Question for Matt about Amazon and ordering through Latoc

[JurisDoctorOfDoom]

Neato, I've told Chip he is free to "flog his wares" all he wants on the forum. 

[Dry Observer]

Just put this elsewhere on the Breaking News thread:

Hello, all. For those of you thinking you might abruptly end up stuck at home during a pandemic, and looking to see if you have all your last-minute preparations in place, I thought I'd mention a little something about ordering through Amazon, whether or not you do so by way of the LATOC site.

Amazon is presently offering a free month of "Amazon Prime," which basically means you can get free two-day shipping of any items you purchase, and a really reduced rate for one-day shipping. (They'll actually ask you if you want to sign up for free while you're ordering, which is how I got it.) So if you think that in a worst-case scenario you might end up stuck at home for quite a while, possibly dependent on unstable infrastructure for your necessities, you might want to look at getting a modest source of renewable electricity, water barrels, and so forth. And you might want to get them before a lot of people start to panic, and buy all of these resources up. (At two-day delivery, you can order today, and should receive your items by Wednesday or so.)

I assume most of us have already prepared fairly well, especially compared to the general population. But honestly, I'm less concerned right now with the lethality of the virus and more concerned with disruptions to our infrastructure arising from panic, or even from a lot of people quite rationally choosing not to go to work during a really severe outbreak.

If that happens, you may not only see a run on items that could obviously help you ride out something like this at home (like renewable-power systems, rain barrels, composting toilets, seeds), but also a disruption in shipping/distribution systems that can deliver them. (Yes, that UPS person is a human being, too. No, really.)

To be on the safe side, I just ordered:
The Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit

And the...
Xantrex Technologies 802-1500 XPower Powerpack 1,500-Watt Portable Backup Power System

And a couple of other items. And yes, the above links use the LATOC ordering codes, so LATOC gets something if you order them.

To explain my rationale with those items, I suspect that some of the key equipment needed to build wind or micro-hydro turbines (high-powered magnets, magnetic wire) won't disappear all that quickly. (Most people won't have any idea of how to build these items, or any clue of how to do so. The more adventurous may go to OtherPower.Com to find out.)

But full-scale power systems may go in the blink of an eye. What I listed above is enough to keep a couple of major appliances/electrical items going at your house, pretty much indefinitely. So if you want to run your freezer or your refrigerator for a few hours a day while opening them as little as possible, just to keep items from spoiling, that will work. (Also check the forum for posts describing sets of pots (with sand and water) that can offer mild refrigeration to keep picked vegetables from going off.) If you want to run the pump to your well with them and can connect it, that will work. And so forth. Ideally, major power consumers like ovens and dryers will be replaced by other options (solar-concentrator ovens, clotheslines.) Of course, the two items above cost just under $770, so this all depends on your personal budget, as well.

If you want a larger power system to run your whole house, you might consider...

A "Plug-and-Play" solar standby system (no installation required)
$4799.99

There is a more expensive version (that requires an electrician for installation) which you can find on the Northern Tool site. I've yet to find an Amazon.Com equivalent of either. (Sorry, Matt.)

Again, this may not be as urgent for people interested in home-built systems. But while the principles are simple, I've yet to see any online plans to build a compulsator (flywheel power storage), and I certainly don't think anyone will want to sit around working on a wind turbine while their entire area is without power. Some of the above can serve as a stopgap, or a complete system, depending on your resources and your needs.

[BlueOwl]

I've mentioned this before (to matt via PM some time ago, even) but I'll say it again:

This site needs a link back to the main site:
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Index.html

To my knowledge there is no link at all from here to there (save for the recent roundabout version from matt's email address), just from there to here.  Anyone stumbling on this forum from, say, Google, would never know the main page even exists.

[cushngtree]

Matt, there is now a Lehman's banner at the bottom of the page----will that work for you like the Amazon link?  It's one of my fav stores.

[JurisDoctorOfDoom]

Matt, there is now a Lehman's banner at the bottom of the page----will that work for you like the Amazon link?  It's one of my fav stores.

Yes, in fact I earn 10% on anything from Lehmans. If you order through this llink, I'll a commish on whatever you order:

http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2155903-308722

[roccman]

Hey Matty - just read the whole Cali tax piece...too bad bro...really have liked this site.

The good news is this...in 3-6 months this will all be moot as it is likely gonna be lights out for the world as we know it. Next internet will be spelled Ham Radio...

Friday is pay day - so I'll kick you a few for your crashstead.

Good luck.

[Targe]

I always thought that so far as control of information on the Internet, the genie was out of the bottle and the ptb were doomed, as the world is rapidly transforming due to the hyper-access to communication everyone has - including the rioters on the streets.

I was expecting a backlash, and this is part of it.  In Canada, they are pushing through legislation to allow the police to monitor all electronic communiciations without a warrant.

The fascist state is here, and we are all boiling frogs in it, just happy for now we are not muslims.

When will the other shoe drop?  That takes on so much more meaning with the first shoe volley fired at Bush in Iraq.  This final act may truly be defined as the Information Wars, as Alex so aptly puts it.

[msegk]

.

[houseoftang]

Could we move this thread to either Forum Rules or Best of LATOC?  It's kind of hard to find in here.