Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
Dear Editor,
I am a frustrated woman. I do not own a dishwasher and wash all my dishes by hand and set them in a rack and drainboard next to the sink. Many years ago I bought a Rubbermaid drainboard that had a very good slope so the water would drain into the sink. Today, a drainboard with a good slope or that is wedge shaped on the bottom so that water drains efficiently into the sink cannot be found. I have tried several and had to discard them as useless. The old one that I currently use is, I’m sure, more than 20 years old and is getting a bit funky even though I scrub it periodically. A one inch raised section in the back of the drainboard is really not enough. The drainboard has to be at least 1 1/2 inches sloping to the sink would be much better.
Frustrated
Dear Frustrated,
I never, never would have thought that it would be so difficult to find such a simple thing as a drainboard that would… drain. I have searched the Internet high and low and cannot find anything but those “mats” that they call drainboards nowadays. I’m putting this out there hoping maybe some of our readers have some suggestions. One thought is to replace your current sink with a model that has built in drainboards. These are making a comeback and I found several models on the Internet. As someone that used to have a cast iron, deep- basin, double-drainboard sink, these are worth their weight in gold! How about it readers … any hints on where Frustrated can find a drainboard that will actually drain?
The Editor
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Dear Editor,
I have learned so much about planning and survival needs through your articles. Thanks for all of the diligent work you and your staff do.
My question is this: we live in a city, in a neighborhood, and there is no river, lake, pond, etc. nearby. We have filled a 55 gallon drum, four 5-gallon bottles, and 100+ small drinking bottles with water. Using the calculation of 1-2 liters of water needed per day per person, this amount is really not going to last the two of us more than two months at best. We’d like to have a minimum of a six-month supply. Our food storage for six months is going well, but we’re very concerned about where we will get adequate water. I’m sure we’re not the only city-dwellers with this question. We’re anxiously awaiting your suggestions.
Thanks so much!
Waterless
Dear Waterless,
Unfortunately you are limited where you live and no amount of sugar-coating the truth or wishful thinking will change that. Remember, in an emergency situation or a TEOTWAWKI situation, the water in your water heater is available and the water in your toilet tank (not the bowl!) is available. Also, you’re not limited to “water” as a source of liquid. Don’t forget any juice off canned vegetables and melting ice from the freezer. In a disaster, rain doesn’t stop. Make sure you have adequate buckets or barrels to collect rainwater as well. I was in Sams the other day, and they had a nifty contraption that you put inline with your gutter system to collect rainwater, and it came with a decorative barrel. Sure it for use in collecting water for your plants and not for drinking, but again, you adapt and use every source available!
The Editor
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