Survival: The Mung Bean Sprouts

The Mung Bean (Vigna Radiata) is one of the things one SHOULD have stored:  When dried it can be stored for many years  and its sprouts are full of carbs and...most importantly...protein.

But one one does not have to wait until a Mung Bean plant is ready to be harvested: You can simply eat the sprouts!

The simplest way is to place the beans in a jar, just add enough water to cover them and close the lid. 

I like to do this when I am out on the sea to add some fresh vege to my diet....or just watch something else than mould on bread to grow :-P

Not impressive looking..

Just add enough water to cover the beans

Prepare a lid with a small hole to prevent insects or dust settling, also it will provide ventilation.

Four days later.

The sprouts have a nutty flavor, crunchy consistency and high on protein.

Perfect for salads!

Survival: The Pot Chain Garden

Last summer I experimented with ways to grow food in very small places like window sills and balconies.

Naturally you would grow your food in (improvised) pots and buckets like I did with my Upside Down Tomatoes

That method was a great success and something I will do again next year in a larger scale.

I also found a way to tie several pots together in a chain, this would make it possible to distribute a lot of food on a very small area....by just hanging your pot chain over the side of the balcony for instance.

Best plants for this method are:

- climbing beans (in the lowest pot, so the beans can climb up on the rope)

- beets or zucchini (in the middle section)

- herbs/spices

I connected the pots with a simple Barrel Hitch which gave the whole thing a semi elegant look!

Small space food production on a "large scale" :-)

I tied three buckets/pots together in a "train" using the Barrel Hitch

I seperate the pots with a Reef Knot

What holds a 200 L Oildrum on the sea can definitely hold a pot :-)

Soon the vines from the beans planted in all three pots are CLIMBING

The "mutant beans" I use are Berlotti beans :-)

Knots: The Reef and Single Sheet Bend

These Knots are commonly used to connect two lines: The Reef Knot for lines with the same diameter and the Flag Knot for lines with different diameter or for lines made out of different materials.

The "funny" thing about the Flag/Reef Knot is that the Flag Knot can be made into a Reef Knot and vice versa.

Knots: The Barrel Hitch

The Barrel Hitch is a very safe and simple knot for lifting...you guessed it...BARRELS. But you can use it for pretty much everything from beer boxes over refrigerators to your bear safe.

I use my chopping block as example.

Tip your object and slide your rope under it.

Tip your object and slide your rope under it.

Make an Overhand Knot

Pull the sides of the Overhand Knot apart and...

..slip them over the sides of the object.
Once there is tension on the rope, the object
will be supported from the sides and the bottom.

I will show you later how to make a bow line. :-)