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Those in the Army and other corps know that using standards is a good choice, and used extensively for good reasons. If you already have a diesel engine in your tractor and rely on this for most of your homestead chores, a wise choice is to use diesel as the main fuel, for instance.
It can be expensive, but with reasonable financial management (which you will need anyway in an economic storm), you could create an emergency fund for “engine emergencies” with the fuel savings.
Diesel mechanics can be relatively simple, but it is not as cheap as gasoline engines. However, reliability is a plus that could be priceless in the long run. Like in situations where you have to cross a flooded road with 1600 pounds of products or gear on your pickup, water covering the lower half of your engine, and you make it to the other side without hesitation. This is doable with planning and wise investment.
Let´s see another example: buying 100 gallons when the price is low, and designating a fixed amount per week or month to an account only for fuel is something I would do if my business depended on that. Trying to find a local biodiesel supplier is another means to improve self-reliance, also, if you are a farmer. But it is an issue to discuss in another article.
Summarizing, there is a good reason why practically all industries use standards.
The seamless operation of machinery, vehicles, and farm equipment is reliant on the availability of fuels, lubricants, and parts. Establishing standards and buying in bulk can significantly reduce operating costs, optimize your maintenance processes, and extend the lifespan of the equipment. In the past I witnessed cooperatives working with good savings.
Advantages of Standardization
There are plenty of advantages if you use only one fuel, one hydraulic (transmission/gearbox), and engine oil. Beginning with the savings in transport. Let´s elaborate.
Cost Reduction: By standardizing fuels and lubricants, you can negotiate better prices from suppliers due to increased purchasing volume.
If your homestead is far away, you would reduce costs by getting a few 4-gallon buckets of, say engine oil, that will work on your tractor, generator, ATV, and pickup. The mere transport expense in some cases can justify the money. Not to mention that it´s much cheaper in the long run. For example, check out this link with 16 filters, resulting in each filter costing 3.25$. With the 4-pack, prices go up to 5$ per unit. Or you could see the price of this 2.5-gallon pack at roughly 60$ versus the 5-gallon pail, saving almost 20$ if both machines use the same engine oil. Get another pail for your ATV, store it wisely and it should last for 2 more oil changes. Another 20$ saved. Then, 40$ saved somewhere else, and so on.
Reduced storage needs
By using a single fuel type, you minimize the need to store and manage multiple fuels, reducing storage space and the risk of spills or contamination. One tank for all the fuel you need, instead of two. Same with the oil. And you will avoid the temptation to use one that could be available, but not exactly within specs of the machinery you intend to service. Seen it happening.
Increasing operation time
Imagine your alternator fails exactly when you need to get your truck to town and don´t have another car available. But you have taken your precautions, and you have a trusty generator that fits right in place with the same brand and specifications. Just wrench 20-30 minutes (if you are like me) and you´re ready to hit the road. You may want to install the same alternator if you have a second car, meaning that when you need to rebuild one, getting the parts by half a dozen you could get good deals. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of the maintenance by mileage or time, and it will be almost automatic. These investments usually pay back after a couple of years, but the price of having them at hand when you need them the most is incalculable. Mind you, we still rebuild those parts in some countries, whether doing the work ourselves or getting the parts and taking everything to a shade tree guy to do it for a small fee)—mostly starters and alternators.
Much cheaper than getting a new part, and they last the same time or twice the new cheap overseas-built junk. Personally, when I have the coin, I get the brand-new, OEM stuff and stash the part I take out of the car. The roads I usually transit are usually desert, hot, and lonely. I can´t afford any failure that leaves me stranded. A couple of hours under a scorching sun and you´ll run through a couple of liters of water. Reliability means a lot here.
Supplier Selection
We all know how networking is important in crisis or SHTF scenarios. Having reliable suppliers who can consistently provide the products you need to keep the machines oiled has a remarkable added value. Imagine you produce biodiesel in your homestead and trade for the engine and gearbox oils you need, face-to-face, only a couple times per year. Not even cash changing hands. Mutual agreement, off-the-books.
This is the sort of business that will keep you sleeping at night, trust me.
Testing
When the batch is a large one, like a 200-liter barrel or so, the quality is usually good. You could always verify the quality with one of these testers. Test it within reasonable intervals (get advice from the supplier), especially before using it. This will alert any potential contamination or degradation. I bought in advance 5 gallons for oil changes for my brand new car back in 2009 (I had a small business running, bringing cheese from my hometown to the East), and they lasted me for almost 2 years, with a 1000 km (550 miles) round trip every month.
Even better if you can make the oil filters a match, but that is more complicated. However, if you get the same engine on your pickup that in your generator, would be a blast. Getting the same parts to rebuild them and at the same time cutting a good deal with the mechanic in a 2×1 offer sounds like money savings.
Weaponry
I am sure this area is already pretty well covered somewhere, but I had to mention it at least.
This is a topic that could fill a book, and sadly one where I have not too much knowledge. Only barely enough to not shoot myself on a foot. I´d rather leave it to the pros.
Voltage and current
Standardizing on a single voltage and current for the electrical system (e.g., 12V DC) simplifies wiring, reduces the risk of electrical faults, and allows for easier integration of new components.
Mind you, 24V is highly efficient for solar inverters. I have been running some calculations and this will very likely be my choice for the battery rack. The efficiency of the conversion is 85-90% which is not bad at all.
Even standardizing the bulbs for lighting could save you some money. I´d like to have more bulbs with a good distribution than a few high-powered bulbs here and there that will be expensive to replace. Bulbs are articles that can be found, usually, at good prices in bulk.
Plumbing
Although this can be tricky, or plainly impossible, it´s good to give it a try. It´s impractical to have a different spare for every faucet at home. You have it much easier up there, as standardization in households goes a long way back. We have manufacturers from different countries, using all sort of odd diameters and threads and compatibility was an issue until not too long ago. With the influx of Far East cheap products things are not much better: quality is an issue. I know people that has installed three different toilets and they have to get different spares.
Storage containers and methods
Believe it or not, standardizing common storage containers can improve food storage efficiency and time at the moment of an evacuation. You can get good deals on stackable containers. You don´t need new boxes. They´re going to be moved around, and surely will take a beating. Measuring the cargo area of our vehicles is a good idea before getting our containers, so we can pre-plan everything accordingly. Remember involving your kids. For instance, a group could use boxes like these for dry foods and cookware , or these colors for first aid/medical kits. Using these boxes, for example, with a different color for each family/group you could stack them up and the owners never lose track of where their gear is if they have to use another vehicle for some reason. Use your creativity!
Gear
It was almost impossible to write this type of article without quoting the importance of having standard gear on your group so everybody can exchange gear with everyone else. These guys cover the topic in an interesting conversation.
Thanks for understanding that there is much more to this idea than what I have compiled here. My own application back in the day of this concept was getting one of the most common cars we had in the country (a used one with 7 years old, but still). This model was sold by the thousands, as an affordable family car with bank financing programs, and as a taxi. My idea was to get another car that shared the exact same gearbox; A/T TH 125, but had the opportunity to get the SUV, larger, more powerful and newer but with a different motor and tranny. Anyways, I made sure that both cars could use the same engine oil, brake fluid, and tranny oil.
As a bonus, I found this video quite useful. Thought you may want to give it a try.
Thanks for your reading, and I expect you to share your thoughts and experiences with standardization in the comments.
Truly appreciated to those who kindly have sent many needed sponsoring fees.
Be safe, and stay tuned!
J.
What about you?
Are you already doing this? If not, is it something you would consider doing with your own preparedness strategy? Do you have more examples to add?
Let’s talk about it in the comments section.
About Jose
Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.
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8 Responses
Jose,
You have my best wisher for your success. Homesteading in the mountains can be tough. I’m doing it in a desert–also tough. Just remember that persistence is all and don’t give up. I just hope you have a reliable source of water for your crops, animals and family.
I have enjoyed your many articles and hope you’ll keep them coming.
Dear Ray,
Thanks! I´m working to build such a source (a large, deep pond). However, with daily struggles is not as easy as it was once when I had a well-paid job and working cars.
A well written article – and an Excellent Idea! One that I wish Daisy would adapt and adopt on this site: “The Official Blog of the Apocalypse.”
There are a small handful of people that post here that are fairly well to exceptionally well prepared for what is Really and truly coming our way over the next year or three. Yet the majority (well… a LOT of commenters!) of people posting express beliefs, opinions, rumors, complaints (etc), or just troll others. Consequently, we get what in my opinion is mostly a lot of commentary about economic downturns and personal hardships, but very little ACTIONABLE information on how to prepare for an Apocalypse.
I wish Daisy would certify the best and most knowledgeable Preppers on the site, so it wouldn’t be so difficult to find valuable information that would help the readers for real, paradigm changing, chaotic & kinetic events that will disrupt life as we know it. Yes, it certainly helps to grab a few people and have them submit guest articles, but it would be prudent to have the people that can show Daisy that they have gone through the process of PREPARING, and have their names appear in bold/starred/highlighted (etc) in the comments. So you know you are reading advice from an Expert, and not someone who likes to bloviate or spout religious dogma and things like that. I’ve been reading (and buying books) here for years, but find myself wandering on to other sites with more detailed and actionable information for my prepping needs. This has become my Go-To site for serious economic downturns and political disruptions (etc), but I don’t come across much of what I need to KNOW for catastrophic and cataclysmic (apocalyptic) events. Just reading what the WEF is attempting to do with their Great Reset Agenda, or the weather & geophysical changes from a Grand Solar Minimum – those ideas don’t get much play here. IMHO of course! And those type of events are manifesting now with increasing intensity and frequency.
Once we’ve established a Knowledge Base with the “Best Practices” in each discipline relating to Prepping, it would be easy to structure the site where those Standards of Excellence are posted. Such as: First Aid, Urgent/Emergency Health Care (Dental too), Power Production, Food Growing, Freeze Drying, Water Purification, Indoor Air Quality, Transportation, Communication, Storm Shelters, Security, EMF Shielding, Electronic Currency, Barter, Esoteric & Off Planet Technology, and things like that. One that is especially absent is Intelligence – high quality Information & Analysis that gives us an idea of what’s coming and when. There are a few noteworthy resources such as the Excellent Ham Radio book by Aden Tate. It would be awesome to have a site laid out where we could easily find the Experts (authors), and easily grab the Resources (Best Practices) we need for each of the topics that interest us. Yes, there are divisions now that Daisy created years ago, such as the Self Reliance, and Prepping & Survival sections. But how about turning that into a powerful, searchable (with Index) Database with a little AI Engine help, that even the Search Engines would point here for Expert Level advice.
My recommendation is to let the site grow into such a masterpiece of (Apocalyptic) preparations that everyone would land here for their prepping needs. I’m not complaining (really not!), but it seems to have grown into mostly a social network site more than a powerful platform of Prepping (and Survival) Wisdom. Daisy, I think your revenue stream would grow exponentially with such a strategy. I have to laugh (and maybe cry) at some of the Groups.IO and Substack platforms, where people are getting upwards of 10-20 grand per month, just for sharing some of their research. (Sigh… and opinions!) However, this seems to be the Information Structure that people gravitate to now for higher quality and more in depth information. My 2 cents. Maybe 3 with inflation!
I’d like to see some articles on the AI push that Trump recently announced. That could/should throw off new products, knowledge, and new technologies like the space program did. I’d love to read some articles on that. Also, how are they going to come up with the vast amounts of electrical power they will need to power those data centers? Perhaps they could be powered by Modular Nuclear Reactors? I don’t know if those are viable yet. I’d love to see some articles on Modular Nuclear Reactors. If Modular Nuclear Reactors could be built in large quantiles we could power a lot of new factories and maybe segment the grid into many little isolated “islands” each powered by an MNR to solve the risks of the interconnected grid.
Some articles on the tariffs Trump is talking about imposing. What will those do to consumer prices, BRICS, technology, U.S manufacturing, wars, terrorism?
Some discussion of Greenland and Panama.
RBI, I know this is not what you are talking about, but it is important stuff I would like to know about. Perhaps I can find these kinds of articles elsewhere.
Dear RBI, actually, the intention with this article is providing the needed information without getting too much into the technical aspects, that can become cumbersome real soon. Great suggestion, indeed.
a diesel tractor is great, just get one that has a mechanical fuel system. most new ones now are electronic and we all know how they will work after a CME/EMP event. all you have to do with a tractor with a mechanical system is get it to turn over, park it on a hill and roll it off.
as far as voltage goes, i like 12V. so many automotive parts like light bulbs use em. can’t run a 24V system from one 12V battery, and that may be what it comes down to eventually. if you have more than one battery you can run a 12V system in parallel to have more storage with the same voltage.
You´re correct, amigo. My statement about the 24V was mostly pointing out the output of the panels that run to the inverter, as I have a project where I need to run some 220v equipment, although the national grid down here is mostly 110/120V, with three-phase 220v. On the other hand, there is a whole bunch of appliances running in 12V. With a proper voltage booster, taking 24V to 12v is not too hard with modern electronics. Military (and many industrial) vehicles run on 24V, also.
Folks might want to check out the work of Allan Booker who is spearheading the Biocompatible Design Standard (BDS). In the first class of his pilot course, he spoke about one of the 3 main elements of his new BDS which is to create a meta-standard so that all kinds of really specific standards can be created for any number of particular themes, sectors or work. I cannot word it more eloquently than that, but i thought of this upon seeing the title of your post. His free pilot course is being offered every monday during the month of february (2025). Part of the reason is to get input from people as he finalizes the course/standard.
https://mailchi.mp/321f88a239c1/optkhfg4ta
To get a taste of Allan Booker, see his interview on the Survival Podcast with host Jack Spirko.
https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/booker-genetics
He has also been a speaker on Matt Powers’ R-Future Conference:
this year:
https://matt-powers.mykajabi.com/r-future
last year:
https://matt-powers.mykajabi.com/the-r-future-2024