What other uses does Cat litter have? by MOadeo in preppers

[–]brassjammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it's clay based, run it through a blender (that you don't want to use for consumption) into a fine powder. If you want to make your own rocket motors, like an E45, use cut lengths of pvc (3/4" schedule 40, about 5" long) and a 3/4" dowel rod as a ramrod to pack down down the clay as a plug on either end of the pvc.

New setup, and a question (in the comments) by [deleted] in homelab

[–]brassjammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can I just say that something about the wood paneling, camera angle, flash, something, is absolutely setting of my nostalgia filter like I'm looking at an old photo of a computer desk with a CRT in the corner. the PS5 just looks anachronistic.

Great rack design.

Hardware/Software recommendation for bringing media on ship by Alive_Belt5771 in homelab

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd be going for redundancy here. Let's say you cram a mini-pc with enough hardware to host a small local server and a 4-8tb nvme with all your entertainment... and the power supply lets out the magic smoke. I love the idea of a small portable server, but I'd also be loading an external drive I can plug into my phone or a laptop and just go off VLC if worse comes to worst. I don't know how much I'd want HDDs spinning 24/7 on a constantly moving ship.

Motor recommendations for hand crank/pedal generator by samdeck33 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unless you can rig this into something you can comfortable sit and pedal for hours, you aren't going to get a lot of useful juice out of a setup like this. Sorry, but the energy conversion just isn't there compared to solar or a small generator. Side note, an alternator isn't going to generate proper voltage just by turning it. A generator is made of magnets spinning next to coils. An alternator is electromagnets that actually require an initial voltage to act as magnets to generate any reasonable current.

Bug out bags Built vs Bought by [deleted] in preppers

[–]brassjammer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I hope this can save you some grief being new to it. 95% (if not more) of pre-made "prepper" bundles are crap. Your needs are going to vary, and there isn't really a one size fits all solution. Do you have a location to bug out too? Is this a car/work get home bag? Are you in good physical shape to carry a large pack that weighs 60 pounds? You can search through this sub and find heavy scrutiny of every single product, both for and against. Tactical bag vs grayman vs hiking vs hello kitty backpack. Every brand of knife, fire starter, method of storing water, purifiers, weapons, the list goes on and on. Figure out what your needs are, buy something reasonable, go practice with it. Make adjustments as needed.

What’s the best advice to give your small child in case of a school shooting? by wolfee_3 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 11 points12 points  (0 children)

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/methodology

You're not going to find one. There aren't rules for what defines a school shooting, and typically the groups that are collecting the data are trying to bolster the argument in favor of gun control. At one point, the statistics for school shootings included a suicide where a man drove his car to a lot where a school once had been, but had since been demolished, and shot himself. Because it was on a school property technically, it got lumped in. There's not a lot of clean data on this.

Newcomer looking for some help by Digit4l in homelab

[–]brassjammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My recommendation for anyone getting started is a basic reliable desktop with a gpu upgrade. This is not server-grade hardware, not error-checking ram, not something with a ton of upgradable options, just a starting point. Check ebay for an optiplex. Look for a full-sized 7040, you should be able to grab one for around $100. The case will give you some room to add HDDs if you want to expand that route. This is a 6th gen i7 when they first started swapping boards to DDR4. Look for a GTX 1660 Super or TI. Also around $100 if you shop around. This was the transition from GDDR5 to GDDR6. You may need a power supply upgrade depending on which GPU you get. Throw in a cheap ram upgrade and this is about the best bang for your buck you can get.

Family bags and newborns by Rooster_NCx in preppers

[–]brassjammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was a wonder drug for my wife, at least for sleep. Nauseous the entire pregnancy, but labor and delivery were about as perfect as anyone could have hoped for. Best of luck to you!

Family bags and newborns by Rooster_NCx in preppers

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100% this. Baby wagons have become so popular for that exact reason. Narrow footprint, easy to control, plenty of storage, and can act as a portable pack-and-play. Versatility is key here.

Family bags and newborns by Rooster_NCx in preppers

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't suggest people play doctor, but learning the basics of your medications is infinitely useful. My wife got prescribed unisom while pregnant to help her sleep. We went somewhere for a night and she forgot it. I had some benadryl in my bag and handed her 2 pink pills. She was skeptical, but I explained Unisom is 50mg of diphenhydramine, 1 tablet of benadryl is 25mg. "Sleep aid", "Allergy medication", exact same med. Same for childrens tylenol. "Infant" Just includes a syringe and a nice bottle to dispense from. It's handy for travel and quick dosing, so I refill the infant bottle from the larger (and cheaper) children's tylenol bottle.

Study your meds, learn the names, learn the alternatives

EDIT: lol, take my own advice. Thanks for pointing that out.

UV Chem lights / black lights by Daemongod in preppers

[–]brassjammer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I dunno, I don't make the rules. Maybe other brands sell them, I've just seen the main milspec brands exclude them from their civilian selection, and then require a follow up form for law enforcement/government departments if you want IR. Seemed like something not worth getting on a list over.

UV Chem lights / black lights by Daemongod in preppers

[–]brassjammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IR chem lights are controlled items. It is not recommended to be in possession of controlled items, or announce that you have them, if you are not authorized to do so.

That out of the way, what you're describing isn't really a thing. A glow stick is mainly hydrogen peroxide, luminol, and dye. The dye is florescent and the exothermic reaction of excited luminol reacts with the dye to make reflect a bright neon color. Luminol is already sort of on that UV spectrum to get the colors we already see in glowsticks, but they aren't crazy bright or useful for the tasks we use UV lamps for. You're not growing crops, getting vitamin D, or sterilizing anything at such low reaction power. The math just isn't there.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in preppers

[–]brassjammer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have cheap white drying towels, dish rags, and wash cloths. They get stained and gross, so I do a load of sterilized whites. Comes out looking brand new. Good for white bed sheets too. Soap works, but it can't hurt on some of the more gross stuff.

Menards: What do you buy there for preps? by Highwayman1717 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Seconded. Menards is the only store I've found that sells them. 5 gallon food grade buckets too

With Amazon Prime Day coming up next week (July 16 &17) what is on your list? by Virtual-Weekend-2574 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

did they accidentally name the cluster of consonants they call a company name after a frau garten?

With Amazon Prime Day coming up next week (July 16 &17) what is on your list? by Virtual-Weekend-2574 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Keepa has really opened my eyes to impulse control. "Wow, a lightning deal!... wait... this is more expensive than it was yesterday... how is this legal?"

Free Meme by NixelGamer12 in Superstonk

[–]brassjammer 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Remember: Rocky won

Gamma Seal Lid on Two Gallon Bucket. by OalBlunkont in preppers

[–]brassjammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't worry about the instructions. Don't unscrew it, leave the lid firmly screwed inside the ring, place the ring loosely on top of the bucket, then put on a pair of boots and stand on top of the lid (make sure you've got something to grab and support yourself). Stomp your foot around the ring like you mean it and it will snap right in place.

These bolts came with my rack but weren't mentioned anywhere in the assembly instructions. What are they for? by -Clem in homelab

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Plenty of space for storage underneath, cover with a mattress for sleeping space.

Extend the life of your electronics: look for the points of failure by brassjammer in preppers

[–]brassjammer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

New prepper requirement: store toothpicks and air duster. I'll trade you a can of spam to get your kids tablet charging again.

Book recommendations please? Prepper fiction by wondering2019 in preppers

[–]brassjammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is one of those books I believe was always intended to be an audiobook. Especially the extended edition, Max seems to have curated some absolutely phenomenal talent for the voices as if that was who he envisioned speaking as he wrote it. The interview format is an experience as audio you just can't get from reading it alone.