What did you do today to prep?

[The Heretic]

The Indians used salal berries to treat ailments of the digestive system. Indians made fruit leather out of slurried berries, dried it on cedar boards or skunk cabbage leaves ("Indian wax paper"). Salal berry fruit leather will keep up to one year.

Salal leaves, when dried, can be used to make a medicinal tea for many uses. More: http://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/salal/

You can eat the young leaves of salal, like greens in a salad or whatever. I choose not to do this, it goes against my preference for the plant to spread and therefore generate more berries. Our property is mostly forested, we have some nice areas of understory that consist mainly of salal and sword ferns. And a little Oregon grape. You can also make jam or jelly out of Oregon grape.

Might as well make use of that we've got.

Lot's of Salal in the PNW forests from the Cascades to the coast. I forget if there is much in the mountains on the east side.

 

[The Heretic]

 

[bgdawgrr]

Something to add to your list is wild lettuce - it's sap can be used for pain relief. It's chemically similar to opium, but is not as powerful and not addictive.

For you experts, recommendation for a favorite book on PNW edible and homeopathic plants?
Been stepping up my food forest and learning a bit about medicinals. Just learned this spring hostas were edible. The sprouts taste like a mild mix of asparagus and green beans. surprised the fam when I sautéed some up. They didn't believe me.
Got a group of moringa trees started from seed for me and some friends. They grow impressively fast!
I was a scout in my youth, but still amazed at the stuff around I have no idea about.

 

[OrPackrat]

Took the new shotgun out for a short set of operational testing, testing a few types of shells I have around. From slugs to low velocity bird shot...

At 50yds the factory red dot was ringing steel with slugs without adjustments...

Found that 1190fps shot was the only to have failure to feed once, everything else cycled perfect.

Got a 5rd extension ordered, to make it a 10+1 capacity, Girsan MC 312 Tactical...

Get to try out some Freeze Dried Watermelon when I get home...

 

[The Heretic]

Tested the small (2KW) genset.

If left on eco mode when plugging in the freezer, the genset will quit. So I turned eco mode off and then plugged in the freezer, for about 10 seconds it went in and out of overload, then settled down as the freezer got up to speed. Then I turned on eco mode and it ran ok thereafter idling down. The freezer only consumes 300 watts so it should be ok long term.

 

[Angie]

Picked up a new to me GHB via FB marketplace. Should be able to be more organized and put more stuff in it.

 

[3MTA3]

Picked up a new to me GHB via FB marketplace. Should be able to be more organized and put more stuff in it.

Curious - which one did you get?

 

[Angie]

A cheap used one from a random facebook user in a wal-mart parking lot

This is what I had

This is what I purchased. It's honestly a little larger than I wanted. But it will do for now. Maybe if I find one more my size, I will gift this one to my husband.




I like that the whole thing opens like a clamshell.





I did not bother researching the brand. It wasn't listed in the ad and for $35, I didn't really care. I really only cared about cleanliness of it (as I share a picture with a dead pine-needle on my sofa, LOL)


edit: apparently I should have as this looks like a wal-mart special and sells for about $35-$40 new. Live and learn.

 

[sobo]

I really only cared about cleanliness of it (as I share a picture with a dead pine-needle on my sofa, LOL)

..."a" dead pine needle...? As in "single" dead pine needle...?? As in "one and only one" dead pine needle...??? Angie... please...

 

[The Heretic]

Got nuked yesterday.

Got a new(ish) backpack

Moved rice and flour out to the shop

 

[Flounder]

For you experts, recommendation for a favorite book on PNW edible and homeopathic plants?
Been stepping up my food forest and learning a bit about medicinals. Just learned this spring hostas were edible. The sprouts taste like a mild mix of asparagus and green beans. surprised the fam when I sautéed some up. They didn't believe me.
Got a group of moringa trees started from seed for me and some friends. They grow impressively fast!
I was a scout in my youth, but still amazed at the stuff around I have no idea about.

Here are the favorites from my library:
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide
Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alaska Blueberries to Wild Hazelnuts
Edible & Medicinal Plants of West

 

[The Heretic]

 

[nwslopoke]

Got some dehydrated beef. Hope I'll never need it 10 yrs in. Can't recall who recommended the company from here. Free delivery. Took about a week. Says 25yr shelf life. Should make the beans and rice taste better.

 

[OrPackrat]

Moved my freeze drier to a new room, setup one of my racks, mostly candies to sell and gift for now, some food, going to FD about 4lbs of taco beef and 5lbs of shredded chicken tonight...

 

[Jbsheepdog]

Moved my freeze drier to a new room, setup one of my racks, mostly candies to sell and gift for now, some food, going to FD about 4lbs of taco beef and 5lbs of shredded chicken tonight...

View attachment 1272884 View attachment 1272885

How do you like the freeze dryer? Is it worth it!? My wife and I are thinking of splitting the cost of one with her mom.

 

[LT1996]

Shot an elk a week ago, got about 200 lbs of meat, should sit nicely in the freezer by the 1/4 cow I got recently

 

[The Heretic]

Been testing ammo - running velocity tests. Besides being curious about how the different ammo and guns compare, it is good to know what the actual performance of the ammo is and how the guns handle it.

 

[OrPackrat]

How do you like the freeze dryer? Is it worth it!? My wife and I are thinking of splitting the cost of one with her mom.

Absolutely worth it, there is a dealer on the Oregon Coast (Lincoln City) that has the best prices around (beats harvest right and any other seller), they have it dropshipped, plus bought in Oregon, beat sales taxes...

Never get the small, medium or large, large fits quite a bit more food per run but the large requires a designated 20a breaker and 20a outlet (not everyone can put the outlet in so the medium size is the most common)...

Check your states cottage laws to see if you can sell candy (can offset the cost of the machine)..

 

[nwslopoke]

Shot an elk a week ago, got about 200 lbs of meat, should sit nicely in the freezer by the 1/4 cow I got recently

Is that good for a year or two or indefinitely if kept frozen? I hear different things.

 

[LT1996]

Is that good for a year or two or indefinitely if kept frozen? I hear different things.

I think it depends on paper wrapped vs vaccum sealed. Paper wrapped only good for a year or two I believe, while vacuum sealed can last a lot longer