Matt Redhwak on Tips for Successful Seed Starts

According to Matt Redhawk of My Patriot Supply, some of the advantages of planting indoors are that one doesn’t have to worry about birds or insects as well as weeds competing for nutrients and sunlight with the indoor sprouts. You are likely to see an earlier and more productive yield once you transplant them in the outdoor garden. And because every seed is a pack of nutrients, there’s hardly any need to use fertilizer on the potting mix.

Some of the garden plants that adapt well to indoor sprouting include strawberries, eggplants, cabbage, broccoli, watermelon, cantaloupe, winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, hot peppers, bell peppers, beans, corn and tomatoes.

Discussed below is everything you will need:

Soil: The best medium for indoor starts is potting soil that’s specifically designed for seed sprouting. It should be fresh and sterile.

Seed trays: Plastic seed trays can be purchased at local marts but even so, small containers are enough. Empty yogurt containers as well as plastic seed trays used the year before are great.

Warmth: Garden seeds, regardless of their type, require warmth in order to germinate and sprout. As such, you want to ensure that you keep your seed trays in a warm but not hot place.

Water: Make sure that the soil is moist and not wet during the germination process. A loose plastic wrap or the clear lid that came with the sprouting tray can help you hold the humidity in.

Light: If you have plenty of South facing windows, a sunroom or a greenhouse, then you are set in terms of light. Matt Redhwak from My Patriot Supply recommends using fluorescent lighting if the above options aren’t available.

Matt Redhwak on the Pros and Cons of Various Water Filtration Options

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that clean water is highly essential during emergencies, says Matt Redhwak. Whether you are struck by a crisis while at home, at work or elsewhere, having the right skills as well as the knowledge to secure clean drinking water is important. In this post Matt Redhwak discusses some of the common water filtration options as well as their pros and cons. 

Before going any further, it’s important to identify the difference between purification and filtration. As compared to filtration, purification removes more impurities and viruses from water. While you may live in an area where filtration is sufficient, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

The various filtration options include:

Bottled water: on the plus side, it is convenient as all you have to do is buy it. It’s however no better than tap water and it’s extremely wasteful and expensive. It is best for non-emergencies.
Pitcher filters: While this is the cheapest filtration option out there, pitcher filters only filter chlorine. It is primarily ideal for getting rid of odor and color. This means that harmful pathogens could still be available in water. Pitcher filters should only be used when the budget doesn’t allow for any other options.

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Refrigerator, pitcher or tap water filter: Perhaps the main advantage of this is that it is convenient. But, compared to other options, they are not as effective especially because they require municipal water and electricity to work. It should therefore be used only for non-emergencies.

Boiling: This is a fool and fail-proof method as long as one ensures that the water boils. It’s however time consuming and requires fire starting skills as well as equipment to pull off. It’s best recommended for when one is cooking or when all the other options have been exhausted.

Straw filters: They are easy to use, compact and lightweight. They, however, have a low filtration capacity and water must be filtered and drunk and at the source, hence not the best option for emergencies.

Gravity-fed filters: These are perfect for filtering and removing impurities from large volumes of water. However, some of them have slow filtration rates and at times may require back flushing, which is inconvenient. In addition, bulk is not always suitable. It’s best for use in stable emergency shelters or at home.

Matt Redhwak from My Patriot Supply is quick to note that these are just a few of the water filtration options and that others include bottle filters as well as chemicals (i.e.: iodine and chlorine dioxide.)

Matt Redhwak on 4 Ways to Get Prepared

In his line of work, one of the questions Matt Redhwak gets asked most of the time is ‘What are the easiest ways one can get prepared?’ Without further ado, here they are: 

Get preparedness education for a small fee or for free
There are plenty of resources that are either free or come at an affordable cost that can help expand your knowledge of preparedness. One of the most popular options available out there are smartphone applications that allow users to store the information on their phones for as long as they need it. Examples include the US Army Survival Guide and the Red Cross First Aid App. The library is also a good place to get this kind of information and so are free workshops or meet ups.

Practice the preparedness plan
It takes time and lots of work to practice a plan and while it doesn’t cost anything financially, it will all be worth when it is truly time to put it into action. Part of the practice means putting things in order such as your emergency supplies, their location, your medical records, as well as your insurance documents just to name a few.
Clean water
Water is essential in every kind of emergency and there are plenty of ways to secure safe, clean water including buying bottled water or water treatment tablets. However, a water filtration is best recommended as they are long lasting, most economical and low maintenance.
Store emergency food
You have plenty of options where emergency food is concerned but it’s worth mentioning that some are easier as compared to others. The best way to go is buying food that is ready for storage. My Patriot Supply, a company founded by Matt Redhwak is one of the most popular companies that supply such foods.

Matt Redhwak’s 5 Household Items For Emergency Survival

As the founder of My Patriot Supply and the name behind several successful brands, Matt Redhwak has made quite a name for himself in the emergency survival industry. During emergencies, we are often forced to think on our feet because we are caught off guard. This is where improvisation becomes extremely important as it helps turn what seems useless to a lifesaver. And while there are plenty of items you can improvise outdoors, there are also items in the household that can come in handy in case of an emergency. On that note, discussed below are everyday household items that can be used for emergency survival.
Garbage
It may sound like the most disgusting thing to turn to during emergencies. However, in the event of an emergency or survival situation, it is utterly important to use everything at your disposal even if that means going through the garbage can. For instance, you can use leftover bacon fat or cooking oil as candle fuel. The tabs from soda or beer cans can be used to make fishing hooks while tin cans can be used in plenty of ways including as pots for cooking or using them to make candles. If you can find a way to reuse the garbage in your home, you can be confident in your emergency survival skills.
Duct tape
Duct tape has an unlimited number of uses not just in everyday life, but also during emergency situations. Some of the simple ways to repurpose duct tape in case of emergency include making slings for broken or sprained limbs. In addition, several layers of duct tape can also be used to seal drafts in your home.
Toilet paper
While the intended use of toilet paper shouldn’t be overlooked, there are plenty of ways it can be put to use during emergencies. These include using it as a fire starter for a wick for an oil candle, as well as using it to dress wounds.
Bleach
There are two ways bleach comes in handy during emergencies. For starters, bleach can be used to treat water. However, this should only be done when boiling and/or filtration aren’t options. The appropriate ratio is 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water. Bleach can also be used as a disinfectant, especially after an epidemic.
Floss
Floss can be used to patch rips in clothing or stitch wounds. It can also be braided together to make a fishing line and used to tie down an improvised shelter. These are just a few ways you can use floss.

Matt Redhwak of My Patriot Supply notes that these are just a few household items that can help you during emergencies.