Cleaning the Waters of Information

Recently, I read an article on a blogger’s site that mentioned the Berkey® Water Purification and Seychelle® filtration systems, as well as another filtration system. Some points in that article that need clarification, especially since such generalities as stated in that article are lacking in reason and practicality. It is vital for individuals to offer information that is clear and practical, especially to the communities whose interests we share. When critics publicly address the Berkey®  Systems, it is only fair to respond in a similar fashion. We hold a vested interest in providing correct information, especially when implications murky the water, directly/indirectly. The bullet points are direct quotes from the article. Our responses follow the bullet points.

• Having an abundance of water available for future challenges is meaningless without having reliable methods of water filtration for any of that water you’d use…

Personally, I have quite a bit of emergency water on-hand and this statement is a generality that is simply untrue. Having lots of water is not meaningless. Even if you only had pool water available (which should not be used for drinking water), that amount of water is absolutely useful and valuable for other applications such as washing clothes, dishes, rinsing surfaces, etc.

I store my drinking water in 55 gallon containers that are unused. I purchased them new from a wholesaler who buys directly from the manufacturer, Contico. Although I pre-treat the stored water, I know that the water will be safe to drink even if I am unable to use my Berkey® systems to optimize the water.

• Test results need to identify the initial baseline of invaders before its results can be relied on.

Let’s address bacteria as the author makes specific reference to this in her example. A common misconception held by many individuals is that all bacteria are “bad”. Pathogenic (illness-causing) bacteria and microorganisms are the “invaders” that you want to avoid in your water, food, and simple day-to-day living. The presence of coliform bacteria in your water source is not a fail-safe indicator of pathogens.

Routine testing methods emphasize the testing for indicator rather than pathogenic microbes. In fact, lab testing generally relies on the presence of indicator organisms (organisms whose presence might indicate the presence of pathogenic bacteria as well) to suggest the presence of pathogens. Even so, if the counts of indicator organisms are low, that indicates a low to non-present likelihood of disease-causing bacteria in the sample. By the way, bacteria are usually on the scale of millions and not hundreds.

The author then references her experience with a Berkey® representative and states that he kept referring to the red food coloring test. The manufacturer New Millennium Concepts, Ltd., specifically uses the red food coloring test because of the unique ability of their systems to remove the red color from the water, whereas no other system that compares itself directly with the Berkey® is able to do the same. The red food coloring also assists users to determine whether their Black Berkey® Elements are functioning properly or need replacement.

Berkey® Water Purification Systems have been a well-known brand within this category for more than a decade and have used the term “non-detectable levels” since their start. Lab data has been referenced by the manufacturer for many years now, although many newcomers are just now becoming informed.

• Avoid any water filtration unit which uses the term “up to” as a part of its marketing and technology content.

Again, an inaccurate reference is made here. Berkey® Systems make specific mention to “pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites” and do so specifically: >99.9999%. The bundling of the Berkey® Systems in with statements of other manufacturers is inaccurate, misrepresentative, and misleading. And for those who have suffered a “miserable recovery from a digestive illness,” please research Louis Pasteur’s words in context to your illness: “Bernard avait raison. Le germ n’est rien, c’est le terrain qui est tout.” Translation from French: “Bernard was correct. The germ is nothing; the terrain is everything.”

• The filtration and treatment tests must take into consideration the SIZE of the invaders they are attempting to eliminate.

Personally, I like New Millennium’s statement (link paragraph titled “What is the Micron Rating of the Black Berkey^® purification elements?”) on this particular point, made a few years ago:

With respect to the micron rating, we do not use or publish a micron rating for the Black Berkey^® elements for the following reasons:

There is much confusion with respect to nominal and absolute micron ratings. An absolute micron rating is one that states the maximum pore size expected within an element.  The nominal micron rating is the average pore size within the element. This means that if 90% of the pores are .02 microns and ten percent are 2.0 microns, one could claim the nominal micron rating as 0.2 microns, which would imply that pathogenic bacteria and parasites would be totally removed.  But in reality the bulk of the water would channel through the larger 2-micron pores and thereby allow both bacteria and parasites to pass through. Therefore a nominal micron-rating claim can be very misleading.

With respect to the absolute micron rating, there is also confusion because there are two different standards to determine absolute; in the US the standard is 99.9% removal, but the international standard in 99.99% removal or 10 times greater removal.

Clever marketers of products can use the confusion over the above differences to make product “A” appear to be better than product “B” when product B may be far superior in reality. For example, we used to report an absolute rating using the international standard because we have a large international customer base.  Several years ago we published a rating on our ceramic filters.  A particular company began to publish that our elements were .9 microns whereas theirs were .2 microns. However, our micron rating was based on absolute (international) while theirs was based on a nominal (US) rating.  When tested at Spectrum Labs, it was found that at the 0.2 to 0.3 microns range our filter removed more particulate than the other brand. Unfortunately, many people make their purchasing decisions based on a micron rating that can be legitimately distorted and to a significant degree.

We soon became weary of trying to explain the above to our customers and so we decided not to participate any longer in publishing a micron rating.  Rather, we think an absolute pathogenic bacteria removal rate is a far better gauge because it is far more difficult to abuse.  Based on that criterion, the Black Berkey^® elements remove greater than 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. To our knowledge, no other personal filtration element can match that capability. In fact, the Black Berkey^® elements are so powerful, they are unique in their ability to mechanically remove red food coloring from water.

• Sure it cleans the water, but how long do I have to wait?! It’s all about the contact time.

It is no revelation that contact time is one of the key operating principles behind the success of the Black Berkey® Purification Elements! Of course, the proprietary media which is impregnated into the coconut-shell carbon of the Black Elements is also at work in addressing the contaminants, as well as the amount of carbon used in the elements themselves.

We’re definitely looking forward to reading the second part of that author’s post.

-TBG

Featured Nurse Amy Post: Garlic As An Antibiotic

The following article was written by Nurse Amy of DoomandBloom.net. It’s a great article on garlic. Enjoy!:

In a collapse situation, it stands to reason that we may find ourselves without pharmaceutical medications. Pharmaceutical manufacture is a complex process involving a lot of chemicals (just see Dr. Bones articles on how to make Penicillin or the formula for Insulin if you don’t believe me).  Therefore, certain medical issues, which had relied upon these drugs, will require some form of natural treatment.

Garlic is an amazing natural medicine. It is known to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, and an immune stimulant. Garlic remedies (at least the best ones) use fresh crushed organic cloves. Used in a tea or mixed with raw, unprocessed honey, garlic has been associated with lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and even regulating blood sugar levels.

Bacteria exposed to garlic remedies have been proven NOT to produce resistant “super-bug” strains. Antibiotic resistant organisms are becoming more and more prevalent, due to big agri-business indiscriminately using over 80% of antibiotics used today. For new or mild infections, it may be a better choice to try a natural remedy.

Garlic is versatile:For internal bacterial or fungal infections, or for respiratory congestion ( to decrease tissue inflammation) use a garlic tea, or a honey garlic syrup.For prevention or treatment of external wound infections, use:  cool compresses of garlic tea ( without the lemon juice); or honey garlic syrup or garlic oil, in place of a triple antibiotic ointment. Cover the wound or laceration with sterile gauze or dressing, after applying the syrup or oil. Change the covering and reapply the garlic syrup or oil once or twice daily.

Vaginal yeast infections may be cured by using a single peeled clove of garlic wrapped in a gauze and placed inside of the vagina for 8-12 hours. Remove the gauze and garlic, then place a new gauze wrapped garlic. Repeat this for 2 days. Vaginal itching can be treated with either a moist cool compress with lavender and/or tea tree essential oil added, or by sitting in a shallow warm bath of water with a few drops of the same essential oils for 15 minutes.

Ear infections have been cured with a slice of fresh garlic clove wrapped in gauze and placed just inside of the ear. Cover the ear with a cotton ball and secure gently with a piece of paper tape. Change the garlic and gauze every 6-8 hours, until the earache is gone.Here’s how to make garlic tea:

Garlic tea recipe:

1. 4 cups of filtered, boiled water, and allowed to cool slightly
2. Add 4-5 cloves of finely chopped or crushed organic garlic.
3. Add fresh lemon juice and/or raw, unprocessed honey to taste.
4. Drink 3-4 cups daily, either warm or cold, but do not re-boil the solution ( it will stop the healing properties).

The Survival Podcast interviews The Berkey Guy

Click the banner & listen to the interview @ the TSP

Jack Spirko interviewed our very own Jeff “The Berkey Guy” Gleason this week on The Survival Podcast (TSP). The interview covered the subject of drinking water (big surprise?) including the issue of fluoride in your drinking water and a reference to The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson. We urge you to take a read of the book if you haven’t already. Chlorine, arsenic, radiation, and chromium were also touched on in the interview. Jeff had a blast doing the interview especially because The Survival Podcast community is a valued audience who supports Directive21.com and he was finally able to thank them in that podcast.

The Survival Podcast is committed to “helping you live the life you want, if times get tough, or even if they don’t.” We are happy to continue to support Jack’s efforts, especially his Member Support Brigade (MSB). If you listen to TSP but haven’t become part of the MSB, be sure to join & take advantage of  connecting with other like-minded folk. MSB members enjoy many benefits including discounts on prepper & survival products, free downloads, and tons of valuable information!

Welcome to The Berkey Guy’s Blog!

I’d like to extend a cordial welcome to you! We look forward to providing you with great information to help you on your way to achieving greater self-reliance and peace. Please subscribe to our RSS feed and you will automatically receive updates as we make content available here. By subscribing, you will also receive a free subscription to the The Berkey Guy Newsletter, sent out twice a month. Our newsletter contains special offers that we only provide to our subscribers. And as always, your email and contact information remains safe with us and nobody else. We will never sell, trade, grant access or provide your information to anyone. Period.

You will notice many exciting things in the months to come, so stay tuned and please feel free to offer your comments here, Like Us on Facebook, Follow Us on Twitter, and Visit Us on Youtube!

If you would like to submit an original article or would like to see an article about a particular subject, please email us & let us know @:   blogarticle@directive21.com.

Thanks,

The Berkey Guy

Fixing what’s broken…The Ultimate Lifestyle or “Living the Dream”

Really?

Contemporary culture holds the idea that the ultimate lifestyle or “living the dream” includes:

• Never-ending amounts of money $$$
• “Be[ing] your own boss”
• Complete freedom from “the daily grind”

The ideas are attractive, don’t they? But how in the heck does this apply to self-reliance & preparedness/survival? Well, let’s bring things back into focus. This list is obviously not exhaustive but it addresses some popular ideas. We’ll address these items point-for-point. We’ll address the “broken” ideas and offer the “fix” for each one.

Broken: Never-ending amounts of money $$$

Having substantial amounts of money is not necessarily a good/bad “thing”. In fact, money proves a useful tool. But the problem is found in the implication of having money to throw-away. Subscribing to the idea that because you have tons of money you can:

• Spend it frivolously
• Give it away indiscriminately

is shallow & undermines the values of self-reliance. Those of us who are striving to become more self-reliant view money as a tool. The values that we uphold are those of thrift, generous giving, wise stewardship, and dignity. Treating money as an end in itself is short-sighted.

The Fix: Money is a useful tool that can help to improve the quality of our lives & our contributions to healthy relationships…but it is only a tool.

By Econ 101 definition, the word economy holds that products/resources are scarce. The competing demands of access to their availability is what creates marketplaces. As individuals and families educate themselves, they can learn more about their patterns of behavior and habit, including consumption. Such learning provides a foundation upon which character can continually develop and adapt, thereby improving creativity, ingenuity, individuality, and resourcefulness. When we realize that even limited amounts of currency or trade-value collateral does not need to be “never-ending”, we can become satisfied and even take control of how we specifically spend for the products/services we seek.

Broken: “Be[ing] your own boss”

I am almost reluctant to get started on this particular point because the subtlety of the insinuation is very finely threaded. This statement suggests that “working for” a boss other than oneself is inferior to being an entrepreneur. Such a value statement is unfair and weak. It miscategorizes employment and demeans the dignity of the worker. The right to work is not a political pursuit-it is an essence of existence. As one philosopher put it, “There is no free lunch.”

The Fix: Each man and each woman is his and her own boss, inherent by virtue of birth into this life.

Perhaps H.F. Hedge appropriately stated,

Every man is his own ancestor, and every man his own heir.  He devises his own future, and he inherits his own past.

Each man is his own agent-choosing what he will. Employees receive wages as a result of their contract to fulfill labor for their employers. Life itself requires several types of input. Physical labor is only one type of labor that is involved in the tasks of daily life. Becoming more self-reliant helps us to strengthen self-guidance and discipline, thereby opening up the efficiency of our work.

Broken: Complete freedom from “the daily grind”

The “daily grind” can take on different forms throughout our lives and among similar individuals. At times, the monotony of life can leave us feeling bored or stuck. There is no separation from the routine fundamentals of breathing, waking, eating, sleeping, and drinking. If work is viewed as an undesirable task, then a new mindset/paradigm should be sought. No one is free from the wear & tear of daily life. No one.

The Fix: Direct your pursuits daily and grind them before they grind you!

As wise preppers, we approach tasks with optimism and energy. At times, we may not know what to expect in our endeavors but the beginning is usually the biggest challenge, at other times persistence is the other. We should consider ourselves the millstone of daily living and not the crushed grain.

In Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook, James T. Stevens discusses some of the fundamental steps one can take in better living and a more productive family life, especially in regards to home resources. Life is rich. The contrasts of successes and failures add depth to our evolving character.

-The Berkey Guy

Bullets and Beans: Consideration of Priority & Being Practical

Facts & motives are powerful catalysts to action and must be weighted in moderation.

Over the years, customers call in and ask some interesting questions. An infrequent question recently surfaced when I had a conversation with an individual who decided to pick my brain about almost all-things-preparation. To paraphrase her question, she asked, “I have a 72 hour kit and because I live in [in a densely populated U.S. metropolis] I think I really need a gun…what do you recommend?” Here are some of our thoughts with respect to setting priority in steps toward greater self-reliance. My recommendations can be summed up in one word: Practicality.

It is too easy to get side-tracked in our preps when there are so many areas that seem appealing and meritorious of highest priority status. Newbies and old-timers alike can easily find themselves concentrating in many areas of detail such as:

• Should I raise a Barnevelder or Brahma variety of chickens?
• Should I start off with a handgun, rifle, or shotgun?
• What are the criteria I should employ in choosing a brand of colloidal silver?

To avoid this analysis-paralysis one must remain focused and concentrate on building the basics. There is the idea of utilitarianism which essentially declares: do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. In the particular case of the individual I spoke with, what was most practical for her and that which would accomplish the greatest good was working on her food and water storages. She, like many, was lacking in her practical preps. In her mind, she was most concerned about the first 72 hours post-incident. She anticipated that those 72 hours might require the use of a firearm for protection from looters and vandals. Indeed, I don’t discredit the manifest potential of her scenario, but ultimately, bullets aren’t beans. In other words, hydration, energy, & nutrition are life-sustaining priorities that will provide the stability and foundation, upon which she can progress to personal/group safety considerations.

I know an individual who is intent upon improving his marksmanship in close-quarter combat as well as “reaching out to touch someone.” No problem. Range time is fun. However,he has no medical preparations, horrible social skills, and lives in a crowded apartment building. For him, one practical need is to become more sociable and learn to interact with others, so he can create & strengthen his support network. The support network is the second-point of emphasis that I shared with my friend during our conversation. It is completely do-able and necessary for individuals to strengthen ties & relationships with trusted & like-minded individuals whose interests are shared. While you are building your supplies and hardware inventories and learning self-reliant skills, specialization in interpersonal communication and conflict resolution/negotiations is an ability that is priceless. It can be learned and improved upon no matter your degree of experience and comfort level. Individuals who develop these skills are able to understand human behavior much better and are in a powerful position to act appropriately with/without weapons training & availability.

Beans represent food.

In the interest of time & to keep this post short, I offer this summary. Bullets (security measures) prove valuable in hunting, defense, and offense. Beans (food) sustain life and are the fuel to simple survival and being able to weather the storm during a sustained power outage. Get your beans & then your bullets, or get them both together.

-The Berkey Guy

Please share your thoughts & feedback in our comments section below. Also, feel free to Like Us on Facebook, Follow Us on Twitter, and share your thoughts on the blog.

Emergency Lighting: The Importance of Lighting

Many people underestimate the importance of having light available during an emergency, but what does that mean? Why is lighting needed? Here are five basic & obvious reasons:

1. Safety
2. Security
3. Search & Rescue
4. Utility
5. Comfort

Professionals make sure their basics are covered. You should too!

Safety

In the event of power-outage, disaster, or emergent event, distancing yourself from hazards and danger areas is crucial. When lighting is limited, poor, or nonexistent, your lighting solutions will prove life-saving. Lighting which does not pose a threat to life will also help to avoid a sudden explosion or fire in the event that combustible gases/liquids are present.

Security

Lighting that does not pose a threat to explosion, fire, or releasing dangerous products of combustion is the only viable option. Flashlights, emergency strobes, and glow-sticks will perform well as solutions to darkness. Appropriate lighting can also prove beneficial by allowing individuals to become identifiable either by color coding light lenses, being able to visibly discern faces/features, and communicate via light-signals, traditional or improvised. Laser pointers are also excellent solutions to strategic pinpointing without necessarily exposing the origin of the sender of the laserbeam, just never shine the laser directly into an individual’s eyes!

Search & Rescue

We all need to be able to avoid becoming part of the problem (becoming a victim) and being able to see clearly is essential to that. In a house where structural damage is almost unavoidable, the ability to safely and clearly access injured children, adults, pets, etc., will be a matter of highest priority. Because we are all potential victims, providing personal lighting solutions may be a method that saves our lives when rescuers have to dig through rubble and confined space in order to extricate.

Utility

Lighting provides the ability to disassemble car engines, mechanical applications, and medical treatment. Even in daylight, access to a proper lighting solution such as a pocket-light will allow assessment of a victim’s pupils, to determine brain or optic injuries, as well as taking one’s vital signs. A pen light also allows us to examine sensitive areas of the body where visual indicators or serious injury are visually limited at best, such as the nostrils, ear canals, mouth, genitals, and deep puncture wounds.

Comfort

Lighting also offers psychological advantages such as site identification, landmark recognition, comforts individuals with phobias of darkness, and allows us to visually observe people/locations to keep them safe and free from unwanted/unauthorized visitors and intruders.

-The Berkey Guy

Critical Thinking: 4 Food Storage Principles

Well, whatever the reason behind your interest in food storage, make sure to follow these four basic principles for storing food short-term & long-term: S.A.V.E.

1. Store foods that you like & eat regularly.
2. Add fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, if possible.
3. Variety of food choices within your storage enhances the experience of using it.
4. Educate & Evaluate the specific needs you/your family has in terms of nutritional intake needs (calories, carbs, vitamins, essential fats/oils, sugars, etc.), potential dietary restrictions/allergies/intolerances, preferences, and other factors unique to your situation.

#1 Store foods that you like & Eat regularly.

In-N-Out Double Double Animal Style

I wonder if an In-N-Out Double Double could be dehydrated or freeze-dried for long term storage? But seriously, so many families bulk up on wheat, beans, rice, and oatmeal, thinking that they will magically concoct recipes without having previously practiced and perfected cooking from scratch! Do not make this mistake. You should only store those foods that you will enjoy eating and that you are familiar with before having to consume them. This point dove-tails with #3, but onto point #2.

#2 Add fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, if possible.

Another mistake many make is to plan using their dehydrated/freeze-dried food as their primary source of the body’s energy & nutrients. Although high-quality food storage will possess properties of nutrition and taste good, it is crucial that fresh fruits & vegetables be available if at all possible. Fruit & vegetables that have been canned at home or preserved properly can be included in this point. This suggests that possessing gardening/canning skills will benefit all whose friend the gardener/canning expert is. Fresh meat will obviously have to be obtained from hunting…another skill that is not so easy as to “shoot, clean, & cook.”

#3 Variety of food choices…enhances the experience…

There is something to be said about the need for variety, especially if you have a finicky spouse, teenagers, or young children…or if you’re the picky eater! Besides the fact that a variety of foods ensures solid nutritional content, the psychology of a situation where food storage is required can involve mental/emotional stressors that will impact the situation in a tangible way. Also, morale improves when “the same old thing” doesn’t have to be eaten with reluctance and resentment. Because the eating of good food can prove an enjoyable experience to the senses & sociality, the converse is also true: “bad meals” can make people upset, create a psychological barrier to consciously maintaining health, and create unnecessary waste of precious resources.

The best plans are those which are properly made before-hand.

#4 Educate & Evaluate the specific needs you/your family has…

Continually striving to educate yourself & evaluate the specific needs for your particular situation, ensures a personalized plan that will enhance the health and well-being of your family. It is very important to be fully aware of any food allergies or intolerances an individual(s)  may have before preparing food supplies. An individual with allergies to honey might benefit from using Stevia as a sweetener or brown sugar. Perhaps this same individual demonstrates no allergy to baked bread that used honey as an ingredient prior to being baked. The key here is being informed and taking a proactive role in educating and evaluating the specific needs of your situation.

Wise Food Storage: Your Personal In-Home Preparedness Store

Wise Food Storage provides a wide variety of options for families and individuals that are interested in stocking up on long term foods in case of emergency. We provide an assortment of great tasting gourmet food storage entrees that your family will love to eat! These ready-made freeze dry and dehydreated meals are prepared in minutes by just adding water! We are confident that once you try one of our delicious breakfasts and or entrees you’ll be a believer.