doing it.
However, in 2006, Home Power magazine published an article which showed that there are over 180,000 homeowners who have successfully become independent and produce the electricity they need.
They have also cut off the other utilities.
Another report published by USA Today showed that there are over 27,000 households which have become self sustained using solar and wind energy sources and doing so resulted in a permanent freedom from power bills. Realistic Off Grid Power Sources
Though households who get off the grid tend to be the ones already located in far-off locations, there are now people living in urban areas and big cities who created their own sustainable methods to create and harness energy in the form of electricity and water.
Many city dwellers are now living off the grid in order to cut back on their bills and save money, plus they also give something back to the environment.
Here are some of the ways you can go off grid and live a life free from stress and frustration;
Living Off the Grid: Using Solar and Wind Energy
In order to live a life a life off the grid, the first thing you need to get rid of is electricity.
You can contact the power company and get your power cut off very easily.
In order to produce your own power, you will need to harness the power of the wind and the light from the sun.
Harnessing the power of nature to create different forms of energy is a concept that is quite commonly used nowadays and many know about alternate energy systems.
Having said this, many people are now installing solar panels on their rooftops to create energy using sunlight.
Solar panels
Households living off the grid use photo-voltaic solar panels installed on their roof or somewhere close by the house.
The solar panels are made from components known as silicon semiconductors.
When the sun is at its peak during the day, these silicon semiconductors harness the energy from the sun, store the electrons and break them down so they can move around independently.
These free electrons travel directly down the electrical panels in the solar panels and generate DC, direct current.
Through an inverter, the current is then converted in to AC, alternating current, which you can use as electricity to power the house.
Wind power
If you prefer the wind to power your house than the process involving wind energy is a bit different than solar energy.
You can harness the power of the wind by installing a household wind turbine.
A wind turbine resembles the propeller of an aircraft.
This turbine sits on a 50 to 120 feet tall tower and is powered by nothing but the force of the wind.
The wind powers and spins the turbine.
The force of the turbine leads to a shaft which is connected to a hub in the generator below.
The power of the spinning turbine is converted into electricity through an AC inverter which you can use to power your place.
Earn income selling excess energy
If you do indeed indulge in living off the grid, then you can either use one of the above mentioned methods or both.
There are households who have installed both solar and wind energy mechanisms which they use alternatively for example, during the day they would use the sun to power the house and during the night they would use the gentle breeze to power the turbine and create electricity.
There are some households who produce energy in excess of their needs.
They can either sell the excess energy to a power company (if your state has no regulations against it) or store it and use later, but it is better to store and use because you will have initially cut ties with the power company.
The technology involved in harnessing the power of the winds to produce energy is affordable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
You can save a lot of money if you go with this option, plus it is also good for the environment, with no greenhouse gas emissions produced there are many environmentalists who are switching to wind powered technology.
This way, it has become a favored option for tree huggers.
You can also reduce your carbon footprint this way.
How to Get Rid of Water and Sewage
Now that you totally depend on the power of the sun and wind to produce your own electricity, the next step in the ‘living off the grid’ process is to cut off the city’s water and sewage provision.
A common fact is that most people are not aware of is the fact that water is everywhere.
This gives you a couple of great opportunities to use water in order to live off the grid.
According to the information provided by the ‘The Groundwater Foundation’, over 17 million American households sustain their own water provision, mainly by having wells dug.
The process of digging wells is a fairly simple one.
You need a huge driller to dig a hole in the ground beneath where water flows.
Before doing this, confirm that your driller is licensed because there are well digging regulations for private use.
Make sure that your driller is professional and experienced.
You will need to be really careful to dig a well in the proper spots.
If you don’t, there can be harmful contaminants which can leak into your well and your water supply.
The cost will depend on the size of the well.
The deeper the well the well, the more chances will be that a cleaner and more refreshing source of water will be found.
Whole House Water Filter
You can also get a filter installed so the water tastes good.
Another way of efficiently storing water is by getting a rain tank or a cistern.
A cistern is a sort of a tank that can hold water.
There are various home cisterns that you can installed depending on your requirements.
You can either get a concrete system installed above or below ground or you can get a cistern made out of fiber glass and even steel.
Rainwater that runs in your gutter system is directed toward the tank, filling it up with water.
The water then goes into your home.
If you have a tank installed above ground you can utilize the weight of the water to pump it into your water system.
But a cistern will only help you if you live somewhere where it rains frequently.
That being said, if you live near a polluted area, for example an expressway, then it is best that you install a clay roof over the cistern to ensure the water remains clean.
Sewage system
You can even create your own sewage system for living off the grid.
The most effective way you can get rid of your sewage is by using a septic system.
It includes a large tank in which all your water goes.
The bacteria then dissolve everything and creates layer for your waste.
As more water comes in, the old waste gets pumped out via pressure.
The waste flows through a series of pipes and into a drain field.
These are some of the important things that you will have to consider when living off the grid.
But there are some other little things you need to pay attention to as well, things like heating, backup power, and cooling.
Heating and Cooling
Living off the grid requires that you also keep yourself comfortable.
You want to have enough cool and hot water.
You want to have proper heating and cooling throughout your house.
Many households that are living off the grid use propane tanks.
You can use the energy you produce to provide electrical heat.
However, this often will deplete your resources quickly.
Propane is a good source for powering your heating and cooling systems.
Fill the tank with propane, and then pump it into your house via pipes.
Tankless heaters
Another way of heating your water is installing tankless heaters.
Living off the grid requires that you don’t use any other industrial source, so you can’t use natural gas to heat your water.
Tank-less heaters do not heat or hold water.
You will have to heat the water manually for which you will need to put the amount of water you need heated in the tanks and use propane to heat it.
Generator
Most households living off the grid also have backup generators installed.
They do this in case they are not able to generate sufficient energy.
In the winter, the sun often doesn’t shine enough.
There are some folks who like to go off the gird for a limited time, while there are some who have gone off grid completely. Realistic Off Grid Power Sources
Going off-grid gives complete freedom from utility bills and the demands of the companies that provide utility services.
Relying on renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun means living a more environment friendly way.
Using the wind and solar energy to provide electricity can be used by any home, making it a source of energy that can be used to anyone.
While some people argue that this way of producing electricity is expensive, technological advancements in recent years have certainly made it a less expensive affair.
Off-grid Water System
Off-grid Water & Sewer System
Rainwater harvesting system – Getting off the city water and sewage line is the next step in getting yourself off the grid.
The best thing about water is that it’s everywhere; you just have to look closely.
From falling on your head as rain to running below your feet in the form of groundwater you’ll find water just about everywhere.
These are two huge sources that can be tapped into to get into an off-grid living style.
Getting underground water is quite simple, drill a hole into the ground.
Once the hole has been drilled, a pump is used to extract the water.
There is a chance of harmful contaminants seeping out into the well so make sure to dig deep; the deeper you go, the cleaner the water you will find.
Install a filter and you will be free of any local watering restrictions that are applied during drought.
Cistern Water Harvesting
The other way of providing clean water is by using a cistern (a tank or reservoir) to collect rainwater.
The cistern can be placed above or beneath the ground and are made of concrete or fiberglass.
The cistern pumps the water out of the rain gutter and is pumped back into your house for usage.
There are many books on cisterns.
Off-Grid Septic System
To go completely off-grid living, you also need to disconnect from the sewer line by installing a septic system instead.
This is a tank that holds the waste and has bacteria already inside it that helps in breaking down the waste.
It collects the waste, which is naturally separated into layers.
Soil is one of the best biological filters and is helpful here to keep the dangerous bacteria underground up to the time they are finally absorbed as nutrients.
The septic system should be serviced once a year by a professional to keep it functioning at its best.
The benefits of off-grid living are encouraging more people to change their way of living.
Thousands of people have proved it and these numbers continue to grow.
With off-grid living you can become truly independent.
Make a photocopy and keep it separate from the original.
Disaster backpack ready with basic tools
LIFESAVER Systems 4000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle
Batteries
Duct Tape
Emergency lighting — this could be a collapsible solar lantern or rechargeable flashlight
Emergency weather radio
Knife
First Aid Kit
Having all these items will give you peace of mind knowing that you are ready in case of emergency or for a power outage.
Anyone who has faced a natural disaster or social unrest situation can tell you how being prepared can make such experiences so much easier to bear.
Emergency Reusable Sleeping Bag – Tact Bivvy: Ensure you will stay warm and dry with this sleeping bag liner you can use in emergencies. It’s designed to keep the body at 98.6 degrees. It’s waterproof and windproof.
When disaster strikes, things vanish from the shelves within hours and if you were among the smart ones then you did what every survivalist does, you didn’t wait until it was too late.
Prepping Survival: You prepared your mind and body for survival and planned ahead.
Prepping Gives You Options for a Successful Trekking Adventure
Trekking is not only a fun activity which can be done alone or in a group to enjoy some adventure; it is a great option to work out to keep healthy while sighting beautiful scenes along the way.
Prepping gives you options on the road…Planning an on the road adventure for a good trek requires not only a trail but essential preparations.
With the proper preparations (prepping), a novice trekker in the midst of veteran trekkers can enjoy a hike up the Rockies or Everest.
The options are plentiful when good trekking preparations are undertaken for the diverse conditions and situations that may arise to challenge a trekker.
It is possible to camp out under the starry sky at night or enjoy the comfort of a warm bunk or luxury bed with an overnight trekking adventure.
The preparation list for a good trek adventure may be long for the novice trekker but the prepping gives you options that would secure satisfaction while creating a desire for more in the future.
Prepping gives you options
Destination
The first trekking prep option is the destination.
It is crucial to decide on the best of trekking spots before starting off.
The myriad of hiking or trekking trails around your country is sufficient to kick start any trekking adventure for you.
The novice trekker should join more experienced trekkers or even the professionals from trekking societies or tour agencies that would provide reliable and experienced trekking guides for safety and success.
Health level
Another point of consideration in trekking preparations is your health level.
You may need to push through a few miles on your trekking trip on challenging terrains instead of the more comfortable cement or solid grounds.
With the right research on the trekking destinations, you can identify the types of terrains that would be confronted to overcome this trekking activity.
Researching on the best of trekking destinations and types of trails you should consider taking is a smart way of prepping that gives you options.
If you do not have the proper physical fitness to attempt a trekking trip, it is advisable to choose a simpler trail or perform the necessary workouts to prepare your body for some grueling actions.
The latter may take some time to get the body into good physical shape to handle the challenges of trekking.
Working out at home or the gym on the treadmill or stationary bike prepares the body with a greater stamina for enduring long walks.
This kind of prepping gives you the options to choose a simple path or a more challenging one.
You can also engage the assistance of a professional fitness trainer to build up your physical stamina to take on challenging treks up Mount Everest or the Rockies.
High altitude trekking differs greatly from low level hiking or walking on rough terrains.
The change in air can cause breathing difficulties in individuals who are not physically fit.
Attire
Gain a better understanding of the types of attire required in a trekking adventure would be how prepping gives you options.
You can choose thicker clothing if high altitude treks are chosen or light sleeping bags if an overnight trip is planned.
Wicking socks, sunscreen, the right shoes or boots, dressing in layers, a hat, and other essentials will ensure you have a safe, fun trip.
On The Road – Always be safe
Driving on the road always calls for the best of safe driving measures that include not only great driving skills but also driving components in excellent condition.
It is imperative to have good driving experience in maneuvering any vehicle, large or small, 2 or 4 wheels to enjoy the ultimate safe driving on any road ventured.
The vehicle that goes on the road must be in safe condition to ensure the safety of its driver and passengers.
There are many components and mechanisms in a vehicle that can change the safety level when it is in motion regardless of the terrain.
One of the important components of a vehicle to offer a safe drive in reaching the destination is the tires which form a constant contact between the road and your vehicle.
Hence, the smart driver pays careful attention to the condition of their car tires before taking it out on the road.
Road statistics in every country reveal startling facts that more road accidents occur from improper tire conditions than bad driving skills.
Deflated tires can cause serious injuries while inappropriate tire pressure causes the vehicle to veer out of control easily.
Some drivers may tend to save money by using retreaded tires or used tires.
Many countries have certain road legislation that tires must be in a certain condition to be viable on the road.
It is against the law to allow your tires to be against the minimum safe conditions.
It is imperative for drivers or car owners to check on their tire condition before driving.
This refers to the proper tire pressure as well as tire tread depth that would help reduce road accidents.
Road users would be kept safe while tires would enjoy a longer life with a lower fuel bills.
Good tires ensure safety when the car brakes or turn the corner as well as driving in wet road conditions.
Car drivers should exercise discipline in performing regular tire checks which do not take much time.
Good tires are mounted on high quality alloy wheels with the correct tire pressure for a safe and smooth ride.
Another safety measure for drivers is to check their car tire walls; these should not be frayed or loose in thread.
Deep marks in the tires or grooves are signs of bad tires which can cause the car to be out of control more easily while driving.
Old tires need to be replaced regularly depending on the frequency of use.
New tires are preferred instead of re-con units which may be cheaper but do not offer the same degree of safety.
It is best for a driver or car owner not to compromise on their road safety with substandard tires.
Buying such tires may be an offence in some countries where the Consumer Protection Act applies as bad tires can pose a high risk to all parties.
Countries that have changes in weather need to have vehicles running on different types of tires at different seasons.
Winter months require snow tires that can withstand the icy road conditions as well as slippery rain.
Always be safe on the road for the benefit of all.
Planning a on the road adventure is for the young and young at heart!
Only the nature of the Road trip makes a difference keeping in mind the age and personality of the group involved.
Planning an on the road adventure is great fun and at the same time a super way to de-stress oneself from day-to-day mundane activities.
More and more people are planning an on the road adventure as it can be done on short notice and of course cost effective at the same time.
The first and foremost thing is to decide the route which should ideally be one where the drive is smooth, presence of scenic beauty and primary amenities namely accommodation and eateries present on the way.
The latter is not mandatory, but definitely advisable if traveling with children or elderly.
It is always a good idea to do a research about the surrounding areas so you don’t get a shock once you reach there.
For the less adventurous, you could go to places which have been visited by friends or relatives.
Planning a on the road adventure can be arranged in two ways, either by planning every single detail or just going with the flow.
In today’s high end technology, planning the desired route is not difficult with the GPS in place.
One can just start the car and head out without worrying of getting lost.
The foremost thing for planning a on the road adventure is the group of people involved.
Definitely one needs to have like minded people with similar interest on board.
If this equation is not got right, the road trip may be bumpy as some people may like to stop at every point and click photographs while someone else may like a long drive with a stop only at meal time or the final destination.
So decide on the group wisely.
Many people who have pets are in a dilemma whether or not to carry their beloved furry family members with them.
This is not always a good idea as animals tend to get restless after a point.
Better option would be to keep them back home with a relative or friend.
Next thing while planning a on the road adventure is what to carry and what not to carry.
Keep the packing light and restricted to essentials.
A must is to always carry some primary first aid and basic medicines as you really don’t know what will be available in the place you are heading out too.
Carrying insect repellents is also necessary is you are planning to camp rather than staying in a motel or hotel.
Lastly, while planning a on the road adventure the journey is as important as the destination.
So make sure there are enough people to take turns at the wheel so everyone has an equally enjoyable experience.
