How to Dig a Well

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

For many, the idea of digging a well seems out of reach. Some decide to dig their own well to gain some independence from city and government oversight. Others decide to dig their own well out of necessity (the lack of resources in the area they are in).

Whatever the reasoning behind the desire to dig a well, it is important to know everything you can about the process.

Our goal is to help educate everyone on the process of digging a well in full detail. We will provide a full-scope overview of the process, provide some videos to further explain the process, and hopefully help you decide what the best route is for you.

So you still want to dig your own well? Then, it is time to start digging (pun intended) into the details.

If you are like most of our readers, you want to dig into the details quickly. You can click on any of the titles and jump to the section that interests you the most.

If you are just starting out, we recommend reading through it all. If you are trying to answer a specific question, jump to the topic that resonates most with your question(s).

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Table of Contents

• History of the Well
• Why Would You Want to Dig a Well?
• Know the Laws Regarding Digging a Well
• Types of Wells
• Choosing the Right Spot to Dig a Well
• Equipment You Will Need to Dig a Well
• How Much Can Digging a Well Cost?
• Would it Be Better to Hire a Professional?

History Of The Well

Did you know that the earliest wells date back to almost 8000 years ago? Even more amazing, they were dug without the modern tools we have to work with.

India dug out step-wells that made it easy for the people to gather groundwater. First, they would dig out a large hole and then line the hole with steps so the people would not need a long rope and bucket.

In China, they would dig the wells out by hand. Then they would use rows of logs with a specialized casing on the top, similar to the way we do it today, to gain access to drinkable water for everyone.

Even more impressive are the depths that some of the earliest, hand-dug wells went down to. In Brighton, East Sussex, the Woodingdean Well goes down 1,285 feet! It took four years for the workers to dig down this far (imagine all the overtime). What is even more amazing is that you can still see the well today.

It wasn't until 1808 that wells stopped being dug out by hand. In Charleston, West Virginia, the Ruffner Brothers started using mechanical drilling to speed up the process of digging a well. By the 1820s, specialized boring machines made the process even faster. Then in the 1940s, portable drilling tools made their debut, making it even easier to dig a well without the need for a fixed platform. 

Today we have strong, efficient tools to dig the deepest of wells without the need for nearly as many workers. We still use the same principles to dig the wells out, but we use modern equipment to help us. We use imaging equipment, specialized augers and pipes, mapping technologies, and more to get everything right.

Why Would You Want To Dig A Well?

We have covered the history of the well, but why would you want to dig your own well? After extensive research, we believe that we can answer that with four reasons:

1. Access To Clean Water

Well water uses nature to clean the water of contaminants, pollutants, chemicals, and even strips out the weird taste that city/municipal water has. If you have read the news, not all water is safe for consumption, even when provided by the city.

2. Desire To Go Off-The-Grid

For some, the idea of cutting themselves off from government oversight leads them to using the natural resources around them. A well is one component to lower your dependence on the government.

3. Looking To Save Money

Not everyone is looking to stick it to Uncle Sam, but saving money can definitely make it worth the investment in your own well. In 2020, the average water bill was around $70 per month! With costs continuing to rise, it makes a lot of sense to find a way to cut this $1000-per-year leech off your expense sheet.

4. Planning For The Worst

If disaster strikes, and the power grid goes down and city/municipal-provided resources are restricted, where will you get your water? If you have a well on your property, you have nothing to worry about. It may never be necessary, but we know that war happens.

Know The Laws Regarding Digging A Well Before You Start

Before you start digging a well on your property, you need to make sure you are following the laws in your area to avoid future problems.

First off, most areas will allow you to dig your own well. However, some areas may require you to get permits beforehand. They may require you to provide site location and plans before you can start. During the process, they may require you to go through several inspections.

To avoid issues, make a few calls to your local building codes department. They will tell you everything you need to know to avoid legal issues later (saving you a lot of time, money, and headaches).

Types Of Wells

1. Drilled Wells

For most modern wells, this is the preferred option for installation. However, this does require specialized equipment, making it extremely difficult for most DIYers to use the method (especially if you are trying to keep costs down).

2. Driven Wells

As the name suggests, driven wells work by driving a small pipe into the ground. However, this only works on softer ground substrates like sand and softer clays. Plus, you will need to use a screen to filter out any particulates you do not want to end up drinking or bathing in.

3. Dug Wells

What worked back then still works today! Of course, a dug well requires the most work as you have to dig it out. If you have tough soil, you could be looking at a lot of back-breaking days in your future.

Since digging can be laborious, most dug wells are shallow. Another downside is the risk of contamination from this type of well. Without a filtration system in place, there is a good chance you end up with some unwanted particulates in your water.

Choosing The Right Spot To Dig A Well

First and foremost, your well needs to be where the water is. If you are not where the water is, your well will not produce and you will waste a LOT of money.

If you are not sure where the water is on your property, consult with a professional. They can do specialized tests that will help you find the right location for your well.

One time to consider is the upstream contamination sources. For instance, if you have animals upstream of your water source, you might want to reconsider the location. Even though nature does a great job of filtering out the water, an overabundance of fecal matter and urine can easily make the water source less than desirable.

Equipment You Will Need To Dig A Well

Besides old-fashioned labor, you will need some equipment to see your vision come to life. That being said, this is a simple, yet comprehensive, list of equipment you will need to dig your well.

Augers (varying sizes)

When you need to dig a well-defined (pun intended) hole, an auger is a great tool to have in your arsenal. Of course, you should have multiple augers of varying sizes to make the digging easier.

Unfortunately, the “big-boy” augers the professionals use or not for public use. Also, mechanical augers do have limits in how far they can dig down; most start to fail around fifty feet. Plus, a hand-dug well that exceeds fifty feet has a greater chance of structural failure and is not recommended.

Shovels (multiple sizes; multiple shapes)

It goes without saying, if you are digging, you will need shovels in your arsenal. Shovels are great for moving dirt, rocks, and clay quickly. However, be prepared for some breakage. As you dig down, you may find yourself with a split shovelhead from hitting a few rocks hidden beneath the surface.

Picks (at least two)

When you do meet some extra resistance from stubborn rocks and underlayment, a pick is a great way to force your will. Again, you should have more than one in case one is not big enough or in the event you somehow break it.

Tripod/Pulley System

Once you get deep enough, you will need a way to get the dirt and rocks up to the surface. Even with the best of friends and family, a tripod and pulley system will make the process so much easier (and less likely to get hit over the head from a slipped rope or tipped bucket).

Drive Point

If you need to go deeper, you will need to use piping. In that case, you will need a drive point to help you get deeper. A drive point is a manual tool that uses force to “drive” a pipe deeper into the ground. There are some machines you can rent/purchase, but the costs associated with these machines can skyrocket quickly.

How Much Can Digging A Well Cost?

Digging a well is not cheap, unless you get lucky with a shallow well.

For most, a professional well installation will cost between $5,000 to $12,000, and that’s not even accounting for the labor!

If you decide to do it yourself, you’ll need the right tools and equipment. Cost-wise, this will land you about $3,000 to $5,000 invested. While a lot less than $12,000, what are you giving up in time and assurances?

If the well is shallow, you could get away with a shovel, a wheelbarrow, some bricks and mortar, and time spent. However, you need to make sure you have a great filtration system in place or you will end up drinking muddy, bacteria-filled water which could easily end up costing you later.

There are costs associated with any method. With a professional, there is a chance you can finance the installation costs. Going the DIY route, you will probably have to front all of the costs yourself, giving up a good chunk of cash reserves or using your credit cards to help you finance the costs over time.

Would It Be Better To Hire A Professional To Dig Your Well?

We all know how DIY projects start out…

At first, we are excited and ready to handle anything life throws at us. But over time, our excitement becomes frustration because we do not have the right equipment, we never seem to have enough time to complete the project, other issues arise (away from the project), and so on.

If you know that you tend to jump in head-first with new projects, but fail to complete them, then it would be best to talk to a professional to handle digging your well.

NOW, with that out of the way!

Digging your own well is absolutely possible without a professional. Even so, you should still consult outside help with certain aspects to make sure you do not miss something.

For instance, get with a state geological survey office to find the best source of water on your property. Plus a professional can help make sure that you have all the legal paperwork in order to avoid future issues.

In some cases, you will not be able to avoid using a professional. Make sure that your local laws allow you to dig your own well before you get started or you could end up throwing a lot of money down a very deep black hole.

Conclusion

Digging a well is a great way to ensure you have a self-sustaining water source. Whether you are trying to go off-the-grid, or you just want a clean supply of water that you trust, a well is well-worth the time and costs associated with it.

Water is one of the most important elements we need. In fact, most of us can only survive for three days without water. With your own well, you will almost always have a clean, dependable source of water to survive on, even if disaster strikes.

We are excited that you want to dig your own well. Hopefully, you now have all the information you need to make the decision to dig. If not, let us know what we missed so that we can make this the best resource for digging a well.

Originally published on Homestead Survival Site.

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The post How to Dig a Well appeared first on Urban Survival Site.

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The 5 Injuries You’ll Actually See After A Disaster

When I used to think about medical preparedness after a disaster, my mind went to the worst things first. Major trauma. Serious bleeding. Broken bones. The kinds of injuries that make you want a medical kit that looks like it belongs in an ambulance. Those injuries can happen, and I still believe a prepared family […]

from Survivopedia

El Niño: What It Is, Where It Happens, and How Often

If you’ve been following our weather chatter around here and on the news, you’ve probably heard the term El Niño tossed around by meteorologists, farmers, and yes, preparedness-minded moms like me. But what is it really, and why should it matter to your food storage and emergency planning? Let’s break it down in plain terms.

What El Niño Actually Is

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that happens in the tropical Pacific Ocean, roughly between South America and Asia. Under normal conditions, trade winds blow warm surface water westward, from South America toward Asia, and cooler water rises from the depths to replace it along the coasts of Peru and Ecuador. During an El Niño, those trade winds weaken, sometimes even reverse. Warm water that would normally sit in the western Pacific sloshes back eastward, and the surface of the ocean along South America warms up well above average.

That warm patch of ocean doesn’t stay quiet. It changes where thunderstorms form over the Pacific, which shifts the jet stream, which then reshapes weather patterns across huge parts of the globe, including here in the United States. Scientists track this using the Oceanic Niño Index, which measures how far above average sea surface temperatures are in a specific patch of the equatorial Pacific called the Niño 3.4 region. A reading of half a degree Celsius above average, sustained for several months, is enough to call it an El Niño event.

Where It Happens

The origin point is always the tropical Pacific Ocean, but the effects ripple out worldwide. Because the ocean and atmosphere are so connected, a warm patch of water near the equator nudges storm tracks over North America, monsoon patterns over Asia and Australia, and rainfall over parts of Africa and South America. It’s a single climate pattern with global reach.

How Often El Niño Happens

El Niño isn’t on a strict schedule. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center notes that these events tend to develop in spring, peak in winter, and typically last 9 to 12 months, though some have lasted close to 2 years. On average, a new El Niño shows up every two to seven years, which is why some decades feel like they have back-to-back events and others go a long stretch without one.

El Niño Stats Over the Last 25 to 50 Years in the United States

Looking back across the NOAA historical record from the Climate Prediction Center, here’s a rough picture of El Niño activity affecting the US over the past several decades.

Over the last twenty-five years, roughly nine El Niño events have been recorded, including winters in the early 2000s, mid-2000s, 2009 into 2010, 2014 into 2016, 2018 into 2020, and the strong event of 2023 into 2024. That works out to an event showing up close to every two to three years on average during this period.

Stretch that back to the last fifty years and the count roughly doubles, landing around eighteen events since the mid 1970s. A handful of those stand out as especially strong, with sea surface temperatures well over 1.5 degrees Celsius above average. The most notable very strong events on record were the winters of 1982 into 1983, 1997 into 1998, and 2015 into 2016, each of which brought dramatic weather swings across the country. The 2023-to-2024 event also ranked among the strongest.

Here in the US, El Niño winters tend to follow a general pattern, though NOAA is quick to point out that no two events behave identically. The southern tier of the country, from California across Texas and into Florida, typically sees wetter and sometimes stormier winters. The Pacific Northwest and the Northern Plains often run drier and milder than average. Temperature effects are less consistent than rainfall effects, so it’s smart to watch your regional forecast rather than assume a national pattern will apply exactly to your backyard.

How to Be Prepared for One

You don’t need to overhaul your entire preparedness plan every time forecasters mention El Niño. A few focused steps will carry you a long way.

First

Find out what an El Niño winter typically means for your specific region. A quick search of your state name along with El Niño outlook will usually turn up a regional breakdown from NOAA or your local news station. Wet and dry regions require different preparations, so this step shapes everything else. NOAA Radio

Second

If your area tends to run wetter and stormier during El Niño, walk the outside of your home and check your gutters, downspouts, and drainage paths well before winter arrives. Clear any debris, ensure water flows away from your foundation, and consider having a sump pump checked if you have a basement with a pump installed. Keep a stock of sandbags or flood barriers on hand if you live in a flood-prone area.

Third

If your area tends to be drier and milder, use the extra-dry stretch to your advantage. Top off your water storage, review your wildfire readiness for the coming summer, and take stock of your defensible space around the home if you live in a wildfire-prone area. WaterBricks and Spigot, don’t forget Water Preserver

Fourth

Review your emergency kit regardless of which pattern applies to you. Check flashlight batteries, rotate any expired food in your seventy-two-hour kits, and make sure your family knows the plan if roads flood or power goes out for an extended stretch. Stock up on batteries. My favorite place to buy them (thanks to Harry) is Sam’s Club. I have a Plus membership to have some things delivered right to my home, and it’s very affordable. I buy the Member’s Mark batteries, all sizes.

Fifth

Protect your important documents. Store copies of insurance documents, identification, and financial records in a waterproof container or a secure digital backup, since heavier storm activity increases the risk of water damage. Document Holder

Sixth

Keep an eye on seasonal outlooks as winter approaches rather than just the initial forecast. El Niño strength can shift over the months leading into winter, so checking back in October and November gives you the most accurate picture before the season hits.

None of this requires panic. A calm, steady approach, taken a little at a time, is what keeps a family ready no matter what pattern the Pacific Ocean decides to send our way this year. Please keep your gas tank at 3/4 to full. You don’t want to be one of those who must rush to get gas to evacuate.

Why This Matters for Your Preparedness Plan

Knowing an El Niño winter is coming gives you a head start. If you live in a region likely to see heavier rain and flooding, that’s your cue to check drainage around your home, review your flood supplies, and make sure important documents are stored safely. If you’re in a region likely to run drier, that’s your reminder to think ahead about water storage and wildfire readiness come summer. A little knowledge about these patterns goes a long way toward keeping your family calm and ready, no matter what winter brings.

Final Word

El Niño is a reminder that our weather is part of a much bigger picture, one that stretches across the Pacific Ocean. We can’t control when the next event arrives or exactly how strong it will be, but we can control how ready we are for it. Take a little time this month to look at your region’s typical El Niño pattern, check your emergency supplies, and make any small adjustments your family needs. Preparedness isn’t about fear; it’s about peace of mind. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Storm at Night Depositphotos_41118541_S, Storm Waves On The Ocean Depositphotos_374926344_S

The post El Niño: What It Is, Where It Happens, and How Often appeared first on Food Storage Moms.

from Food Storage Moms

What Are the Chances of Surviving a Brain Bleed? A Complete, Honest Breakdown

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re not asking out of idle curiosity. Maybe you or someone you love just got this diagnosis, or maybe you’re trying to understand a risk before it becomes a crisis. Either way, you deserve a straight, well-sourced answer rather than a single scary number pulled out of context.

The honest truth is that there is no single survival rate for a brain bleed, because the phrase covers several genuinely different conditions with very different outcomes. This guide breaks down each type, the specific factors that actually determine survival in any individual case, and what recovery tends to look like for those who make it through.

Why There Is No Single Answer

A brain bleed, medically called an intracranial hemorrhage, can happen in several distinct locations inside the skull, each with its own typical cause, its own treatment approach, and its own survival statistics. A slow bleed in an otherwise healthy older adult and a massive bleed in someone already in a coma are both technically brain bleeds, but they are not remotely the same emergency.

On top of the type, five additional factors shape any individual’s actual odds: the size of the bleed, its exact location, the person’s level of consciousness on arrival at the hospital, their age and overall health, and how quickly they received treatment. Two people with the same type of bleed can have dramatically different outcomes based on these factors alone.

The Types of Brain Bleeds and What Each Means for Survival

Epidural Hematoma

This is bleeding between the skull and the outermost membrane covering the brain, most often caused by a skull fracture that tears an artery. It tends to expand quickly, but when it’s caught and treated fast, outcomes are often better than other types of brain bleeds, since the underlying brain tissue itself is frequently undamaged. Delayed treatment, however, allows rapidly rising pressure to become fatal within hours, which is exactly why this type is treated as one of the most time-critical emergencies in neurosurgery.

Subdural Hematoma

This occurs when bleeding collects between the brain’s outer covering and the arachnoid membrane beneath it, usually from torn veins after a head injury. Acute subdural hematomas, meaning the bleeding is sudden and significant, carry mortality that historical surgical case series have placed as high as 60 to 90 percent in elderly patients, particularly those with a low level of consciousness on arrival. However, more recent data tells a more encouraging story for many patients: a study of patients 90 and older with acute subdural hematomas found an 86 percent favorable outcome rate overall, showing that age alone does not automatically doom the outcome the way older statistics might suggest.

Chronic subdural hematomas are a different story entirely. These develop slowly, often in older adults after a seemingly minor bump to the head weeks earlier, and carry a far better prognosis, with survival at 100 days after diagnosis reported around 80 percent in elderly patients. This is genuinely the most survivable major category of brain bleed, largely because the slow bleed gives the brain time to compensate before symptoms become severe.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

This is bleeding into the space between the brain and the thin membrane surrounding it, most often from a ruptured brain aneurysm. According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, ruptured aneurysms are fatal in about 50 percent of cases, and among survivors, roughly two-thirds experience some permanent neurological deficit. A significant portion of deaths happen before the person ever reaches a hospital.

According to NIH’s clinical overview of subarachnoid hemorrhage, approximately 18 percent of patients die suddenly before ever being evaluated at a hospital, meaning survival statistics based only on hospitalized patients actually understate how serious this type of bleed truly is when every case is counted.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage

This is bleeding directly into the brain tissue itself, most commonly caused by long-term high blood pressure or, in older adults, a condition called cerebral amyloid angiopathy. This is widely considered the most destructive common type of stroke. According to NIH’s clinical reference on intracerebral hemorrhage, 30-day mortality can reach 50 percent, with most deaths occurring within the first 24 hours, and less than 20 percent of survivors regain full independence at six months.

The same source describes a validated tool called the ICH Score, discussed in detail below, which shows just how much individual factors change the picture: patients with a low Glasgow Coma Scale score combined with a large bleed volume face nearly 90 percent mortality, while patients with milder presentations and smaller bleeds have a 30-day mortality closer to 13 percent.

Intraventricular Hemorrhage

This involves bleeding into the fluid-filled cavities deep inside the brain, and it often occurs alongside an intracerebral hemorrhage rather than as a standalone event. Its presence significantly worsens the prognosis of whatever underlying bleed caused it, largely because it frequently triggers a dangerous buildup of fluid pressure inside the skull called hydrocephalus, which itself requires urgent treatment.

The ICH Score: How Doctors Actually Predict Survival

For intracerebral hemorrhage specifically, doctors use a validated tool called the ICH Score to estimate 30-day mortality based on five factors: the patient’s Glasgow Coma Scale score on arrival, the volume of the bleed, whether it has extended into the ventricles, whether it’s located above or below a structure called the tentorium, and the patient’s age.

• Score of 1: roughly 13 percent 30-day mortality
• Score of 2: roughly 26 percent 30-day mortality
• Score of 3: roughly 72 percent 30-day mortality
• Score of 4: roughly 97 percent 30-day mortality
• Score of 5: roughly 100 percent 30-day mortality in the original validation study

This tool exists precisely because a single flat survival statistic misleads more than it informs. The gap between a score of 1 and a score of 4 is the difference between a good chance of survival and almost none, and it comes down to measurable, specific factors rather than luck.

The Factors That Actually Determine the Outcome

• Level of consciousness at arrival: Measured by the Glasgow Coma Scale, this is one of the single strongest predictors across every type of brain bleed. A fully alert patient has a dramatically better prognosis than one who is unresponsive
• Size and location of the bleed: Larger bleeds, and bleeds in critical areas like the brainstem, carry substantially worse odds than smaller or more peripherally located ones
• Age and baseline health: Older patients and those with significant preexisting illness generally face a harder recovery, though as the subdural hematoma data above shows, age alone is not automatically a dealbreaker
• Blood thinner use: Patients on anticoagulant medication like warfarin face a meaningfully higher risk of the bleed expanding, and reversing that medication quickly is one of the first priorities in emergency treatment
• Time to treatment: Every category of brain bleed benefits from faster diagnosis and intervention. Hematoma expansion, the single biggest driver of worsening outcomes, happens most often in the first 24 hours, making early hospital arrival critical

Why Every Minute Counts: Recognizing a Brain Bleed

The single biggest variable within your control, whether it’s happening to you or someone near you, is how fast you recognize the emergency and get to a hospital. According to the CDC, patients transported by ambulance are diagnosed and treated significantly faster than those who arrive by other means, since emergency responders can begin critical steps and alert the hospital before arrival.

The BE FAST acronym covers the warning signs worth memorizing:

• Balance: Sudden loss of balance, dizziness, or an unusually severe headache, sometimes described as the worst headache of a person’s life
• Eyes: Sudden vision changes or loss of vision, particularly in one eye
• Face: One side of the face drooping or feeling numb
• Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm, especially if it drifts downward when both arms are raised
• Speech: Slurred speech, difficulty finding words, or trouble understanding others
• Time: Note the time symptoms started, and call 911 immediately rather than driving to the hospital yourself

A sudden, severe headache unlike any before, especially one that comes on like a thunderclap, deserves emergency attention on its own, since this is a classic warning sign of subarachnoid hemorrhage specifically.

What Happens After Survival: The Road to Recovery

Surviving the initial bleed is the first hurdle, not the finish line. Recovery timelines and outcomes vary enormously depending on the same factors that determined initial survival.

• Rehabilitation typically begins within a day or two of hospitalization and can include physical, occupational, and speech therapy depending on what abilities were affected
• Recovery can continue for months or years, and the amount of improvement varies enormously from person to person
• Common lasting effects include one-sided weakness, difficulty with speech or language, memory and attention problems, and emotional changes including depression
• For subarachnoid hemorrhage survivors specifically, roughly two-thirds experience some permanent neurological deficit, though the severity ranges widely from mild to significant
• Support from family, structured rehabilitation, and treatment of any resulting depression all meaningfully improve long-term quality of life, even when full recovery isn’t possible

A Note on Chronic Subdural Hematomas in Older Adults

If a doctor has used the specific phrase chronic subdural hematoma rather than a more general brain bleed diagnosis, this is worth understanding as its own category with meaningfully better odds. These slow bleeds, common after a minor fall that might not even be remembered clearly, generally respond well to a relatively minor surgical drainage procedure, and survival at 100 days runs around 80 percent even in elderly populations, a very different picture than the acute, sudden bleeds this article covers elsewhere. If this describes your situation or a loved one’s, that distinction is worth confirming directly with the treating physician, since it changes the realistic outlook substantially.

Medical Emergencies Are a Reminder That Practical Skills Still Matter

A brain bleed is a true medical emergency, and the article makes one point especially clear: speed matters. Recognizing warning signs and getting professional emergency treatment quickly can meaningfully affect the outcome. In fact, the article specifically recommends calling emergency services immediately when a brain bleed is suspected rather than attempting to manage the situation yourself.

But emergencies also reveal something broader: when something goes wrong, knowledge is one of the most valuable resources you can have.

That is the philosophy behind The Lost Skills of Independence.

Generations before us routinely learned practical abilities that many households have gradually stopped passing down. They knew how to grow and preserve food, make useful things from basic materials, repair instead of replace, improvise with what was available, and solve everyday problems with their own hands.

The Lost Skills of Independence brings that kind of practical knowledge together for people who want to become more capable and less dependent on modern conveniences.

It isn’t about replacing doctors, emergency services, or other professionals when they’re needed. It’s about building a household where you have more useful skills before trouble arrives—whether you’re dealing with a prolonged power outage, supply shortages, an unexpected disruption, or simply trying to live a more self-reliant life.

Because independence doesn’t come from owning the biggest stockpile. It comes from combining the supplies you have with the knowledge and practical abilities to actually use them.

The more useful skills you know, the fewer everyday problems leave you completely dependent on someone else to solve them.

Discover The Lost Skills of Independence and start rebuilding the practical, self-reliant knowledge previous generations considered an ordinary part of life!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overall survival rate for a brain bleed?

There isn’t one single number, since it depends entirely on the type, size, location, and the patient’s condition at the time of treatment. Ranges span from roughly 50 percent mortality for intracerebral hemorrhage and ruptured aneurysms down to much better odds for smaller bleeds, younger patients, and chronic subdural hematomas.

Can someone fully recover from a brain bleed?

Yes, particularly with smaller bleeds, quick treatment, and a good level of consciousness at diagnosis. Full recovery is less common with larger or more severe bleeds, but partial recovery with rehabilitation is achievable for many survivors.

How quickly do symptoms of a brain bleed appear?

This varies by type. Traumatic bleeds like epidural and acute subdural hematomas often cause symptoms within minutes to hours. Chronic subdural hematomas can take weeks to cause noticeable symptoms. Subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm typically causes an abrupt, severe headache with little to no warning.

Does age determine survival on its own?

Age is a significant factor but not the only one. Overall health, level of consciousness at diagnosis, and how quickly treatment begins all matter, sometimes more than chronological age alone, as shown by favorable outcomes reported even in some patients in their nineties.

What should I do if I suspect someone is having a brain bleed?

Call 911 immediately rather than driving them yourself. Note the time symptoms started, since this information matters for treatment decisions, and do not give the person any medication, including aspirin, since blood-thinning medication can worsen a hemorrhagic event.

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The post What Are the Chances of Surviving a Brain Bleed? A Complete, Honest Breakdown appeared first on Ask a Prepper.

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23+1 Stockpile Items You Should Maintain Regularly

Last spring I ran a gallon through a gravity filter I’d bought in 2021 and never used, and it emptied in about ninety seconds, when a sound ceramic element should hold that gallon back for several minutes.

Somewhere I couldn’t see, the candle had cracked, which meant it had stopped filtering and started pouring, though I’d spent three years counting it as one less thing to worry about.

That’s how a stockpile turns on you. 

23. Stored Water Containers

Water has no expiration date, but the jug holding it does, because UV and heat break the plastic down until it starts leaching into the water. Toss any container that’s gone cloudy or warped, and trust your nose when you crack the seal.

That’s exactly why the Amish never store water in blue plastic barrels. They use a container made from natural materials, one that’s stood the test of time and keeps water fresh and drinkable rather than poisoning it. Former Amish craftsman Eddie Swartzentruber shows you why they do it this way and how to build one yourself in this video.

22. Water Filters and Purifiers

A filter that sat in storage for two years feels reassuring right up until the day you need it. And that’s the worst possible time to find out it cracked or clogged. So test it now, while a failure costs you nothing.  

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How to Secretly Stash 500+ Gallons of Water

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Which test you run depends on what you own, and people mix the two up constantly.

Carbon-block elements (like a Black Berkey):

• Red artificial food dye is your test, but pull the fluoride filters first and sit the upper chamber on glasses so each element drips into its own.
• Add a teaspoon of dye per gallon. If the water comes out pink, that element or its seal has failed, and the separate glasses tell you which one.

Ceramic candles:

• Dye proves nothing here since ceramic won’t remove it, so you time the flow instead. A clean candle resists and drips slowly, so any sudden jump in speed points to a crack.
• Scrub the candle under cold water with a stiff brush and re-seat it before writing it off, because a clogged candle and a cracked one behave nothing alike.

21. Water Purification Tablets

Sealed, iodine and chlorine dioxide hold their strength for years, yet they start bleeding potency the moment air reaches them. So a bottle you cracked once to check the dose and then forgot about is weaker than its label claims, with nothing visible to warn you.

20. Canned Goods

 Start with your thumb on the lid. Any dome or flex means bacteria inside are producing gas, and that can goes out without a taste test.

Next run a fingertip along the seam, because location is what matters here: a dent on the flat body is cosmetic, but a dent or rust line on the seam has probably broken the seal.

Once it’s open, sniff immediately and pour into a light-colored bowl, where fizzing or spurting brine shows up in a way it never does down inside the can. Anything acidic goes first, which is why tomatoes belong at the front of the rotation.

19. Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Food

That number on the bucket assumes cool, dark storage with no humidity, and a shed hitting triple digits in August voids it. Open a single sample pouch from each batch once a year and check two things. Squeeze the oxygen absorber first, because a soft one is still working while a rock-hard one is spent, and once it’s spent the rest of that batch is on borrowed time. Then look at the food itself for browning at the edges, and smell it, because your nose will flag spoilage long before any printed date does.

18. Bulk Dry Goods

The weevil eggs were already in the bag when you bought it, waiting on warm storage to hatch, which is why inspecting for them afterward is fighting the wrong battle. Anyone who never deals with weevils froze the grain before it hit the shelf, four days at 0°F, then let it come back to room temperature still sealed so the condensation forms on the outside of the bag rather than inside.

Brown rice is a separate matter, though, since the oil in its bran turns rancid within months, while white rice can be stored for years.

17. Cooking Oils and Fats

Six months to a year opened, maybe two sealed. The trap is that rancid oil often passes the sniff test, only to throw off harmful compounds the second it hits heat, which is the worst possible moment to learn about it.

If you want a fat that outlasts your seed oils by years, switch to lard. It’s mostly saturated, so it oxidizes far slower than soybean or sunflower oil, and well-rendered leaf lard keeps for a year or more in the pantry and much longer cold. Our great-grandparents leaned on it for a reason, so check out the 100-year-old recipe for making and stockpiling lard that lasts before you actually need it.

16. Medications

Most drugs simply weaken with age, so a pill from three years ago might be doing half the work you’re counting on.

Expired tetracycline is the one exception worth knowing, since it can turn genuinely toxic instead of just useless.

Once or twice a year, pull everything out and go bottle by bottle.

Treat the printed date as your least reliable signal, since how the drug was stored matters more than the number stamped on it.

Here’s what to check:

• Tablets: crumbly, chalky, or discolored means they’re breaking down.
• Capsules: stuck together, softened, or leaking means they’ve been through heat or moisture.
• Aspirin: a sharp vinegar smell means the acetylsalicylic acid is degrading and it’s done.
• Any liquid: toss it the moment it separates, clouds, or changes color.

Heat beats the printed date every time, which is why the bathroom cabinet is the worst spot you could pick and an EpiPen that’s lived in a hot car stays suspect no matter the label.

When in doubt, toss it, because a pill that only half works is worse than knowing you have nothing and planning around the gap. Meanwhile, make sure you check out the story of a rogue surgeon who blew the whistle on a 100-year big pharma cover-up, and how he walked himself off six prescriptions for good.

15. First Aid Kit Components

This failure is behavioral rather than technical. You build the kit, feel prepared, and don’t open it again until someone’s bleeding, by which point the bandages have lost their tack and the wipes have dried out inside their own packaging.

Test it with your hands instead of your eyes, then: peel one bandage to see whether it still grips, squeeze a wipe packet for give, stretch a length of the elastic wrap.

14. Tourniquets and Elastic Medical Gear

Heat cycling in a glove box kills the elastic and the webbing, and a tourniquet that can’t generate real pressure is worse than none at all, and you’ll burn the only minutes you had finding out. Check yours without ruining it.

Unroll the strap fully and look for cracking or a chalky, stiff feel in the elastic, then run the windlass three full turns against your own thigh with the strap loose, feeling whether it tightens smooth and holds position in the clip. If anything grinds, if slack creeps back, or if the velcro peels under light pull, that one becomes your training tourniquet while a new one goes in the kit.

13. Sleeping Bags and Insulation Gear

Down that’s lived compressed for three years has collapsed clusters that can no longer trap air, costing a bag twenty to forty percent of its rating, which you’ll feel at 3 a.m. in February. Solve it once by hanging the bag in a closet or keeping it in an oversized cotton sack, after which the stuff sack becomes something you use only for the trip itself.

12. Two-Way Radios and Comms Gear

The hidden failure here is memory, because once the internal backup cell dies, your programming vanishes and you’re rebuilding channels from scratch in the middle of the thing you bought the radio for.

Power them up monthly and make a real contact rather than watching the screen light up, keying a second handheld across the house so you confirm both transmit and receive. Write your channel list down and keep a copy in the case, because a radio does you no good when you can’t remember what you loaded into it.

11. Generators

Fuel left sitting in a carburetor turns to varnish and plugs jets that cost more to clean than the gas was ever worth. Running it monthly is only half the job, however, because an unloaded generator idling in the driveway proves almost nothing.

Give it a real test instead:

• Load it up. Plug in a space heater or a couple of work lights until you’re pulling something near half its rated output. An idle run tells you the engine starts, nothing more.
• Hold it thirty minutes. Listen for surging and watch whether the voltage holds steady, since that’s where a weak generator shows its hand.
• Shut it down dry. Close the fuel valve and let it run until it dies on its own, so nothing’s left in the carburetor to gum up before next time.

A gas generator is only as good as the fuel behind it, though, and that’s the weak point when a blackout drags on past your last can. You need a power source that doesn’t burn anything at all. One option is to look into an emergency power generator, a small, portable setup you build yourself from about fifty dollars of parts, running quiet with no gas and no fumes. It’s worth looking into before the lights go out.

10. Solar Panels and Charge Controllers

The controller display is the liar in this system. It can show a healthy float voltage while delivering nothing at all. Verify with your own meter at three points instead: panel output in full sun, voltage at the controller input, and current actually flowing into the bank.

If panel voltage reads right while amps at the battery sit near zero, then your problem is downstream of the panels, usually a corroded junction or a dead controller. A film of pollen or oxidation you’d never notice can also cost you twenty percent, though a rinse with plain water gets most of that back.

I did this exact check on my own setup in the garage last week on a DIY solar build I put together about two years ago, ran once to prove it worked, then parked on a shelf and mostly forgot about. Testing it now turned up a bit of corrosion on one of the terminal connectors, but the thing still fires up and holds a charge, which surprised me more than it should have. It’s the 3D Solar Sphere, a project I bought on a whim and honestly never expected to work. A little handiness got it assembled, and two years on, that one corroded connector aside, it still runs perfectly.

9. Fire Extinguishers

Green needle, useless extinguisher. The powder settles and compacts into a solid mass at the bottom, and shaking a wall-mounted unit barely disturbs it. Turn the extinguisher fully upside down instead and strike the base a few times with a rubber mallet until you feel the powder shift and tumble loose inside.

While it’s already in your hands, look at the neck and pin for corrosion, and keep in mind that home units want service or replacement around the five to six year mark regardless of what the gauge says.

8. Flashlights and Headlamps

O-rings dry out, contacts corrode, and old battery residue films the inside of the tube until resistance has robbed you of half the brightness. A pea of silicone grease on the O-rings solves most of that for good, as long as you also store every light with its batteries out.

7. Knives and Multitools

Dull edges are the ones that cut people, because you compensate with force and lose the blade the moment it skates. On a folder, the lock is what deserves your attention, so open it and try to close it gently with thumb pressure on the spine while your fingers stay well clear of the path.

Any movement at all and that knife is retired from work until it’s serviced. Carbon steel needs a wiped film of oil in humid storage, and the pivot needs a drop worked in with the excess blotted off.

6. Rope, Cordage, and Paracord

Nylon and polyester lose real tensile strength to sunlight while still looking perfectly sound, and that’s the specific danger with cordage, because rope holds your weight right up until it doesn’t. Bend a suspect length hard, and fibers that crackle or feel powdery have already gone brittle. Paracord can rot in the core beneath an intact sheath as well, so pull an inch of the inner strands out and test those separately.

5. Gas Masks and Respirator Filters

The shelf life holds while the foil is intact, yet the clock accelerates the moment you open it, because exposed carbon absorbs whatever’s in your storage room whether the mask is on your face or not. So a filter left open in a kit for a year is already partly spent before the emergency starts. Check the mask itself with a negative pressure test: put it on, cover the filter intake with your palm, inhale gently, and hold. It should suck in against your face and stay there, and air trickling in around the edges means the seal has hardened past usefulness.

4. Ammunition

Brass corrodes and primers weaken, though both of those trace back to humidity rather than age, and green or white residue on a case means that round is unreliable. What gets missed is the desiccant, which saturates within a year or two and then sits in the can doing nothing while looking exactly as it did on day one. Silica gel recharges in the oven at 250°F for a couple of hours until the indicator beads turn back to blue, so a can sealed since 2019 needs its desiccant baked rather than admired.

3. Batteries

Every alkaline cell leaks eventually, and the crust that comes out eats contacts and takes the device with it. That’s why pulling batteries out of anything you’re not actively using is the best habit on this list, since it turns a ruined flashlight into a merely ruined battery.

Once a year, put a multimeter across your stored AAs and read them against 1.5 volts fresh, and anything under 1.3 is on its way out. Any cell showing bulge or crystal at the terminals goes in the recycling now rather than later.

The ones that fail the meter don’t have to be a loss, though. Rechargeables die when crystals build up on the plates, and with this simple reconditioning method you can break that buildup down and pull a worn cell back to near-full capacity. It won’t save a leaker, but a battery that just tested weak is often worth reviving before you spend on replacements. See how it works at ezbatteryreconditioning.com, a simple way to recondition batteries most of us throw out.

2. Stored Gasoline and Diesel

Thirty to sixty days for ethanol gas before it starts coming apart. Stabilizer stretches that to a year or so, though only when you add it at the pump rather than weeks later once the fuel has already begun turning. Fill metal cans to about ninety-five percent, because the small gap lets fuel expand in heat while leaving little room for the humid air that drops water into your gas.

Then rotate it through something you actually drive, dumping each can into your truck at six months and refilling it fresh, which keeps the whole supply young and costs you nothing beyond the trip to the station. Diesel needs a biocide instead, because its problem is microbial sludge rather than octane loss.

But you know what doesn’t go bad sitting in a can? Biodiesel. You’ve probably heard of it. What you likely haven’t heard is that there’s a method for making your own from used cooking oil. It’s safe, it takes barely any equipment, and your fuel ends up coming from… food scraps:

1. Seed Stockpile

Onion and parsnip can lose viability inside a single year, while warm or humid storage drags the hardier varieties down with them. Count out ten seeds, roll them in a damp paper towel inside a bag somewhere around 70 degrees, and check them once the days-to-germination on the packet has passed.

Seven or more sprouted means a working batch, and anything below that means planting heavier and buying replacements, since a spring garden built on dead seed keeps the problem hidden until the beds stay empty.

Viability is the whole game with a seed stockpile, and some seeds hold it far longer than the onion and parsnip giving you trouble. Store them right and they’ll still sprout five years out, often longer. See the 10 seeds that last 5+ years. If you’re building a stockpile to last, those are the ones to build it on.

+1. Household Bleach

A few drops per gallon, wait thirty minutes, safe water. Every kit has the bottle. Most of those bottles are already dead. Sodium hypochlorite breaks down from the day it’s made, not the day you open it. A year in a hot garage can drop an 8.25 percent bottle to about as useful as tap water, with no change in color or smell to warn you.

If you keep liquid bleach, date it like milk and use the EPA ratio: 8 drops of 6 percent per gallon, or 6 of 8.25 percent, doubled if cloudy. Smell faint chlorine at thirty minutes or dose again.

Better: dry calcium hypochlorite, sold as pool shock. Sealed cool and dry it lasts years, and you mix only what you need. One pound treats thousands of gallons for a few dollars. Never drop granules straight into water you’ll drink.

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