Before we start with todays “What did you do to prep this week” I would like to thank Daniel D and Mark H for their generous donations via PayPal. Thank you both, you are appreciated…
Also several readers this week have asked about my Amazon.com links and how they can give me credit, so I will get a commission from their order… All you have to do is bookmark this link and use it as your Amazon.com entry point and I will get a small (I think 4% or 7%) commission on each sale.
Please use this link each time you shop at Amazon.com – thank you.
I’ve fought the flu for over a week but I think, I’m finally getting better albeit slowly - it was awful, and I’ve felt like I’ve hit by a Mack truck driven by Rosie O’Donnell. Lots of praying (thank you all), vitamin C, zink, garlic and green tea and I’m back on my feet.
Yesterday, I felt well enough to go to my CPA to get my taxes done - by the time I left his office, I was sick again. Not with the flu but disgust. Disgust that my largest (by far) business expense is paying the government extortion money, while huge mega corporations pay no tax. 
Anyway, let me see, what did I do to prep this week…
Not a lot, mostly fought the flu but I did manage to order a couple of things on-line through Amazon.com.
- Granberg Bar-Mount Chain Saw Sharpener
- Now Grape Seed Extract
- Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space
What did you do to prep this week?
{ 885 comments }
hope everyone is doing great this week. m.d. i’m glad your feeling better. i myself just got out of the hospital several days ago so i’m still trying to take it easy. as far as prepping goes on my part, for the last two weeks was a stand still. d.h. did get several things done. he put a new concrete dam on the pond and cut up several downed trees. he also purchased several firesteel lighters and a couple of steel coleman thermoses. just to remind everyone “the walking dead” returns on this sunday at 8 o’clock central on amc.( i quess you can tell i like zombies.)
take care.
Pam S…hope you are healing well from whatever had you in the hospital. :)
thanks mt.woman. it was pneumonia. is everything okay with you? i think we both are set to get bad weather this week. take care.
pam,
I was in the hospital for 3 days with double pneumonia back in late 2008. Prior to that incident I had no real respiratory problems (non-smoker, etc) but since then have had the tendency for bronchitis if I get too fatigued or run down; so, be careful and if you show any symptoms get them treated ASAP. My doc says I’ll probably “grow out of it”, but at 60 it better happen darn fast. Take care of yourself.
Ohio Prepper. The acne shopuld clear up soon also. Steve
should I meant.
axelsteve,
We can only hope LOL
Gonna go for a little shake-out-the-kinks hump in two weeks and I’m not looking forward to the pain. Hoping to ‘grow out’ of my arthritis. Darn annoying this aging thing.
A positive attitude is all it takes SD and if you are positive you are going to hurt anyway and there is nothing you can do about it so as my daughter says, suck it up and deal with it. I just go to the point I hurt so bad I start biting the DW’s head off and she tells me it is time to slack off. She thinks I am going through a second childhood and I told her I wish that was so and then I could see and do things a lot easier. Harold
For arthritis, try drinking tart cherry juice. It works like a charm for my husband. One of his friends was a salesman for a tart cherry juice concentrate and he gave us a couple gallons. Hubby mixed a couple tablespoons of the concentrate into another juice or water daily – and at the end of the first month was amazed when he could actually make a tight fist for the first time in years. Then we got poor for a while and couldn’t afford it – but just started getting regular tart cherry juice (not concentrate) a couple weeks ago and he has already noticed a great improvement! After two successful trials, we are sold on its efficacy…so I am stocking up on the juice, dried tart cherries and ordering at least 3 more tart cherry trees this year (I already have 6). If I find a little extra money, I will order more trees. It is just amazing how well it works!
Not enough “bad” weather in my book….SO, SO dry still. I really am concerned about the coming Summer. :(
Pam S, welcome back! Sorry to hear you were in the hospital and hope you are feeling better. We were wondering about you a week ago, so glad to see you back on here. Take care-Blessings!
hi copperhead. hope you are doing okay. i’m just taking it easy for a few days. don’t you over do it this week.
pam s…was wondering where you were…glad to hear you are back on your feet again…the flu is raging in the US…cheers.
chloe, i’ve been trying to stay out of trouble. hope all is well with you. talk with you later, take care.
Pam S.,
I am glad you are out of the hospital. Take care of yourself.
thanks gayle, i’ve been trying to catch up with everyone’s blogs. have you heard any from templar knight and bctruck?
pam,
Thanks for the heads up on Walking Dead. Turns out the DVR was already set up for new episodes, but I may not have seen that it was recorded for days LOL
ohio prepper: (do we identify with the walking dead)? granted i look like one but my arms haven’t fallen off yet.
pam,
I’m not identifying, and didn’t even watch the first season until some folks here talked positively about it. I then talked with my best friend and he said he hadn’t mentioned it to me because he assumed I was watching it. So, I was able to catch a marathon and record it to get caught up. I personally think it’s rather metaphorical and in my mind the dead represent all of those who are dependent on society and its infrastructure to survive. Whether collecting welfare or in need of dialysis or other lifesaving medication, in a collapse, they will be the vulnerable ones when the living (productive) no longer allow them to feed. I think the season finale shows us the ultimate outcome for some of these folks. The Doc has high hopes of saving his loved ones, but sometimes things just don’t go our way, and we have to accept reality and move on.
ohio, hi: i agree with you about being dependent on society as a whole and more so every day. as in greece, i think more countries will witness the breakdown of society. on a lighter note i enjoyed the show last night.
take care this week.
Pam, it could be worse. You could have woke up in the hospital after the zombie apocalypse without your GHB lol.
jarhead, don’t get me tickled (it hurts when i laugh)
Pam, glad you are doing better. Rest, recover and let DH do the preps for a while. The pack were asking if anyone had heard from you.
thank you jarhead. glad that you are okay.
get your rest, take it easy and get well. a healthy body, healthy soul is a requirement to a good life. i hope you are feeling better and soon you will be back in the prepper mode till then read a good book, plan your garden eat chicken soup and get your rest.
glad your feeling better
Robert, what part of Michigan? I’m in Lakeview. Drop me a email if you like.
Take care,
Mike
ionia
NOBLAST and ROBERT, so happy to read where you are from – Im east of Crystal. Been reading this blog for quite awhile and had begun to think no one lived in central Mi. on here but me – especially a prepper.
And I am near Lansing….
thank you robert and everyone for thinking about me. if the weather clears this week i hope to get back to the garden. take care.
pam s,
Great to have you back. Glad you are recovering from your pnuemonia. That is some serious stuff.
Ray
thank you ray, hope all is well with you.
pam -
so glad to hear you’re feeling better.
I had pneumonia once when I was really young and can still remember the reaction of my great-grand parents had when the doctor explained the diagnosis to them – real, genuine fear.
I, obviously, got over it ok but I still remember how concerned they were. Thank goodness for modern medicine!
k fields, how are you feeling? i read that you were ill. i said a prayer for you.
pam s – thanks for the kind thoughts. I’m fine, just a vampire-like tumor that’s gobbling up blood faster than I can produce it. Tentative schedule is to have it removed the last week of this month if I can get the financing all worked out by then. Other than feeling weak, which I simply attributed to getting old before this was found, I don’t even notice a change.
k fields, i know it’s hard now. (i’ve had cancer three times in the last 20 years) but you “never” give up. you are in my nightly prayers. take care.
Zombies! I love me some zombies……:}
M.D.
I’m happy to hear you are feeling better. I know what you mean about the taxes. Not fun or funny.
Installed a new Oak floor in kitchen-breakfast area-hallway & office. Practicing my carpentry skills. (My anniversary present to my wife. Today is our 6th anniversary) Finiched last night around 6:00 p.m.
Went to Lowes and bought new Round Point Shovel, and Post Hole Digger. 2 Boxes 4d x 1 1/2 Finish Nails, 2 Boxes 5/8 brads.
At Walmart I picked up 200rds. .223 FMJ Federal, 20 rds. .410 2 1/2″ 000 Buckshot, 1 Box 50rds. .32acp Ammo, 1 Box 20rds. .45acp H.P. Ammo, Holster for Taurus .38, and a Holster for M29 S&W. Also picked up a Box of 25 CO2 Cartridges.
Last weekend we went to 17 mile drive down in Monterey County. I was able to grab a couple of Huckleberry Shoots. Hopefully they will Prosper.
Finally got rid of some of the company we had from China.
Ray
norcal-just wanted to wish you and your wife “happy anniversary”.
Thank You Pam. It is appreciated very much.
Ray
happy anniversary Ray!! Good to hear . Steve
axelsteve,
Thank You axelsteve. How about meeting for Breakfast @ The Cottage in Lakeport @ 9:00 next Saturday?
Ray
Happy Anniversary!
TG,
Thank You.
Ray
Happy Anniversary! And: 17 Mile Drive!!??!! I SO miss the coast. I lived there on the central coast for 30 years. And I didn’t know huckleberry grew there! Was it wild or planted?
It was wild. They grow profusely at the top of Huckleberry Hill of all things. LOL
Ray
Wow…never heard of it! Sounds like a teen hang-out/”parking” place. ;)
Does this mean if the teens get lucky it’s “huckleberry luck”? LOL
Nor Cal Ray Happy Anniversary and hope you enjoyed Monterey, its been a while for me.
I’ve been sticking to the federal 223 myself, its pretty consistent. Walmart has had great deals on the Winchester 45 HP rounds, its not the high end HP ammo but works the same overall to me.
25 CO2 cartridges make for good pest control assets.
Thanks Jarhead 03,
Monterey was good. Clam Chowder on the Wharf. The best around. 17 mile drive was pretty good too. Used it as a teaching moment for Wife and Daughter. Pointing out all of the edible foods growing wild etc.
Walmart has had some pretty good prices on pretty much al of their ammo as of late. Thanks again for the help with my Daughter.
Ray
NorCal Ray, no problem, any questions on the topics let me know. If I don’t know the answer I will get the answer from someone.
Her choice on the other side of the country is a big departure from original but I’m sure she will do fine as you have taught her well.
Happy Anniversary, NorCal Ray!
Thank You Copperhead. It is much appreciated.
Ray
Happy Anniversary!
The Other Ellen,
Thank You very much.
This is the 3rd time I have tried to send this message.
Hope it goes through this time.
Ray
happy anniversary to you both…
chloe,
Thank You so much. Coming from you it means so much too us.
I hope customs lets your stuff get through to you.
Ray
ray…that is so sweet…stuff not arrived yet…will let you know as soon as it arrived…
Just so everyone knows…I ordered 2 solar flashlights from Ray – and included a small bonus..and then Ray, unbeknown to me at the time..includes a window breaker/seatbelt cutter with knife..
so, hopefully customs doesn’t confiscate it…
pack…you guys are all so lucky to be able to buy all the bangsticks you want…
guys…you are all special people…have gotten to know you all through this blog…
know that if the I’net has a wobble or two on 8 March…will still be logging in…apparently FBI is going to get rid /quarantine the sites infected with a trojan virus..will wait and see…
can look the article up for yourselves on david icke site..
cheers…
grats on the six years and here hoping for many more
robert in mid michigan,
Thank you so much.
Ray
NorCalRay:
Glad to see things are working out for you.
Happy anniversary! My 21st is coming up in a couple of weeks. Messed up the 1st one, but boy has the second made up for it. Greatest part of my life!
JP in MT,
Thank you so much. Congratulations on your 21 years.
I really messed up on my first one also, so I know the feeling.
This one is the best thing that ever happened to me. She is the single BEST prep I have ever made.
Without a great partner all of my preps just wouldn’t be enough to get through everything we all think is coming (but hope isn’t).
Ray
Ray:
Amen Brother!
53 in November for us and I would not know where to start if I had to do it all over again. Guess I’ll just keep what I have. Harold
Harold Dean,
That would be a good idea. If you’ve lasted this long it was meant to be. Congratulations.
Ray
Happy Anniversary! I am jealous of your new oak floors!
Encourager,
Thank you. Don’t be jealous. It was a lot of hard work. I did it all myself. It does look good though.
Ray
Encourager,
Don’t be jealous. It was a lot of hard work. They do look good though.
Ray
NorCal Ray -
Congrats on all the preps and especially on the anniversary!
K Fields,
Thank You. It is appreciated.
Ray
Hey Ray,
I’m gonna need another couple of those knives I bought, and maybe a few other things. Let me know next time you’re planning to come up to Mosquito Creek Outfitters.
Michele,
No problem. I will let you know.
Ray
glad you are feeling a bit better, unfortunatly the irs mans sickness thier is no cure. its a shame that the irs kills more small buisinesses than anything else.
this weeks preps again are slow got some good news though in that for the next three weeks is going to be 6 12 hour days so ill get some overtime in. in the last three months we have not done any real shopping milk and eggs is about all. money has been a little tight i figured we had about 6 months of food when we hit the bottom and had to start using it. the good news is we have used about a quarter of the food stores is all so i had a lot more put up than i thought we had. protien as always is the low point and a friend is going to do chickens this summer/spring and he is going to allow me to have a hundred birds if i pay for them and feed and help with care and slaughter so will have lots of birds in the freezer and eventually jarsa for next year to help with this.
had to replace the battery in the car and with our whopping 300 tax return this year we have agreed that i can get the wondermill jr should get that back next week so all ahead no real set backs and not much prepping.
cooking from scratch has saved a ton of money, allowed our stores to go a lot farther than canned pasta’s would have with a lot more veriety and more family time as we sit at the table to eat real meals instead of in front of the boob tube with a canned dinner. finding i actually like to cook.
preps this week are all cheap things or even free
printed a lot more recipees
started work on a soda can solar panel (hoping to do an article on it)
before the cold hit turned in leaves, compost and cardboard into the garden, been a wierd winter still did not have frost in the garden on groundhog day scary normally we have a foot and a half of snow then.
that is about it
keep prepping
keep praying we are the crazy people and the smart ones(lol) in washington figure out that they are the problem not the fix
god knows i do not want to be rite
god bless and best wishes to all
Robert…I’m with you. Have been using up some preps because of lack of funds. Good wishes to you.
Robert in mid Mich, would like to know how the soda can solar panel works out! I’ve used aluminum cans with solar ovens and reflector panels for increased solar collection onto the solar panels.
ive been taking pics and really want to do an article, daughter said she will help me put the pics into the article buy said a pdf file would be best ill take here word on it i figured out google about a year ago, i thought it was a place you asked questions and got answers from. i finally no longer have to have this page set as my main paige because i could not find other wise favorite button, who knew.
i am technoligy challanged i do not own a cell phone, i finally got permision to use the cable remote but not allowed to us the dvd one, the micro wave well the radiation scares me enough i dont like it so i dont use that. i thought my daughters kindle was a book and i could not figure out why we spent a hundred bucks on a book. i am learning but it is slow. doesnt help when i would rather build something with my hands and when i write i like a pen and paper.
Robert, I grew up raised by farmers of the depression as a kid in the 70s and 80s was pretty tough as I had the one part of my that loves technology and the other part that despises technology. I hate cell phones but love that I can search the internet from it.
I don’t have a kindle but gf is convincing me to so I can download prep books and leave it in my modified safe for just in case and just charge it once a month only taking it out to download new books.
I have a net book in my safe set up for emp with CDs and flash drives along with a few other electronic tech gear. But have been printing it in binders as well.
robert…that was so funny…I too am getting left behind by technology…thank goodness for our DD.
However, we all have other skills. cheers.
robert,
I understand about the IRS. I heard a statistic that 47% of Americans pay no taxes (and some who do not pay still get a refund, err tax credit). Unfortunately, I am in the other 53%, but I guess someone has to pay to keep the country running.
I’d be interested in your solar design. I designed and built one years ago using cans that provided a fair amount of heat gain to my home in the winter; however, that was before I had a DW, and I’m afraid that the kludge nature of such a device might not sit well with her. Looking forward to your insights.
OhioPrepper -
It continues to sound like you and I were both Mother Earth News fans back in the day. “Heat Grabbers” hanging out of every south facing window…
Kate,
Oh yea!!!
Back in the day before a DW thought they were tacky I did exactly that. She’s come around a lot and I still have some hope for adding in some passive heating and maybe cooling at some point
I have every issue of TMEN from #1 to somewhere in 2004. I started having my vision problems then and magazines became too burdensome, but I do have the complete TMEN collection on DVD on my short list. This will take a lot less space than the paper magazines (which I still have), are searchable and much more readable on my large computer screens.
That was K not Kate. Need more caffeine.
OhioPrepper -
Jeez, just when I was beginning to enjoy posting without being called “steve/jason/WITNIT”, now I get called Kate…
Don’t feel bad, K.
When I worked at Capital One, I was called Janice more often than Kate.
I have no clue why. My name was on my office door. I never cared enough to correct them.
I solved the problem just like you did. Installed Kindle for PC on my computer and now I can blow up the text to the point I can read it. Bought a generic EBook reader some time ago that I can reformat the book so the text is larger and it is so much easier to read than a book since the screen is edge lit. Working on the second one to revise the battery arrangement to the point I can just slip in a new button cell when the old one will no longer charge. With the extra memory, I can store just about everything I need in pdf files that are readable by most of the ebo0k readers. Harold
Maybe if the 47% did something so they were taxpayers we would not be so screwed.Nah the goverment would just spend more money that way.
i agree to a point its hard to find a job that pays enough that you have to pay taxes now days, but i dont understand why thier is no tax period even a 5 percent bracket would mean everyone had skin in the game. but yeah the govt would just spend more.
used to pay a lot of taxes till construction just died. went to about 33% of what i used to make but it beats unenjoyment.
OP,
We are in the 53% percent also. No matter how many expenses I try to deduct. I have a friend with a son who made the same amount that we paid.
If you get a tax return from the government, you loaned them money at 0% interest.
hi all, not much this week. ordered a couple of straw type water filters for the ghb’s as a backup. i did manage to work on physical fitness 3 days this week and i’m doing much better than i thought i would. walked a few miles then did a ruck march. plan on hitting the road again this afternoon also. i had let myself go since retirement, but i’m commited to getting back into fighting shape. no love on the ruger lcr22. that was to be dw’s valentine present, so now i have to scramble for something else. ffl says it’ll be in, just not sure when.grrrrr. anyway, things don’t look like they are getting better, so stack it high folks. out here.
RR…you are an inspiration. I so need to build strength and endurance and have been dragging a** about it. I will start tomorrow by walking to the river and back…a mile+ round trip. Thanks.
mtwoman, good luck on your walking. i’m hardly an inspiration, but i’m trying at least. so far so good. have walked/backpacked 8 or 9 times up to 4 miles at a time. will gradually increase distance and will add running to the mix and eventually weights. keep up the good work.
River, glad you are keeping up. With the overtime and insomnia I didn’t get a chance to work out unless you consider moving ammo cans from one room to another a workout lol.
j, if your ammo cans are as heavy and numerous as i think, that would def qualify as p.t. ,lol.
Helped my buddy move a few months back. His gun safes and ammo cans alone were quite the work out for four of us. I knew he had a lot of ammo but I haven’t humped that much ammo since I was a mud slogging grunt. It was indeed a workout. And I developed P.T.A.E. (post traumatic ammo envy).
sd, didn’t know you were a grunt too. ptae, too funny,lol! take care of those knees. every grunt i ever met had bad knees, me included. FOLLOW ME!
SD and River, its true I have bad knees, one worse than the other. lead, hobble or limp out the way lol.
Add my bad knees to that list of yours…
“lead, hobble, or limp out of the way” LMAO! for 29 years i led from the front, now i lead from the porch:) how do i plan on leading from the porch? a little low and about 6″ to the direction of travel:)
dang ,we’re gonna have to change the name to THE GRUNT PACK.
SD, P.T.A.E. Is that along the same lines of pantry porn? All the ammo and ammo cans I bought at the last gun show looks like a day at the range back in the day lol.
RR, I got my SKS stripper clips from Copes so I decided to load them up. I don’t get as many in an ammo can as I do loose rounds but its nice to be able to slap 10 rounds in instead of one at a time and its easier to do an ammo count.
roger j, i’m always torn between loading all my mags to be ready and afraid i’ll ruin the springs. i keep 5 or six loaded and TRY to rotate those every so often. i just shot some i know were loaded in 2001 and they still worked fine to my surprise. so i guess i just answered my own question, duh. wish i still had my sks’s. traded/gifted them away in one of my ammo standardization fits…gotta run FIREFLY just came on!!out.
riverrider -
It seemed for a while, everyone wrote about magazine springs taking a “set” if the magazines were keep loaded for long periods. Then everyone wrote about that being bulls••t.
Hard to keep straight sometimes when the experts keep changing their minds.
What magazines from 2001 were you testing?
k, mostly military issue type ar mags, various makes, parson precision and center industries mostly… the isrealis did tests on mags loaded for ten years. except for plastic ones that bulged, they shot fine if not loaded the full 30 rds. i keep 25 to 28 in mine. last 3 are tracers to let me know i’m running dry. hope the zombies don’t catch on to that trick:) my first mag in the rifle is all tracers, to direct the teams fire the way i want it, “fire on my tracer” .works pretty well esp. for those that just woke up to the shooting.
k, ps- thats why i never listen to “experts”.
riverrider – I assume military issue mags for an M1a would be the same? Good info to have, thank you.
Wish tracers were legal here…
There is a ruskie sks in a local shop for 650$ Ouch, that is allot of money..
River and K, I found some magazines loaded with 28 rounds in a couple M16 mags with 5.56 ammo (brought home from the Marines oops) last year and unloaded them at the range. I had no problem and they were loaded pre ’98 so well over 12 – 13 years.
My house AR mags (2) are loaded with 25
My house Glock mags (2) are loaded with 10
My 870 has 6 rounds in the tube 6 on the side saddle and its a 7 shot
I know they can handle it but I like a little bit of play.
Kalifornia law this year I can’t pre-load my magazines at home even if they are in a ammo can or locked, its considered a loaded firearm. Its stupid so it just made me go out and buy stripper clips. Who wants to spend half your range time loading mags.
River and k, I meant the state prohibits me driving to the range with loaded magazines in the vehicle. I used to load them up days before the range and toss them in the range bag.
It was nice to have all my loaded mags ready but now its considered a loaded firearm if they are pre loaded driving to the range.
Jarhead -
Thanks for the heads-up on the loaded mags in a vehicle issue! I had thought as long as the mags were in a locked container, they were legal to carry. Glad to hear this from you instead of from a sheriff during a traffic stop.
K, I saw a TV show on Game Wardens Ca DFG last night and they charged someone for loaded fire arm even though the pistol was unloaded behind the seat and the loaded magazine was tool box.
Axel, I paid $79 for my Chinese SKS and when friends make fun of I show them the pictures of the pigs and coyotes I’ve dropped or at the range the sound of rounds hitting steal lol. I wanted a Russian SKS but damn are the expensive.
j, another reason i won’t ever live in kali.
Ex-11 B TDY 3 years with the DOD. And goodness! How did you know I have bad knees? lol I never hike without two soft knee braces on, just in case. For search and rescue operations I always wear two tactical knee pads. I can still hump but I carry a smaller pack. Much smaller.
riverrider: Shouldn’t be any surprise as there are doubtless many grunts and LEOs in the WolfPack. If I were active military or active LEO, I wouldn’t admit it on a survivalist site. I was checking out the Minutemen in AZ about ten years back and my sergeant told me to avoid any involvement in a radical militia/survival group (which they were not) or I would be terminated as a non-compensated employee/reserve. In other words they would take my badge and toys away. The active grunts and LEOs in this pack are laying low. But I know you’re out there brothers and sisters !
SD, we 0311, 11B and other infantry/combat arms MOS are brothers. We have served at different and some the same era/period of time.
Regardless we have seen the ups and downs, good and hardships. We have an edge because of our former professions.
I agree, any active LE or military should use caution or stay low profile. I looked at the Minutemen as well and checked it out and Oathkeepers or any other organization and have advised friends that are active to steer clear for the sake of their career.
sd, good to hear there are others out there. damn shame they have to “lay low” and give up their 1st amendment in the process… i know you have bad knees because mine are shot to heck from humping a ruck that sometimes weighed more than me:) take care.out.
Lets see, this past week worked out which included running, biking and weights. Feel need to stay in shape, in case of having to hike it out.
Split wood for next years supply. Practiced hand gun skills. Trying to keep these fresh once a month. Replenished some food supplies. Have been keeping a close eye on financial markets and news. Heading outside for three hours today in the 20 degree weather to work with a group on removing
some invasive plants out in the woods. Should provide education on my cold preps. Looking for a bipod on recent .308 purchase. Any suggestions?Also does anyone have experience with Leupold rangefinders and suggested model?
Mr. B, a few friends I served with carry the leupold rangefinder RX -1000 because its compact and reliable. They run about $300 to $450 from what I saw online.
The Harris bipod is what I have always gone with over the years. A few extra $$ but well worth.
Mr. B & Jarhead,
Before I had vision issues and finally sold my Remington 700P (7.62 x 51), a sad day for me. I did a lot of shooting with it and absolutely concur with Jarhead on the Harris. I don’t think there is a better one out there, and all in all, they are not really that expensive when you consider the quality.
OP, I have a Harris on my 24″ upper for the AR. Had one on my FN FAL and Browning A-Bolt II Stalker 30-06.
I haven’t decided on picking up a 700P in 223 or an upper for the AR chambered in .50 Beowulf. Which ever one I go with will certainly have a Harris bi-pod on it.
I took the big plunge and ordered an Excalibur Dehydrator this week. I opted for the five drawer model. I have a virtually endless supply of celery and green onions. So I am going to start dehydrating them, especially the celery. Whenever I fix a salad I go out and clip off some of the tops and they grow right back, seemingly overnight. I can’t believe how well this works. If you are interested, all you have to do is go to the store and buy some green onions and celery. Cut off the bottoms. Stick them in some water for a couple of days so they form roots. Then plant.
We are going to get a freeze tonight and tomorrow. It could get down to 25 degrees. Yiikes. I am going to have to cover my winter garden, especially the lone tomato and the cilantro that I planted last week.
I also picked up another 200 rounds of ammo for my Glock. I need to start keeping inventory on my ammo.
I completed the “food analyzer” on the EE website. I learned that my food storage is deficient in foods containing calcium. I need to work on this. My plan at this point is two pronged. I need to purchase additional powered milk and learn to make cheese and yogurt from powered milk. (I only have two cases of powered milk.) Second, I need to learn what kinds of dark, leafy veggies grow in Florida during them summer. Winter is not a problem–I already grow lots of stuff that contains calcium.
So that’s my “Do” list for the week. (1) Read up on cheese and yogurt making from powered milk and (2) research green leafy veggies that will grow in Florida during the summer months.
Gayle, a simple way to keep count of your pistol ammo is first buy an ammo can (metal or plastic) and place 50 rounds in ziplock sandwich bags and place them in the ammo.
This way you can count in 50′s and when you plan on going to the range you can throw 2 to 5 ziplock bags in your range bag ready to go.
Jarhead,
Thanks for the tip. I am thinking of picking up a couple of ammo cans.
Gayle,
I would have to disagree with Jarhead on this one. For him, or me, or any experienced shooter, it’s a great way to store, inventory and keep track of ammunition, especially when you’re reloading lots of your own; however, for a new shooter, we always recommend that ammunition be kept in the original boxes, which not only allows you to keep track of quantity, but also the type (bullet weight, bullet configuration, etc). Until you can easily tell the difference between a .380 and a 9mm, or a .40 and a .45, an FMJ and a JHP, and know how to spot a +P from the head stamp, it is a simple matter of safety. Assuming you purchase non-bulk factory ammunition, it will most likely come in boxes of 50 or 100 and these boxes can easily be stored in ammo cans. It’s a simple matter of knowledge vs. safety for a new shooter.
And one more thing. Did you realy mean “powered milk” or is your ‘d’ key not always working. LOL.
O.P.,
Thanks for the wise tip. I took Jarhead to mean that I should put the entire box (packaging included) in a ziplock bag, and put that in a ammo can.
Gayle, I toss the packaging/box. I put the pistol bullets only in the ziplock bags and place the ziplock bags loaded with 50 rounds each in the ammo can.
You can store an easy 500 to 1,000 rounds depending the size of the ammo can. The reason for the ziplock bags is when you want to go to the range why bother emptying a box and loading when you can grab a bag and go. Plus when and if you have left over rounds, leave them in the bag and you always have an exact count. Why leave 12 rounds in a box, its waste of space.
With my .223, 5.56 and 7.62 I take them out of the box and put them on stripper clips before putting them in the ammo cans.
The packaging takes up valuable space that can be used for more ammo. I’m looking at simplicity and ease at the range. I hate seeing empty ammo boxes at the range, its an eye sore, this way an empty bag can be reused or tossed in the trash.
Like Ron, I label my ammo cans by caliber and grain. I stay with one particular manufacturer for each caliber such as to keep consistency:
.223 55 gr Federal FMJ
.223 55 gr Hornady TAP
5.56 62 gr Lake City or Federal
.45 ACP 230 gr Federal
12 Gauge 00 Buck Remington
12 Gauge Slug Remington
12 Gauge 7 1/5 Birdshot Federal
Etc.
Gayle,
Good point. I took it to mean loose cartridges, but I could be incorrect. In any case, loose cartridges for a newbie are generally not a good idea, but Jarheads way of keeping track is OK if you’re keeping the boxes (with their identifying markings) intact.
Ms Gayle
another option is to store your ammo in different ammo cans by type and then Label accordingly. You can also attach tags to the handle with current inventory count.
We keep ours on manufactures box till it goes into a magazine or JoJo’s round gun.
Regardless of the method you use, make sure to keep the UPC symbols from the boxes! There have been several ammo recalls, and without the UPS symbol you will have no idea if you were affected. I started dumping ammo in my ammo cans and then taping the UPS symbols to the lid. I may have to switch to the ziplock bag approach so I can keep the UPS symbol with the ammo. Nice tip JH!
Gayle, sesame seeds are a good source of calcium…and take up little room – can be sprinkled on breakfast cereal…on bread ready for baking…or, I just stir some into my rolled oats/porridge. cheers.
Chloe,
Good idea but if I recall correctly, sesame seeds have a limited shelf life. I am looking for sources of calcium that are either shelf stable or easily grown. I am really having fun researching cheese making. A gallon of milk only makes about a pound of mozzarella. Back in the day folks made cheese as a way to extend the shelf life of milk. I am seeing another post here.
Gayle,
If you are open to suggestion, may I recommend a premium source for making mozzarella. We ran into a chef, Jasper, about a year ago, and he is well versed in the art of making mozzarella. The mozzarella he made for us is beyond anything I’ve ever bought in a store. He sells a kit on making fresh mozzarella. I figure you can take that kit, buy those same ingredients in larger quantities, and mass produce it for yourself.
http://www.jasperskc.com/mailorder.htmwqa
If I am not mistaken the left overs from your mozzarella production can be turned into ricotta cheese as well. Means when the rest of the world has gone to hell, you will be sitting there eating cheesecake.
Cain,
Yes, I am definitely open to suggestions. I learn so much from the folks here. I went to check out the website you recommended but the link did not work. Could you please repost the link? I do want to be eating cheese cake and lasagna at the end of the world. And pizza too.
Gayle,
http://www.jasperskc.com/mailorder.htm
Not sure why the wqa got added to the end of that link. If it doesn’t work, just copy and paste http://www.jasperskc.com into your address bar.
Cain,
You can make cheesecake from all pantry stable ingredients. When using powdered eggs, I don’t think it tastes just like fresh but it isn’t bad.
If you have chickens, you are golden! Cream cheese from powdered milk tastes good – add the real eggs yolks and whipped egg whites and you have a great cheesecake!
Until I can purchase some land outside of the city, chickens are not a viable option. Would draw too much attention my way.
I can’t stand powered eggs. The only think I dislike more than powered eggs is MRE eggs.
Gayle,
Spinach has calcium. Easy to grow, even in Florida. Get seeds for a hybrid that can withstand a bit of heat and plant all winter long.
You can keep the seeds for about 3 years on a shelf in the pantry closet. (That is what I do.) If kept really cool, they can go 4 or 5 years. I dont bother with that, since I don’t have a basement, its too much work.
Gayle, try planting Swiss chard. I planted mine last spring and I’m still eating from it. Several different varieties, but they do well in our hot weather.
Conmaze,
Maybe you can answer this. I really don’t like cooked greens. Can you eat Swiss chard raw? (I’ve never had Swiss chard.) I am looking for something that can be grown in our part of the country during the summer that is high in calcium.
I have now read up on Swiss chard and I want to plant some. It can be used just like spinach–raw in salads or cooked. And it looks really cool. I like the colors. LOL. It can grow in either cool weather or warm weather. And it is nutrient dense.
My garden this year is going to me more diverse than it has ever been. I have learned so much from the Wolf Pack!
Gayle, I posted my note to you on spinach in the wrong spot. If you don’t see it, let me know and I will post again here.
Oops! Sorry, I didn’t see the part about wanting to plant it in summer. Sorry about that!
Gayle,
You will love your dehydrator!
Gayle, if you like spinach try lambsquarters. grows like the weed it is, treat it like spinach,cook,can, on salads.
it grows wild here in pa,had it in maryland too. at the end of the year let one go to seed, i found one here at a fence corner last fall and cut it down dried it on the clothes line for a couple of days spent about 2 hrs and got 1000′s of seeds.
Stay safe
conmaze — did you start your swiss chard from seed? The seedlings I planted two weeks ago died last night due to the cold. Wondering if I should start the next batch indoors and then migrate them outside when they reach a reasonable size?
Conmaze,
If you did start your Swiss Chard from seed, where did you get the seed? What kind of seed?
Gayle, I’ve always used Burpee or whatever I find at Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes, etc. Nothing fancy. It’s called Swis Chard “Bright Lights”. Funny looking seeds – look like they have barbs sticking out of them like a puffer fish!
The Prepper, yes, I started them from seed. I love the different colored variety called Bright Lights. Beautiful colors! I started mine in spring after the frosts and only covered for the first hard freeze we had a month or so ago. It survived so I decided to see what happened with doing nothing. It was okay. It may get a little wilty, but it comes back. You could try starting them inside and then transplant or just wait and sow directly when frost threat is gone.
Gayle, I’m with you on the cooked greens – yuk. I just went out and picked some spinach, chard, butter crunch lettuce, green onion, broccoli and carrots for a huge luncheon salad for my visiting sister and mother. It’s great to know you’re eating so healthy and it’s FREE food! Love organic gardening. Another suggestion for you to try is kale. I don’t particularly like it, but others love it. My sister makes kale “chips” by putting it in the oven and baking it until crispy then break it up into chips. You can lightly salt or spice it up before baking.
Conmaze,
It sounds like you have great success with organic gardening. I so want to do this. Where do you get your seeds? And besides Bright Lights, what other specific plants do you put in?
Where abouts do you live in North Florida? I live in a small town outside of Gainesville.
Gayle, I live outside of Tallahassee. I get my seeds from an ages-old garden center in Tally that is not “certified” organic because of the costs involved for that label, but they are organic nonetheless. However, I have purchase just regular old seeds too. There is a place in Ocala where you can order heirloom seeds specific to this area and they also have long-term storage seed packets available. Their link is http://www.greentreeoflife.com. I have raised beds and do square-foot method. I amend my soil with horse manure compost from the county sheriff’s horse stables. I never till or work the soil deep – just amend the top. I originally added peat and vermiculite but now just add a thin layer of compost between plantings. I also fertilize with fish emulsion that is a really stinky liquid that I water in by hand with a watering can and then in between I use a pump sprayer with the same stuff just diluted a little bit. This also helps control the bugs. I have used Neem Oil and another product I can’t remember the name of right now, but I get it at Home Depot and it has a sesame oil base. Both work fairly well for bugs. Just remember there are good bugs that you want to be around so be careful. I usually just spray the oils directly on infestations of the bad bugs I find. A few bugs are going to get your stuff, but I don’t go crazy trying to get rid of them all. Check with your local extension office or look at pictures online for identification when you find bugs and see if they are good bugs or bad ones before you kill. We also have bee hives at the garden to help with pollination. If you don’t have bees, try to plant flowers mixed in with your veggies to attract them. They are a must for good crops. That’s all I do. With the square foot and close plantings, weeding is at a minimum. I also water down at the base of the plants rather that a shower type. The tops don’t need the water and wet leaves promote disease and disease promotes bugs. I also don’t water a lot. This winter I watered maybe four or five times. During the summer I water at most three to four times a week depending on the heat, humidity and rain levels. Again, too much water promotes weak root growth. Make your plants grow deep and they will be stronger, healthier and good producers. Oh, and another thing I use is milorganite, a natural nitrogen source also available at Home Depot. It does amazing things to your plants. It’s safe, won’t burn your plants and you can just sprinkle all over the garden.
Here’s what I grow in winter: carrots, kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabages, all different varieties of lettuce, Swiss chard, parsnips (LOVE them)
Spring/summer garden I plant: beets, rutabaga, snow and snap peas, potatoes, more lettuce, carrots and parsnips, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash, eggplant, peppers, peppers and more peppers, butternut and acorn squash, sweet corn, watermelon and canteloupe, green beans (bush) and strawberries. I trellis my squash, cucumbers and melons. I have three 4×15 beds and one 18″x15′ bed. Then I have a flat 7×15 bed where I plant my corn and sweet potatoes.
I will be building beds at home within the next few weeks to duplicate some of what I have at the community garden so if tshtf I will still have my own food supply protected by my dogs, my gun (when I buy one) and a 6-foot privacy fence. I also want to have a small raised bed for growing greens for my chickens to graze on. If you cover the box with small mesh fencing, the greens will grow up through the wire mesh and the chickens can’t scratch up the roots. Just keep throwing seeds down and it’s an endless supply for them.
There is a 12 x 100 hedgerow at the back of my property that I am planning on cleaning out a bit. It is already fenced off on all four sides and I want to build a small shelter. I can’t do it now because of time constraints with work and caring for grandson, but when the time comes, I will have everything set up for 2 to 3 goats and meat rabbits. A friend in the area has stock for me to either buy or barter for. The only thing I haven’t figured out is where/how to get feed for them. I only have a half-acre of land, but there is empty land behind me that I want to try to purchase. It’s land-locked with no legal right-of-way so I figure I can get it for a song if I can find the owner. It’s almost seven acres and at one time had a mobile home on it so there is a well and electric service.
I have a lot of plans, but life and lack of funds and time get in the way. Right now I need to just stay focus on prepping because I have a long way to go on it. Geesh, sorry. I guess it’s my turn to be chatty! Hope this helped with the garden. If you have more questions, let me know.
Conmaze,
I didn’t know that lettuce would grow here in the spring. I just assumed that it would go to seed real quick. What kid of lettuce do you plant. I looked over the seed banks that I received for Christmas last year and I have four different kinds of lettuce: buttercrunch, romaine cimmaron, oak leaf and parris island cos lettuce. Which of these are good to plant in the spring? Which do better in the fall?
Wow. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable when it came to gardening. But if I were forced to garden as the primary source of my food, my family would be in trouble.
Right now, I am planning on tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, green beans, cucumber, carrots, Swish chard and collard greens.
I have seed sweet potato but I need to figure out where I can plant them.
I use fish emulsion as well. This year I put down green sand. Last year I put down a 6 inch layer of compost. But this year my compost didn’t break down enough to use–not enough nitrogen. So I went out and bought composted cow manure and peat moss. I also put down some lime.
I also picked up some seaweed extract to go along with the fish emulsion.
I have 2 kinds of chard. I forget which two. One is OK raw and the other one has got gigantic leathery leaves so you have to cook it. They have both overwintered OK but I’m in zone 6 almost 7. The leathery one isn’t doing as well as the other one.
You can dehydrate any green, then put it in soups or bread or homemade pasta. It’s not as good as fresh, but it’s a way to preserve it without canning.
Penny Pincher,
Ugg, which kind of swiss chard is good raw? One of my seed banks has “Lucullus” swiss chard. Does anyone know? I am looking for a kind of swiss chard that can be used raw in salads like spinach.
conmaze (nofla)
you have done a lot on your 1/2 along with your comm garden. Sounds great –
check out these links (if you haven’t already) about two city dwellers who have little land but oh my what they have done with it.
http://urbanhomestead.org
this is the link to the Path to freedom site of the Dervaes family in Pasedena, CA. Goats, ducks, chickens etc.
http://www.gardengirltv.com is the site of Patti Moreno in Boston, who also has chickens, ducks, goats etc and a huge garden.
these folks have small areas (moreno is smack dab in the city) but the amount of food they grow is amazing.
Good luck – hope you can get the 7 acres!
grannyj,
I read a book a few years back (I wish I could remember the title). It was about a woman in California who created an urban homestead. She even had a squatter garden with chickens and two pigs that liked to escape. She would go dumpster diving at fancy restaurants to get food for the pigs. She took a challenge to eat only food from her garden (or food that she traded for using food from her own garden) for one month.
That’s the book that really opened my mind to urban homesteading.
Those are really neat sites. I booked marked them and will be checking them out. Seems like a lot of info in them.
Granny J,
Sorry for taking so long to respond. Had family visiting and working ten-hour days this week. Did you watch Doomsday Preppers this past week? The Dervaes family was on. It was very interesting. LOVED their garden. Holy cow, every square inch of ground and everything eight feet up in the air was covered in edible something! They had what looked like mutant butternut squash that were six feet long and weighed something like 25 pounds each. Their garden was something to strive for, that’s for sure. And their animals, although they are certainly loved, I have to admit I felt a little sorry for. They had nothing but gravel to walk on and didn’t seem to have a lot of room. I guess that’s why they take the goats for walks on leashes. teehee. Thanks for the links!
Gayle, with a “y”, This is my first post but I couldn’t resist. My name is Gail, I also live in Florida and this week I just recieved my nine tray Excalibur Dehydrator . I have been dehydrating everything in sight! The only thing I worry about dehydrating is when summer hits do I put it on the patio with all the heat and humidity or keep it in the house and fight the a/c. It does put off some heat. Still thinking about that one.
As for green leafy vegetables I have not seen a thing online for Florida weather, I live in zone 9. But I figure I’m going to try planting some small plants I picked up at Wally World (cheap) and see how it goes. Just hoping we don’t get summer temps in March.
Gail,
Welcome to the Wolf Pack. It’s great to see more Floridians. I had my best garden ever last year. I mixed in three yards of compost. This year my compost wasn’t ready to go. But I bought cow manure and peat. Last year I picked up tomato plants from Home Depot. I will probably do the same this year. Right now I have a pineapple growing, some cilantro, a lot of celery and green onions, and I couldn’t resist planting a tomato the week before last. It’s been such a mild winter. But alas it is supposed to go down to 22 degrees tonight. I have the sensitive plants covered so they should be okay.
I don’t have a whole lot of room to garden but I garden intensively with the space that I do have.
Gayle,
Sorry so long in responding and don’t even know if you’re still reading this thread, but I’ll answer you anyway. Didn’t have room to post to your comment above about growing lettuce in the spring, but yes, you can grow it now if it doesn’t get too hot too soon, like we are all expecting it to. My suggestion is to just try it and see how it goes. Romaine and buttercrunch are my two favs. My garden neighbor had Romaine going last year until early June. If it starts to bolt, just chop off the top. She did and it kept growing.
I just went to the garden tonight after work and planted English peas, turnips and pontiac red potatoes. I picked up some horseradish root that I’m going to try at home. Never grew it before. Have you grown ginger? That’s another one I want to start. I would also love to have asparagus but I won’t be planting that at the community garden in case I have to give that up for safety reasons. I’ll wait until I have my beds at home ready. My strawberries are looking good – yum!
Around here we don’t plant sweet potatoes until later in the season. A friend plants them in around his bushes in the front of his house and they work really well as groundcover. He gets strange looks from the neighbors when he goes out and digs around out there looking for his dinner! I planted mine along my corn rows and they filled it in nicely and kept the soil moist for the corn. Corn was done and pulled out long before the potatoes were ready so then they just had the whole plot to themselves.
Gail,
Oh, about the dehydrator. I will leave mine inside. I seriously doubt anything could dehydrate with our humidity during the summer months. I am looking forward to learning about dehydrating. I am getting The Dehydrating Bible for Valentines Day. And my dehydrator should be here next week. I am looking to diversify my food storage. Wheat and rice are great staples. But man does not live on bread alone.
Welcome, Gail! Glad to have another one from the Sunshine State! I live in north Florida also (zone 8 or 9 depending on what map you look at) and dehydrate. I would suggest keeping it in the house in the summer. If your area is like mine, the humidity is high enough that you will run your machine a lot longer outside because you’re basically sucking water from the air. Your ac may work a little more, but that’s why I run mine at night when the temps are a little cooler.
And I think you’re right about the temps this spring – plan on the heat furnace early! Get your stuff in the ground as soon as possible (now) and cover when you think it’s going to get down to freezing or heavy frosts. You’ll be glad you started early and can harvest before the heat and lack of rain, as I’m expecting a continuation of the drought. I sure hope I’m wrong though. Anyway, you can also get you stuff picked before the bug season gets into full swing. I don’t know if you have problems with stink bugs in your area, but we’ve been overrun with them here. I have a few helpful hints to keep them away from your garden area if anyone is interested….And those awful, huge grasshoppers (a.k.a. leaf munchers or Georgia thumpers) seem to be getting worse every year too!
Thanks for the welcoming. I’ve been reading your site for some time now and it feels good to know that there are people out there that don’t have their heads buried in the sand. That Wolf Pack has given me a lot of great ideas and incouagement. I’ve gotten my sister on board and she’s keeping up with me pretty well. I’m proud of her. I’m widowed and she’s divorced so when we get together we are like two chatty Kathy’s discussing preps.
I was so excited to get dehydrating I didn’t wait til I received (if I’m remembering correctly – Mary Bells book of dehydrating) I think I made a few mistakes. I guess I’ll have to see how the vegetable-cabbage soup turns out. I won’t be storing those vegi’s for long term.
As for the garden, it’s slow going. Right now I have tomatos and garlic in homeade earth boxes (idea from You Tube) I live on the Gulf Coast and have a small yard. I’m working on the raised beds, there’s just not alot of room that gets sood sun exposure.
Gail, good that you have your sister on board. I wish I had someone to chat with and share some of the chores of things like canning and putting up my stores. It’s great to have someone to bounce ideas off, split up on things like coupon shopping, thrift store scouring, etx. My family hears me but doesn’t want to believe me. And even tho they now see some of the writing on the wall, they are just slugging along doing the same old thing and absolutely no prepping. My closest family, other than DD and grandson who live with me, are four hours away in Palm Coast. Most have never even been to my house, and in the event of EMP or disaster with no communication, they wouldn’t even know how to find me. Just as well, I guess, as I wouldn’t be able to feed them too! Where on the gulf are you? (remember OPSEC so general location is fine)
Gail and Conmaze,
That’s what I am expecting–a furnace early, by the end of April. I surely hope I am wrong. But I am going to get the rest of my garden in this weekend.
Hot early…. Hurricanes are coming. I don’t like that thought.
Gail,
That was my thought too–warmer weather means a longer and more intense hurricane season.
And more drought!!! It’s still so dry where I am. :(
Gail and Gayle,
You two need to bite your tongues. We don’t need any talk of hurricanes.
If you follow the water temperatures in the Gulf, the Gulf is warmer than normal for this time of the year.
Well I did prep this week, ordered seeds and they came rather pronto. Usual grocery and Wally World shopping.
Forgot a binder and ink again.
But am buying up stuff for a very large sewing kit. Lots of extra needles, needle threaders, scissors, magifying glass (hang around the neck and stands plus it lights up), and looking for leather thimbles.
Hope to get some kind of rolling thing to put it all in so that I don’t have to look for stuff plus I can move it to use and then in a corner for out of the way.
Oh, in the sewing section at Wally World there was a women there buying needles and such. Found it interesting that she was buying two of each item. Just what does a prepper look like?
I have kinda gotten discouraged (no, not depressed). Seems that there is not enough money, time nor energy to get all that needs to be done or that you know you need or want accomplished.
Don’t get me wrong I am so very THANKFUL of all that I have and have done. But seems my lists get bigger and bigger with no end in sight.
Maybe I can just blame it on being old.
Ellen, I think those preppers look and and act kind of kooky! Lol.
As for the list seeming to get longer instead of shorter and having days where you are discouraged, I get that way too. There are some days where I just want to bury my head in the sand again, then I look at my little ones, and keep chugging along. If/when “it” happens, I may not have everything I want/need, but I know I have a good start, and most importantly I have the will to keep going.
Maybe take a day or two (or longer if need be) and just go do something fun and relaxing? Sometimes I just need a day away, without thinking about things, to help me feel better.
TG
Well I guess my wishing and listing and doing are three different things.
Since that night I had someone banging on my door yelling it was the police and there was no one there plus the women on the corner has rented her itty bitty garage room out to who knows what I have been kinda wanting out of here.
Of course I wish for a self-sufficiant place, but that is out so far. Seems the lists are never ending, just as I think I have a list I can work with either it is not complete enough, always something that has to be added, or the money runs out before I can even get going. And the doing has seemed impossible because of the limits of the first two things.
But I will get over it, I usually do.
Ellen,
I had to take a week off…no listening to all the stuff going on in the world either on radio or t.v. Just had had enough! Knew if anything major happened, my DD would clue me in. Did read this blog and a couple of others and that was it. I am now somewhat refreshed and ready to think about things again. At my age, I sorta felt outside of the prepping I had already done, I couldn’t really do anything about our gubernut or the world.
Take a breather for a bit and it will help you.
Blessings!
Ellen, loved your last paragraph. Exactly how I feel most days. Here I am, when I know I have to go out and find some jars and canner, and all the things that go with it. I was gifted with two restaurant bags of cranberry relish at food distribution and just cannot let them go to waste, so a canning I will have to go, lol. My DH came home yesterday with a frozen turkey that was gifted to him by the man he was working for, cutting brush. Now we will definitely have another Thanksgiving tomorrow or Monday. Since I have no money to buy anything, it is nice to have all this extra coming in.
If I roast the turkey, can I still pressure can some of the meat? I would like to try this if it is viable. I have not had enough money to buy meat for canning, so have never tried it.
Mountain Lady,
If I had extra turkey, I would use the carcass to make broth and can some of the cooked turkey in broth (at least half way filled up with broth) and I would use half to make turkey and veggie soup (again making sure the can filled up at least half way with liquid.) Can the soups without thickeners, noodles or rice–just turkey, broth and veggies (and seasoning).
Thank you Gayle, just the info I was looking for.
Mountain Lady,
You will need to pressure can the turkey, pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes. I cook at 10 lbs. but that’s at sea level. You will need to adjust for your elevation.
I loving having the home-canned soups. I can cook a cup of rice, warm up the soup, and presto in 20 minutes I have a meal. But definitely make broth from the bones. That’s some of the best broth you will ever taste.
I also add the feet – if you can get them – when I make broth. yummy and full of geletin. We call it “chicken foot jelly”!!!!
Mountain Lady,
Dang, now you’ve got me wanting to can some turkey. I am thinking of all the stuff I could make with canned turkey.
I could make a turkey casserole–just add 1 pint of canned turkey in broth, cooked egg noodles, 1 can mushroom soup (no extra water–you’ve got the broth) and maybe a can of peas. Yum.
Or maybe some turkey bbq sandwiches. Take 1 pint of turkey, drain broth (reserve). Warm turkey, add dried onions and serve with bbq sauce on homemade rolls.
Use reserved turkey broth to make fried rice with turkey broth. Make rice except use broth instead of water. Dump in 1 pint extra turkey (if desired). Add an egg and whatever veggies are available–carrots, celery, onions, peas.
Or you could make turkey pot pie. Yum.
Or even turkey bbq pizza. LOL
Dang. I just fixed blueberry pancakes for supper. I shouldn’t be hungry.
Gayle…that was so funny…reminded me of myself – when just can’t help myself and have got to share some of the foods I like to eat.
And it all sounded delicious…I am going to have to have some lunch now..it’s 1.30pm Sunday here already. cheer.s
Gayle, thanks for all the great ideas. I got out my trusty notebook and made notes.
mountain lady,
I would disagree with Gayle on one point. Add some seasoning, but leave out the vegetables. You could can or better yet, dehydrate them. This means that you can use the turkey & broth for numerous other things like gravy over rice or potatoes; but you can still make soup by combining it with veggies (canned or dried) and simmering for a bit. Too often I have committed to something like soup, and then found out that I had run out of and really wanted more broth. Keeping it the simpler, the better, will always give you more options.
When we order a beef, we generally don’t get much hamburger (ground beef) and have most of that meat cut for stew beef. It allows us to make stew, or pot pies, but can be easily ground when you need hamburger.
The same thing applies to for instance pancake mix vs. all of the bare ingredients to mix it. The less you prepare these foods for a specific purpose, the more options you will have.
I agree with you, OhioPrepper. I used to can up soups and stews (still do, but only if they are leftovers). Now I can the meat, veggies and broth/stock separatly…much more versatile. I walk into the pantry grab a pint of meat, a pint of broth, a pint of celery, pint carrots and a pint of potatoes…yummy stew or soup in minutes. If anything is left over I can that…then I have a couple pints of stew/soup.
Mountain Lady
You have been blessed with the cranberry relish and turkey.
It is always a good thing that some stuff is free.
Mountain Lady & Ellen,
Someone who gets free food and feels blessed, is the kind of person we need more of. To often those who get the free food feel entitled, a major problem in today society.
Thanks ML for your humility.
Ellen
Don’t know if you have a Hancock Fabric in your neighborhood, you can also find them on line. Every 2 to 3 months they run their notions for 50% off, notions are needles, thimbles, including leather ones, hooks eyes, tape measures, rulers, seam rippers, ect. in other words “stuff” you need for sewing. (I don’t work nor do I make any money from you shopping at Hancocks) I only buy sewing notions when they are 50% off, and I normally keep a good supply on hand. JoAnn is another fabric store, they normally honor competitors ads, in case they are your local fabric store. Some things are a bit cheaper at Wally World, just watch the quality.
Ellen…I too have seen more people doing “prepper” type shopping lately. I never say anything anymore because the couple of times I did, it was too strange a conversation, as they were “kinda” doing it, but didn’t know why. Very strange.
I have also noticed certain things with less shelf-inventory than usual, like batteries, camping supplies, etc. When in Walmart not too long ago, I was in the camping aisle looking for a collapsible 5-gallon water jug. There were none on the shelf in the place marked for them. There was an employee in the aisle so I asked her about it. She said they couldn’t keep them in stock…that the shelf had been re-filled twice in the last month!
I feel a lot of pressure because of this. If people are waking up, there is going to be a run on the basics and the stores (since they are keeping less stock on hand anyway) will not keep up. Since I am somewhat new to prepping (only about 2 years in reality) and I have such a small amount of funds to prep with, this is worrisome.
MtWomen (NCentralTexas)
Don’t be pressured by what the stores don’t have or that others are buying up. Will be a blessing in the long run if others are prepared and we don’t have to worry about them.
Yes, Money is the deciding factore for most of us. That is one factor that has me discouraged.
Inflation has me more deflated than anything. I know food prices have gone up. Which has been hurtful. But the manufactured goods have gone up dollars instead of by pennies, nickels and dimes.
I think though what has discouraged me more than anything is that I don’t think that even a change of the guard in DC will help one bit. They may stall somethings but we are going to continue on a slide.
So even if you have been prepping only for 2 years you are ahead of the game.
So I guess that means we will have to spend our free time in making up new lists that are more workable for us and do-able.
Have you all read that gas is expected to go up to $4 by Spring and even as much as $6 per gallon by Summer? I read that in the local paper this past week. I don’t even want to think of the price of groceries if gas goes up that much. The strange thing is that crude is not rising–only gas. I suspect it’s the fear of what’s going on with Iran. (BTW, Iran has put the world on alert that it will have a major announcement on its nuclear program in the next few days.)
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/11/world/meast/iran-nuclear/index.html?eref=igoogledmn_topstories
I was watching the weather channel tonight and they actually did a news story about the natural disasters and weather last year and how it was gonna affect the prices of food. They mentioned beef, pecans, peanuts, wheat, corn from TX that did not get to be planted, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and citrus crops. I about hit the floor that MSM actually did a story. My DH was in another room on the phone with his brother and did not see the coverage. I wish he had seen it so I could push buying more food to store. They covered the floods, extreme drought, crops that were damaged due to freezing, and the such. I wonder if the sheeple were paying attention??? doubt it.
Hi Wolfpack-
On the subject of crazy climate and effects on the various regions of the country, I found a very surprising website:
http://www.globalchange.gov/
I found it surprising in the unvarnished scientific projections. Most of the official reports I’ve found up till now are a load of bunk. We know it is in the govt’s best interest to keep the sheeple content and in the dark, and so most of what is reported by the media is overly simplified, to the point that the point is lost. But anyone who knows how to read a map can go to this site and click on their region and see what the civil engineers and policy planners actually expect to happen to us in the next decade. It’s pretty close to what the scientific community sees coming, but has been unable to bring to the public. Not sure why the media aren’t shouting this stuff from the rooftops.
Scary stuff coming from official reports.
Other than reading everything I can find on the crazy climate and the crazier world financial markets, I’ve done very little prepping this week…
MtWoman: Two years? Then you already know this but I’ll say it for others less experienced but with similar worries.
The more you prep the more you realize that certain ‘luxury’ day-to-day purchases you once thought important are frivolous and unnecessary. You catch yourself weighing a purchase and putting it back if found low on the priority rankings, skipping that restaurant lunch and waiting to eat at home, taking a cup of coffee on the way to work and bypassing Starbucks, passing up that new Resistol hat you’ve been eye-ing, etc. Fixing that item that you would once have discarded and replaced without a thought. Buying 5 buckets of wheat at WalMart because its a 25% off sale when you only went in to get a sewing kit.
Being more parsimonious means you can prep more.
As you prep more (buying many things in bulk) you save more money to prep with or occasionally splurge with. I definitely can now prep more with less income and still have money to do things with and for Mrs. S.D. I’ve driven the same dented but reliable GMC truck for ten years now. We used to lease two new vehicles every three years! Wasteful and expensive.
Besides with the great info and advice we get on this site we can cut corners, avoid bad products, secure the most efficient equipment,etc. Learn do-it-yerself home gardening, home and car repair, survival device fabrication, better food preservation techniques, survival retreat site-ing and construction, the latest and greatest in fire-makers, the cheapest and best weaponry attainable….and the list goes on and on. I was discouraged once at the slowness of my prepping but though my income has declined and prices have gone up, I am acquiring food stuffs and survival gear at a faster and faster pace. I give a lot of that credit to the advice I get from various sites and especially this one. And Ellen is right…you are already ahead of the game. Stack it high!
Survivor Dan,
You are right about not wanting to go out for dinner. My dh wanted to take me to this fancy restaurant for Valentine’s Day. I said that I would prefer to have a couple of books, The Dehydrator Bible and another one on making cheese, yogurt and butter. And he got a book too. We spent less money on the books than we would have on the dinner, but the books will teach me important skills. (And I can cook better food that you get in most restaurants.)
Gayle -
I would be careful when turning down a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant for a self-help book – you could come across as saying, “I’d rather spend time alone in the kitchen than with you.”
An occasional “date” is very important amid the bustle of daily life (esp. a prepper’s life) and shouldn’t be passed over lightly just to save a few bucks.
Gayle, I couldn’t agree more with your statement on cooking at home being better and, of course, cheaper. We will be going out on Valentine’s Day with a gift card and coupon, how cheap is that! My husband and I met on Valentine’s Day 23 years ago, so the holiday is more than special. Congratulations on your new dehydrator! I understand sliced mushrooms dry nicely.
K. Fields,
You are right about this–I am so very practical. My dh is the romantic dreamer. LOL We are complete opposites. I just can’t see spending $100 on dinner for two. (We went there for our anniversary last year.)
MareBear, And mushrooms are BOGO this week at Publix.
Gayle, What’s the title of the cheese, yogurt, butter book? This is something I need help with.
Totally agree with you on the comment about making better food at home – I can too and I’m not that good of a cook. Around here all we have are chain restaurants – yuck.
Garden Mom,
Here’s the book I ordered:
Homemade Living: Home Dairy with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Make Cheese, Yogurt, Butter & More
I can tell you in a few days if it’s a good book. I did get a couple of books from the library but they were not very hands on with recipes. I went to youtube and watched some videos on cheese making.
SurvivorDan:
I can’t agree with you more. I’ve been “at prepping” for several years, but over the last 6 months or so I’ve taken a different outlook on what it’s important to spend money on. I didn’t really waste any money, but what is a priority has changed.
I finally got to the point of being somewhat comfortable with where my preps are, and started concentrating on the areas that we are weak in, learning new skills, and purchasing items that increase the efficiency of our preps.
I also want to eat out less, go to movies less often, and my “toy” buying has dropped off my a lot.
It’s just a progressive mindset change.
s/dan…so agree with you…and as for ‘fixing that item’ – today I used duct tape (and 5 minutes) to repair my camping clothes line (new one costs over $50).
And that took care of the $50 I actually did spend on 50Kgs of rice last Sat.
And this afternoon, I called in to get some fresh rolls – and ended up spending nearly $200 – really good specials (have been waiting for canned ham to go on special – and so got 5 cans) and am getting them when I see them…
and got a rain-check on other items.
I am completely focused on preps…once all my essential spending money is allocated – the rest is for prep shopping.
I carry a cooler bag to keep my cold water in, along with my dehydrated bananas and pears, and my thermos is sitting beside it on the passenger seat…and when I see people paying $3 for a small bottle of water I thank God that I have my cold drinks waiting for me in the car…
I have a big drink before I go into the shopping centre – and then when I am back in my car for my trip home…I pour out a lovely cup of coffee and enjoy it all the way home…as I saved myself over $10 just in drinks for the day.
And I can nibble on my preservative free and non-sweetened dehydrated fruit.
There are so many benefits to being a prepper – just planning ahead…
And I too have put stuff back on shelf because it’s not a prep priority…however…I keep it in the back of my mind…and when it’s on special…it is all the better. cheers.
Ellen…it is good if people are getting prepped, but if I don’t have..or can get..what *I* need, that’s not good. I am re-vamping my lists and making sure that I only purchase what I really need first. I have been doing this pretty much anyway, but need to double my efforts.
I am terribly worried that come end of summer and early fall that between the election and mayan hoopla the sheeple will all of a sudden get serious about stocking just because of last minute panic thinking. Prices will really go up and product availability go way down. Also the ones who figure they will “go out with a bang” and not care who gets in their way I worry for the stupid and rash things they may do.
When I have those “so much to get done yet” days I just stop and try to remember that we are way farther ahead of where we were when we started out prepping and if SHTF we will just have to make do.
Mid-west Mrs. I remember Y2K and all of the hoopla and preparation back then. The Mayan calendar thing is stimulating some sheeple no doubt. The panic types don’t really know what they are buying or necessarily why. Of course the internet fuels people with good information such as we have here or bad information on doomsday websites. I also have noticed that certain items seem to be in short supply at times. I think it’s mainly due to supply or lack there of in some cases. Stores manage their inventories very closely and rely on turning inventory to increase profit. I have turned to hardware stores and farmers CO-OP’s for items. It’s amazing what you can buy at the local Co-op, from farm supplies, gardening supplies, baby chicks and many other useful items. I just gave away one of my sources but it’s worth a look. I have also been going to hardware stores as I mentioned where they stock many useful items. Case in point I was out of strike anywhere matches which nobody stocks anymore, but my hardware store had a good supply of them in stock. The cost was slightly more (mom and pop operation) than the big box retailers but their stuff works just as well and they had them in stock.
In the interest of Mom and Pop, We appreciate the business!!! Helps them stay in business and pay the bills. They need the money more than China Mart!
I try to keep my money local when I can and support the places that employ locals or are owned by locals. We all need to stick together.
Take care!
Repair Mama -
I agree, I agree, I agree!!!!
It ALWAYS bothers me that people drive to big box stores instead of patronizing their local shops. And doubly so when those same folks bemoan the loss of business in their downtown area by blaming others such as the government.
For me, it’s worth much more than a few saved dollars to see local business thriving.
right on…potatoes were $5 for 5kgs or $10 for 20kgs…from a local farmer. (only bought 5kgs…got too much to do already without cooking and dehydrating potatoes as well this week).
And whole pumpkins $3…
and also bags of avocados for $2 (bought 3 bags) to share with DD.
Local growers are heroes…they have almost been wiped out from big business..our 2 major supermarkets – Coles and Woolsworths – had a price war over milk recently…dairy farmers really suffered…
now, there is talk of Coles going to half the cost of veges…the local growers/families get screwed over every time…
I am supporting our local growers.
Col. D Nashville,
The upside of the Mayan calendar apocalypse on Dec 21 is that on Dec 22 you can start watching Craig’s list for deals on generators, water filters, and dehydrators. This is basically what happened in Jan 2000 when the world didn’t come to an end. Just sayin’
OhioPrepper,
My birthday is the day before the end of the Mayan calendar. I posted your comments on my P/C calendar so that if I get any money for my birthday I can shop for all three!
Hunker-Down,
How do you know your birthday is the day before the Mayan Calendar ends? I mean, how do you do the conversion? Did they have the concept of a leap year back then? If not, you will need to recalculate.
:)
Gayle,
According to OhioPrepper, the Mayan calendar ends on 12-21. I can handle the mathmaticks to back up 1 day. I think they inscribed it on a rock somewhere. LOL.
O/prepper…same thing happened here after cyclone larry and power re-connected to homes…generators for sale + + +. Some people have short memories.
OP: Post-Apocalyptic Predicted Event Sales! I like it and may test your hypothesis (cash at the ready). Nice…
Col. Sir, roger that on the strike anywhere matches, that about the only place I can find them. One nice thing about small hardware stores was addressed on the Tim Allen show Home Improvement where on Tool Time he said you don’t pay a couple extra bucks for the product, you pay for a retired handyman’s or plumbers experience and its a place to talk about tools.
You don’t get that at Walmart or Home Depot!
Jarhead 03,
The dinky little town near us has a 150 year old hardware store with a couple of clerks that probably started working their on day one. At first glance they look like gnarly old grouches who would have a hard time making change when selling a candy bar to a child.
BUT, ask them a question about plumbing, electricity, farming, farming chemistry, motors, engines, trapping or bird seed and you will get a clear answer that you know comes from first hand experience.
j, funny you said that. i was in lowes the other day. i heard a customer ask the dept. manager if she had dehumidifiers. she said no. i said yes you do, bottom shelf over behind the appliances under the dryer duct/vents, beside the range hoods. coulda bought her for a penny:)
Mid-west Mrs.,
Think about it this way. When the world does not collapse because a calendar ends, a lot of folks will be unloading supplies really cheap. And we will be there to buy them up.
Yes indeed
personally, i think we won’t be buying anything from anybody in december. i’m betting the election will go badly and chaos will ensue. jmnsho.
rr…I agree chaos will ensue…it is shocking to see the various internet articles showing the riots and street marches in many places all over the globe…
and some nations have had unrest since this time last year…and now Greece is reeling from the austerity measures…
Yes, chaos from food/fuel costs rising, houses being foreclosed – still.
And our major banks have all increased the interest rates on mortgages/loans even though our reserve bank decided to keep the cash rate on hold…and our incumbent government does nothing about it.
Right now, things are mostly peaceful…however, just like overseas…there will be a trigger event, then boom…lives and livelihoods changed forever.
We preppers are prepping as we can see what is coming…if only the Greeks had had more warning of what they are going through right now.
And Italy, Portugal…however, remember that Australia is also in big debt…for the amount of citizens we have.
We have no way to pay our debt back…too many baby boomers leaving the workforce at retirement age, wanting to access their superannuation (similar to your 401K) – and the only way our population grows is with immigration.
And same as US – not enough super’n funds to fund our retiree’s retirement years…as costs keep increasing…
yes riverrider…chaos…same amount of resources/food/water/houses/hospital beds etc – and more taxes…as debt around the world is steadily bringing countries down…for whatever reason..
I also acknowledge that the real reason for so many govt’s gorging on current and increasing debt levels may never be fully known to me…so, I prep…cheers.
Mid-West Mrs: I’m with you. I think it will be BEFORE end of summer/fall that we see these behaviors. I’m already seeing it in the stores. Just the other day in Walmart, I was in an aisle and disgusted that the brands were so limited…and the prices had gone up. I looked at the woman who was looking at the same item, and mentioned how I felt. She looked at me with what I would call almost panic in her eyes, and said “I don’t know what I’m going to do…I can’t afford what I need”. I pointed out something that helped her and went on my way. It’s happening now…the panic…and will only worsen. I am SO grateful for my 30 years of living off-grid in Cal…I’m not so afraid as many are and will be.
And you are right…I’m ahead, thankfully, yet so behind!! :/
mid west mrs…I too have those ‘so much to get done yet’ weeks…and do it all myself until my DD has some free time between her full-time job and her uni studies to come over and help me pack and stack it all.
We can only do our best…and leave the rest up to God.
you can check the website and get it that way. i have noticrd they are putting less on the shelves here too. i think they are doing thos on purppse so they will have less working capital toed up in phusical stock in the stpre that may have to be sold at a loss or stolen. i guess i might just be paranood though lol
Repair Mama…you are not paranoid…there IS less inventory, higher prices, and less name brands in Walmart, and some other stores.
mt woman…the other day, there were no wooden matches in the 2 supermarkets I usually frequent…that was a big wake-up…even though I already have many…
so, when I next saw a stack of them…I bought the lot – at .93cents for a box of 10 pkts…no way was I leaving any behind.
And – another 100 lighters for .50 cents each…just to calm myself down.
And, I bought another 50kgs rice yesterday – only $1 kg. Clerk asks me what I was going to use the rice for…said it was for a big Scouts outing.
Trust your instinct…
Yesterday I also called into the feed/saddle store..they said fresh wheat arriving either Mon/Tues…so, got to get my cans ready.
Mt Woman…I am also feeling the urgency to get more food preps…and even though already have a lot…still got a ways to go…so many people only have a pantry filled with food…and a lot of that is condiments – nothing hearty or filling.
I won’t be going into town shopping when there is a run on the basics. You won’t need to either. cheers.
Chloe:
I like the comment about the Scouts having an outing. I have 2 grandsons (10 & 12) and always use them and events as a reason for bulk purchases. Then from Spring thru Summer it’s large group camping, Fall is hunting season, and Winter is restocking from any of the above. People just smile and nod, and tones does the situation.
I find it amazing and angering that we have to explain our purchases. Whose business anyway? In the America I believe in, each to his own. Sorry…it just rankles me. I make up things too when questioned, but it makes me mad to have to.
mt woman (NCT)…let me tell you something that will really fire you up…so, just relax okay…this happened to a friend of mine last Thursday…
now, don’t get fired up…
My friend choose to buy a recent model car 4WD, CB radio, tow bar, bull-bar, roof rack – all the bells and whistles…and only 12 mths old.
called me re the process…plus, reminded her to not drive the car off the lot on Friday without first phoning the car insurance mob to get a cover note on the car…
So, Thursday she went to the bank and wanted to get cash out – could get a great deal if paid cash…
get this…clerk wanted to know what she wanted the $20K for – no attempt to start the process of handing over the cash…(my friend of over 30 years was also ready for her – because this sort of cr*p is happening regularly – and my friend happened to be with me when someone also tried to tell me how to spend my own money).
my friend said to bank clerk ‘why do you want to know, it is my money, and it is none of your business, and are you going to give me my money or not’.
Clerk had to first speak with branch manager – and anyway, long story short my friend had to come back later that day.
So, my friend also went to another bank (different banking institution) and also requested $20K out – and this time got the full amount in minutes…no problem..then she went back and got the first lot…car cost just over $40k.
And my friend could not wait to phone me and tell me how she stood up to the snooping bank clerks.
so, there you have it…it is her own money – worked hard for many years…and kept her old car for ages, just like me, and needed a safer car…and wage/bank staff think they have the right to ask what she wanted the money for – and not only that, they expect an answer – forthwith!!!
At least she was still able to get cash out…and she loves her ‘new’ car – sent a photo of it to my phone.
Can you imagine how the first bank clerk would have reacted if the full amount had been requested, instead of just half.
we both are still laughing about it when my friend phones to give me updates.
however…let’s see where we all are in 12 months time…and wanting to get cash out of banks…we may not be laughing.
Thank goodness I see the humour in most situations, and my friend knew I would scream laughing when she told me about the bank clerk…hope you are laughing too.
And get this…I am now thinking I want to order more canned cheese…I think I am just about over the last episode…and want to have another go, while I still can…
will keep you posted on what happens when and if I do put in my order – but only if you get a laugh out of it….cheers.
jp in mt…yes…and I am ready for them all now – they get a big fat lie …and it does tone down the situation.
however I justify myself by knowing that when my neighbours and I are going through what the citizens in Greece are going through now, I know that a couple of bags of vac sealed rice, ground wheat, canned butter and cheese, and some cans of ham/tuna that they find at their front gate some mornings will feed them and their children.
I walk past their houses now on a regular basis as part of my trying to maintain some semblance of fitness…and their dogs are used to me – they don’t even come to the gate anymore…except when I have my DD’s dogs with me – then it is bedlam, with all dogs going off. cheers.
Chloe…”Trust your instincts”…EXACTLY!!! That I do. I’ve been noticing store inventory changes for some years now, and commenting to my son about it. Well, other people in my life have been mentioning it to me lately, so VALIDATION is right there! And it is incredibly frustrating to SEE these things and not have the $$ to address it. I have to remind myself every day that I am doing the best I can, WHILE I work to improve my finances. The main thing I am doing right now is FOCUSING…not letting anything distract me from what I need to do. The days of “there’s time” are gone. The pressure is on, and I’m trying to rise to the occasion. Thanks for your support through your own observations. :)
mt woman..I pray each morning – because I am spending a lot of money on food – not to mention the other things preppers need to stock…and ask if it is time to slow down yet…
yet as the opportunity presents itself…I buy things that are prep items, marked down to 50% or even better.
I have to watch my money too…I spend a lot of time recording my income and outgo…and any surplus goes to preps after all outgoings have been taken care of.
when there is no surplus…that is a week of practicing, and looking through my stuff and repacking it all into more BOB’s etc…
I am frugal – yet don’t feel I am missing out on anything…I would like to have more stamina to do all the things I need to do – the day ends so fast though.
Yes, focus – thank goodness I don’t have any problem with that…at my retreat it is all go – because when I have to attend to a rental I try not to load up my car too much – or it means an extra trip back to retreat to unload it all.
I have also noticed changes in inventories…I can’t change or control that…so I don’t even waste my energy – I just keep my eyes open for all the opportunities that are everywhere – as they present themselves.
Take it easy…keep your eyes open, and opportunities will appear at the right times…remember, you/I/we are not alone in our preps.
Remember the jar of flour and oil…just enough for one last meal…instead – never ending amount…remain steadfast…resolute…we do not know what tomorrow may bring.
health is important…focus on that…so, less stress – you are alert to things already…we are all in the same boat…your and my fellow citizens also, and I know people are expecting zombies…
The reality is that when people are all hurting…they help each other…a recent example for you guys was Joplin – outstanding example of people standing together (some in the only set of clothes they had left) and helping each other.
Look at how the Greeks have come together – everyone is suffering together, yet they support each other.
Focus on your positives – not dependant on drugs/dialysis/insulin…this is a game-changer – yet there are people on this blog who need prescription medication etc.
And if I remember correctly, it was Encourager who needs dialysis…how hard and cruel is that.
And others have diabetic children. Others have elderly parents (you included).
Don’t sweat the money issue…you will receive what you need – exactly when you need it, and I will expect you to let us know when that happens.
So, stand strong…remember – strength and courage – and one day at a time.
If we do get to the stage Greeks are at now…need to stay anchored to our faith…that is the real refuge.
If it is any consolation to you…even though I have material assets owned outright – I am not counting on them when SHTF.
They are just material things – and not worth my life trying to defend – instead, while things continue, I continue.
However, when the balloon goes up – the preps I have will be available to me – just as your preps will be available to you – so, don’t worry about future lack of money….you already have some preps…and will acquire more when it is time…
God bless…
Ellen,
Your lists do indeed get longer because you get older–the older you get the wiser you get. And it’s wise to think comprehensively–to try to include everything your family will need. It’s not that you are getting less done; it’s that you are realizing more things that your family will need.
That is exactly it, in a nutshell..
I think a lot of folks are being forced into prepper mode due to rising food/commodity prices.
The dollar store stuff has gone up a bunch, I’m back in china mart again for OTC meds.
Blindshooter,
I was in Walmart today buying soap and a lady next to me was just staring at the soap in disbelief, “I swear this has gone up a $1.50 just in the last few weeks,” she said. I nodded my head but did not say anything.
Ellen:
Prepping is a journey, a continuous journey as you learn, add and refine your plan and supplies.. We started in 1985 by experiencing our first hurricane (and panic) . About 5 years ago we became concerned over national, international and monetary events and now we not only are prepared for hurricanes, but are prepared to face whatever else comes our way.
Remember, the fact you are preparing puts you well ahead of the majority of people. Just watch the news of the hordes decending on the stores prior to a blizzard, hurricane etc. Just like the story of the ant (prepared for winter) and the grasshopper ( only concerned about the present). The ant survives , the grasshopper doesn’t.
eagle,
Unfortunately in the modern day, the government will tax the greedy and to help that poor downtrodden grasshopper. It is called social justice.
the story of the ant and the grasshopper has been changed. now the ant takes in the grasshopper and takes care of him and they become life long friends. our childrens stories have been rewritten so that our children learn that you can be a screw up and someone will be their to take care of them. three little pigs, the wolf no longer eats the pig the pig runs to his brothers house. it was deamed that childrens stories should not scare them, thus the lesson they tought was lost.
Robert,
Unfortunately you are soooo right. Many of these stories were written by “The Brothers Grimm”, and nowhere else were brothers who write children’s stories more aptly named. The stories used to teach life lessons about consequences, and are now little more than a feel good way to pass the time.
OP, then it is a good thing I have some of the very old story books! They tell the original stories. I hate political correctness! When I homeschooled my youngest, I had to hunt and hunt for good history books to use. Just about everything I found had history ‘re-written’. I finally found some good ones but it took a long time.
Robert in michigan, I hear the new 3 little pigs story is
the two pigs used to living off their parents and the government blame Wall Street after building their wood and straw homes on city property, as result getting blown down by the big bad law I mean wolf.
While the smart hard working brother in his brick home ends up getting guilt tripped by his parents to take in his two “less fortunate” brothers because its the right thing to do. They live happily ever after while their brother works hard supporting them.
cant wait for it to hit the book stand sounds about the way its going to end up. all of the brothers grims tought a lesson and my dad always said learning from someone elses mistake was far easier and cheaper than learning that lesson for your self.
took a few years of banging my head against the wall before i took his advice and started aplying lessons learned along the way and from watching others fail. im not rich, im not a huge successful mogel but i have four walls and a roof over my head and some pretty adept children who still hate me because they had to buy thier own cell phones because i would not.
robert in mid michigan,
Watch it! Persecuting your children in that manner will result in their becoming self responsible!
Good for you. Good for them.
Robert, my nephew wanted a cell phone so I made him work for it. I told his mom when he pays for the first one he will certainly loose he will remember how hard he worked for it. He did and when he lost it and had to work for the second one, he didn’t loose it. He broke it but had insurance on it like I suggested on the first one. When he can’t afford to pay for it he asks if he can work for it instead of asking for the money.
I told him I didn’t care if a bike was stolen when I was a kid until my dad stopped paying and said I had to get a paper route as a condition of him buying it plus I had to pay for half. I never had another bike stolen when I paid for it.
jar head we brothers some how pretty much the lesson i got as well.
Ellen,
Prepping includes balance! Doing everything you can, then rewarding yourself with the knowledge. Prep heavy. Reward yourself with a night of a good book. A healthy day of not thinking about it.
In the list of your goals. Include rewards. Pantry Porn? LMAO! We all are guilty. BTW, I hope you saw the previous posts about that.
Set a goal. meet it, and go to the zoo.. They wont be there after SHTF. Go to a botanical gardens. Have more picnics. I always recommend those. While there, makes more lists.
Blessings on your journey.
I try to remember to prep things that I will find enjoyable after SHTF like personal indulgences and comfort items that will mean the world when the world totally goes to hell. It is a little crazy, but it helps me a little with balance and holding off panic.
I even have thought of a way (while solar charger and stuff works) to have enjoyable music when I think I will really need it.
It is also good to reward yourself for each goal that you hit. Even if it is just a chocolate bar and bubble bath!! My favorites!!
Repair Mama,
Great attitude. Life will be tough enough to not have a few creature comforts, although we may find ourselves with more time on our hands than we realize once the garden is in, etc.
In my case one of those things is some extra guitar and mandolin strings. I don’t play all that well anymore, but could end up with lots of time on my hands to practice.
OhioPrepper,
My DW gave up the 5 string banjo because of the weight and is now going bonkers with a 3 string dulcimer.
Drives me nuts. I prefer Benny Goodman and crowd.
I just thought of some things you just reminded me of.. DH bought me a violin a few years ago. I used to play in school, but had not picked one up in years. When I tried to play this one, it sounded so bad that the baby cried! that was 6 years ago. I would love to get some lessons and be able to plaqy like I used to. I need to put back extra strings for the violin and DHs banjo. Will need rosin and an extra bow or two. also have daughters old clarinette that will need reeds ans care kit along with somw music books.
I find music helps to center me. as a teen, i would get lost in the sheet music and feel great after I pllayed a bit.
Thanks for the info to get extras and strings.
OhioPrepper,
If you play bluegrass we should jam sometime. I am in KY
PP,
A little Bluegrass, but mostly folk and country; although I have a good friend who plays a pretty good BG Banjo, and I do like the Genre.
What is your general location there in KY? Wonder if you are close to me. I’m on the state line of KY.
Would be so neat if we could meet for coffee.
Remember Rule 32. Enjoy the Little Things
Great advice Mama J.
I get so engrossed in prepping that sometimes I can go a month without taking the long-suffering Mrs. SD to a dinner or a movie. I wrestled for an hour with my feelings when selecting a birthday present for her – a new camera bag or a new computer. And her needed new quad processor computer was the result. I couldn’t help thinking that could have been 2300 rounds of ammo or 860 lb of rice!
But she’s a lot of woman and deserved the new computer.
What good is prepping for the future if you miss all the good stuff now?
And what is a zoo? I vaguely remember…….
S. Dan,
A zoo is where you go hunt animals have the collapse.
Gayle,
Not sure about that. Remember that a lot of those animals are also capable of hunting you back, LOL.
Ellen…I have been prepping so hard – and staying up very late on this blog/internet keeping up with the news…and I just had to take a break…
was getting a little burnt/worn out…can only wash so many cans/bkts and pack stuff away…enter stuff into record keeping etc…so, I got up early Friday and went to visit a friend who has a massive garden…part of the seed savers club – had some much needed time out…
After I left my friend’s place, was so energized, so, on my way home, I dropped into the main store in the town – got some good stuff…
was still invigorated the next day …so went back to that town yesterday (Sat) and got more stuff…plus more ingredients for more sausage rolls for my friends – and I called in and taught the kids to make the rolls…and then continued on home.
today – hit the wall again…so, taking it slow…
And I also run out of energy- and I want to buy more wheat/rice/canned stuff etc before the GM foods saturate all areas of our diet.
spent some time in a gas/camping store – as needed a new regulator (plus a spare, just in case) – and saw so much stuff would like to buy…however – already have so much already. so glad I bought what I did at thrift shops…if I had to buy those same items at the camping store…just would not happen….
The fact that you are aware of what is going on (as much as we can be aware), are prepping and have some stuff set by…is going to help – compared to the clueless sheeple…
Hang in there…things are moving fast.
You have the basics covered already…so, don’t stress out.
If you have to leave your home for whatever reason…just the below will be very heavy and bulky to carry…
Water and form of filtration, fire starting tools/mess kit and stove/first -aid/ fish-kit/ toiletries/food and shelter, comfortable clothes/shoes/boots, some lighting, small radio/batteries – some tools/knives/bangsticks – when or if you have to go to a secondary shelter (friends/family) if necessary…
the bulk of preps will no doubt be left behind…so hide it well…may be able to return at some later date.
We are all in the same boat (??Titanic)…I understand what you are going through…rest up (I am having another rest day today) when you can…and keep pressing on however and whenever you can…cheers.
Chloe….so much you say resonates with me. We face so many issues…on so many fronts…GMO, economic collapse, limited product availability and rising prices, cheap foreign-made stuff, natural & manmade disasters, increased possibility of disease, Government shenanigans….and it IS happening so FAST!!! I honestly don’t think I can prepare to survive it all. So, I am focusing on first things first: preparing for any natural disaster that might happen here and preparing against the rising food & general product prices….and trusting that THE Spirit and MY spirit will carry me on. And if not, then so be it. I’ll prepare for that too. But boy I sure do feel pressure to be able to do more.
I’ll be making a trip to the one store that I know carries strike anywhere matches and get what I can this week. And batteries are at the top of my list too.
mt woman…yes, we preppers are all on the same page…and it is not just the gals…I also connect with some of the guys comments…
That ‘pressure’ is a good thing…yet I don’t understand how the sheeple are still not feeling it…
Matches and batteries..excellent items…can never have too many…I see the stores filled with an abundance of stuff…yet can only buy so much…
At least we still have stuff in our shops…I know it seems crazy that we are prepping for shortages, whether from natural disasters, or financial collapse.
yet, I read somewhere that there were approximately 3 million preppers in the US..and that 4 million people tuned into the doomsday preppers show…
so, some people are sitting up and taking notice…however, the remaining 300M people – still clueless it seems.
Oh M.D.It make my blood pressure go up thinking about the taxes..
When I was self employed for 25 plus years.. It is not easy. But has many benefits. Barter but most people cannot.. It is so unfair to the small business man and very had to the one man shops.
Glad you felt better for a but. Prepping just go some items in from LDS. and checking stock making a new list..
Oh and thank to the all the pack on filling me in on how to get rid of the deer & critters in my garden.. Pee who would of thought!! I will beef up the marigolds to for all the critters.. Also heavy electric fence is planned many strands and about 8ft tall. An neighbor down the road solved his problem that a way. I think a few snare inside in case someone get in.. But I am good for many pees a day..
Will have to watch the fence though OUCH!!!
Later all
thatAway,
If you pee on that electrified fence, if you survive, you will never do it again!
H-D
I’ve never actually peed on one, but back in my Meter Reader days I was reading the electric meter on a farm and of course it is on a pole in the middle of a field. Having grown up in the suburbs I had never seen an electric fence. Let’s just say that when I stepped over the fence I misjudged the length of my legs. I believe I set an olympic high jump record that day.
s/prepper…that made me laugh…sorry…
chloe
No problem, glad I made someone smile.
You got that right!!
Hunker Down
I have decided to pee into an old gallon sprayer I have here.
Use it up daily.. Have you ever get bitten by a live fence..WOW
You will not want to do it again. But to add the pee and
well you know part?. I will be turn the fence off during treatment and harvest times. Solar power from my new fence old one rotted. I forgot about a battery for a few years for gotten.
Man it spread everywhere. Now way to salvage it..
Later
battery inside. I will give a report later in the year.
May make an OK submission..
My typing stinks I need to proof read.
Your sprayer will also stink! lol.
HD,
You may also never need Viagra again LOL
Do you mean the current arcs through your…………ouch indeed!
peeing on a electric fence will not kill you BUT it will be an eye operer lol
kelley,
Back in high school I worked for a farmer, hauling his soybeans to the elevator. He hooked a wire from the transformer on a telephone pole to a single strand of wire about 2 feet above the ground. His cattle would not eat the grass any closer than 3 feet from that fence. You could hear the wire humming.
He had 2 children, both under 4 years old and this fence was across the driveway from his house.
I was glad to finish that job and get away from that stupidity.
We had an electric fence at my dads farm, but it was powered by a 12 volt car battery.
Now who was it that was worried Doomsday Preppers would scare off newby preppers? LOL What if some of them read thought all this talk of pee, wee-wees and electric fences. They wouldn’t even get to the part about spraying pee on the garden to keep the rabbits out. They would think, “What the hell? Have these folks been looking at too much pantry porn, or what?” I mean, dang, folks; bbq weewees is a little to far, don’t you think?
Gayle,
I didn’t do nuthin; just brought up a safety issue; just another INTJ instigator; with bad syntax. Heeheehee.
LMAO!
Pee doesn’t work. Human hair doesn’t work. Deer jump over 8 ft high fences no matter how much you pay them not to.. Dogs and Zombies are the only REAL way to keep them out.
Peeing on an electric fence is very very bad. Ask my little brother who has never forgiven me after 38 years.
Don’t touch metal poles with your tongue and for goodness sake, never believe what dwarves say after midnight!
My name is Mama J and I have indulged in pantry porn. I liked it.
Peeing, BBQ weenies, and pantry porn……. boy I think we have all lost it!!! lol hahahah lol LMAO!
RM…LOL…me too. At least we’re laughing!!! SO needed with all the c**p we have to deal with. :)
funny the things youo find funny, interesting after you start to live this type of lifestyle. ill add a couple others i have a problem with
ill stop and talk to a total stranger about thier garden now
i cant walk through the produce isle with out saying i want to can that, i need to can more of that
you can tell a prepper their the ones drueling in the camping isle at the box store
you can tell their a prepper when they have a cart full of 2.5 gallon water jugs from walmart and have nothing else in the cart
or in the kids mark down isle purchasing more than 4 sizes of the same article of clotghing. the sale at walmart where i got all of the jackets, i also purchasedlittle boy cloths in 5 diff sizes. buggy was full and spent less than 100 dollars along with the other crap i bought.
That away, pee has always been a good way to ward off animals. I had friends give me the funniest looks when we go camping when they ask why I “go” everywhere my response is “keeping the bears, mountain lines and critters away” its always worked.
8ft is pretty tall but if you can do it, are you planning on some of it under ground for the burrowing critters?
Jarhead 03,
I think that pee may only work if your dog doesn’t run around covering all your pee with his pee. I think the predators stayed away from you because your are a bad ass, and they sensed you were dangerous.
Mama J, maybe it was the jim Beam lol. I’m a teddy bear, at least my gf thinks so lol
I am so glad to hear you are on the mend. You probably now understand why influenza is such a dangerous disease. We seem to take for granted that medicine has evolved so much but it is scary how bad the flu can get.
We have been dealing with a sick dog this week and I didn’t get much sleep last night being up with her. She has had what my Dad used to call the “backdoor trots” and it is not fun for her or me cleaning up after her. Sometimes she just doesn’t make it out the door, need I say more. If I don’t make any sense with my post, please pardon my mushy brain.
Now that I have gotten my computers back online, I want to share a tip the computer guy gave me. He installed 2 programs, Sandboxie and Malwarebytes, to the computers. Sandboxie uses your browser and makes going online safer because it dumps all the cookies and potential malware when you close the browser. You cannot save a file but if you know a website is safe, you can save the file from your regular browser (like IE , Firefox or Google Chrome), which is still usable even with the Sandboxie installed on the computer. And he suggested clearing your cache and using the Malwarebytes scam regularly if you go online daily. And be careful which coupon sites you use, they are bad about having malware attached, Coupons.com is okay.
I picked up 3 4×12 canvas tarps to cover my LTS buckets, a pair of yellow safety lenses, a extra tire gauge, a head lamp for DH’s BOB, a free led flashlight for my BOB (both BOB’s now have a flashlight and a head lamp) and a gamma lid from Home Depot. At the drugstore I picked up another 6 week supply of Prilosec and two packages of Coflex for the home first aid kit. I am also working on a mini first aid kit and sewing kit that is going in my BOB. The gamma lid was for the 5 gallon bucket that is holding the pack with the 3 day food supply. I added the free sample of Ovaeasy eggs that came with my last order to this supply too. This bucket and a plastic crate with the BOB’s will be on a shelf adjacent to the vehicles for easy loading. This shelf also holds cases of water, cases of sports drinks and bags of charcoal that can be loaded quickly if we need to leave for whatever reason. Wow, I didn’t think I had done that much until I typed this so I think this helps me see my continuing progress. After watching the news this week, I feel all the more urgency to hurry. Stay safe everyone!
I just knew I would forget something. Well I said my brain was mush today. I got a phone call from one of my dear children this week that her DH was laid off. She was very worried especially about him losing medical coverage but also how they would make ends meet. I have tried to get her to start preparing for things like this but she has been resistant. Hopefully this will get their attention and hopefully he will find work soon. This now make 100% of our children to have experienced job loss! And 100% of them can hardly wait to vote out TDL!
nuttbush, i hope your little dog is doing better, i know what it’s like to sit up with one all night. take care.
Thanks pam s, I know you have canine children too and how hard it is when they are ill. I appreciate you thoughts. And I hope you get well soon.
nuttbush…sorry about your children losing their jobs…more jobless daily…God help them all.
At least they can now start to prep…lots of things they can do – start selling any unwanted/unneeded items – garage sale.
They have free time to straighten out their house and set up storage areas that are out of sight…
water bottles can be filled. Internet surfing (at a public library) will teach them so much – to get them up to speed quickly…or get some good books from library – endless variety on every subject – as prepping has a steep learning curve…
time to take walks, fitness and stamina improves – and can pay attention to water sources – any orchards/gardens growing close by…if so, they could contact the owner – go up and knock on the door – and offer to help pick/pack the fruit for a share of the fruit/veges.
Maybe offer to set up a road side stall – and man it – to take advantage of the morning and afternoon workers commute…
this crap that we are all going through is just gathering momentum…there may not be any more jobs -no matter who is elected…
are they able to help you with any strenuous activity.
I hope my suggestions helped…and that your DD hubby finds work asap…in the meantime…know that millions of your and my countrymen/women are also in the same situation…I pray they all find a way to get through these times.
cheers.
Nuubush54: It seams there is nothing like a good dose of reality to get your kids attention. A few years back my youngest moved from the east coast to Portland , OR to change jobs and go to school. She took my sister up on the offer to stay with her. Sounded good. Then she found that the room was that unheated one over the garage and it was $400/mo. Then the car she could use needed $1800 in repairs! Then my sister needed $2400 to keep them from foreclosing on the house! She had spent 6 years taking my advise about finances so she had $5000 saved up when she moved. Then she started taking my sister’s advise. When she said she was getting a puppy and a new car, I advised her not to (she said “I’m 26 yrs old and I think I’ve done pretty good” which is dad speak for “I’m about to do something stupid”), and was told what a controlling father I was. Within 6 months, she quit the job to help her mother in NH when her step father died. Then they were both moving our to Portland. Her new car and her dog spent 5 months at my house and she made her payments out of her savings. Then my sister rented the room out from under her so they had to get an apartment (and like I told her, getting one that would take a dog was tough and more expensive).
Three weeks later her mother didn’t have a job, didn’t have any friends after being gone for 30+ years, so back to NH (broke).
Got to start all over again and now has had to take her mother in as a roommate because mom’s income went down.
She’s gone through several storms that have taken out the power, and each time we have talked about what happened and what she could do to be better prepared. Each time we get a little farther down the prepping road. It’s been interesting.
wow JP, that is tough…hope it made her stronger.
Nuttbush,
My vet recommended imodium tablets. They work.
We gave he .5 mg Imodium this morning and again tonight and she seems a little better. Tonight we gave her about two tablespoons of cooked plain white rice and she gobbled it up so I think she is doing much better. At 12 years old and only weighing 11 pounds, I get concerned about dehydration. Normally she is running circles around us, so when she is sick, you know it.
Thanks Gayle and chloe for your thoughts for our canine child.
chloe, I am definitely going to use this chance to work on my DD and her DH and see how we can get them started. I think I am going to gift them a “prepping” gift to see if that will help. The DD has a emergency bag in her car already, so I think now is my chance. Job losses are just one of the many things we all prep for, so maybe this time she will see my ideas as reasonable.
nuttbush..hope your little dog gets better fast…he must be feeling so bad.
We all know how bad we feel when we have the ‘trots’…same for the 4 legged critters…
hope you catch up with some much-needed sleep. cheers.
I think the Amazon donation is down to 3% now. Guess their profits weren’t high enough.
Glad to hear he still gets something, I went through his site when I ordered a GPS unit this week. Good deal plus I was able to use some points to make it cost only $58. So I hope that helps M. D. a little.
Sounds like you have the Gulf Coast crud. Flu like symptoms, feeling weak and often with a nagging cough that won’t go away. You take care.
For prepping. The doctor put me on a strict low salt diet after surgery and we are going thru and replacing. Swapping out Spam with low salt canned chicken , regular soup with low salt. Tedious.. Have a lot of food going to the local food bank. Freeze dried meats and meals are very salty. Since that is our food of last resort we are keeping it.
Bought a Coleman LED flashlight and a LED Lantern. That lantern will light up a room. Also bought two Rayovac Sportsman 4d-KB lanterns for 7.67 each. There was special on batteries and I bought more and am now ready for hurricane season.
Where I bought the Coleman items the clerk asked if I was getting ready for “whatever”. I said no, just hurricanes. The clerk pointed out how low inventory was on first aid kits, lights, camping gear etc and said everyone is buying. Where I got the batteries and the Rayovac Lanterns a store employee who I always say hi to said when seeing the lanterns and batteries that I better be preparing for what is coming. I d said all this is for upgrading hurricane stores. That individual told me in about 30 seconds what they are preparing for and what they have. I said don’t tell anyone and by the way you need….. and gave an idea and named the product. There seems to be a general unease among many people.
Eagle, I feel you on the salt issue where mine is cholesterol. I don’t use salt in cooking, I use garlic powder as a great substitute. Try it If you haven’t already, my friends who love salt don’t even notice the difference when the gf or I cook or bbq.
Good call on saying hurricane prep. I say “its been a while since we’ve had a big one so I’m just making sure I have enough for ten days” when a worker asks, then go to another store or cashier next time if I get “that look”
I once bought 20 packs of the alkaseltzer and when the worker asked why so much I said “damn birds” and got chewed out by some animal rights nut lol and had to say I was kidding I’m putting them in a friends spa as a joke.
Incognito lol
Glad to hear that you are feeling better. Luck has it that we have not been sick around this house. I will be going to CPA the first week in March. We just paid the last installment in Jan. on our taxes. We middle income families are hit hard by taxes. In this family only one member out of two works. The age to retire is just around the corner. My social security has to be added to our income, to pay taxes on. I have just started to draw my ss this last year. As far as prepping last week I added the following items, Bandages, Band aids, Coffee filters, toilet paper, peanut butter, vinegar, couple of spices and misc. canned goods to replace what i used. Trying to find room to store more items. Hope everyone has a great week.
This week ended up being expensive for me. Started by buying 4 more small cans of chopped ham, small jar of Kraft pimento cheese spread and another bag of dry pintos for storage. Then I ordered 6 oz flannel sheets from Landsend. With the coupon I had the sheets cost $133. Had an eye appointment as I haven’t had my eyes checked in 4 years. But the most expensive was that I bought a Taurus 990 and it came with a free holster and cleaning kit. So now I can target shoot for fun and not burn up my 38 ammo.
We bought 3 more Rubbermaid totes and Mylar bags to finish bagging our wheat.
Received the book “One Second After”. General Bob Scales is mentioned in the book, I think we see him occasionally on Fox News discussing troop issues. The story is set is in a town near Fort Bragg N.C. a place I used to know. Our oldest son was born there at Womack Army Hospital. His hospital bill was $0.75. Just to keep the record straight for all you guys that flopped around in a prop wash, I’m was a leg.
We also bought an extra pair of scissors and 4 pair of shoelaces for the housewares prep box and a spool of 30 lb. fishing line to be used as trip line.
I miss the sage comments of Lint Picker and Templar Knight.
What happened to Templar Knight………did he sign off too?
Worrisome, yes TK signed off from what a few people said. I tried to find the post but couldn’t track it down. If someone has the link to TK and Lints farewell post I would appreciate it.
Lint’s is on the Alvin jar sealer thread, near the end and posted by Survivor Dan. Have not seen TK’s, maybe MD knows about it.
Jarhead…Lint’s original sign-off was on Cliff’s water situation post.
I will go back later and see where Templar’s sign-off post is located.
It is in last weeks “WDYDTPTW” post. I missed it and sure will miss him and Lint.
it was last weeks wdydtptw, about middle way down. you can do a “control f” and type in templar and it’ll come up.
It’s on Feb 7th at 10:07pm.
Hunker-Down: Did you finish reading the book? I did, and it really made me sad and fearful, not for myself, but for anyone that is not prepping.
Did Templar Knight give a reason for his leaving? I could not find his post. I read LPs farewell letter and it made me cry a few tears. If, and when the time comes, I know I will miss the Wolf Pack terribly. This is my go to place where I can be with people like me.
nountain lady,
Read “One Second After” two plus years ago. The book is an eye opener. Sent it to a friend who in turn sent it on to another and another and so on. Everyone who read it was retired military and every one took some actions to mitigate the what ifs it really happens.. One reader figured with 14 well placed nukes you could literally shut down every continent on the planet and put life back 150 years. Sobering thought.
eagle: The book was an excellent eye opener. I could survive for a while, but it would be a struggle, assuming no health issues. Being blasted back to the past would certainly mess up a lot of people. I liked that the college kids worked on food and forming an army. Gives one hope for the future generations that I had frankly lost.
eagle:
I’ve read the same book, a couple of times. From my maps I think you could do it with 3!
mountain lady…same with me…when time comes…I will miss the pack too…this is the only place I can discuss preps…we are all like-minded people.
And, yes, I teared up reading Lint’s farewell, and Templar’s – as well…however, respect their decision…who knows, the time may come when more of the pack, including myself – may go off line in the future – for whatever reason.
I’m not going to leave but I’m considering coming back with a new handle. MD’s fine blog is getting right popular and I think some folks might catch on to me.
Good op sec blindshooter.
mountain lady,
Yes, I finished the book the following day. Everyone should read it. I think individuals in every war in history went through some of the same things in the book.
History repeats itself, and I wonder if it will again this year due to Israel/Iran or riots over our upcoming election.
TDL already has Occupy Wall Street, the unions, all his czars and some military brass psyched to do his bidding. He is hiding an army in plain sight.
Mountain Lady, it appeared at least in my reading of it he may have felt slighted or unhappy but I couldn’t tell. I’m dealing with a head cold so don’t want to say what’s not there. I wish him the best of luck in life, a well stocked pantry, a clean barrel and plenty of ammo.
Jarhead03, thanks for the reply. I did see where he wanted to contact you and thank you for wishing him well. I hope he will come back at some point. Will keep good thoughts of him, too.
both had a lot of insight and were good for a quick laugh normally at thier own expense. gonna miss them im afraid as time goes on more and more will have to drop for a veriety of reasons. know my time is limited if the job situation does not change soon. can still use the library though get some use from my tax dollars.
robert,
Good luck with the job search.
MD — glad to hear you are feeling better! Sucks that the flu hit you so hard. :( What did I do this week? Planted some snow peas and sugar snap peas and started to make a list of the veggies I’m going to grow this summer. Need to get those seeds started ASAP! Continued looking for remote BOLs. There appears to be a huge number of short sales and foreclosures coming on the market, and I’m starting to wonder if this has anything to do with the big banks agreeing to terms w/ the various state attorney generals this week.
Has anyone here started fruit trees or berry bushes from seed? Wondering how well this works.
The Prepper- From everything I have read, you can start an apple tree from seed but it takes about 5 years before you get apples, then you may not get the type of apple you thought you would… kind of like saving seeds from a hybrid, when you plant it you may luck out or not.
I have a lime and orange tree and was looking into expanding that, and I guess what they do with the citrus trees is that they graph one species of stem onto a different species of roots.
I dont know for sure, havent looked into it, but I would *assume* you would have better luck getting berries started from seed then fruit trees.
There are probably a lot more knowledgeable people about that stuff then me on here, but I would say it might be easier to purchase them so you get what you are looking for.
You sure can graft various citrus to an existing citrus tree. Like turn a good hardy drought resistant tree but not quite the best fruit into a beauty of a tree.
takes some time but I was wanting to take a good hardy drought resistant orange tree and have it grow some nice ruby red grapefruit, lemon and some delicious orange fruit. So from 1 tree we can get a yummy supply of various fruits.
I saw one the other day at a customers house.
So the first step would be to find that good hardy tree for your area, get it going and slowly graft on the various other trees you want.
I saw one , now the question is can I recreate it over the next few years.
Best luck to you :-)
been a long time but i read somewhere that the grafts only produce the differant fruit for one season and after that tehy take on the roots, fruit and ornge tree grafted with a grapefruit would only produce grapefruit for one season after that it would be all oranges.
may be wrong on this but almost positive i read this somewhere.
My handyman was talking about citrus trees. I have one that is 20 yrs old and has never made a single flower. I planted it from seed. It was the seed of a miniature orange tree. He said it was root bound and this is why it never flowered, also there is some kind of citrus tree that the roots can survive down to 10 below zero, so you can grow them in the southern midwest. You can graft any other kind of citrus’s branches onto another citrus. I don’t know if they work for one year or longer.
I have grown mango trees from seed. You just take the pit, clean it up and let it dry out for a few days. Then using a knife, crack open the pit to get out the seed. Then plant the seed in compost.
The Prepper,
We grow blackberries here from seed all of the time. They are actually the seeds from last year’s fruit that falls on the ground and germinates.
Fruit trees are however little different. You can plant an apple seed for instance and get a tree of that species, which may or may not be suitable for your growing conditions. As the other posters have stated, often a hardy root stock is planted and has a high producing stock grafted to it. Fruit trees have been around long before man started grafting and genetically modifying them several hundred years ago, but the hardy and high yield versions are relatively recent, and are probably your best bet, if you can afford them; otherwise, you really have nothing to lose by planting some seeds and watching what happens.
been out of the loop and about last few weeks.
Put away 20 gals gas with PRI-G as preservative
Pasta sale at food 4 Less, got 20 lbs at .89/lb
Progresso soup assortment with Costco coupons
Found some real “strike anywhere” matches at DeNaults hardware, these have been near impossible to find. At $1.29/box of 300, bought all they had. REI sells “strike on box” for $1.79, I used to think their prices were competitive but have decided that is not the case.
3 lbs Ca-hypochlorite powder, this was also difficult to find. Many pool stores now sell “chlorine” as newer fangled formulations that are an alphabet soup of ingredients
Started some tomato and pepper seeds. With the warm and dry winter this year in low Cal, thought I’d take a chance and start a little early
offshore…re the Ca-hypo powder…I just bought 20 kgs for $116. (2 x 10kgs buckets for $58 each).
Bargain, as I initially was going to just buy 2 kgs for $15.
Then I saw the 4 kgs for $37 (which is what I normally buy).
However…saw 2 buckets on bottom shelf…score.
Really, the only thing I did was start herb seeds. And my seeds are so old that I’m not sure how many are going to come up at all – only the thyme is up so far.
This week has been a rather slow week on the prepping front.
Number one prep was stating new compost, blew our leaves out in to the middle of the yard, FIL drove the garden tractor/mower, with leaf attachment over them, first we covered our potatoes, trying to add a layer of protection from the coming cold snap we are having this weekend. Next we filled up our first bin then, the second bin, and started on the 3 third bin. Our first 2 bins are 4 feet square, and our third one is 5′ across and 5′ tall, we normally never get it full, but maybe we will this year. We still my FIL half of the property to work. The exciting news is we have fox tracks in both garden sites, plus a wild rabbit kill over at the FIL place. This is exciting for us as we keep having the rabbits eat our gardens, in fact we had decided to start eating them as a means of control, but we are happy to let the fox have them.
Started some seeds.
We also have been doing some research for a new butcher, he was a dud, the search continues. This is the number one reason to research, your butcher before you commit to having him/her work for you. We’ve got a couple of leads from folks we know, and trust.
I want to thank the wolf pack for all the thoughts a prayers for my parents. The doctors sent dad to rehab, for 7 days, mostly to give my mom a chance to rest up and for hospice to get on board. Now, if we can get the other sibling on board with hospice we will have smooth sailing. For you folks who haven’t had to face this hospice is a God send, we used hospice with DH’s grandmother, it was a true blessing.
Glad to hear the you are doing better MD, hope you continue to improve with each passing day.
Hope everyone has a good week!
Keep the faith and keep on prepping.
Texas Nana, my dad was 83 when he passed about 5 years ago and he was in a hospice. It was rough going for the family and they did help make things as easy as possible for the family. My dad was a fighter so when they said he’d pass in 3 days I told family and friends it would be longer, it took 7 to 8 days. My dad was a good Christian and a treasured deacon who lived through the depression, WW II, seen me become a Marine and see grand kids so it was easier for me knowing it was his time.
Take comfort knowing there will be eternal peace after a long lived life on earth and a families love will always be there to get you through.
I find myself at 38 sounding more and more like my dad every day and its not a bad thing, even the occasional NC farmer southern drawl that slips out lol.
As for the rabbits, enjoy and its nice to let the fox have an occasional meal as well.
A good butcher is hard to find now days with grocery stores selling pre-cut packaged meats.
thier is no way i could do what those people in hospice do, but i will give them all the credit in the world for having the strength to do it. they are a godsend and probably one of the largest benafits is that they give the family a chance to take a small break so they can keep thier strength and sanity.
my prayers are with you and yours as you face this trying times. may he live out his days with as little pain as possible and know he goes to a better place where thier is no pain. where he can be the man you remeber. he will not really be gone for he lives in all of those he has touched in life. may god bless you and keep you until it is time to rejoin them when we are called to gods heaven.
texas nana, my prayers are for you and your family. wish i could do more.
Prayers are all we can ask for, and just what we need.
Thanks
MD glad to hear you are feeling better!
This has been an on/off week for me. I have started nesting, so tend to over work myself and then pay for it the next day. Most of what I have done is cleaning out, decluttering, and clearing space. I try to keep things as neat as possible but organization is not my strong point so in the process of clearing stuff out, I find stuff I am trying to figure out where it came from and why I have it. Then I find stuff that I have been looking for forever.
I made some trellises for my vining plants. Put my tomatoes out (the weather has been so nice) and wouldnt you know it but we might get down into the 30′s tonight. Thankfully I have have more seeds started just in case.
Still working on baby blankets and other baby items.
I will be going to the store tonight so will be adding more to the pantry and first aid kit.
I also made some diaper cream and vapor rub. I have been looking into making my own antibiotic ointment. There are a couple of recipes I have found so may try them out to see if there is one I like.
I think that is about it for this past week.
MD
I feel your pain on the taxes. I started 2 small part time owner operator businesses this year, and I’m getting KILLED, literally smashed for doing well with both of them, plus my full time job. My sister is a COS, and I almost vomited when she called me when she finished mine.this dysfunctional, criminal, shameful government we have is nauseating.
Anyways, as promised this was a money saving prep week. I started an inventory of my current food preps, and did a lot of reading up on gardening. Also had a great discovery as well. A good friend (known him 15 years) is prepping. We were talking about Congressman Paul and the Fed, and he let slip about “my retreat stash”. We both kinda looked at each other a second and realized at the same time. Always a plus to find someone you care about knows the score…
Tinfoil, had the same situation with a co-worker/friend. Someone sent him my way to fix his M4 instead of going to a gunsmith and we became friends. One day when talking about earthquake supplies he let it slip on long term prepping so it was nice to have an actual person/face to be able to talk about these things.
We hit the range when we can (or when his wife let’s him) lol. He turned me to this blog last year.
oddly enough after my first week of work after moving to central pa, I spied 3 nice big boxes of mountain house stuff sitting in my bosses office. I just had to go play stupid!! mountain house? whats that? his face was priceless,”you dont know what that is? its just stuff.” really? what kind of stuff?”nothing you would understand I guess.” so the ackward silence was almost as good as the look i got when… you mean the 25 year freeze dried food in #10 cans kinda stuff? that was over a year ago. we havent ever really compaired preps but we do talk about things. he might even be a member or lurker here
right “Mr Smith”?
Hi, this is the 1st time I’ve submitted anything but have been following this site for a couple of months and enjoy it very much. This past couple of weeks I have bought & frozen 1/2 a pig, sent my main seed order, counted all my stored food & put it onto the computer, bought some plastic tubs to store things in & got the 1st aid supplies in one, oral hygene in another & soaps in a 3rd. Several more to work on filling. I’ve also canned 10qt. of soup. Scary as my old pressure cooker had a dial & this one just has things that bounce up & down. DH has built a box for back of tractor to haul wood in, and started building a wood splitter this week. We have had a very warm winter but the last two nights have been -30 C. I’m getting to feel I know some of you. Have a great week everyone. Canadagal
Canadagal,
Welcome to the Wolf Pack. Half a pig–wow. That’s great.
So good to have you here with the Wolf Pack. Looking forward to your posts.
Welcome from a fellow Canadian, did you butcher out the half pig yourself and are you doing some Charcuterie with different parts, If you are not making head Cheese, do consider making Guanciale with the pork jowl.
Yup the temps took a nose dive for us as well, I got wind burn from my outside time today, I would raither have a little sunburn over winter wind burn anyday.
Canadagal,
I nervous with so many females around, but welcome to the Wolf Pack.
Welcome Canadagal– hope you feel at home as much as I do here — and brrrr -30
Canadagal,
Welcome to the Wolf Pack!
Welcome!!! 1/2 pig???? I’ll bring the eggs and we can have breakfast@!!!!! yum!
We all love our old friends and love to make new ones! Hope you stick around for a long long time!
Stay warm and good luck
canadagal…welcome…
welcome to the pack
a good start to prepping and how is it their are so many females on here but in my life my wife plays lipservice to preping, i think she goes along with it to keep me quiet and intertained, as thier are a lot of other things i could be doing with my time that she isnt really fond of. (repairing her kirby vaccume then having to ship it to them to get it fixed the rite way)
good luck and hope to here from you aften
Canadagal, Welcome
Welcome CanadaGal! It is good that you are posting now. Feel free to do so.Steve
canadagal. greetings from arkansas. everyone here is like family.
Welcome and Hello from another Candian :)
Bought a couple more packages of Iostat tablets ( we live about 40 miles from a nuclear power plant) and bought a lot of coffee. I am not a connoisseur of coffee just need the caffeine. LOL Addiction is a b#@ch! Anyway, a new store just opened up called Sav-a-lot and they are having a great deal on both their store brand and a name brand- sizes ran between 28oz and 33 oz for $5.99. Think I have at least a year supply or more now.
Bought some canned beef and chicken at Costco. I am a little leery about buying the canned salmon now and tuna because of the radiation in the Pacific. Anyone know anything about that? How do you tell when the stuff was canned?
My DH is now on the CPAP machine so I have to look into solar power if/when the grid goes down or there is just a “simple” blackout. Trying to find a cheap way of getting and storing solar power so I am really looking forward to that article by Robert in mid-Michigan on the soda can solar power setup.
Added some more quik clot to my first aid kit. I also plan on hitting the Dollar Tree for more dental floss. It can be used for a lot of different things. As I may have mentioned before, my “fish” are set as far as antibiotics go but I still feel woefully inadequate when it comes to the medical side. Trying to find some kind of paramedic class I can take locally. I could probably pass a written test on first aid, it’s the practical side that I’m missing.
grannytraveler, i didnt’ know if you knew that they make a cpap machine that runs on batteries. the life of the battery is long term. just a thought.
I will have to check on that. The one he has just plugs into the wall. Wonder how much the battery one will cost or if I can get a converter for the one he has. More research!
Granny,
I wonder if that salmon and crab come from a farm or from the ocean. I know a lot of the seafood we get in Florida farmed and not caught fresh.
The canned salmon at Costco is wild so it comes from the Pacific that’s why I am concerned about radiation contamination. I think it is cesium that they are finding in seafood-could be wrong. I don’t buy farmed seafood and now won’t buy canned or pacific wild caught. What’s a girl to do?
waiting for the sun to warm the garage a bit but headed out that way shortly. either way thier are a ton of articles on this on the web search soda can solar heater(panel) they work of that thier is no doubt. im using a double glazing which isnt all that common but necassary for the north to get as much energy as possible from it.
gonna be a couple long weeks ahead for me and not sure how much time i will have to dedicate to this.
Ms Grannytraveler. There is no need to be concerned about radiation in Salmon.
http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm
So go ahead and buy that fish from Costco.
Not sure what happened to my first try.
At the gun show. Sold enough to by DW her new carry piece (Ruger LCP in 380 w/laser). Also got books & primers. Things go well I may get some ammo, too.
Ordered 8 buckets of soft white wheat. I’ll take delivery later this week.
Keep the RADAR on and the preps going!
Gun Show, Day 2:
Another good day, but a slow morning.
Upgraded Oldest Daughter’s Revolver (from 38 Spec to 357 Mag), sold the 38 at the show so the upgrade only cost $25 (total investment ended up to only be $150)!
Ammo: 5.56×45 62gr, 9mm 115 gr JHP, and 357 Mag 158 JHP, plus 5,000 Small pistol primers and 5000 Large Pistol primers.
Medical: 2 x 20 pkg of mixed sizes of sutures w/needles, 1 4 0z jar of Collodial Silver cream.
Books: 3 prep based fiction, 1 on dehydrating, 1 on defense.
Food: Paid for 8 45 lb buckets of soft white wheat.
Guess we’ll see what tomorrow brings, but I moved a couple of heavy items and a high dollar pistol.
JP, good run at the gun show!
I have about 25 rolls of military OD duct tape and thought about taking some to sell for a few extra $$ towards other purchases.
Jarhead 03:
I would. I have a friend that I share table space with and we have some different things that show up on our tables. There are more and more prep items showing up too (which is another good way to make contacts and pay with cash)! I get to do about 6 or 7 a year and really enjoy them. My DW goes with me and has made several friends of her own and taken up knitting as a result of one friendship!
JP that was great trading at the gunshow.The 38 is a good caliber but the 357 is a much better caliber. I can see why they still make 38 in the 5 round tiny framed guns But I do not see a use for a larger 38. in my way of thinking though.A friend of mine had a diamondback in 22 lr and a python. He did not see a use for a 38 cal diamondback because of the python.He still has the python(not for sale) though.
axelsteve:
38 vs 357: For a long time all I had were 357′s. Found that I was shooting mostly (99%) 38 and 38 +P loads. So I ended up with my Cowboy loads (158gr RNFP @ 750 fps), defense loads (125 gr JHP w/+P velocity), and a few Heavy Defense (158 gr JHP’s). Since I rarely shoot Cowboy matches any more those light loads work great for snubby practice and starter loads for new shooters. I still have 2 357 rifles and now 3 357 revolvers so I’m going to grade my ammo like this: 38 w/brass case (Cowboy/starter loads), 38 Nickel (125 gr +P loads), and 158 JHP’s or 180 gr Hard Cast Gas Check (Bear Loads)in the 357 cases. Since I have a very good progressive press and LOTS of brass I usually do them in batches (hense the new load of primers).
Winter is for reloading, the other 3 are for unloading!
Day 3 at the Gun Show:
Ammo: Practice and practical for the 380.
Books: got one on smoking and salt curing.
Sold a few more items so I came away with a little cash for future purchases if thing I forgot I needed!
Hey all,
I got an awesome deal on a brand new Columbia heavy winter coat with removable layers, for just $40. Their outlet stores are putting all of the winter gear on major sales.
This week I made some chapstick. The family just looks at me and shakes their heads anymore (as they grabbed one and walked off). Very simple, very easy. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out so I didn’t buy the empty chapstick tubes (ebay), the next time I will. I got 14 containers filled, I used old empty chapstick containers, dug old gross lipstick out of containers and cleaned and used 4 glue stick containers. The recipe was off the paratus Familia site. I love the chapstick, I won’t ever buy store bought again!
I also tried out some food storage recipes, a couple will go into my regular menu, a couple sucked so I crossed those out. Quinoa pilaf is never going to be on our list. Sorry for those that love it. Reminds me of birdseed and even though the family ate it I was complaining right along with them. Orange/cranberry scones with orange glaze, OH MY! That one made it into the regular menu rotation!
I bought “Maker’s Diet”, “Pinheads and Patriots” and “When All Hell Breaks Loose”, Cody Lundin from the Goodwill. Haven’t read any yet.
Also got some soap fragrance and broke down and got an emulsion blender (ebay) for exclusive soap making work. I plan on making a few batches soon. I did find a website for essential oils that looked terrific for prices, Wellingtonfragrance.com Has anyone tried them? Does anyone have a good site they buy essential oils from that is affordable?
What I learned this week from news… It’s continuing to go down hill and TDL is not a friend to believers in Christ. (Yep, I said it) His fruit is smelling horrible from where I sit. I just can’t wrap my head around people that will still vote for them????? Absolutely STUNS me.
Also the Doomsday Prepper show is hideous for Opsec as is demonstrated by all the outside info just people on this blog were able to collect about those that appeared.
Keep prepping while we still can! And be happy your farthur along in your preps then you were even two months ago! Small steps folks, the race is a long one.
I have used Wellington Fragrance. They are awful. The fragrances seize the soap. Don’t bother wasting your money.
Try Majestic Mountain Sage or Brambleberry. They have been tested and will work in homemade soap. I have been using them for 15 years.
Oh thanks for that! I’ll steer clear of them and go with Mountain Sage or Brambleberry when I buy.
Vienna,
When you say that TDL is not a friend to believers in Christ, I assume you mean his insistence that the Catholic Church must include the option for women to get birth control in its health insurance, if it is to qualify for tax breaks.
I have to say here that I agree with Obama. The Catholic Church applies for and receives federal funds to run Catholic hospitals and other community services. If a non-Catholic works at a Catholic hospital and wants to visit her doctor and asks her doctor for a script for birth control pills, her insurance would not cover the doctor’s visit or the script. And that’s wrong. It is wrong for the Church to deprive women of medical coverage for birth control.
Here’s another instance where our government was right to tell the Catholic Church that bishops could not impose their religion on non-Catholics. There are dozens of Catholic hospitals in the U.S. The Church is opposed to abortion–even therapeutic abortions. The federal government has mandated that Catholic hospitals set aside Catholic theology and perform abortions when necessary to save the life of the woman.
Here is what the Church believes. Abortion is the direct and intentional killing of one human being by another. It is always wrong to kill innocent life. If the woman dies during childbirth, that is nature taking its course. We might be included to suppose that the fetus should be killed to save the life of the woman, but this way of thinking is flawed. We can never undertake a wrong deed even if it will result in something beneficial. If the woman dies in childbirth, that is God punishing the woman for original sin–her pains shall be multiplied.
Anyone who thinks Catholic hospitals should be allowed to let women die from a tubal pregnancy is nuts. The fetus will die anyway. The government was right in requiring hospitals to perform abortions to save the life of the mother. And Obama is right to prevent the Church from making decisions for women.
And I am Catholic.
To tell you how I really feel, the Church should pay more attention to what its clergy is doing with their reproductive organs and leave women’s reproductive decisions up to women.
Anyway, these folks just need to catch up. The pope has said that condoms are okay for male prostitutes (and maybe even for others as well).
And Church cannon allows for the use of birth control as long as it is not used for the purpose of birth control. (A significant portion of women take birth control pills not to prevent pregnancy but to regulate cycles.)
Gayle,
My problem with this issue is that if the Catholic Church does not fight back, who and what will be next. Remember Pastor Martin Niemoller and his. “First they came for the jews”. With TDL, the first appear to be the Catholics.
O.P.,
I am not convinced that the Church has a right to impose its religion on others. The Church isn’t being forced to “pay for” something it deems immoral, as the media has made the issue out to look. The Church wants to limit women’s options in the name of religious freedom.
This is not an Obama issue. This has been an issue for decades. Do people have a right to refuse blood transfusions to a dying child in the name of religion? No. Do people have a right to make their kids play with poisonous snakes in the name of religious freedom. No. Do people have a right to force physicians to stand around helpless while a pregnant woman bleeds out or dies from sepsis, when a therapeutic abortion would save her life–all in the name of religion? No. Does the Catholic Church have a right to refuse medical coverage for women’s reproductive health? No.
We need to set some common sense limits on religious freedom. In the first three cases mentioned the courts have ruled that religious freedom is not absolute.
Gayle and Jarhead,
Well said.
Jarhead, how’s your nephew after the accident?
Pineslayer, he is doing beTter. He came over last night after spending the day with a friend of his that lives near me. I had to drop him off at home on 3 hours sleep so he could watch his sisters. Wasn’t happy he didn’t plan. As a result I had the joy of getting him up at 5am and kept him awake the whole 20 mile drive lol. He won’t do that again lol.
Gayle – Well stated.
Gayle,
I actually pretty much agree with you, and if I thought that’s what this was about would be mostly on your side. Unfortunately, I personally think this is yet another power grab by an administration that has pretty much ignored the constitution, and used agencies like EPA to control the economy and the population. The EPA mandate alone will be shutting down 6 coal fired power plants here in Ohio, costing upwards of 10000 jobs, and raising electric rates for a multi-state area. TDL is not concerned with women’s health issues, as much as controlling all of us.
It is IMO not any business of the Federal government to do most of what they do, and perhaps the church run hospitals should simply eschew the federal funds, and stop taking patients that depend on those funds. I suspect that would also not work very well.
O.P.,
I agree with you that the EPA is driving away good American jobs and driving up prices for consumers. But I just don’t see the birth control issue as a power move–other than to level the playing field. Until women have control over the reproductive decisions, especially women of color who are more likely to be poor, there will remain inequalities between the sexes.
I am not quite able to wrap my mind around your way of thinking. On this one issue, I think Obama is standing up for women’s rights. (His wife will beat him up if he doesn’t. LOL)
Gayle,
Any large organizations from Unions, to Churches to interest groups like the Tea Party or the NRA, represent a large voting bloc. There has been a tendency of government in general and this administration in particular, to demonize those who oppose it (evil racist tea party for instance) and ignore the bad actions of those who support it (OWS burns and breaks property with little attention). Many of the local grassroots groups here in Ohio are members of an umbrella group known as the Ohio Liberty Council, and the applications for 501c status are being held up with tons of meaningless paper work, wanting information like how many speakers they host or plan to host and what the topics will be about, while groups like Acorn (or its new incarnation) break the law and are generally ignored. These actions and others make me think that this is a simple power play against one of the largest, most organized religious organizations on the planet, in essence telling the Church who is ultimately in charge (and it’s not the Pope or God). When the Vatican sent a letter to be read during the Homily a few weeks ago, catholic military chaplains were ordered NOT to read it in their services, although I understand that many ignored orders and read it anyway. These people do not want open debate but blind obedience to their orders.
Andy Stern, who used to run SEIU and was a huge supporter and colleague of the president once, stated in a speech during the 2008 campaign the following, “We prefer to use the power of persuasion, but if that doesn’t work we use the persuasion of power”.
I think that what we are seeing here, and the EPA, and the TSA, etc. is “persuasion of power” writ large. I simply don’t trust these folks or their intentions.
Gayle,
An update.
I still think that the women’s health issues are only a tactic by this administration that cannot run on its record. NARAL recently ran radio ads talking about how the republicans are going to ban contraception.
And political pundit Dick Morris, a pretty smart guy thinks so too: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/02/14/an_interesting_dick_morris_theory_on_democrats_and_contraception
And here is an example of what the entire contraception issue is about. It is the left, who can’t run on the Obama record, trying to generate a new controversy about how the evil republicans are against contraception, even though no one on the right is even talking about it, outside of the Catholic Church issue. This show mentions Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, and basically puts words in their mouths, which they simply did not say. Keep in mind that these evil Republicans have also tried to slaughter the lefts sacred cow, NPR which has long outlived its usefulness, and is as commercial as any other network out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnXb5MZoFI
Thank you, Gayle. I rarely openly speak about anything to do with religion or politics… and never would have the confidence to state it as clearly as you have. I was raised by strictly orthodox christian parents, but have developed my own beliefs separate from my upbringing… and they fall 100% within what you have described here.
Thank you for speaking for me and for others who are afraid to speak openly, even here.
Cat
Gayle,
Right on.
OhioPrepper,
I am not a history student but the parallels between 1930′s German society and USA today if frightening.
Gayle, I agree. I believe in separation of church and state. If the church wants federal dollars they have to abide by federal rules regardless of who is in office and the church needs to stay out of politics. If they want to avoid this then they need to stop accepting federal dollars and hand over priests that break laws of man and laws of decency.
To quote the greatest president in my life time:
“We establish no religion in this country. We command no worship. We mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and State are and must remain separate.”
President Ronald Reagan
Gayle,
Civil law DOES NOT trump moral law.
A falsehood believed by all is not a truth.
The USCCB’ priorities are money and status else they would have already tarred and feathered Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, the two most well known hypocritical catholics in the USA.
God gave us a hierarchy, not a democracy!
Hunker-Down,
I agree with you that moral law trumps civil law. That’s why our founding fathers give us jury nullification as a tool against tyranny. But there is no moral law banning birth control. This is one of the things the Catholic Church invented, like purgatory and indulgences, so it can maintain control over the people.
H-D,
That should read “does NOT trump”.
Oops. I was right the first time. Sorry guys.
The Church can’t stop you from getting all the birth control you want, Gayle. You are misrepresenting the facts. The Church just doesn’t want to PAY for birth control? Big difference. At least in my mind.
Gee Gayle…..I usually follow your logic pretty well. But, in this case I think you were right the second time.
When you say that “moral law trumps civil law”, don’t you have to ask “whose moral law” since everyone has a different set of morals? Isn’t “the rule of law” what holds a responsible society together? Civil laws contain within them the means for their change. Moral laws do not. And did the founding fathers really give us “jury nullification”, and if so where? Seems to me that “jury nullification” is, more often than not, an irresponsible jury just “run amok” (think the O.J. Simson trial).
And I believe there are moral laws (not universal, certainly) against some forms of birth control: Not birth control practised before conception so much but, for example, abortion-as a form of birth control-is most certainly a moral law for a great number of people.
I tend to stay out of religious debates, but so far as “religion” is concerned: I believe that relgion, as practised and presented to us around the world, is little more than a cross between “hocus pocus” and wishful thinking. The term “practise what you preach” has been around for a long time and pretty much says it all so far as religion goes. Infact, in the modern era, it seems that religion has probably killed (and is killing) more people than any other human concept?
“Infact, in the modern era, it seems that religion has probably killed (and is killing) more people than any other human concept?”
Really, I’d like to see some proof of this rather than a casual comment. Got a link? Considering how many people have been killed by Nazism, Communism and Socialism in the modern era, I have my doubts, but it’s a remark that goes unchallenged most of the time. Not this time, though. Hitler killed about 80 million, Stalin 50 million or more, and Mao topped 100 million. The isms of the Totalitarian Left in the 20th C. took murder and genocide to new levels. Can’t blame any of that on religion.
I have never commented here, but I disagree with you so much on what you said that I must speak out. The First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion, and no religion should be forced by the government to go against its doctrine. And to say its birth control is disengeneous, as it is the abortifacients that the church does not want to pay for as well as the birth control. This forces the church to pay for abortions, which they say they won’t do. I hope and pray they keep their word, and defy this tyrant in the WH. I’m a member of the Baptist Missionary Association of America, and our leader says he will go to jail before our association will pay for abortifacients, and I feel the same way. It’s past time someone told Obama NO, and then stand up to him. He is nothing but a fascist, and he is rushing this country toward a religious war, which is what he wants. He hates Christians.
The Government already pays billions of dollars to Planned Parenthood and all kinds of groups that give out free birth control. If these women who work for religious organizations want free birth control, they can go there.
And furthermore, Gayle, since when does the government have the power to force anyone to pay for free medical care for someone else? The last time I checked, the government does not have that right, and until the Supreme Court makes that decision it still doesn’t. Obamacare is hedious, and my prayer is that it is struck down and eliminated by the Supreme Court or that we elect a Congress that will eliminate it.
This kind of crap is why the United States is bankrupt, both morally and fiscally.
Redwolf……
Amazing! From some of your posts, I gather that we are just about 100% “in step” with one another. But I just can’t see how you took my comment as an attack on Christians? Which it was never intended to be. Heck…I are one.
To give you links to what I referred to would be a history of the world….just think:
Northern Ireland – Protestants vs. Catholics
Israel – Muslims vs. Jews
Bosnia – Russian Orthadox vs. Muslims
India – Hindu vs. Muslims
The Crusades – Muslims vs. Christians
And on and on. Seems to me that “Religion” should have more important things to do.
What did you do to prep this week?
Any woman can get birth control, the morning after pill or an abortion… ON their OWN dime! If they don’t like the health plan an employer offers, guess what, don’t take the job there. Lot’s of people take into consideration a job on whether or not the health ins. is to their liking.
I’m not Catholic. I really don’t see this just as a Catholic fight. It’s a Catholic “religious belief” not to fund murdering unborn children or birth control. Personally I’m all for birth control. Heck, I’ll even contribute My tax dollars to getting men and women “fixed” so they don’t have kids. BUT, if my employer says they won’t cover it… FINE. Go work somewhere else or pay out of pocket.
This turns into an attack on believers because it’s an overstepping of Constitutional rights of the first amendment. Government is now trying to control religion. I have a serious problem with that.
As a believer I have to follow what God says in the Bible. Not what I choose to rationalize with what the world thinks is cool, or a “woman’s right”.
Thou shalt not murder.
One of the 10 commandments.
Guess what? I’m going with God on this one. An unborn child is a child, God says He knew you Before you were formed and knit you together in the womb.
The only positive about women murdering their children is that heaven is going to be Filled to the brim with beautiful little souls!
What are the stats for an abortion due to the mothers death risk? About 2.8% in one study. (yea, wiki. I didn’t want to spend tons of time looking around for more stats) .
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_percentage_of_abortions_are_performed_due_to_the_mother%27s_life_being_at_risk
That’s a very low number and again, for an abortion, they can darn well pay out of pocket.
All this long winded, eratic purge to say, This is a perfect example of government stepping into faith/belief system/religion and trying to control it. And when people feel strongly about something this serious, who do you really think believers in Jesus Christ are going to follow??
The Government? and turn away from God?? or are they going to follow God, because eternity is a Loooong time. I pick God over a worldly government. and government shouldn’t make me choose.
I am not a Catholic. I do believe in pre-conception birth control as a woman’s right to choose and as has been previously stated, if a woman wants the birth control pills, there are numerous ways of getting it. I agree with Ohio Prepper that we need to remember the “First they came for the Jews” story. I look beyond this story as a discussion of birth control and religious freedoms, it is just another example of the federal government taking one more step in overreaching. Who would ever thought that one day they would take over the banking industry, the auto industry and now they are working on the health care industry. It is the Overton Window put into practice. Little by little, the federal government is sticking their nose into our lives, remember our panic that they wanted to have the President have the ability to have a “kill” switch for the internet. At what point do we say enough is enough? To me, they have too much power as it is.
Gayle, what people especially men forget is the birth control pill is NOT only prescribed for birth control but it IS also prescribed for moderating and controlling a woman’s period, acne/other skin conditions as well as other health benifits.
The church just does not want to loose a potential of 75 years of donations to the coffer in tithings from each Catholic born.
Much of the controversy with the Church could be resolved if the Church only funded medically necessary medications and procedures. The core problem in denying coverage to women for doctor visits if birth control is prescribed is that some women take birth control for reasons other than to prevent conception–they take birth control pills in order to regulate their cycles. And the Church’s doctrine of double effect permits women to use birth control if they are taking it for reasons other than preventing conception. For instance, Church law allows for the remove of a woman’s ovaries if she has ovarian cancer. The intention here is not to prevent the formation of new life but to restore heath.
The matter is not that the Church doesn’t want to pay for something it deems immoral–because the use of birth control is not deemed wrong in all cases, according to Catholic doctrine.
Case in point, the Catholic Church opposes capital punishment. But does this mean that if Ted Bundy were Catholic, he could have gotten out of the death penalty?
Gayle….
I hope I didn’t have anything to do with starting this debate. Sure doesn’t have much to do with WDYDTPTW but, it seems, this blog is a microism of the larger society around us? As such we will never settle the issue of “abortion” here anymore than society has settled it, even after all these years.
My earlier comments maybe weren’t clear and seemed to have offended at least one person. Fact is, I don’t have terribly strong feelings on the subject but as a general rule…I DO NOT believe in abortion as a “form of birth control”. I can’t, however, take issue with abortion as a medical procedure taken in the interest of a womens health.
On the other hand, I DO NOT believe that pregnancy, in and of itself, is a “sickness” or that ending a pregnancy, for the sake of “ending it”, is “medicine”. To me, pregnancy is right up there with being born and dying as the most human of human experiences.
One of the difficulties is that there are situations where it is in the best interest of the health of the women that a pregnancy be terminated and she should have every right to expect every medical procedure known, to be made available to her in the interest of her health. Who pays for it is an entirely different issue, dependent on “who’s ox is getting gored”.
About a year ago, in Phoenix, a Catholic Nun, Chief Operating Officer of a Catholic hospital there, authorized an abortion that saved the life of the women. The Nun lost her job and, as I recall, was ex-comunicated for having authorized the abortion that saved the women’s life. Still haven’t wrapped my head around that one. I thought that was what hospitals were for?
Just one’s person opinion.
Gayle, I don’t believe this is the forum for disagreements about church doctrine, for you have now become a “useful tool”. Jeff
Vienna- i hadnt heard of of wellington fragrance, I will check them out. I go thru 3 companies for my essential oils and carrier oils (also bottles, tins and other such) they are Ananda apothecary.com birch hill happenings.com and mountain rose herbs.com I have been very happy with all dealings with these three companies.
As for affordable, well, not likely with essential oils. Although I did learn when I first started with them to “shop around” see what the typical price is, and customer ratings, all that. There are some companies out there that will blend essential oils with fragrance oil to cut costs. Now that isnt the same as the companies that will offer a 5% blend in a carrier oil. That is usually done for the more expensive oils such as rose otto (the most expensive oil out there), melissa, and jasmine. These are a 5% concentration usually in jojoba oil.
Hope this helps a bit.
I’m writing those 3 places down also to check out.
Thanks!
vienna…I agree wholeheartedly…prep while we still can…
who could have imagined that tuna would be contaminated…so no more of that…
and that is how the other items will go…steadily but surely…our chickens/beef are filled with hormones/antibiotics…some crops are GM…and how many on the way…
so, I am getting all that I can as fast as I can..while I can…and then – if/when unsafe to buy anymore, hopefully will have sufficient in storage to carry me through.
had we known before hand, how many of us would have purchased large amounts of tuna..
and what about the wheat harvest from Japan late last year…who is going to choose that.
and yes, the race is a long one…a marathon. cheers.
Vienna Prepper. Now that is prepping making homemade chapstick.My hat is off to you for that one. Steve
Gaah, forgot to ask. Has anyone made vanilla extract? I’ve just started looking into it. Vanilla beans and vodka pretty much. But where do you purchase your beans and what type of vodka do you use and what size container and ratio of vodka to beans. Those variables seem to be wide spread.
If you make it yourself I’m curious to hear the details of the how and whats you use in what combinations.
Get grade B beans off ebay. Then slice them lenghtwise and scrape the seeds out, use all of it, it just helps it to distribute easier. I make it by the gallon.
Vienna, we must be on the same wave length this week! I ordered the tubes for lip balm and will make some when I get the empty tubes. And today I was discussing making up some vanilla with my daughter. For preps, I ordered a used copy of “putting food by”. Preps are light as I’m away from home helping my daughter with the grand kids while she goes through some hospital tests.
Happy Anniversary Nor Cal! Glad to hear you are better MD.
Everyone have a good week and I truly enjoy hearing about everyone’s week!
Mother Earth,
I’ve been using Putting Food By since the mid 1970′s and still swear by it. Good find.
Good to know Ohio Prepper, I had heard good things, thanks for confirming it. I’m in Ohio too.
Mother Earth,
Where in Ohio are you, as in Central, NW, NE, SW, SE. Don’t need real details, but it would be good to know where the neighbors are located.
OP, I live in SW Ohio. We have just a few acres out in the country.
Mother Earth,
“just” a few acres out in the country? However few, that beats a 1/6 or even a 1/4 acre lot in the city, any day IMHO.
Mother Earth,
Your mention of SW Ohio brought back some fond memories for me. Back when I was searching around for a place to settle, I would volunteer at state parks in areas that looked interesting to see what things were like and one park I worked at was Hueston Woods outside of Oxford, Ohio. The area had been recommended to me while I was in central Ohio working at a site called Malabar Farms that the park system was taking over. Anyway, I went up there in the early spring to help with their maple sugar festival, tapping trees, boiling sap, etc. There was still snow on the ground but many trees were beginning to bud. The sugar shack was located almost on the edge of a good sized lake so the steam from the shack would mix with the fog off the lake and coat everything in sight with sparkling ice crystals – it was just beautiful and a scene I’ll always remember.
Definitely a nice area to put down some roots!
Mother Earth,
Thank You. It is appreciated.
Ray
I grew up not far from there, and went to school at Miami Univ. in Oxford. I never really thought about going back, especially as a bug out hide-away. It is a fairly densely populated area except for a few pockets of parkland, and the weather is not great. Really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter, as is much of the midwest.
Vienna (SP)
YES!! I’ve made vanilla extract!! Mine is a little over a year old, it’s wonderful. Makes great inexpensive gifts, I will never buy store bought Vanilla again.
I followed the instructions on http://www.diynatural.com
they even have a link to purchases the vanilla beans on e-bay. I have been very pleased.
I just use the vanilla beans I can find at the grocery store, slice it open and dump it in a cheap bottle of non-flavored vodka. Put it up in the cabinet and shake it up when I think of it.
Oh and to cut down on the amount of vanilla extract you need, you can put a vanilla bean in a canister of sugar and let it sit for a couple of weeks. The sugar will absorb the smell and flavor. I also do the same thing with rose petals, lavender and other herbs.
Vienna,
Vodka is very nearly pure grain alcohol, so I would recommend Everclear, which is 190 proof (85%) pure grain alcohol as the solvent for any extract you plan to make. Nearly guaranteed not to add any additional flavor to your mixture.
Just thought I’d mention for those who live in CA, 190 proof Everclear is illegal to purchase here – 155 proof is the purest available. You need to make a quick run to Nevada to get the good stuff these days.
Everclear. Lol In high school Everclear was great for soaking the fruit in for a spodie. (sp)
Uh, that’s what I’ve HEARD anyway. I wouldn’t know anything about it… nope.
Everclear. That reminds me of college. We used to drink Smirf Piss–all the clear liquors mix in Smirf Berry Blue Koolaid.
Gayle!
Good grief! I thought I had erased that memory permanently years ago! At least it was pretty when it came back up. I will never look at Tidy Bowl water and not have a sick feeling in my stomach.
Spodies and Smirf Piss – My, you ladies certainly had some interesting days in your past!
I bought fron beanilla, madagascar and bourbon beans. Made 4 half pints of extract using 100 proof vodka. Smells heavenly (strong!) Longer it sits, stronger it gits! Made that and vanilla sugar for dd & sil for xmas. Mmmm
Thanks for all the vanilla tips! I’m excited to put some jars together. Don’t think I’ll ever be using store bought vanilla again!
Hey guys… if the goal of prepping is long-term survival, with some form of sustainable comfort, wouldn’t it be more productive to try and develop extracts from locally-grown flavorings? Hazelnuts grow wild in much of the middle regions of the US, ginseng grows in the understory of beech-maple forests of the same regions and northward, and those are just two that I can think of off the top of my head without doing research that would lend themselves to use as baking flavorings. Historically, regions of the world had foods that tasted quite differently, as per what was available in the surrounding area. Now, I’m not assuming that trade will completely collapse in a future where SHTF, but since vanilla beans grow in tropical regions which have traditionally been politically unstable, it’s probably a good bet that their availability may be quite limited. Has anyone tried to work with flavorings available a little closer to home to try and accustom ourselves and our families to them?
Glad to hear your health is improving, MD. And thanks for hanging in here so we can carry on!! And….I need to apologize: I emailed you and said that I would send a contribution at the end of last month. My $$ situation has changed pretty drastically, and I was unable to do it. Just know that I will when I can. I do so value this blog.
There was no buying anything this week…no funds. The changes in my $$ situation have me very concerned, and I am looking for part-time work. That will add another level to my situation of taking care of my father, but it can’t be helped.
In the meantime, I’m doing research & reading for prepping:
-gave a lot of thought to my skill set, and made a list of skills I want to learn. Top of the list is ceramics/pottery & weaving/braiding. I am looking in Craigslist & Freecycle for a wheel and kiln for the pottery, and I’m researching online for weaving ‘cards’ and/or a small (even portable?). Does anyone here on SBlog do pottery or weaving? If so…any pointers on how to get started?
-donated my 3-year wildflower seed collection to the local college Botanist. This frees up space & time to move on to other things.
-read through posts & comments of various Survival/Prepper blogs. Learned a few things. Also got disgusted with so much overkill on the subject, and the amount of poor quality (and downright stupid….and DANGEROUS) prepping posts & videos online. There sure are some wackos involved, and some are not so obvious at first. Really have to be careful, like in all things, with who you ‘learn’ from. But, there are a couple of good sites and I’m gleaning information as I can.
-watched “Doomsday Preppers” and learned a couple things. Really liked the apple cider press & bees of the one group, and learned that I need to implement a couple things, like walking out of where I am – but not in short-shorts & a tank top! I will be watching the series to get whatever tidbits of good info I can. Everything is full of BS pretty much, and you just gotta get out of it what you can, even if it’s what NOT to do.
-I’m preparing for my talk to the local community’s Ladies Auxiliary group about emergency preparedness. It will be preaching to the choir, as these are pretty tough, resourceful women, but they asked me to do it, so I will. It’s not about prepping per-se, but I will be including some water storage tips and dehydrating information, and we’ll see if they have interest in knowing more.
Thanks to all who post here….the amount of good information is phenomenal, and the camaraderie is great! :) May all here who are experiencing health, financial, and other problems find healing, their needs met, and resolution.
I used to throw pots and I spin and weave. I’m self-taught and do a fairly good job. I must say, they are hobbies that COST money…very few people make money from pottery or weaving. In this economy purchasing *crafts* is on a back burner… But I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have on the subject. I have 3 spinning wheels: 2 Louets and one Ashford and 3 Looms: A portable Baby Wolf, A Heddle Loom (EZ) and an Antique Hand Built Loom I picked up off of Craigs List.
Great Lynda! Thanks for responding. First, I am looking at these not as “hobbies” or to make money, but as skills for when buying woven things and pottery may not be possible…to be able to make for my own practical use, and to make for trade. My first step is to obtain the equipment, then learn. Could you please tell me the simplest wheel (for pottery) to get? I’d like a non-electric, foot-pedal wheel….does that exist?
I will research the spinning & weaving equipment you mention, and get back to you with questions.
Thanks again for responding!
It was a long week of insomnia and overtime at work that helped and hindered preps this week.
Reorganized the pantry and taking note of what I need.
Things that are close to expiration date going to my sister.
Reorganized, ammo counted and placed in ammo cans.
Got in 50 stripper clips for the SKS and 3 AR magazines from Copes.
Built 3 PVC target stands for the range.
No food or medical preps this week.
Jarhead 03, I only have some of my ammo in a can and the rest are in the boxes they came in. In your opinion how important is it to to get them all into cans and what are the long term dangers if I don’t. Until the last year I never had to worry about storing so many rounds and I know those cans are not cheap unless you have a good source.
It was a great week! Very productive in a number of ways. Spent some time going though things and checking lists to confirm what we have.
Got a new computer screen as the old one bit the dust this week, Ordered black currents bush, 2 kinds of Haskup Bushes, plus male for them, Very early Raspberries ( I have mid and late but still need early). Ordered more seeds this week. Planted seeds, and I have number of pots of things up already.
Built and started a huge hot manure box for spring planting, and my big news is that I tracked down and bought a young large black boar to go with my large black Sow, I thought about what I wrote last week about the fact that its not a good idea to need to go off farm for a breeding.
We will see if I like having a boy or if I want to go back to taking the risk that I can use the one down the road, the big difference is that I typically have to cross breed but now I will be able to have purebred Large Blacks.
Spent a fair amount of time building new climbing cages for the garden, I think I will check out that book that M.D. was talking about in this regards, I had not seen that one yet.
Otherwise, I have been canning up beans, lamb, chicken, duck and rabbit, and am working on a lovely lamb hide, still making sheep cheese for long term storage.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week, for those that are sick, may you feel better soon, for those in need of prayers, may they be meet, and for those that have lost jobs, may new ones be found soon, for those that are feeling that “ahhh” to much to do, never enough time.. May you find that quiet you need to give the time to know if you need to stop and be still for a bit or to give you the stength to keep moving forward.
Hey FarmGal,
what is the advantage to that breed of Pigs?
Hi Wilderness
The main reason’s I was drawn to them.
1) Black colored-Less problems with sun burn
2) Do well in cold weather-Can handle our Canadian Winters
3) Lots of Lard- I want a good high quality source of fat.
4) Good natural birthing mothers, larger litters, good milk
5) Do well as Pasture Pigs (and there for well in cleaning up gardens, and turning over ground for me as my pig plow)
6) Good temperment -I have heard some lines not so much but so far with the ones I have gotten, this has been true.
I have had a number of different hertiage breed of pigs over the past years since we got the farm, I liked them, but this breed was the first that I liked enough to want to breed, raither then just buy weaners to grow out.
7th advanatage- Market Value in regards to farm gate meat sales..
thank you, great response as allways.
MD -
So glad you’re feeling better but you may start thinking about getting a new CPA. With your business being this blog and your book contracts, it seems you should be able to write-off as a “business expense” nearly every prep item you purchase (at least I imagine that is where the majority of your income goes) leaving you next to nothing to pay tax on.
And don’t get too down when reading reports like the one you posted from reuters, remember those reports are not based on actual income tax returns. Corporate returns are not public record and such reports are just suppositions, not fact.
I look forward to your review of the Granberg Bar-Mount Chain Saw Sharpener. I’ve never had much luck with those contraptions as they just seem to be too loose and fiddly to do a decent job, but maybe I simply lack the patience to use one correctly. Hope you will share your opinion as a chainsaw is useless if you can’t sharpen the chain correctly.
As to writing off prep items, I wonder if because of the blog, if MD can use the “testing of items” to purchase items as a deduction. You have to be able to test items to give us a review on them. That is part of what this blog is all about after all. Might be worth looking into. Hope it works out. and as a side note, you can amend your federal tax returns back 3 years.
Repair Mama,
I deducted about $2,000 worth of such items from my income, mainly books for research.
Gas and kero this week. War drums for Iran are beating, figure petroleum prices might be going higher this year. Still have one propane tank to fill next week after payday, but then we’ll have just about every spare fuel container full. Need to get more motor and 2-stroke oil too, never have enough of that for my comfort. Watch your 6 everyone.
Red,
CNN is reporting that Ahmadinejad will announce several major accomplishments in the nuclear domain this week. I expect him to announce that Iran has a nuke and will not hesitate to use it against Israel, if attacked.
Gayle, if Iran has a nuke, it was probably a gift from Russia. The EU and our economies are collapsing, and what better way to take the sheeple minds of anything of importance than another war.
Mountain Lady,
Actually, Iran got much of their technical know-how from Pakistan. Israel thinks Iran is within three months of enriching uranium sufficiently to make a nuke. Our government thinks Iran is at least nine months away.
Gayle,
Israel has a lot more ‘skin in the game’ than we do, I’ll stick with their estimate.
Israel has an operational intelligence agency, we have recycled democrats apologizing for Bush and Eisenhower.
Gayle – Could be, don’t expect I’ll believe what they say, or what we and Israel say about it either. Better safe than out of gas though. Thanks for the celery/onion tip, going to have to try that with chives too.
Red,
Iran may not actually have a nuke. But saying they do may be a card they can play. Israel will think twice before conducting a preemptive strike if they think Iran has a nuke. One thing is clear, many of these deposed dictators would likely still be in power had they achieved nuclear capabilities. The U.S. would not have likely invaded Iraq, if Sadam had a Nuke.
MD you mentioned your vitamins but I saw nothing on Vitamin D3, please do some research into it. Glad you’re feeling or starting to feel a bit better.
This weeks preps :
Made a Faraday cage out of a galvanized trash can I picked up at Lowes. With a rubber maid trash can inside to insulate. Used # 8 stranded wire with grounding clamps and bolts to ground the system to the water pipes.
Gathered up various items to store inside the cage. A laptop, inverter, 12 volt battery, voltage meter, all my pdfs are backed up to a usb drive and an external hd and also on the laptop. Added a few other items into the can as well. Fills up kinda quick. Looks like it will work ofc I have zero experience with an EMP attack, maybe it will work. Hopefully I never have to find out.
Purchased more ammo , never enough plus the price of commodities is going to keep going up as we will have to keep printing to keep this fake money economy going. What better metal then lead :-) plus its kinda hard to eat and shoot gold although If the werewolfs attack I think I need a silver bullet, crap.
Purchased a nice sling shot, didn’t realize but I want 3 more now. 1 for each member of my family. A very nice and powerful weapon when loaded with a steel ball. Great for small game and also if we have 4 steel balls flying at someone maybe I wont have to pull my sidearm and kill another human. Along those same lines of thought will be beanbag ammo for my 12 gauge.
rotated out 25 gallons of gas, added the stabilizer to the new batch and it will last another year.
Changed the way I was storing rice beans and pasta, ect. Now I have a smaller portion of each food in each storage bucket. No use of opening a 5 gal bucket filled only with rice. Glad I realized that error before it was to late.
Worked more on security for the home. securing windows and doors in the garage.
My leatherman came on Friday , which was my Birthday btw. What a tool. More expensive then the cheap knock offs but pretty sure it will last forever.
Some other stuff as well like purging more useless crap from our supply of useless crap.
Started my journey into the herbal edibles and healing plant knowledge. can’t wait to learn as much as I can about this subject.
oh I got a excellent small flashlight 220 lumens runs on 3 aaa 29 bucks at the local army navy surplus.
Thats about it other then adding to canned goods and water supplies.
all in all a decent week for preps for me I think.
Have a great week all ,cant wait to get some more ideas from others preps as well.
Geez! I all but forgot to prep for the werewolves! Got the zombies, vampires and hordes down tho!
I’m moving away from the 5-6 gallon size for dry beans. Opening 5 gallons of pinto bean (don’t even like them, black beans yum) kinda makes me shudder. I’ll be sealing 1 to 5lb bags of multiple different kinds in mylar then tossing those into the gallon plastics. I haven’t done it yet so not sure how much will fit packaged that way but I’d much rather have red, white, black, pinto and kidney beans in one then a ton of one kind.
And Happy Belated birthday!
I have a question: what is the advantage in putting dried goods in 5 gallon buckets? It would seem to me (perhaps mistakenly) that even though the #10 cans cost more initially, having to repackage the goods in mylar bags and then smaller sizes would equalize the cost.
Agreed! I like the concept of smaller sizes as well.
Gayle,
Funny you should ask.
I have some 5 gallon buckets with long term stored grains, but about 1 1/2 years ago the DW and I were visiting some LDS friends (more from my perspective for them to get her more excited about prepping) and when they showed us their long term stored foods, nearly everything was in #10 cans. They are the local Storehouse managers, and know a thing or two about this subject, so after a little discussion, I decided that most of my stores will be in #10 cans, which stores for 10-30 years) depending on the product), and yield a reasonably usable amount (typically 4-6 pounds) when opening a can. Mylar bags in a 5 gallon bucket are generally only rated at 20 years maximum. Just the storage and use parameters alone make the cans a good deal, but when I bring cans home from the cannery or storehouse, I put them on the shelf and I’m done. With bulk bags, I still have to package into Mylar with O2 absorbers and heat seal the bags. Not hard work, but it still takes time you could be using for something else. As for the price, we can’t make a comparison directly between cans and bags, but we can do some simple math to see the actual costs, with the two types of cans weighing 5.5 and 5.8 pounds each, the bulk bags weighing 25 pounds, and the typical bucket weighing 33 pounds. The numbers below “assume” you have a free source for 5 gallon buckets with lids, and you can purchased 5-6 gallon Mylar bags with 2000 cc O2 absorbers for $2.50 for the pair.
From LDS Storehouse – 25 pounds Hard Red Winter Wheat in bulk bag is $11.45
25# @ $11.45 = $0.46 per pound.
33 x $0.46 = $15.18 (33 pound in bucket) + $2.50 (Mylar bag & O2)
$17.68 for 33 pounds stored in a free bucket and lid.
That’s $0.54 per pound stored (again, assuming a free bucket and lid)
There are two types of canned wheat available from the LDS.
The cannery allows you to pack 5.8 pounds per can,
The Storehouse has prepackaged 5.5 pound cans
To store at least 33 pounds we will need 6 cans of either type with either can cost of $3.50
5.8 pound can @ $3.50 = $0.60 per pound
33 / 5.8 = 5.6 or 6 cans @ 3.50 = $21.00 for 34.8 pounds
That’s $0.60 per pound stored.
5.5 pound can @ $3.50 = $0.63 per pound
33 / 5.5 = 6 cans @ 3.50 = $21.00 for 33 pounds
That’s $0.63 per pound stored.
So if we go to the extra work of storing a 5 gallon bucket of wheat we save between $0.06 and $0.09 per pound and have to have enough space to store buckets, instead of cans.
Finally, if you have a can that did not seal properly, which is possible, but not likely since the can sealer is a machine, you lose 5-6 pounds of wheat. If however, your Mylar bag didn’t seal, you could open it up sometime in the future and find that all 33 pounds (6 cans worth) have been infested and eaten by bugs. This is why we pretty much use #10 cans or 1 gallon Mylar bags for everything.
And finally, if you can’t get free buckets and lids and the combination costs you only an additional $3.00 to store that 33 pounds of wheat, the $3.00 / 33 = $0.09 per pound and you are at the cost of the can prices, plus the work and risk.
One more thing. By converting mainly to cans, I was able to pick up a single can of both sugar and black beans today at the LDS storehouse. Didn’t have to deal with a large quantity, and can easily add items to the larder, one or two at a time.
OP, I was looking on line at the LDS store. I have not got into the mylar bags yet but was looking to and saw your post on the #10 cans instead. With the rice and beans they are sealed dry goods instead of in water correct? May sound like a dumb question but I’m using the phone and limited view of the site.
I may be more likely to buy them for the shelf I’m putting up.
Second question for anyone:
With mylar sealing rice, I thought about sealing rice in smaller mylar bags within a 1 gallon mylar bag and place inside a 5 gallon bag. This way its mylar within a mylar bag. Only taking what I need and smaller portions sealed until needed. I know a few extra $ but not concerned, I have access to 5 gallon buckets and lids.
Jarhead,
First of all, there are no dumb questions, and yes it is all dry pack, with most grains having a 30 year shelf life in cans and 20+ in Mylar.
I don’t know that small Mylar bag stored in larger bags and then buckets would add all that much; however, storing grain in smaller bags and then storing the bags in the bucket is a fine way to do it; although you probably can’t get quite as much storage per bucket.
We generally keep Foodsaver, 1 gallon Mylar, and 5-6 gallon Mylar on hand along with 100, 300, and 2000 cc O2 absorbers. The operation for using a Mylar bag is the same and the only thing changing is the quantity you can pack and store.
One additional thing on cans. Get the plastic snap on lids when you can. Most of the stuff I’ve gotten online has had the lids, and the LDS cannery throws in two lids for every case you buy, or you can purchase additional lids for $0.10 each.
The lids not only help keep the food in an opened can usable, but the empty can and lid make good storage for lots of other things, and there even a neat little car kits you can build using a can to safely heat your vehicle in an emergency.
Just one more reason for cans.
Jarhead,
You could order their “Starter Kit” which has wheat, rice, pinto beans and I think oatmeal. You could certainly use up the contents of a #10 can before the contents went bad.
O.P.,
This is exactly the sort of analysis I was hoping to get. It would seem that #10 cans are the more economics way to go, when you factor the cost of your time to mess with the 5 gallon buckets.
OhioPrepper,
Good logic on using the cans over the mylar and buckets! I have mostly been using the mylar and buckets but will start purchasing the cans instead. Thanks!
Mennis,
The cans are a good deal especially if you have a local LDS Storehouse. The prepackaged goods can typically be purchased in single quantities without an appointment, although you should check with the one closest to you by telephone first.
I was thinking I could seal all the items in 1 lrg mylar bag. As once the bucket is opened everything in the bucket would be eaten. The bucket will have the various items we would need. My general thought would be each bucket , along with items stored in the pantry that tend to have a shelf life of about 1 year, sauces canned veggies ect. would feed us for about 30 days or there abouts. This will need to be tested. once the bucket is emptied we would then move to the next bucket. perhaps I should think a bit more on this as my mind is thinking now storing rice and beans in one mylar bag may cause a spoil issue having 2 or more food types stored together vs individually sealed and then placed in the bucket.
Thanks for the ideas. I will need to work more on food storage.
I bought some 1.5 gallon mylar bags with a zip seal. They have enough material on top of the zip to heat seal for long term storage and after you open them you still have the zip to keep pests out. These came from USA emergency supply, good 5mil bags. Even in these I’m mixing different types of beans poking a few holes in the plastic then sealing in the mylar bag with O2 absorbers.
Years ago I sealed rice in some 5 gallon buckets and when my financial troubles came around I opened one. The rice was fine but by the time I was half way through the bucket bugs had found there way in somehow, even with popping the lid back down. That experience made me look into smaller storage sizes. Might cost a bit more but I don’t think you will risk losing half a 5 gal bucket to bugs. I know you can seal the mylar back but I’m not counting on having O2 absorbers available when I need the food. And I will freeze the next bags of rice for several days before bagging, I can’t remember if I did that with the buckets I did in 1999 or not.
OP suggested I get #10 cans but I like using the bags and I can fill them when I have time and money, his suggestion did make me think about different ways to seal up smaller amounts of staples.
blindshooter,
I also use 1gallon Mylar bags that I purchase from the LDS Storhouse. They are not Ziplock tops and need to be heat sealed, but at $0.30 each, they are available and a good price.
Has anyone tried this: I had purchased a #10 can of diced red and green bell pepper from Augason Farms and when I opened one of the cans, I took enough out to put in a mason jar for the pantry. The remainder of the peppers I put in a gallon sized mylar bag with a O2 absorber and put it back in the can with the plastic lid on. I am hoping it will keep it fresh until I run out of the peppers in the mason jar and need to refill the jar. With just two of us, using the #10 cans quickly isn’t easy and when I first started purchasing, I don’t think anyone had the smaller cans.
I start with five gallon buckets with one large Mylar bag. After I open it for use I portion it into servings in food saver bags and put it back into the pail. That way if I need to get its in one handy pail with a good handle to carry. They stack better that way too.
Gayle,
Our approach is to try to answer the questions; how do we package for the long term when sealing cans is not available to us, and how to reseal Mylar bags (the alternative option) when there is no electricity for an iron?
The answer for us is to package in small amounts. We use 1 gallon Mylar bags from USA Emergency Supply and a 300cc O2 absorber. I am in the midst of repackaging a 50 lb. bag of hard white wheat into 12 cup portions per bag. We are well aware of the additional expense and think it is justified because we will not be opening a 5 gallon pail of food in a situation where it cannot be properly resealed due to the lack of a functioning sealing iron. After opening a bag, whatever portion is unused will be put in mason jars. If we have electricity it will be vacuum sealed, if not we will place that jar at the head of the rotation list.
Usually we fill 10 bags at once because that’s all the space we allocate in the freezer. Of those 10, maybe one or two will fail to seal properly. The gallon bag is large enough (with only 12 cups of grain) so that the top can be cut off, the O2 absorber replaced, and the bag resealed.
This is the sequence of tasks that we use to accomplish the above;
Fill the bags with product, add a 300cc absorber and seal the bag.
Put the bags in the basement overnight, then check to see if any of the seals have failed.
Put the bags with good seals into the freezer for 3 days. The combination of no oxygen and zero degrees should kill any bug eggs.
After three days in the freezer, set the bags on the basement floor because there will be a significant amount of condensation on the outside of the bags due to the extreme rise in temperature from zero to 65 degrees.
The next day store the bags in Rubbermaid totes as the final step. There is a tremendous waste of space in the totes but we are willing to accept that in order to be able to open a small amount of food and avoid the need to reseal a much larger amount especially in a situation where resealing would be impossible.
I recently read that Mylar bags have a shelf life of 20 years (is this true?), and have been bagging 30 year wheat, and writing a 30 year expiration date on the bag.
Hunker-Down,
Thanks for this explanation. I am transitioning in my thinking about prepping. In my first year, I was primarily concerned to acquire goods for storage and learn to shoot. Now I am contemplating a time when, as you put it, there is no electricity to run the heat sealer or jar canner–for a time after our stores of food run out and we really have to “life off the land”. How are we going to store food when canning jars are limited or even non existent?
Gayle, storing lots and lots of jars and lids and rings are part of prepping. I have 4 large storage bins of jars, all washed and packed in brown storage bags. Of course they will have to be washed again before using, and they take up a lot of room. I bought them at estate sales when I lived in SF, and really got them cheap. That was part of my Y2K preps, but sure am glad they are here.
If you get an old-fashioned iron – the type that heats up by sitting on a woodstove, you will still have the ability to seal the mylar bags. Or a piece of metal could be heated up in a fire and used in a pinch.
“How are we going to store food when canning jars are limited or even non existent?”
I am not counting on being able to can most things (although I do have 50 doz. jars with 3 yrs of normal lids so far, and would like to double or triple that amount) – going back to the “old ways” instead for the bulk of food. A root cellar (most likely more than one) will be of paramount importance to store your root crops, fruit, beer/wine and cheeses. Trust me, this is something you will want to do now, while backhoes are still running (hehe). Many other items will end up dehydrated – so arrange something now, whether woodfired, solar or direct sun/wind. Lots of foods can be brined, pickled or fermented – now is the time to stock up on fermenting crocks, salt, sugar & spices. Many meats can be cured then smoked – so you need a smokehouse/meatlocker, meat cure, salt, sugar & spices. You can keep things cool in a springhouse or by lowering a bucket with items down into a dug well, or using a double wall unglazed pot. Or if you are ambitious, you can use an antique icebox if you have an icehouse you fill each winter – everyone around here used to have one. I am looking for an icebox at auctions this year…I saw two really nice ones last year, but they were about $400-600 and not in the budget then.
A lot more of what we eat will be seasonal (eaten when harvested) rather than stored to be available year round. Most large meat animals will be butchered after solid cold comes in (at least in the north), so the meat will stay real cold/frozen in a secure non-heated area for as long as possible. Small meat animals will be harvested as needed, only in the amount needed for 1-2 days…so they are “stored” on the hoof. Leftovers are kept “good” by adding them to a perpetual soup/stew bubbling on the woodstove. And four-season with unheated hoophouses or tunnels, even up here in the north, can provide many crops year-round.
My two favorite books on the subject are:
Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel
Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante. This book has chapters covering the following methods:
In the ground or root cellar
By Drying
By Lactic Fermentation
In Oil
In Vinegar
With Salt
With Sugar
Sweet & Sour Preserves
In Alcohol
And there is a handy multi-page chart at the end showing which methods work best for each food.
Gayle,
I have aquired over 5000 jars over the years. Most at very little cost from estate and yard sales. We have a storage building that is devoted only to canning equipment. Standing next to our outdoor canning kitchen. I make it a point to buy as many Tattler lids as I can afford every year.
I don’t project that I will run out of jars in my lifetime if I live through the life of the resealable lids.
We will be leaning more towards other preservation methods after SHTF such as fermentation, root cellaring, smoking and curing, and solar dehydration, because the thought of standing over a blasting hot wood stove in August is just not going to make Mama happy.
HD,
On my very long term wish list is a canning machine, but even the older used ones go for well over $1000, but who knows, someday I may find that deal. At that point the only issue would be having the empty cans and lids and a place to store them.
As for heat sealing Mylar bags without electricity, which can still be done. Keep in mind that the clothing Iron is named “Iron” because it used to be a simple chunk of iron with an attachment for a removable handle. Several of these irons were kept on the wood stove or cook stove and used to iron clothing. When the one in use started cooling too much, it was returned to the stove, and a fresh hot replacement was fetched. Any smooth piece of iron and a heat source can be used to seal these bags.
OhioPrepper,
Thanks, I’ll put back 2 irons with the idea of heating them with a charcoal fire if we get to that point.
I think we may find them at a Goodwill store.
HD,
And on the Mylar bags vs. cans. Cans are pretty much a 30+ year shelf life. Mylar bags may still work beyond 20 years, but the recommendation I’ve gotten from the LDS folks is not to plan on more than 20. As always, YMMV, and in my case at 60 years old, I should only hope to see that problem.
Hunker-Down, Thanks for the explanation on how you use the Mylar bags. I don’t know much about this and I will print out your explanation.
Also, re: extra space in the Rubbermaid totes – we put light weight items like napkins, paper plates, etc on top of the heavier items to fill up that space.
Garden Mom,
I should add that we use Rubbermaid totes because they are not transparent, and that satisfies our OPSEC requirement.
Happy Birthday!!! Late
George is Learning, sounds like a productive week.
I don’t have any experience with the Faraday cage but I have a small safe lined with lead (used lead aprons I got from an
X-ray tech) and sitting on a rubber pad. May have to ground it.
Sling shots are an essential in my eyes, I have one in my GHB, my camping/hiking pack as well a few in my field craft tote at home. I have scared off predatory animals on hikes as well as feral dogs and made dinner of some rabbits.
I’ve used bean bag rounds while in the military (used them and sling shots on agitators of small riots in Somalia) and they do work. They will put someone on their butt, I have some but doubt I would be inclined to use them.
A Leatherman is worth its weight in gold when you need it. I will take one over ten cheap knock offs any day.
Security preps is as good as any prep, have to keep what’s yours.
Jarhead,
If you carry a slingshot, you should also consider the SLingbow which is a simple and inexpensive addition to your existing slingshot that doesn’t inhibit its use as a slingshot. The modification essentially makes it into a dual use tool, kind of like a .22/.410 over under shotgun rifle combination. It would mean that you need to carry a few arrows with you, but the additional gear and weight is I think far outweighed by its usefulness. Here is a simple video of Dave Canterbury showing how to make the additions and use the new tool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGIcCRJGYug
OP, thanks for the link! I have made them over the years usually with duct tape and a cut section of pvc pipe. I like his idea because I can slide it down and fire normal shot.
My dad used to tease my saying our ancestors are laughing at me (as the arrow would shoot up in the air or down at the ground). As a kid I’d use electrical tape wrapped around the top as a guide or nothing at all lol.
A SWAT sniper friend of the family I know taught me about using golf balls when I was in High School. It was used as “less than lethal” before bean bag rounds and he said its great for diversions, like the old throw something away from you to get their attention away from your actual position.
george…happy birthday…sounds like you had a great prep week…
George is Learning,
How long is that #8 stranded wire? If it’s more than 12-18 inches long, then it is not a ground, it is an antenna.
Folks may argue with me, but I still contend that a faraday cage does not need to be grounded, and if improperly grounded is worse than not being grounded.
http://www.futurescience.com/emp/emp-protection.html
some very useful info here, and an antenna yes
according to this article you can wrap a laptop in alternating layers of plastic wrap and foil to protect it
stay safe
cooolwoods,
I’ve dealt with Faraday cages numerous times as part of my work and I have a pretty good understanding of the physics involved, so I am often dismayed at the urban legends I read in articles about EMP and Solar induced transients. Things like the materials to use, the construction methods, and the “to ground” or “not to ground” arguments often drive me crazy. Thanks for this article link, which is one of the most concise and clear articles I’ve perhaps ever seen on the subject. Well written with an understanding of the physics and engineering involved with not even a trace of chicken little, but just some good common sense actions one can take. Understanding the physics can be daunting, but implementing the required measures is simply not rocket science.
Your welcome ohio prepper. it seemed like good info to me, of course some of it was over my head but made enough sense that I thought it worthy of keeping/sharing.
stay safe
OhioPrepper,
If an electrical generator on an automatic switch to the main panel, fueled by natural gas, is not running at the moment of an EMP, will the switch and the generator be fried?
In other words, does the antenna effect extend from the main power panel to the generator?
Hunker-Down,
The answer is always, “It depends”. If the line from the generator to the cutover switch is long enough, then it can act as an antenna and induce power back into the genset. With natural gas, even the feed line to the engine could act as an antenna if it’s metallic (black pipe, copper tubing, etc.). Even then, it would depend on what in the genset was the weakest component. If there are for instance solid state relays or computer control boards, having spares of these stored in a safe manner would be good insurance, but unless someone qualified actually looked at an analyzed your specific system, the answer is still “maybe”
Thanks.
Yes it is as a matter of fact. I have some more work to do on this project.
This is another great thing about this site and sites like it. Allows us to use multiple minds on ideas for the benefit of all.
It seems like rather then a ground more and better shielding is in order.
Also along with the usb drive a must would be to add dvd/cd which is not bothered by emp. That would be the best backup of data on top of the other backups, ofc.
Great stuff, more work for me but hey keeps me honest and out of trouble :-)
Thanks for the ideas
George,
While the DVD is probably not bothered by EMP, the drive that reads it might be, so make sure the drive is appropriately stored.
Thank you for the B’Day wishes all.
i’m sorry i forgot your birthday. hope you had a good one.
Hope you had a Happy Birthday!
George -
Do you have a mail order source for 12 gauge beanbag/rubber shot? The company I usually get ammo from doesn’t carry it any longer.
Thanks
Busy week at work but that is a good thing! I got myself a new Gadsden flag for the “shop” hee hee…and picked out a new handgun. Gonna go with the Glock 19. Got some more food in the larder and gonna do some chicken coop work tomorrow, weather permitting. I need to paint it and looks like we’re gonna get some rain in the desert. Figures. Haha.
MD hope ya feel better. Hear ya on the taxes…been there too.
Ron Paul 2012
Not much to report here went into the negative this week. Rearend came out of my Tahoe by the time it’s all said and done I’m out about 800 bucks and froze to death from trying to put it back in. Hope all are doing well.better luck next week
I remember when I worked at Nissan.The Titan rear ends would grenade like clockwork. They would replace the whole unit not repair it.The Armada rear ends seemed to hold up fine though.
Got the new one back in and done a test drive all seems well. I replaced it with a used one. It was easier just to replace the whole thing, just slap the wheels on and bleed the brakes
Glad you got it fixed….and I HATE bleeding brakes, lol. pump, pump, pump, hold, go to floor….pump, pump, pump………uuuggghhh,
I feel I’m kinda gabby today, but got one more thing to mention.
Dear Husband attends a bowling pin shoot once a month. Well, today one of the guys shooting drew his firearm (a 45) with his finger on the trigger and shot himself in the leg. Down the outside of thigh, out on the side of the knee. He said it didn’t appear to have hit bone. He said the guy also reloads his own and with solid lead. Said the guy was damn lucky.
Which went into a lesson on how to keep your finger out of the trigger area when holstering and unholstering a weapon, on and on….
The guy is not new to shooting either. So just an example of a brain freeze for just a second can cause a very big uh oh. And off to the hospital they went.
In a shtf scenario this could be really problematic as to the cleaning out of this type of wound. DH said it went through a sweatshirt, shirt and carhardt thick jeans. If that festered in a wound….
So, just another reminder. It just takes a second to make a mistake and be aware.
That happened at a friend of the families personal range, I was 12, and Dez did almost the same thing, shot himself in the leg it went right though, I got to help hold pressure till we got him back to the house and then off to the hospital.
First time to see a bullet hole in someone but not the last.. He was fine but it sure made the points being made at the local kids gun club about safety hit home..
Vienna (Soggy prepper), proof even the experienced make mistakes. I’ve seen ADs man times in the military and most friends in LE that were shot was Accidental Discharge of their own weapon from re-holster with the finger on the trigger or too quick on the draw.
Its why I carry a fully loaded first aid kit to the range every time. At least in a normal everyday scenario I can provide basic to advanced life saving until paramedics arrive. On that note, work wants me to attend a defib class in the event of a coworker has a heart attack.
Vienna,
Do you know what kind of holster he was using. The Blackhawk Serpa is notorious for these kinds of AD’s. It would be interesting to know.
I always think of accidents like this every time I read or hear of someone who has just gotten their concealed carry permit after nothing more than a 12 hour “training” course. Really frightens me as more and more permits are issued that a lot of people are carrying firearms without the training necessary to do so safely and that some day, when the adrenalin kicks in, they will be a real danger to themselves as well as everyone with-in range.
K Fields,
Amen! That is why the NRA developed and our team offers the Personal Protection in the Home and Personal Protection Outside the Home classes.
Transitioning from standing still and shooting static targets to drawing, moving, and shooting, is not necessarily hard, but requires good training and much practice.
We have a saying in the training community. When face with stress, one does not rise to the occasion, but sinks to their highest level of training and practice, and there is no more stressful situation than a potential gunfight.
OhioPrepper -
“When face(d) with stress, one does not rise to the occasion, but sinks to their highest level of training and practice.”
A true statement that needs to be repeated and repeated, thanks for posting that! Hope you don’t mind that I parrot it to everyone I know!
K Fields,
Parrot away. It was not an original thought, just good advice for training in nearly any subject.
OP and K, its amazing how some states issue concealed carry permits as easy as a background check and no training.
I know some people scream when they hear “requirements or necessary training” but it is sad some people can get the carry permit easier than a license.
I had a concealed carry permit and the county I got mine required I attend 20 hours worth of classes and 20 hours of hands on training regardless if you had a military background or who you knew.
It was a lot of common knowledge but the first aid training covered self inflicted gun shot wound treating as well as for the suspect, “lawyer proofing”, dealing with LE, penal codes, where we could not carry, does and don’t's and scenarios. Then we went to firearms handling, clearing a firearm, cleaning the firearm and then live fire.
I think everyone non LE should be required to go through that course. Many would disagree but those that went through the class or better off for it.
We as professionals know training is the key and many people don’t want to train. when I had my carry permit working in executive protection I went to the indoor pistol range every two to three weeks and fired 50 to 100 rounds through the 3 pistols I carried. Even if it was one hour and fire 25 to 50 rounds through it I felt better prepared than most LE that fired once a year to every two years.
As loathe as I am to disagree with a devildog on firearms, I feel I must. Having to take a class to exercise a right, makes it a privilage not a right. I have taken some of these classes, one was a comercial for the latest and greatest vundernine that was on sale that week. Then there was the guy that insisted I buy his last three books on the subject, best of all was the idiot the didn’t know left handedness is not a choice. Now maybe if I knew less about firearms than these yahoos I might be more forgiving. I had hoped to find instruction on how to use a gun but when I hear three things dead wrong [in the humble opinion of a gunsmith] on how a gun functions I tend to disregaurd the rest. I will grant that your idea of what needs to be taught sounds great for a high school senior. If I had my way it would be a requirment to graduate high school, and Eddie the Eagle would be in every elementry school.
Why should I have to go through all these classes and training before I can exercise a Constitutional right, as decided by the US Supreme Court in the Heller Case? What if I were to fail one aspect of this training? What state do you live in? All these scenarios you describe appear to me to be a way to deny people their rights. And they sound expensive on top of that. Does the state pay for this training?
Sorry, I see now where you said “concealed” carry.
Jarhead,
Here in Ohio the minimum is 10 hours classroom training based on the NRA Basic Pistol Course and taught by NRA certified instructors, and then at least 2 hours on the range with a minimum shot count and certain metrics on hitting the targets. This probably falls into the middle as all states are concerned, but for those who actually wish to carry, additional training and practice is highly recommended.
Azyogi and Redwolf, the firearms training instructors are/were NRA certified.
Yes it was a requirement and my employer paid for it, yes they required the people to take the course through certain approved centers. The Communistwealth of California. You know California counties don’t issue Concealed Carry Permits out like other states and yes I had to jump through some hoops. My authorization was approved under special circumstances. I can’t change that.
I understand how you feel but I my personal feeling is the better training you receive the better you are prepared on the street.
Knowing and learning first aid as well as the law is always good to know no matter what anyone thinks.
Personally, I just feel that its a benefit to get some training before the permit, you may disagree, its your right.
To me someone who has never shot a gun getting a permit to carry is like getting a drivers license without passing a driving test.
A fundamental right doesn’t mean you can hit the broad side of a barn or know how to shoot a gun, it makes sense to at least get some basic training or to pass a test before going out there.
We have people here paying for Utah Concealed Carry Permits in hopes that California may one day recognize others states issued permits. They are wasting their money.
Jarhead,
I agree fully with all your points but I did just want to clarify one statement.
You stated, “We have people here paying for Utah Concealed Carry Permits in hopes that California may one day recognize others states issued permits. They are wasting their money.” All very true, but I did want to point out the other reason for CA residents to obtain a Utah CCP.
If you enjoy traveling as I do, you must be aware of which states you can carry in and which you can’t. To get around that problem, I have nonresident CCP’s from Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Florida as well as my resident permit from CA.
Dh said the gun was a Springfield XD and he thought it was the holster the gun came with.
Hope that answered your question.
Actually not too much this week since I’ve been out of town most of the past two weeks and am now coming down with some kind of crud (glad to hear both you and Pam S are doing better, btw).
However, just today, I managed to pick up a battery recharger and some rechargeable batteries. Admittedly not tremendously helpful if the grid goes down next week, but since I’m in the process of acquiring various things for generating at least some electricity off-grid, it’s not entirely useless either. Plus, just think of the money I can save and start using on other preps!
Just was over at Rawles site. And there is a link under odds and sods about dsart1 (utube–prepper) and a video. I guess he went to the doctor and the doctor decided he was suicidal and after a bunch of crap the law took his guns.
He is not creepy, nor whatever he was just doing what he does and now it has backfired.
So no more talking about anything I guess. Do you think the weather is okay.
Weather is cold here. Did you hear about that neibor lady down the road……….
Oh and I bought the pink one instead of the blue one……
(Oh this sucks!!!) lol I dont know if I can do this…..
Ellen. Maybe a ultra right winger went to a uber Obama supporter doctor?
Axel, I don’t know, some of the people on the prepper natgeo show were a bit on the nutz side lol. I was watching it with my gf who has accepted my prepping.
My GF: “Some of those people are nuts! You (me) plan for a worst case scenario and do it low key with your purchases, low key on shopping online and are calm about things and even calm with the guns. These people are expecting UN helicopters and the end of the world yet let the world see what they have, one idiot has a semi truck deliver at night so no one can see, its a semi truck, they will hear it and say they have something to hide, another one shoots at their house, they are crazy!”
She is a chef by trade so she understands have more than what you need, she understands the potential of another riot in LA, she sees prices going up so she likes that I buy on sales and in bulk. She thinks I have enough ammo but understands that I own 10 firearms and 5 calibers so if prices go up, I’m good “forever”. We live in earthquake country so she understands, likes that I’m first aid knowledgeable and feels safe with me.
Was that the guy shooting his home deemed mentally unfit? Or the guy leaving his truck on the side of the road to go to his silo?
Jarhead,
No, it was the obese ham operator. If you go to the discussion on the show that M.D. posted here there is a link to the video. I mentioned the video but someone else posted the link to it.
MD, so glad you are feeling much better. The real deal flu is awful. Pam, I’m glad you are home and well again too. I have heard of a lot of ppl getting pneumonia this year, moreso than usual.
Received my heirloom seed order from Gurney’s. They haven’t sent my strawberry plants though. Was talking to my Dad about heirloom seeds and he says to buy a lot more of the heirloom than I would of the other because the heirloom seeds don’t grow as well or produce as much. Anyone’s thoughts on that? He has been gardening for the better part of 50 years, so I trust his judgement, but would like to hear the Wolfpack’s thoughts as well.
I bought a solar lantern @ Harbor Freight. I also found an electric fence charger that I want to get but it isn’t in the budget right now.
DH has been talking about cleaning off some brush and trees in the back of the house for a garden and for a spot for a chicken yard and today he drew up some plans. I am trying to convince him that buying a cpl of goats will clean off the spot a lot quicker than we can! lol The trick is mentioning it occasionally and eventually he thinks the idea was his! :D
We also got a load of free firewood today. Hoping to have time in a few days to go get more. We had to cut it up and load it ourselves, but that was ok, it was free! Plus we needed the exercise ;)
Have been perusing coupons sites and watching the sales papers. Continuing to prep is going to be tough now that my income is gone, but the Lord will provide, so I’m not too worried.
For the pantry, I got 20 cans of chili for half price@ Piggly Wiggly. They had a special where you got $5 off your order if you bought 10 of a certain type item. So I bought 20 and saved 10 bucks. The Hormel Chili is the only kind I can bear that isn’t homeade…..but its a good idea to keep some gas-x around as well, lol.
Hope you all have a great week!
BTW, I sure do miss seeing Lint’s posts…..can someone plz drag him back here?
That was supposed to be a SOLAR fence charger, lol, NOT an electric one!
bama, can you tell me where lint went to? i’ve been out of the loop for several weeks and have just been lost.
Pam S.,
Lint signed off. He was concerned about privacy issues.
gayle, i hate to hear that about lint. he’s a nice man.
BamaBecca,
About the goats–you could mention to your husband that one family in California whose home was spared from wildfire because their goats had eaten all the combustible vegetation around their home. Their entire neighborhood was charred and yet their home was untouched.
Gayle, Bama, in Los Angeles City and County they hire goats to eat the vegetation and weeds both to save money and “going green” for the very purpose of fire control. It works and the droppings plant new seed with fertilizer lol.
BamaBecca,
Perhaps we need to take charge and appoint a Lint Dragging Back Team. (This is not an armchair seal team. It is a real life Ldbt Team!) I nominate Jarhead and NorCalRay.
If that doesn’t work, we can blackmail him–if he doesn’t some back, we will out him with all his pink flashlights. Really, what was he thinking. They only appeared “salmon-colored” when he wore those funny glasses.
And if that doesn’t work, we’ll guilt trip him. Our flashlight ignorance could really put us in a bind. Oh, if only Linty were here to save us.
Gayle, most likely he found his new home, I know what town he lives or lived in but even if he was still in town my best ways of tracking lint would be:
“Ma’am, has any older gentlemen come into your laundry asking for the lint from the dryers? If so do you know his name and where he lives”
“Sir, has any older gentlemen come into your store offering to buy all of your flashlights? If so do you know his name and where he lives”
“Fed Ex, we are looking for the address where the majority of Workmans Comp claims for lower back injuries come from”
Hmmmm, I think it could work lol.
Lint if you see this you can tell we miss you and hope my deductions in tracking don’t scare some people lol I used to do security consulting and workmans comp injury investigations.
jarhead…we need to post a reward…when he got back from AWOL – he mentioned that no-one offered a reward…
so, okay…just one more pink flashlight can be put up for the person who finds him and drags him back…
what do you all think…but, how do we find him to start with, and then to convince him it’s in our best interests to have him back here. cheers.
Gayle,
When Lint signed off he used his real name. He told me at one time if he ever did that he wouldn’t be back. He is actually a well known person and values his privacy.
Ray
Ray,
I went back and read is farewell letter. I am saddened but I understand he has to do what he has to do.
Gayle….where is Lint’s sign-off letter? I missed it and would like to read it. Thanks.
I’d like to read it as well. I missed it too, but can’t seem to find it ;-(
Mt. Woman and Becca,
Here is Lint’s last post.
Quote:
Lint Picker (Northern California) January 27, 2012 at 2:54 AM
My apologies to Cliff, but I wanted to say good-bye.
I’m closing out my email account and ending my computer use because I’m tired of the viruses and the spam and the increasing invasion of privacy. Besides all that, I can save some money and spend it on the little farm I’m going to buy sometime soon.
So, I just wanted to say to all of the Wolf Pack how much I’ve appreciated the kind regards, the jokes, the education, and the debates. It’s been my privilege to have gotten to know you, even if only a little bit. Some of you have been like family and I will always wonder how life turns out for you, but I trust you will do well since you are all intelligent and savvy folks who will get through whatever life has in store.
Maybe things will get better, maybe they won’t. All I know is you have all helped me learn how to prepare and how to enjoy each day. Thank you, truly, thank you for all that!
Stay alert. Stay safe. Don’t let TDL get you down – he doesn’t win in the end. May God bless each of you with wisdom and courage and laughter. And may He wrap you in good health and safe passage all the days of your lives.
It’s been fun. So long Wolf Pack.
Signing off, Mack
BamaBecca,
Your dad is correct about the heirloom seeds. The main reason we have developed hybrids is to breed in some feature, like disease resistance, or higher yield. The problem can be that they don’t breed true from generation to generation, but they were developed for a reason. Heirloom seeds may sound more romantic, but were bred into hybrids for the above reasons, but are still IMHO a good thing to keep as a backup, as long as you realize their limitations.
as far as heirloom seeds producing less. i guess it depends on what it is. my amish paste produced like crazy far more than any roma i have grown, telagraph peas was a little low but not bad.
my advice is that seeing as you are growing heirloom and can use the seed the plant produces where you cant with the hybrids plant as normal if you find that you need more because of production you can just save more seed and plant more next year with out the cost of buying new seed as the cost grows faster than the plants.
BamaBecca,
Your Daddy is a wise man!
In my experience the heirlooms do not produce as well as the hybrids. The reason the hybrids were developed to resist disease, and produce heavier. The heirlooms do great mostly but are in need of more care. We have some issues with tomato blight organisms in our soil and I grow hybrids as a back up crop. One year I lost half my heirlooms, but none of my hybrids.
Hybrids are not genetically modified! GM is a plant that the genes have been spliced and modified in a lab environment. Hybrids are a good plant, but the seed will not reproduce true to the mother plant.
I store mostly heirloom seed, and I save probably half what I have. Easy to do for most species, and a HUGE cost savings.
I do store 5 years worth of hybrid tomato seed. I guess if the SHTF, and I am still growing in five years, I will be back to the heirlooms only. And thats OK. It is nice to have choices while we can.
If you are growing both and saving seed, keep them away from each other so you don’t have cross pollination problems. I grow mine on completely different areas of our property. Grow only one kind of corn each year as they can cross pollinate from a 1/4 mile away! If you planning on saving seed, that is.
Mama J,
The other trick to growing corn is to plant varieties with different maturity times, so when one is throwing off pollen, the others are not at the stage to be using it, and when the longer maturity date is throwing off pollen, the earlier will be past the stage where it is useful. We typically do this with sweet corn and field corn allowing a full 8 rows of sweet corn to be planted along the side of a field of field corn. Makes for a lot of corn with less work. Some years back, my BIL was doing this and accidently bought both field and sweet corn with the same maturity days. That turned out to be a year where the sweet corn was not nearly as good as normal.
I read something about this the other day. It was suggested to plant sweet corn and field corn together. A cheaper way to get lots of sweet corn…..so it DOES work???
I know you can’t plant popcorn near real corn….I bought some popcorn in my heirloom seed order :D
You can eat all corn if you pick it at the right time. And all corn will pop if it is dry.
really? I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info. And I know you can eat all kinds of corn, but sweet corn just tastes better to me. ;) I have added sugar to field corn before though, with good results.
I plan to keep growing modern hybrids as long as I can – they have tens/hundreds/thousands of years of improvements already built-in – from higher yields to disease resistance to suitablility for a specific climate. I will save the seed from the hybrids and plant it, then save the seed from the “best” plants, then do it again and again, eventually developing a landrace (closely related group of plants) that has the traits we prefer…taste, color, days to harvest, storage ability…that will do best for us here. And will be making my own intentional hybrids for added vigor along the way and giving God the opportunity to gift me with something even better. Food security is too important to put all your eggs in one basket – or in this case, grow and reproduce just one variety That can cause you a world of grief long-term…what if a disease wipes out that one variety (think Irish potato famine)? Or the climate shifts enough that it no longer grows well in your area? Or even if you just have an unusual year – with one variety, if it is too dry or too wet or too cold or too hot, all will suffer equally. With a landrace, each plant is slightly different, so maybe some would still do well. Some is better than none! It will be far safer for our food security to have the widest possible genetic diversity available to us…so we have the ability to adapt, come what may.
Your dad is right about most of the Heirlooms. Our family are commercial seed growers…we grow hybrids and heirlooms for commercial production growers…btw: hybrid does not mean GMO…two different things.
Lynda,
I’ve always known that hybrid is not the same as GMO but after reading your comment I am not sure that I can articulate the difference. Is it that hybrid plants have real parents whereas the GMOs are made in a lab?
But point in hand, neither hybrids nor GMO plants are guaranteed to breed true, right?
Someone please explain.
Yes hybrids are parents of the same species…GMO’s are lab created with non-species genes. Frog genes in strawberries and caterpiller poison in corn…GMO. Hybrids= Daddy tomato germinates at 50 degree soil temp and Mommy tomato is HUGE with lots of bloom set….Baby should have both characteristics, but does not breed true..baby’s seeds will grow tomatoes…they just don’t always look or behave like baby. We grow mainly vine seeds: melon, cukes, squash, etc. Lots of hybrids there….they have bred out the flavor for good shipping ability: hard outer shells and tasteless flesh (that’s my opinion). I grow a huge garden, but will admit I run out to the fields for certain crops. We also grow tomatoes, rice, wheat, sunflowers, almonds, pecans, beans and specialty crops…both conventional and organic…we call it diversification ;) Consumers cannot buy GMO seed (intentional GMO…most corn and beets have been tainted), it is only sold to farmers to grow commercial crops with…they have the farmer sign a contract stating ALL the seed goes back to the seed company. In the old days before GMO a farmer saved his seed from year to year…you can no longer do that…even the Organic non-GMO companies have you sign contracts. The Farmer is no longer independent: They too work for THE MAN…I think it’s sad… I hope my answer isn’t too confusing.
Sorry: Hybrids HAVE parents of the same species…sheeze
Lynda,
Not confusing at all. Thanks for the explanation. The key component that I was missing is that GMOs have wack parts–frog genes in strawberries? That’s just gross.
Bama Becca, how is the solar lantern? I have a harbor freight near by and may pick one up if it works well.
I haven’t tried it yet Jarhead 03, but to me just the idea was worth the 15 bucks I paid for it. I’ll pull it out tomorrow and give it a try, just for you ;) Oops….I can’t tomorrow……we have 100% chance for rain…uggghhhh. But I promise the next sunny day I will and get back here with a report.
Thanks all for your thoughts on the heirlooms…I think I will buy more hybrid seed this year as well as some more heirloom. I bought up a bunch at the end of the season last year and got it pretty cheap. They were out of corn, beans and peas though. I gotta get stocked up on those.
As for stocking up on seeds, the DH just shakes his head and tells me that we are gonna have to buy another freezer just to put all my seeds in….and this has me wondering….if I store all those seed in the freezer, will they ruin when the grid goes down and there is not power for the freezer? Should I be storing them some other way? I have ALWAYS stored my seed in the freezer…..
And Wolfpack….HOW in the world are you all keeping up with ALL the posts? I can’t keep up anymore! LOL
I’d also like to know how to store seeds. :)
Cool, dry and dark. My grandfather kept his in the cellar…where it was dry. I hear they have grown wheat from seeds 1,000′s of years old found in pyramids. I have seed 5 years old that has germinated that I kept in a dark closet in the coolest part of the house (my preps share the same space). I also keep seeds in the freezer and an old fridge in the barn….
BamaBecca and MtWoman,
I have always stored seeds in opaque plastic containers in our basement. I did not garden from about 1985 to 2002. Before that we had a 20 X 50 garden every year. I restarted around 2002 with a much smaller space.
Last year I planted some seeds that were in a plastic can for 5 years and the germination rate was excellent.
Be sure to thoroughly dry the seeds before storing and do not remove all the oxygen by storing them in Mylar bags with an oxygen absorber. Freezer storage is probably better than my basement method.
This is my ‘go to’ place for seed storage details;
http://howtosaveseeds.com/store.php
I did alot of prepping. But it is minor, compared to the fact that the Walking Dead is back on Sunday. I need me some Zombie fix. Oh ya.
So, Zombie haters. Shhhhhh.
Sophie was a Zombie after all. OM…G!
Mama J.,
Yea, I want to put some snap caps in my Glock and shoot along with them–sort of an interactive Walking Dead. LOL My dh would really think I had fallen off my rocker then.
is this season 3 of the walking dead? I don’t get the channel but I have to wait for season 2 on dvd to come out
Rob,
This is the 2nd half of season 2, if my memory is correct. Weird that they do that, but probably good for ratings. I’m chomping at the bit for tonight.
Pineslayer,
TheWalking Dead marathon is on right now! A warmer upper for tonight. It’s snowing here, so I am holding down the couch.
Pineslayer, I am around some friends in the Hollywierd business and a few years back when the writers went on strike, the execs found it cheaper to do half seasons in the event they or actors strike again.
They film twice as many shows at the same time to fill in the down time and many times use the same sets or back ground crew.
It saves them big bucks and a bit of leverage during strikes, sort of like having 6 months of pay in a back account if you lost your job.
Florida and Georgia has seen an increase in filming for movies and TV in the last few years as well.
I know they filmed at least some of The Walking Dead here in Georgia. I have recognized quite a few places in season one and two that were around the Atlanta area. We drove past the studio they are using one day and there was a sign for the parking and a shuttle for “zombie” extras! LOL, didn’t know those walkers could drive!
Gayle,
Not a good idea. If however you want to make the gun completely safe for practice or shooting zombies for that matter, get a Blade-Tech Training Barrel for your Glock model. Here is an example photo: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/810432/blade-tech-training-barrel-glock-19-23-kydex-yellow
And here is the Blade-tech website which list all of the models available: http://www.blade-tech.com/Training-Barrel-pr-1018.html
You unload your gun, disassemble it, replace the real barrel with this one, and reassemble. The barrel sticks out of the muzzle enough to see that it’s a training barrel.
I have several of these that allow us to use real guns in the classroom for realistic training.
Gayle, I agree with OP or you can buy a training pistol. I don’t have the link but they’re out there. A solid blue training Glock pistol that LE use for training.
O.P. and Jarhead,
I may be showing my ignorance here but what’s wrong with practicing with an unloaded gun or a gun loaded with snap caps? I got the snap caps so I could practice trigger control.
Gayle,
There isn’t anything inherently wrong with it; it’s just a safety thing. From the three basic safety rules, to snap caps, yellow barrels, and blue guns, each of these ads a layer of safety. We’re not talking about burning a loaf of bread here, but a situation where a single mistake in your entire lifetime can be catastrophic. Better safe than sorry.
I personally prefer the yellow barrels, because they are inexpensive ($10-12 each), render the firearm completely inert and safe, while allowing all parts of the gun, slide, trigger, hammer, safety, decocker, etc. to function normally. It’s a great way to get comfortable with the operation and get that muscle memory, without accidently blowing away your TV set.
Gayle, nothing wrong. We are just looking out for you is all. I use snap caps for training and reload drills and all.
OP and I are just trying to give you another tool for training that’s a safer approach is all.
One slip up could ruin a day or a life so we were just giving you advise from our perspective is all. Safety first mentality is all. We’ve seen professionals make mistakes as well as those just learning and its our way of saying we don’t want to see you or anyone get hurt. Not just you but anyone else in the Pack.
O.P.,
Thanks for the explanation. Basic idea is don’t get into any sloppy habits.
Gayle,
As Jarhead said, “We’ve seen professionals make mistakes as well as those just learning” and it made me both cringe and smile because it brought back the memory of this video about an arrogant professional: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ufT_6Kgy0
Gayle,
LMAO! Good idea! I do get all worked up when I watch it. Sounds like you do too. Hehe.
If you are serious prepper and really walk the walk, then you are allowed, maybe even expected to do things off the rocker. Like being in Menopause, we have a reason for being crazy and we get away with it.
I wanted to give you all an update. I have been reading up on cheese making. I have decided to start with mozzarella. I have ordered rennet and citric acid.
I have opted not to order one of the cheese making kits. I may be wrong here, but they seem to contain rennet tablets, a cheap thermometer and a bunch of packaging.
I have learned one important thing–most cheese recipes call for at least two percent milk. My powdered milk is nonfat. I am wondering if I can order some buttermilk powder and mix a bit of that it with the nonfat milk. I should think this would be okay.
I will take pictures of the process and record everything I do. If my cheese turns out okay, I will write up a little post.
Not necessary to add anything to the powdered milk to make great mozzarella cheese. I have been making it with only powdered milk for 2 years.
Occasionally, I will add 8 oz. of shelf stable cream to the milk when it is heating. But I really don’t notice a different flavor or creamier texture.
It will be delicious with just the powdered milk!
Kate,
Any chance you will post your recipe using powered milk? I am so excited to learn about this. Once I learn to make cheese and yogurt, I will have a pretty well rounded food storage.
We’ve been making our own yogurt for about 3 years now.
We don’t have a yogurt maker, we use pint canning jars, and our oven set at 100 degrees, in the summer I use an electric roasting oven in my summer kitchen, (outside).
My cultures comes from:
http://www.dairyconnection.com
We use ABY-2C, we keep our small bottle in the deep freezer, not the self defrosting frig/freezer.
As far as a recipe goes, my DH the yogurt maker suggest you look on line, as there is so many different ways to make your yogurt, as in thick, creamy, custard style, flavored or fruit. He started with a online recipe, and “tweeked” it to suit him. He started with making small batches, tweeking each time. Once he was happy with the recipe he then started making 1 gallon of milk at a time, which makes about 10 pints. We have used powered milk, but if I find marked down milk, (about to expire) we use that. Good luck!!
Texas Nana,
Thanks for the link. I have bookmarked the site. I find it so exciting to learn this kind of stuff.
Gayle,
Looks like your ‘d’ key is sticking again. LOL
O.P.,
I may need a new notebook computer. LOL. The keys are so work on the home row, you can’t even hardly read the letters.
Oops, I meant to write “worn” and not “work”.
Gayle,
I rest my case, LOL. You can probably just plug in an inexpensive keyboard and fix the issue for a while.
Gayle,
Here is what I use to make mozzarella cheese:
1 gallon of dry non-fat milk and water mixed up. (If you use HOT water to mix it, you don’t need to heat it to 90 degrees. Add the citric acid and stir a bit then, when it cools down to 90 – add the renet.)
2 tsp. citric acid
1/4 tsp liquid rennet
1 tsp cheese salt.
Follow the directions on the web sit you posted, you should do fine.
One thing I do different when making ricotta cheese is I don’t use powdered non-fat milk. I use NIDO from the Hispanic section of the grocery store. NIDO is powdered whole milk. (I have 5 cans of it in my food storage.) I think it makes a creamier ricotta cheese.
BTW – NIDO with Nestle chocolate milk powder will make a GREAT substitiute for the creamy chocolate milk you buy fresh in the grocery store. I can’t tell the difference. We drink it often to rotate the NIDO. (Not all the time mind you, my husband tells me he doesn’t really like to practice for when the ‘war’ comes, as he calls it.)
NIDO really doesn’t last longer then 18 months or so; so it is necessary to use it unless you want to throw it out.
Hope this helps!
lol, wow, I missed this post when I was searching for helpful links. You’re already ahead of me ;) That’s what I get for leaping before I look! :D
Bummer. I typed a paragraph and it didn’t pop as pending approval and I didn’t copy it first. Anyway.
I just found this site http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/how-to-make-cheese-from-powdered-milk.htm
It talks about and has a recipe for powdered milk cheese and a couple links to how to do ricotta from it as well. Now I have to go look at this site and see if it’s any good.
I’m looking forward to your report of the process— with the pictures! of course. I wonder how cost effective it is actually. Is it easier and more cost effective to just buy cheese and freeze it? What about taste wise?
Vienna,
I am learning this not so much to have fresh cheese on hand but more so that I know how do it post collapse. We may see a day when there is no electricity and hence no refrigeration. And all our store-bought food stores run out. Knowing how to make cheese as a means to preserve milk will be a useful skill.
Vienna & Gayle
I would like to add that making your own yogurt, is a lot cheaper than buying at the grocery, specially if you can find marked down milk. DH is very frugal, he put the pencil to paper, his home made yogurt is around 30 cents a pint. This includes, milk which I paid full price for, vanilla, sugar, culture, and a little pectin. We use to buy the wally world brand in 32 oz size, paying $1.57, I haven’t priced it lately, but I’m sure it has gone up!! We are saving a lot of money making our own yogurt, even paying full price for milk. We make our own vanilla, saving, make our own yogurt, saving, grin our own wheat, make our own bread, once again saving. Plus we cook from scratch and have for years, it’s enabled us to live better, plus have more money for prepping.
There is a lot to be said for practicing the skills you will be needing, don’t wait till it’s a have to situation. It’s part of being prepared for what you think you will need. Gayle your a smart women for wanting to know how to before the have to is here!
Gayle, I found whole powdered milk on Cabela’s website when I was doing my Christmas shopping, but when I looked again just now, it isn’t there. I did a yahoo search (yall don’t use google, they track EVERYthing you do!) and found these links:
http://www.amazon.com/Nestle-Nido-Instant-Whole-12-6oz
http://www.nextag.com/whole-milk-powder/shop-html
http://www.packitgourmet.com/NidoMilkPowder.html
http://www.americanspice.com/whole-milk-powder/
and THIS one:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5386941_add-milk-make-whole-milk.html
BamaBecca….so does Yahoo (track what you do), including reading keywords in your emails (as does Google & Bing).
I am experimenting with “DuckDuckGo” and “Blekko”. They both say they are alternatives to the other search engines, and that they do not track your activity. So far DDG is working well….with a lot less “other” content when I search. Here’s their list for “Whole milk powder”…much simpler and to the point than either yahoo or google.
http://duckduckgo.com/?q=whole+milk+powder
MtWoman, honestly, I don’t know……I’ve always used yahoo but they probably do as well, maybe not as bad as google. I posted that comment with something in mind that I saw the other day. But now that I think twice…..uggghhh one of those blonde moments, no doubt, lol.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/google-pay-users-track-their-movements-online-186030
http://www.prisonplanet.com/google-will-pay-people-to-authoritatively-root-themselves-track-100-of-web-usage-via-dedicated-hardware.html
http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/08/google-offers-to-pay-for-people-to-have-their-web-use-tracked-minutely/
And doesn’t your internet provider also track your movements online? I guess I should do some more research….before I open my big mouth! :D
I’ll check out the search engines you mentioned, thanks for that info.
MtWoman (N Central Texas),
What a great site! How did you become aware of DDG? Are you a member of some super-sleuth society? LOL!
H-D…I read about it somewhere while looking for an alternative to Google. I left Yahoo after they froze all my bookmarks for 2+ months (with personal info listed there – acct #s, passwords, etc.). I couldn’t delete any of the info. It was during the time they were contracting with China to support them. At the same time, Yahoo announced an email format change and their new privacy policies, which were/are worse than Googles’.
I went over to Gmail and Google chrome….and now face the same thing, plus the fact that Google owns YouTube, etc, and will be co-ordinating all one’s personal information across all their online presense. {{{shudder}}}
I am pretty good at research and finding ‘alternative’ ways to do things online. I’ve been on computers since the net first started (remember news groups & AOL “I’ve got mail”?), and I’m appalled…and concerned… at what it’s becoming. There are underground ways to be online, but I’ve lost touch with that….it’s all gone pretty deep…so I’m researching what I CAN do with what’s available.
Glad DDG pleases you! I don’t trust ANY search engine online to not track my activity, but DDG is simpler to use….for now.
I know it’s not real…., or is it. I too will be saying good bye to Google, Facebook and many others at the end of the month.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ380SHZvYU
Mexneck…that is a great vid. I’m sure it’s not that bad, but I’m also sure the powers-that-be are tracking things. I have changed my facebook presence to just general daily stuff…Minimized it because it’s gotten so ponderous to deal with and I post no political or other ‘real’ postings.
Frankly, I think gov spying on citizens is real, but the insidious merchandizing tracking is what’s putting me off. Seems EVERYthing one does on the net leads to ADs and buying. Bleech. :P
MtWoman,
The merchandise tracking done by online vendors is a gold mine of information for the government. Combine that data with the electronic documentation required of the financial industry and the government knows more about you than you do.
Mexneck,
I refuse to register on Facebook. The feds can gather more than I want them to know about me by
data-scraping this blog.
I just now ordered Nestle Klim whole dried milk through my food co-op. I had a #10 can of dried milk from EE already, but wanted to add more. There are tons of recipes online using the Klim or Nido powder. I paid $9.82 for a 1.76# can (.35 per oz). I saw close to the same price on Amazon but with my co-op I do not pay shipping.
Thanks, Kate, for this thread! Been looking for a good ricotta recipe using dried milk.
Hey Pack,
MD, it is good to hear that you are on the mend. Being sick is for the birds and I don’t wish it on anyone.
Prepping this week has been a little slow, but a little better than it was last week. I am still on a roll of telling the kids that I can’t help them right now. I told them that they need to stand on their own a little bit; because relying on mommy and daddy isn’t gonna float this time. I have let the pantry off of the kitchen and the extra shelves in the kitchen get bare. I don’t want them to see these shelves ever be full again. After they start to get emptier, I will move them to another place in the house and stock them up again. But the kids won’t be able to see them where they are going.
Well, son will not buy insurance on the van that we gave him, but the stupid thing is still in our names, so if he gets stopped or wrecks it, it will be our fault for not having insurance. Come Monday, We are giving him the title and he is on his own with that as well. If he is stopped or wrecks, it is his baby and we will not be financially responsible for his actions.
Found out that I am gonna be a grandma again. DD and her husband are expecting and baby will be due around September or October. I hope they can do this on the money that SIL makes. I guess he will be working harder. He is a good husband and daddy, so I’m sure they will be o.k.
O.K., on to preps….
80 boys band aids 4 bottles spray cleaner
2 boxes 13gal bags 4 zip locks assorted sizes
3 Dickies insulated jackets (marked down and then 50% off )
3 Dickies light weight coats with hoods (same sale [7.50 each])
1 ladies long sleeve shirt for 2.40 after sale price
1 ladies soft sweater for 3.00 after sale price
2 flats of bottled water 12 12pk canned sodas
8lbs discounted sugar (put into cleaned out juice bottles)
3 cans of bug spray 3 cans hash
12 cans ravioli 6 cans hotdog sauce
slow but steady and all under the bed for the most part. Hidden as well as I can manage for right now.
Hope everyone here has had a nice week. Just hand in there and make it one day at a time.
Happy prepping
Good going, Repair Mama. Let them fall down a couple of times as the trudge the road to self-sufficiency.
wow repair mama…you really have taken a stand…wow – you must have had your back to the wall…you know, a dose of reality is sometimes what it takes to wake some people up…even our loved ones.
good on you, and so good to see you going great guns…cheers.
its hard to tell the kids theya re on thier own, but they need to do it. i would still store some stuff for them incase the shtf but you cant make it to easy.
on the van a long time ago my mother sold a car to a stranger signed the title and thought it was over, turns out they never transfered the title and when they got into an accident they sued my mother because she was the legal owner. take him to the dmv and pay for the tittle transfer yes it will cost you some cash but that way you know it is done.
grats on being a grandmother again. children are one of those mixed blessings as you know. before they get here you have no idea how you are going to pull it off but once they are here you cant imagine life with out them.
repair mama, good for you!
I’ve been telling my daughter for years not to cater to her kids and make them do things on their own so they know how to.
so here’s the report
soon to be 19 granddaughter=job just after graduating HS,graduated tech for protective services(advanced!!) fire training (course counts for actual college credits) just got the 87 325I i gave her on the road. hard headed in your face with the truth brat.(spent too much time with me)
almost 18 grandson=”I already know everything I need to know to make it through life” failed 9th grade twice quit school,caused huge amounts of problems(money,legal) blew off everything the judge said, blew off another court date, now in a program(judge ordered) where he has to do all the things we’ve been telling him.so he now has to… meet all program requirements,get his ged, be in some houseing setup where he has to pay rent,food,all his fines at a setup job program. I suspect when he turn 18 he will simply go to jail. bummer..
just turned 12 grandson=running down the same path his mother blazed for his older brother. good news! I tripped them both! mom bumped her head in the fall and woke up, faceplanting showed the youngest he shouldnt run down the same path.
daughter said I was right. thought I was going to stroke out right there.
please stand your ground forever.
stay safe
I will continue to prep for them and the grandbabies too. I know when push comes to shove, they may have to come back home.
I will tell them that they are grown and the gravy train has left the station. they will be responsible for the babies cause granny has to work to feed and pay the bills.
they will also have to pick up the slack at home if they are not working. I will post chore lists if I have to.
Their dad and I will keepthe roof and the supplies, but they will have to pull with us too.
The advice about the title sounds like that is what we need to do. I had not thought about that one.. Thanks for covering my 6!
thats what we all do here, think of the things others may have not yet got to. thats why i have a to do list about 40 pages long and every week you people add to it.
i thank you for it although i curse when i am the one doing the work, lol
Repair Mama
You had better make sure and double sure the thing is out of your name.
My dad had a truck that I stupidly put my name on.
He at the age of 82 decided to leave California and go back to Arizona. He lost control of the truck, it really had loose touchy steering, it was hauled to a impound yard.
Well we thought the truck was a total loss. But they sold it to this guy and he ran red lights and kept sending me the ticket. Just luckily the impound owner gave me the information on the person that bought it. Well went to the DMV and got a card to send in notifying them we no longer owned the truck and included the info on the new owner. Thought everything was okay. About 3 months later the guy ran another red light and I was again notified. Went to the DMV got 3 of those cards sent them in a week apart.
So make sure you know for certain that it is out of your hands intirely.
congrats. on the new little one. you founds some good buys this week especially on the jackets and coats.
To prep this week I built another 20mm ammo can stove and got a pickup load of mesquite from a pile laying alongside the road for the picking. On the way home yesterday, feeling the ill effects of my fall last week, I espied a haphazard pile of felled trees. Couldn’t help myself. Staggered around chopping, and breaking limbs (not mine) and filled the pickup bed. (Today I bought a cordless reciprocating saw so I can stop hacking and flailing away when I find wood.) It goes-to-show-ya how parsimonious I have become that when I am not at all well, I can’t pass up free fuel! Cheapolyptic indeed!
On a serious note; got shed of two wannabe preppers from our group who never get anything done. Down to three of us but we all work diligently at the never ending quest…….
survivor dan…as we start getting down to the wire, vital to get rid of the ‘dead wood’.
If they don’t pull their weight now…come SHTF – could have been hard on you and rest of group…did well to jettison them now…
Thanks chloe. Wasn’t easy as one was a very dear friend of mine.
s/dan..I know, had to do the same thing…finally saw they were just laughing at my efforts…would accept the canned cheese and butter, vac sealed rice etc…showing them it was prudent to just start and go at their own pace.
However…won’t go into it here…was a waste of my time – yet friends from early school years – and always kept in touch.
4 years have passed since I realized they were not going to take any action…and still no attempt to prepare – so, my judgment was correct back then.
they still phone me – want to know how/where I am etc…I just make excuses to not call round when I am in the town they live in…as some of our mutual friends will see me in town, and of course they all get on the phone and phone each other.
I just can’t take the chance and risk things at this stage – after all the preps/time invested.
The burden will be too hard to have them come to me…I already have others on board, good people that I trust, and that trust me too, and understand they need to be prepared – so that we can manage or muddle through together.
There may be a lot of this happening – either everyone rows the boat, or they can’t take up the room.
good to hear on free heat
Made our quarterly trip to the LDS cannery today, and took along 5 new folks who had never been there before. Along with 4 others we teamed up and canned more than 150 cans of long term storage goods in a little over two hours including cleanup. All of the new attendees had a great time and we are all going back in May. I picked up 2 cases (6 #10 cans in a case) of orange drink mix (I lovingly refer to as LDS Tang), and a case of potato flakes. The rule for the cannery, is that of you open a bulk bag or box, you have to can all of it, with the extras being set aside for individual purchase. This allows folks to come in and sometimes purchase a single can of a bulk pack item without a cannery appointment and actually doing the canning. From this overage I also nabbed a can of black beans, sugar, and another of potato flakes.
After leaving the cannery we all headed to a local Middle Eastern Restaurant and then off to a local gun store. I picked up a 25 round box of 12 Gauge #00 buck, and my friend purchased a new High Point 9mm handgun. It has a polymer frame and although is not as light as some of the polymers I own, does fit the hands well, and at $150 was not a bad deal for a guy on a budget with multiple kids in college.
That about wraps up the day. Starting to renovate frames for the beehives and getting set up to start my seedlings in mid march. Theoretically, we have move from Zone 5 to Zone 6 for planting, etc; however, I will remain skeptical for at least a few more years.
O.P.
Sorry missed that party.
Maybe in May Let me know if you
already set a date.
I buy there #10 pre canned often. Either buy the case or like you say leftovers. And I use the smaller Mylar bags for me.
even if I buy the sacks of black beans.
I bought a couple of the High points
4 years ago but left the with the x DW
She was dead on with them and like them.
They are or were made in Ohio and had
a life time limited guarantee. At that time, bought them.
I should have paperwork on the file..
I don not think they guarantee any more?
Did you do to Clev. or 79 store?
And on the Faraday no ground here.
But they will give you 6 way around
about witch way to go on sites. To ground or not to ground.
It still kind of pulls me each way to ground or not to but not grounding make mo sense.
But with an Scope OCilly. you see to want to ground??
If when emp happens we will see. I think one will happen from man other the sun. Most commercial one are grounded.
I am still learning & studying the electronic end. So on this so be kind if you answer.. Oh and H.D. did not have to advise on the pee LOL&LOL.. (When the ladies jumped in)
Boy and if you get bit buy a wire the Pulse wow!!
I have had a few cow, and many horses.. The can here the fence. I would let them get close to the wire turned off.
When they would get a few feet from turn it on and watch em run..
take care
ThatAway,
May 12 @ 0900.
The High Points are still made in Ohio , have a lifetime guarantee and although not my choice are a pretty good gun for the budget minded.
Got it at the Cleveland Ave store.
We run a bottom and top hot wire on the paddick and it only takes once or twice for the critters to figure out where not to go.
Maybe C U in May.
It is on my the calendar.
And I have not really Looked at the High Points, Since I gave them my X.
The couple I owned.. I bought out of curiosity?
I liked them just to keep in the barn and here and there in sheds.. If somehow they were stolen or damaged.
I was not out to much.. And she like them.. She is very frugal.
And the fine point of shooting, trigger, bullets weight.
All she want to do was hit the target when need , she had a very goog eye.
And so if she was happy with that why give or get her a glock ruger of s&w or others.. I am go run a center wire also, the
neighbor down the street said the deer learned to
get there head higher up and sneak bite.
I will have 4 live wires. The darn deer are tame.
the will come up to my back sliding glass door and look in.
Same with some larger windows I have.
Later.
OhioPrepper –
Zone 5 to 6? Is that due to global warming? (just kidding)
I’ve always wondered how accurate those USDA Hardiness Zone maps are, they put my place in zone 9 which, I think, is the same as Gayle in Florida. Now granted the weather here is mild due to being on the pacific coast (one of my deciding factors when moving here), but I would never compare it to central Florida! But I guess our minimum average temps pretty much match so we’re in the same zone.
K Fields,
I am officially in 8b but I’ve got a micro climate working which bumps me up to zone 9.
Ohio Prepper,
The new maps show that I moved up a zone as well. I don’t believe it either! I will continue to treat my garden as it is a zone 7 not an 8.
To continue the peanut conversation from another post, I had a hard time finding any peanuts this year. I (like a fool) didn’t save any seed from last year. I decided not too since I was going to get a different variety anyway, I would just by more of my normal variety. Well, I went to my normal web site and they said they were sold out! And this was in December! So I have been looking for peanuts all of January.
I couldn’t find any Spanish, research shows that they make the best oil. The Virginia jumbo taste delicious for snacking and that is what I normally purchase, they seem to be more readily available. So, I finally settled on Reimer Seeds because they offer Spanish peanut seed as well as Virginia Jumbo. There service was fast but boy everything is expensive! The web site is reimerseeds.com.
I also saw a new variety on one of the other web sites called Tennessee Red that is susposed to be more tolerant of different types of soils. I wanted to try it, but Reimer Seeds didn’t offer it . What I bought cost too much as it is so I am not getting any other varieties this year. I might try them next year.
Don’t wait too long to get the seeds or everyone will be sold out, the peanut crop was poor last year and it is very visible in the price of seed this year.
I look forward to hearing about your peanut crop this coming year!! Remeber, don’t start them indoors. Plant directly into the tires and they will do fine.
Kate,
Hacing never done peanuts before, I have no idea what is a good price, so at least to get started, thhese prices don’t look too bad. Thanks for the information, and wish me luck.
Great. Now because of that powdered cheese link I found another. Any one ever read Selco’s story? A guy who lives in Bosnia and his experience during the shtf scenario there? Makes me queasy. I know nothing.
I know a couple of you here were in Bosnia, this may bring back some not so pleasant memories. For you that haven’t, his stories are eye openers.
http://shtfschool.com/
Vienna…yes, have read his stories…shocking and inspiring at the same time…
vienna, yes read selco in many dif blogs etc. he is the real deal. i was deployed there to “keep the peace” for about 9 months. i wish everybody in america could go and see how the other side of catastrophe looks. a once beautiful country turned into a craphole overnight. no jobs, no food, living under a tarp in -20 weather, kids barefoot in the snow, old women walking miles to gather a bundle of twigs to feed the tiny cooking fire and miles more to get water at the communal spring/well. at night, pitch black, no lights except ours, and tracer fire.cows so skinny theres no use in slaughtering them. kids begging for the leftovers from our mre’s. when a base closed, half the local workers killed themselves, all hope gone from their lives. the u.n. may as well have pulled the trigger on the hundreds of thousands murdered by the serbs. NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME A REFUGEE, EVER!
river…thank you for that description…I have been so sheltered living in peace all my life…look at what is happening in Greece right now…freaks me out to see that. regards.
I am still going through rooms of this house, one by one, cleaning out drawers; cupboards; closets and sorting sorting sorting! Where Did All This Stuff Come From???? In the last few years I have lost a lot of loved ones and put aside all the things I didn’t want to think about. Letters dating back to the late 1800s my mom and aunt had kept. Old report cards from the 20s, diplomas, passports, ………stuff. I picked up a bundle of letters that were written in the 30s during the depression and sat down and started reading.
These letters related to a member of the family who had been a successful salesman in the 20′s and sold stocks and bonds. By the mid thirties he was picking fruit in the imperial valley, oranges around san bernardino, painting houses and following the crops up the san jauquin valley. He wrote of walking 10 to 20 miles a day sometimes for a job and of being grateful when an owner allowed him to sleep in his barn at night. He wrote of hanging around a pool hall in little towns so that he could get clues as to who was hiring temporary help. He wrote of looking forward to some beans for dinner as he hadn’t eaten anything else all week but the fruit from whatever orchard or field he was working in. He wrote of catching trains to go north to Washington State to pick apples, but noted that he would not go if the strikes were still going on. Apparently there was union unrest even then. He died at age 42…pretty much a broken man. The letters hit me about as hard as visiting Gettysburg did last fall but in a different way. It was grim in that hard bitten world that we have come from folks, I for one, hope and pray that all our preps get used up while we are enjoying our families and we can still treasure the abundant life that our ancestors paid for with their blood and their hard work and energy! To see people not understand our history and how quickly all that grimness could return if we don’t get the US financial house in order and the World doesn’t quit finding reasons to destroy themselves is appalling.
Of note, these letters are written on small bits of paper in pencil. He didn’t own pen and ink and ball point pens hadn’t been invented yet. The letters are addressed to a name and to a town. Apparently things weren’t so crowded that they needed street addresses to find people in those small towns in the 30s.
My prep for the week was getting out and doing some target practicing and then cleaning my gun. Kind of helped shake of the sense of futility and depression I was feeling after reading those letters. Have a good week folks.
Worrisome,
Wow. Thanks for sharing the contents of the letters you read. I read one book at the Great Depression written from the standpoint of such letters. The author would give enough history to contextualize the letters.
Wow – The letters are a real treasure.
My mom told me stories of the depression and she was not one to mince words. She instilled the need to prep, for which I am so thankful. My sister does not prep and I don’t know if she told her the same stories or not, but I moved to the west coast and my sister was one house away.
worrisome…finding and reading those letters was not a co-incidence. Thank you for sharing the info…
We can see the writing on the wall, perhaps he didn’t.
Remember, he did not give up…he did what he had to do to get through each day…
Just as we do now; and tomorrow, we will do the same.
Strength and courage…
chloe, you may be right about it not being coincidental. I read this book a few years ago, called “A Course In Miracles”….the authors believed nothing is ever a coincidence.
worrisome…have not read that book…
it is just that when I see our wonderful world, stars at night, shooting stars, rainbows during and after rain…
sunsets, sunrises…oceans and their tides…
the order and beauty is not a co-incidence – and so it trickles down to everything else, albeit on a smaller scale…all in its own order and time and season…
This week I picked up 300 .40 S&W, 550 .22 LR, 4 .50 cal ammo cans, dehumidifier packets for each ammo can. Lined the inside of the ammo cans with plastic. I condensed my ammunition for the two calibers mentioned into three ammo cans. Cut off the lids to some of the ammo boxes and placed them inside the can with the ammo so I know which manufacturer I’m dealing with. The wife is very much pregnant, so shooting at the range for us is out of the question atm. So I’m placing my ammunition in long term storage instead. Figure when her situation changes :P I can always go out and buy more ammo for the range so she and I can go plinking.
Cleaned up a section of the downstairs of my folks house throwing out old and useless junk. My goal for her house is to clear out room for them and help nudge them into disaster preparedness. One less thing I will need to worry about it I know they have enough supplies for a week on hand.
My father brought his 1958 Remington Fieldmaster Model 572 .22 over for me to clean. I find a pump .22 rather an oddity since the majority of the .22s that I encounter are bolt action or semi-automatic. In any case, his rifle needs a lot of love. Rust is beginning to make its presence known on the outside of the rifle. The 4x scope is completely gunked up and looks like it has taken the worst of it. The action of the rifle still works so I’m hoping the damage is superficial in nature.
I Believe it is my time to become another ‘the fly on the wall’ and go find Lint and TK…………. Tinker out!
Say it is not so. Can this really be happening? Are we getting this close to big trouble?
Good luck Thomas, hope you come back with them!
Tinker…take care and come back if you can. BTW….if you’re still around, would you tell us why you are leaving?
Sorry to here that! An other part of the pack gone.
Good Luck .. I am just quiet anyways.. I hate to see the folks leave..
No reason given?????
Tinker, you will be remembered and very missed. Our best wishes and prayers go with you. Much love from the pack. If you find the others, tell them we miss them too
Good bye friend.
Sorry to hear this TTT. What is going on here gang? This is the 3rd person we have lost that has announced it and there are several we haven’t heard from in a while. Is there something spooking them off? If we all go offline, who will be around to reach out to for information and a heads up.
I’ll tell you what’s going on. MDs blog has taken on an anti-Christian, pro-global warming, liberal chat room mentality. It’s gotten so bad that people here don’t even respect MD as a Christian, saying Christians are responsible for most of the killing in the modern era, and misrepresenting the facts on ObamaCare. People with integrity can’t stand this crap, and they leave.
You have not been reading here, because that is so far from the truth of what we discuss here.
I’m sorry, but when people say Christians are responsible for the majority of the killing in the modern era, I’m going to call them out on it. It’s not true, and I asked for a link. It’s in this thread.
And when people misrepresent what the Catholic Church objects to, I’m going to do my best to set the record straight. And when they say that it has to do with receiving government aid, but the truth is that it is a requirement of ObamaCare, I’m bound to correct it. As far as the global warming stuff, it’s sprinkled throughout the comments. So yes, I’ve read all this in this thread.
Redwolf,
Most of us here are Christians. Some who are not at times think we are too Christian. We disagree on some matters, especially when it comes to politics or religion. But we all respect M.D. And if someone logs on and disrespects our head wolf, watch out. You will see us come to his side.
Very interesting Redwolf….I finally found the quote you supposedly are referring to (by Hawkeye) that ACTUALLY reads: “Infact, in the modern era, it seems that religion has probably killed (and is killing) more people than any other human concept?”
It says: R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N. It does not say: C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.
I find it interesting that everyone of your posts here are inflammatory, derisive, disagreeable, and downright wrong. Where’s your CONTRIBUTION to the blog? If you don’t like the mature, tolerant DEBATE we carry on here, bug-off. Otherwise please shut it and PARTICIPATE with the same spirit the rest of us do.
What have you done for your preps this week???
Redwolf you want an instance of Christians killing in the name of God? Just for the heck of it I will bite and hope no Christian is offended. Hitler was a Christian, grandson of Jewish grandparents from his moms side. Mussolini was Catholic and supported Hitler. They brought more evil upon this Earth than any Muslim ever could; killing Jews, gays, gypsy, disabled and anyone that disagreed with them. There is you Christian Catholic example, by the way Russia was an Atheist country and was fighting the Germans, they lost more than any country.
Every skin head, neo nazi and klansman I’ve ever met were Christians, they sure weren’t Jews or Muslims.
If someone wants to believe in Global Warming, so what! If it is their reason to focus on prepping let it be so. What degree do you possess to contradict it? I don’t have the proof to confirm or deny it and its still a debate.
I live in Southern California and can tell you the states environmental rules enforced have brought cleaner air and water. The air is the cleanest its been in over 40 years. I remember the 70s and 80s with the smog so bad we had to stay inside and acid rain was common, we haven’t had that in over 20 years. So the EPA rules on the environment actually supports the theory that by strict environmental regulations it can change the affected region.
I don’t recall you contributing as to what you have done or advice unless you changed your name and been a contributor. I may disagree with people but I don’t attack them. If someone disagrees with me I am open to their point of view. I welcome new knowledge but the Pack does not welcome ignorance or attacks.
Hitler was not a Catholic or a Christian. To be born something doesn’t make you that. Hitler REJECTED Christianity many times. Here’s a link with the proof, in his own words so there can be no confusion:
http://www.answers.org/apologetics/hitquote.html
That you would say Hitler was killing in the name of Christianity is shocking, to say the least. I utterly reject your view, and history does as well. As for the Muslim example, I would take issue with that, as would millions of Hindus, among others, but that is a subject for another day. In any event, I never mentioned Muslims in any of my previous comments so I’m not sure where that came from.
As for the Soviet Union, they did fight the Nazis, but they were allies before they were enemies, and Stalin has his own genocide problems. Not a very good example to use, as Stalin murdered tens of millions of people long before WWII and the fight with Germany. The US and Britain, along with their allies, would be the Christian countries in the fight with Germany.
I’ll leave the EPA and California for the historians, but a state with the deficit and economic trajectory California has will soon be Third World unless something changes quick. There is a huge price to pay for the kind of regulation you have in California. Air quality has rebounded, but at what price? One would think there might be a middle ground.
If this sounds harsh, I don’t mean it to, but I do want to set the record straight.
Redwolf, I can find websites that refute your response.
Seriously if you don’t have anything to contribute to the blog and the people keep your thoughts to yourself.
We pray for each other when asked.
We help to better each other.
We contribute.
The majority of us here are Christian.
You have not posted one contribution to the blog.
You have made unfounded accusations about the members of the blog.
You could not give examples of what you felt were unChristian like or obama care leanings.
This will be my last response to you unless it relates to the betterment of the blog and contributes to the Wolf Pack.
Redwolf,
Your link to quotes from the book, “Hitler’s Secret Conversation” really brought a smile to my face. Did you actually read and research the book? If not, I suggest you do before using quotes from it to back your statements.
Lets look at the 27 Feb. 1942 example.
Your link states, “… Our epoch Uin the next 200 yearse will certainly see the end of the disease of Christianity…. My regret will have been that I couldn’t… behold .”
Sounds anti-christian doesn’t it? But that so called translation by François Genoud from 1942 doesn’t actually exist in the original German papers.
The original German reads: “… Life is granted only to those who fight the hardest. It is the law of life: Defend yourself! The time in which we live has the appearance of the collapse of this idea. It can still take 100 or 200 years. I am sorry that, like Moses, I can only see the Promised Land from a distance.”
Much different isn’t it? Does that still make Hitler anti-christian? Maybe, but only if you’re a Frenchman in the years following the Second World War I would think.
Now to be clear, I’m not trying to say Hitler was or was not a Christian, I could really care less. But before you question someone else’s view (or act as spokesman for “history”) I suggest you be certain of your material before “setting the record straight.”
For your thoughts of CA becoming “Third World”, I again have to wonder about your sources. As of 2010, in the midst of the US economic downturn, CA still held the 9th spot in a ranking of WORLD economies. Hardly “Third World” by anyone’s stretch of imagination.
Fair enough. I won’t comment any more, either, and we can agree to disagree.
Woo Woo Alert!
Ron, agreed!
Redwolf, don’t know where you are getting that from. This is a prep blog where people share ideas and help each other. If someone disagrees on religion or politics it is their GOD given and 1st Amendment right.
There are some things I agree with and disagree with but I’m not the one to judge.
I have never seen anyone disrespect M.D. for being a Christian, I have seen Christians disrespect him misinterpreting him posting something from the bible.
If someone runs because they disagree with something what will happen when life gets real bad or something is thrown at them?
I’m a Christian baptised Penticostal at 12 dad was a deacon and a Republican since I was 18 but if I disagree with the church or the GOP that doesn’t make me a bad person, it makes me a free thinker.
If someone on here is Catholic, Jewish, 7th Day Adventist or Muslim I don’t care. If they come here looking at advice on prepping I will help. If they are Democrat, Independant or no political affiliation at all I will help them if they ask.
Hear, hear Jarhead….well said….thank you.
I do need to point out this fact: just because someone ‘says’ they are a Christian doesn’t necessarily make it so. (Hitler, for instance…) Saying you are a Christian because your family have been “Christians” for six generations, does not make you a Christian. Sitting in a pew every Sunday no more makes you a Christian than sitting in garage makes you a car. IF you have asked Jesus to be your personal Savior, confessed your sins to Him and follow Him and what He says to do in the Bible to the best of your abilities, then you can say you are a Christian. “There is no other Name by which you can be saved”. Many people give lip service to God but not heart service. God knows the heart, man judges by what he sees. We need to guard our hearts. We need to make sure that we do not have any other ‘gods’ before Him. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Encourager, exactly! I grew up in the church and saw many people going to sunday services but they weren’t practicing during the week. Dad called them weekend or sunday christians.
David Karish, Jim Jones etc claimed to be Christians and the priests hurting young boys claim to be catholic. We can’t assume because someone claims to be something, that they are and we can’t blame a religion based on a small percentages actions.
Jarhead et al.,
Don’t feed the trolls. Trolls are unworthy of your time.
AMEN
We are all here to respect some different views and opions. we care about each other as well as our leader. he has taken his resources and time to make this blog that we come to together to learn how to survive whatever may come our way.
I would life to think that a few evil people give any religion a bad name.
that would be like saying all survivalists are wack jobs. one or two can not shade all as being bad. Please get a grip or get gone. We welcome everyone, but dont blow it. Hospitality can only go so far.
If you want to learn,then you are in the right place. If you are here to stir up bad feeling, move on. We all have to live in the real world, and there is enough crap there for all of us. Pleasse stay, but be nice
Just my 2 cents
k?
thank you
And it should be noted that when someone asks for prayers, and when someone offers prayers, No One ever asks “What Kind and Who To”!
Ron,
I hope I’m misreading you, would you please explain? Do you mean:
“What Kind”, as in complaining?
“Who To”, as to your car?
Hunker Down
What kind? as in What Religion and Who too? as in What Entity.
Hope that clarifies.
Well, you’re still here. Where’s your integrity? Go find it.
I’ve been a lurker here for several months, and someone asked why people were leaving MDs blog, and I gave my answer based on what I observed. Some of the best commenters like Lynn, LintPicker, TomtheTinker, bctruck, Lynda in Massachusettes, and a host of others have left here for some reason. I don’t believe it’s because they lost their interest in prepping. In any event, I will comply with your request.
Redwolf…stating your opinion does not make it a fact.
The facts are that MD is respected by many people in the wider survival blog internet community…and that other survival sites are permanently linked to MD’s site.
Further, the regular posters here also respect each other, as evidenced by simply scrolling through the posts.
Facts – as evidenced in the blog’s past comments, show that we post in the spirit of sharing with our brothers and sisters in the prepping world, with the view to help in anyway we can…sometimes with practical and specific advice, and sometimes with a ‘good on you’ comment.
Facts – we share in many laughs – spanning the globe – and no one takes it personally or sees it as a personal attack.
Facts – the regulars log in almost daily, as it is a community of like-minded people – at varying stages along their prepping journey; because they find a rare and valuable community, while still maintaining opsec.
Facts are that we feel and speak freely to each other like one extended family, including topics such as religion/politics/zombies.
Facts are that many others are lurking, and some see that it is in fact a welcoming, respectful and happy community, and start to post – and are in turn warmly welcomed.
Facts are, that people with integrity have and will continue to post on this blog.
In my opinion, the sheepdogs (see Grossman’s interpretation) who have moved on have the greatest integrity, as evidenced by the contents of their numerous posts – and your post purporting to know why they have moved on is completely without weight, and not supported by any evidence.
Whereas you, one of the sheeple, are here today and gone tomorrow…having contributed nothing of worth to this prepping community.
Therefore, having considered your ‘argument’, and found it wanting, and lacking in substance, in my humble opinion, I can only come to one conclusion; and that is for you to F**K OFF and don’t bother us again.
cheers.
‘Nuff said, Chole! You hit the nail on the head. The one reason I have stuck with this site is the respect between the bloggers. That and the sillies, which we all need from time to time! And even when we are laughing and poking one another, it is still respectful. I have learned so much from this site and those who post on it. It IS as if we are family; called for a common purpose.
I have been on other survival sites, where the attitude is to practice the 3 S’s: Shoot-Shovel-and Shut up. There is no respect for anyone on some of the other sites. It seems their goal is to have as many bullets/weapons as possible. They seem to forget that he who dies with the most toys – still dies…………
I agree with you both 100%. That is what drew me into this site and too have learned an enormous amount from all of those that contribute on here.
encourager…until the balloon goes up, it is important for like-minded people to talk between themselves…to support each other, to be a sounding board as things start to heat up – as people divided fall faster than people who stand as one…as fear can make people freeze – leads to despair and inactivity, instead of galvanizing them to action.
Hopefully, by supporting each other in our prepping endeavours we can keep prepping while others allow fear to stop their prep activity…right now, when it is needed the most.
I acknowledge that I am far from ready…however, when I read how some of the other pack members have their own crosses to bear…I realize I have nothing to complain about…and just keep prepping.
I spent most of today packing stuff for long-term storage…and in the middle of it had a prepper friend come over…there is a growing awareness and ‘pressure’ that Mt Woman mentioned…
Also had a friend phone me 3 times today – re fuel cans, solar panels, car fridge etc.
The $1K reward offered to people who snitch on others with a gun…that info is important to have…it ties in with Evans’ article…so, we all stay alert, support each other where we can…and keep opsec matters closer to our chest.
however, if the time comes when people start going offline, for whatever reason…I respect their decision…as we are all spread out and have no idea what is happening at one particular geographical spot…
I have been reading Mano’s posts from Greece on SHTF plan blog…he is already experiencing what we are prepping for…and was one of the people quietly walking in the streets in protest at the latest austerity measure…it is heartbreaking to read…no money, no food, no hope – people are already starving…
and ol remus’ post shares that he has the canners going full steam…that is an example of the action required during these times.
Stay focused, we are all in this together…prep on.
d2 prep…no reply button at end of your comment…keep prepping as best you can…our families are relying on us. cheers.
Chloe:
Well Said!
JP thank you…it is not right that someone gets to attack others that can no longer defend themselves as they may no longer post/read blog…and MD is still sick.
Chloe, well said!
thank you Jarhead…let’s stay focused…as we feel and see events become more insane…
at least we can try to keep our balance and make our way through whatever transpires, as best we can – and provide some support, albeit even if it is only written via this blog – it is important.
Blessings on you – keep yourself and your family strong.
I love your use of **. Tip O’ The Hat!
Hi Nuttbush-
I think it is the new policies that have been taken on by Google that have alerted everyone to the level of scrutiny and awareness the security forces of the gub’t have of everyone with an electronic presence. I have to admit to sympathizing with their concerns – I have them, too, and have wondered if I should follow the example of those lost pack members. It is by far not just Google that is the problem – they are really just the tip of the iceburg – but now, we are all aware of it. It’s quite scary. I’ve noticed a definite change in the tone of the site since people began leaving… we are all much more careful to be neutral, more factual, with fewer tactical conversations (yes… they were pretty common, even just a few weeks ago!) and more abbreviated grumblings about the state of things. People are afraid.
It may somewhat blow over, or we will just become more resigned to it in time, but that may just be of more concern. We will begin speaking our minds freely again, and certain (relatively common) phrases will brand us not just preppers, but a danger to the status-quo, though that is the last thing we are. No one who is serious on this site has any interest in seeing our society change for the worse, or the economy fall deeper into a hole, or any of the hundreds of other SHTF scenarios – we are just interested in sharing ways to weather what we see as inevitable as successfully as possible.
Far from a danger, we are citizens who love our countries, and may be the best chance our societies have to maintain a decent quality of life if and when one of these scenarios comes up. We don’t make things happen. We just want to be ready when they do.
I am hopeful that the gub’t officials in charge of sifting through all of this data are wise enough to know the difference.
alikaat, I have to agree with you. It is not that this gathering of info by the powers that be has not been going on all the time, it is now we are really becoming aware of it and it scares us. It sure makes me nervous, and I don’t feel I have done anything that is wrong, I have not broken any laws, I am not an enemy of the state, I love my country so much it hurts and my heart is breaking for it. It makes me nervous George Orwell may have been right…his 1984 was about 30 years off. I just pray I am wrong.
alikaat, that was well spoken and I agree whole heartedly with your sentiment.
nutbush, some are leaving due to this type of arguement. others are leaving due to opsec reasons. some of us, like me, are afraid we have shared too much info and that someone may be keeping notes. the google thing is another reason. wait til the 30,000 drones hit the skys, it’ll get REAL interesting.
I was actually very stunned with comments of Redwolf. My first thought when I read his comment was that he couldn’t have been reading the same blog I was. I have yet to see a REGULAR SUBMITTER berate someone about being a Christian, be a global warming alarmist or foster a “liberal chat room mentality”. And the facts on O-care speak for themselves, anyone who has dealt with Medicare or Medicaid KNOWS that when the government runs healthcare, it is usually screwed up. Usually the only time you see these type of comments, it is from a person who likes to instigate trouble and create havoc. Normally these types of comments I ignore because they are not worth my time, but Redwolf crossed the line in his comments. “People with integrity can’t stand this crap, and they leave.” God will judge my integrity one day but in the meantime, I am here but Redwolf should leave.
wow. pleased to meet all of you. I am not a Christian. I have different beliefs. I am a prepper, I have the utmost respect for the lot of US. I am here for the wonderful info from like minded people, we share so many of the same beliefs why should we let one belief rip us apart. Pack, please dont turn me out. as part of my beliefs I will support your Right to believe what you want to. I will never bash your belief, only respect it. I ask only the same.
redpuppy, jarhead pointed out a few cases about killing for a belief. can anyone say crusade? geeehaaad? I know I spelled it wrong. point is a supporting prepper pack.
there are so few of us that we cant let petty diferences ruin this.
I’m fairly new here, I’ve never actually talked to anyone.
from what I can tell I’ve given more useful info than you.
hear that? its your master calling, better go.
did I say all that out loud? oops
stay safe
this above
Redwolf February 13, 2012 at 11:37 AM
I’ll tell you what’s going on. MDs blog has taken on an anti-Christian, pro-global warming, liberal chat room mentality. It’s gotten so bad that people here don’t even respect MD as a Christian, saying Christians are responsible for most of the killing in the modern era, and misrepresenting the facts on ObamaCare. People with integrity can’t stand this crap, and they leave.
found this below
Redwolf February 13, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Yeah, but that evil Catholic Church doesn’t want to pay for birth control, and abortions, and abortifacients, and stuff like that.
The same people on the Obama snitch campaign. (crickets chirping)
go away troll. you have been seen.
my heads gonna pop. cant leave this alone. the quotes together.
MDs blog has taken on an anti-Christian, pro-global warming, liberal chat room mentality.
Yeah, but that evil Catholic Church doesn’t want to pay for birth control, and abortions, and abortifacients, and stuff like that.
misrepresenting the facts on ObamaCare.
The same people on the Obama snitch campaign. (crickets chirping)
I just cant seem to wrap my head around this. I must be stupid. we’re “misrepresenting the facts on ObamaCare” because we’re”The same people on the Obama snitch campaign”.
any comments? how about from you pink fluffy puppy? is that your master calling?
Cooolwoods,
We can disagree one week on something and move on the next week. Folks here very, very rarely hold a grudge. Disagreement doesn’t hurt. I find it interesting to see where others are coming from. The overwhelming majority of folks who post here are respectful of the views of others, even when we disagree.
Coolwoods,
Dont bother with that. Like every troll post, It’s a Deep Dark Hole and It Leads to Know Where!
More important, Ms Gayle is correct, I disagree with some of what she writes but I respect her completely.
I think very highly of the lady. If Gayle was bitten by a zombie and asked me to shoot her? I would.
(That is a JOKE!!!)
Ron,
I told my dh that if he were bit by a zombie, I would shoot him. We’ve got to have standards of decency.
Cooolwoods, welcome. I have not seen one person on this blog criticized because he/she does or does not believe one way or the other. We will NOT let divisiveness enter into this blog and destroy it. Period. Right, Wolf Pack?
I am pleased that we come to each other’s defense. That is the way it should be. Keep prepping! And keep bonding. We can’t do this alone.
agreed. time to move on. I was just blowed away
satay safe
Hi coolwoods,
I am a christian. Welcome to the blog. We love everyone reguardless of religion, or at least I do.
We will love to have you around and talk about prepping and surviving what ever comes.
take care and happy prepping
and again Welcome!
Nuttbush, thank you!
Thomas…safe journey…sending you best wishes in your endeavours…
I was off for a few months because of health concerns with my children and mother. People may need to sign off for a variety of reasons and then they come back when it works out. Writing takes some time too, maybe people are just reading instead for a bit.
Oh, no! Not you, too! Come back thomas!
Canned 4 quarts of beef. Second time pressure canning with an All-American canner. First time had small leaks on the metal-to-metal seal which the manual said should go away after a couple uses, and had no issues this time. Think I’ll just do pints from now on. The Ball canning book said 1/2 to 1″ strips of beef but those didn’t pack very well, will try 1″ cubes next time. Tried the chicken (boneless, skin on) canned in Nov, tastes good but will do skinless and chunks instead of whole thighs in the future.
Last week was Costco & Wallyworld run. 25 lbs bread flour for the bread machine & other assorted food stocks.
All the Ace Hardwares in this region have strike anywhere matches in the BBQ tools section. All preppers should visit an Ace. Wander each aisle, they have lots of good prepper stuff.
Here’s a simple extract recipe from Alton Brown using vodka http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/coconut-extract-recipe/index.html
My DH is going to be wondering why I’m buying so much vodka!! Vanilla extract, coconut extract! Now I’ll have to go see what else I can make with it.
vienna, vodka – if nothing else available, can be used to clean cuts …good to keep a small bottle in first aid kit…wrapped in newspaper in case it gets jolted, and then placed in a small plastic screw top jar. cheers.
Save it to drink or to barter.
Another busy work week kept me from getting any real prepping done and like MD and others I worked on my taxes (hawk, spit!), at least #2 is cooperating and that is very helpful. I think any and all tax refunds should be spent on firearms and ammo, just seems like the right thing to do with a treasury check to me. Spent yesterday working on lawnmowers and sprayers, won’t be long before grass cutting season will be here again. If fuel were to run out and nobody could cut grass I for one would be a happy camper, at least my place would not stand out. I believe the yard here would support wheat with maybe only a bit of chicken poop for nitrogen. Going to test my new 1100 Remington this afternoon, might even enlist my nephew to help with that as my neck is giving me a fit again.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Oh, I’ve been here a while, just a new handle.
I know who you are, lol. Good move!
Love the new title! I picked up a used 1100 with a spot of rust inside the bore and a small crack in the handguard. I paid $400 for it. Do you think that was a good price? Good luck on your Recovery…. ROTFL. Cos
$400 is probably good, I sold two for $600 a couple years back during my financial troubles. They were old ones with plain barrels but in good shape. You can buy just about anything for the Rem 1100 to configure it like you want. Keep it clean and it will work fine. Get some spare o rings, they are just seals but folks tear them sometimes while cleaning the gun.
I did not get a chance to test my new 1100 due to crappy weather and I want to pattern it right not just waste expensive ammo on old cans.
LOL! I was going to suggest we all do that! Mess with their heads!!!
Well we finally got a break from the rain to let my garden dry out some. I got out with a turning fork and turned all the clover under. I got the tarps on my quail coop redone so they will be better protected from the cold and rain. They were under the tree for a while now that the rain had stopped. We went to the Self Reliance Expo in Mesquite tx on Friday. Very interesting show. The makers of the sun over were there giving a great demonstration. NOW my wife wants one. I think I’ll get no hassle for buying one, lol. Two guys were hawking copper 1oz rounds for use as alt money. With copper @ .24¢ an ounce their cost of 1.66 each was a 600% premium. As Mr. Rawls said, what a ripoff. My wife was disappointed that the guy that was to present a class on bread making was too busy at his booth to do his part. Dude bring extra help so you can do what you signed up to do. I’ll get the books you had to sell on amazon.
This week I’ll get the quail poop into the garden in between rains and till it in. Time to order seeds and such. Only heirloom seeds this year. I’ll also continue working on the plans for a new quail coop that I’ll be making this spring. Time to apply the lessons learned.
Ken
We also got top Serling on sale at Fiesta as its their meat month. Raw packed six quarts! Going back for more tomorrow. For those in the Texas fiesta market the sale ends on the 14th
Gayle, if you need a source for yogurt starter you can get it thru Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program for 3 boxes(18) qt. pkts for 10.81 delivered. 18 pkts is really 36 pkts as you can save back about 1/2 cup and start a second batch. I’ve even made a third but you have to incubate quite awhile to get it to set up. The brand is Yogourmet. Our local health food store sells one box for $6.95 so this is a substansible savings and the use by day is way longer than the questionably fresh I find locally. I generally use nonfat storage milk for my yogurt and it sets up beautifully. Have used whole cows milk,goat milk and the excellent local dairy whole milk we get in glass bottles we get here and they work fine. This makes really thick yogurt; we use it in place of sour creme alot.
Did anyone else get the Gurney’s catalog offering $25 FREE if you order comes to under that amt ?? Seems if I wait long enough each year this comes. Ordered 50 strawberry plants and only had to pay a dollar and change over for the shipping. Used to buy from them all the time but think they are high priced compared to many other sources. But who can turn down $25 worth of free plants? Stll hoping the two new berry boxes I put in last fall will have survived my Pyrenees Maybelle’s digging but this is free insurance!
Not much doing here. Waiting for a break in the weather to get the new greenhouse up. Site ready and got the boards for the bottom. Bought enough plastic a couple of years ago to do a cover twice so set there. I don’t like to start stuff too early…costs too much for heat. Things grow so fast in there anyhow that they often get bigger than I like for optimal planting. Got a bunch of sweet potatoes going right now to satisfy my urge to plant!
Might mention http://www.homesew.com for a place to buy a variety of sewing needs from thread,elastic,needles,buttons,zippers to lots of craft products. Ordered from them for years. A full button box will come in handy when repairing is our only option. Often find sewing supplies at garage sales.
Dee,
Thanks for the tip on the yogurt culture.
My DH and I spent some time at our local Tractor Supply last evening and came out with some terrific buys. In southwestern Ohio, this winter has been very mild, so stores that regularly stock winter clothes, accessories and equipment sold little of it. They’ve deeply discounted (some up to 60%) their remaining stock.
Since our other home is far up in the North Country, we decided to stock up on some winter clothing. Because we’re both large people, it’s sometimes difficult to find, on sale, clothes that fit.
Tractor Supply had quite a few things for us. We found a heavyweight, fully-lined Carhart jacket with a lined hood for $30. Also grabbed a heavyweight long-sleeved tee shirt with pocket for $8, long-cuffed and insulated gloves for $8, heavyweight cotton button-down shirt for $10, insulated heavyweight cap with earflaps for $5, a heavyweight and insulated hoodie with full metal zipper for $10, and … for me … a red and black plaid hat with ear flaps that fasten underneath the throat, with faux black fur trim. Yeah, baby. I’ll look like a dork, but I’ll be WARM! :-)
Northbound, those plaid hats with the ear flaps are all the rage with teens lately! You will fit right in and be a fashion statement! Good buys! Looks like I will be going to Tractor Supply tomorrow while in town. Thanks for the heads up!
Greetings Wolf Pack, it was an interesting week to say the least with my unexpected health issues. I am hopefully on the mend but not nearly back to where I need to be. Nonetheless I was able to get a few things done and had to cancel quite a bit as well. Broke down the AR and gave it a good cleaning and oiling right before I went to the hospital. Received a number of items I had ordered – 3 Months of Mountain House Entrees, 500 rds of .223 from Lucky Gunner, solar lantern, security camera and a book on preserving and of course my NRA range bag. I was able to read the first 200 pages of Lights Out which I am truly enjoying (thanks for the recommendation) Sorted out all my hardware that was in a complete state of disarray. Most importantly I have made an offer on the land in the Sierras. I will find out if it is accepted or if negotiations are in store. Mainly I just hope to keep getting better this week and get back to normal. By the way I have mixed reactions on the 3 doomsday Prepper shows. Most Preppers I know or hear from on here are not prepping for just one type of event. I think it makes their message limited to those that are not on board yet for the folks on the show to state they are only prepping for one type of event. The last show on Saturday probably reflected more people that are in line with what I see on this blog. Have a great week and take care of your health!
D2, good preps. I am testing the various Mountain House products. Picked up a few at Walmart today to test out.
May have to check out Lights Out. Saw two of the Doomsday Prepper shows and have seen the guy in Los Angeles. That says a lot considering the population. I may seek him out for a side of LA I don’t know.
Jarhead 03, the LA guy on the show had some good insight on edible plants, however I am not sure he would last too long when a gang of Mutant Zombie Bikers (Term used in Lights Out) sees him wandering around LA eating plants (LOL). I am going to prepare one of the MH entrees for a family meal and get their reaction. Also I posted a question to you on ammo storage above on your post regarding your opinions on the dangers of not storing ammo in ammo cans. I only have one can full of .223 ammo and the rest (about 2,000 rounds f.223 and 9mm) sit in their original boxes. Would like to get your opinion on this topic as I don’t really have a clue. BTW, Lights Out is a good read with some great ideas on some things I did not think of. One item that made me take notes is to store my commo gear and SW radio in a metallic box in the event of an EMP burst that will fry all electronics. I enjoy your posts, keep up the good work!
D2, I have all of my ammo stored in ammo cans and I separate by caliber, grain and specialty ammo. With exception of my varmint and match grade loads everything gets taken out of the packaging. Some are large ammo cans and some are small ammo cans depending on need and quantity.
All pistol ammo is placed in ziplock bags in counts of 50 as it makes it easy to throw in the range bag and keep count of them.
With my rifle ammo I have my 223 in ammo cans marked 223, 223 match, 223 varmint and 5.56. All my rifle ammo in each category is the same manufacturer/load as it keeps consistency. The 223 ball ammo and 5.56 is on stripper clips. All match and varmint ammo is loaded by hand.
All 7.62X39 are on stripper clips and sorted in two categories Yugo and Russian. The Yugo is brass casing and is not steel jacketed. One range I go to prohibits steel jacketed ammo and does a magnet test because its located in the mountains and doesn’t want to spark a forrest fire. The Yugo is corrosive but I clean the rifle when I get home.
12 Gauge is stored in separate ammo cans by bird shot, 00 buck, slug, BB and bean bag.
22 is stored in 3 categories in smaller ammo cans by 22 plinking, 22 match and 22 varmint.
It may sound a bit much but I like that I can grab what I need day or night in any circumstance and not have to search through multiple cans and its waterproof, air tight and convenient
Thanks Jarhead 03, is there any physical danger of not storing in Ammo boxes such as corrosion or deterioration of performance of any sort?
Sorry, 1 more thing … I talked to a nuclear engineer this week about EMP. He confirmed that a faraday cage is the best protection for electronics. Electrically insulate it on the inside, like George did above with a plastic trash can inside a metal trash can.
Also that EMP is pretty much a line of sight phenomena. That is why if from a weapon, it would be set off a couple hundred miles up, to cover a wide area. “Line of sight” means kinda the same as FM radio, technically if there is a hill between you and the transmitter, you should get no reception but in practice you can still receive but with a weaker signal depending on the size of the hill.
Thanks David, I will research the faraday cage.
This week I, along with the Dr. I work for, have been putting together GHB’s for the ladies that work for us. Last year he paid for all 3 of them to get their CHL’s and bought them each guns to carry. He and I are all in on prepping. Although they think it’s a good idea, none of them have done much for themselves.
My husband and I packed up the family and drove 5 hours to attend the Self Reliance Expo. What a great experience that was. We were able to talk to tons of people and see products first hand. Some of it was crazy expensive but we got some great ideas.
The kids were able to participate in the Project Appleseed booth. They both shot pellet guns. The 11 year old shot quite well and got a t-shirt to proove it. The 5 year old managed to hit the target 2 out of 5 shots. This was the first time he had shot anything and now he has the bug. Big sis showed him up.
Got an order from shelf reliance and several books to add the collection. Including: Live on Wheat, a couple gardening books and a few others that I can’t remember at the moment but they were recommended by this group.
Started Tomatoes and Bell Peppers in the house and potatoes and onions in the garden. Hubby is expanding the garden for me. Can’t wait for that to be finished so that I can get those beds started.
I was planning to find time this week to can the venison he got a few weeks ago. Kids activities have taken my evenings over and the weekends have been crazy busy. I will rededicate myself this week. I have got to get this done to make room in the freezer.
Sorry to hear about everyones illnesses. Thoughts and prayers to feel better.
I collected dryer lint into a ziplock and added it to my bugout kit. I also practiced lighting fires with damp materials because I have ran into trouble trying to get a fire started with fire steel when I can’t find any dry tinder.
I also worked on my post apocalyptic survival website a bit and added some more articles and more items to the survival gear list. I love your site man!
http://www.postapocalypticsurvival.com/2012/01/post-apocalyptic-survival-gear-list.html
I have been pondering psychiatry. I do not believe in it. Believe that most of it is mumbo jumbo. Most mental illnesses are of the chemical dysfunction of ones body, otherwise a pill would not help.
(yes, I realize that there are those that have mental dysfunction that need help, but who’s?)
So in saying this I do not believe a medical doctor has the right to judge someone suicidal unless he also has a degree in psycobabble. If it is just conversation that is what is to be judged as a certain condition of mental then even the doctor needs to be judged.
Unless someone displays more than general conversation such as sitting twitching, pulling their hair, and foaming at the mouth chest pain does not indicate crazy nor suicide. Also all forms of depression does not make a killer of a person, nor does it mean you are suicidal.
It seems that now all forms of those that think they are in charge or GOD will take liberties in what you say.
So beware of all secular institutions. I bet the dog catcher will make you life hell in the future.
We have discussed OPSEC. But even though we new it was important for today we have not realized that it is IMPERITIVE to practice every moment, as the secular world has their eyes, ears and most likely their hands on us.
I believe the secular world will use all devices to make one unable to defend theirselves in all manners life.
I remember the line of a song “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”. Think on how many ways they can take your freedom. All they have to do is put a label (a lie) of some kind on you and you are done.
Ellen, the dog catchers in my county are sheriff deputy’s. They can and will lock you up over a dead cat that your neighbor “thinks” you had some hand in it’s death. The guys that run hounds have been persecuted to no end, they want them to have kennels that would have the dogs living in better quarters than their masters. I not talking about the ones that need to be stopped from mistreating their dogs but folks that love the hounds more than family members but can’t afford enough cement to build a 5 star hotel kennel. Also they went to all the veterinarians and forced them to turn over lists of all current customers and then sent a bill to every animal owner for $15 a head. Called it some kind of “fee” fee my a** that’s a TAX!
On the Doctor question, I think its better to keep that relationship strictly business unless you know the Doc in question real well and even then they may feel the need to look out for the malpractice insurance premium instead of you.
Ellen I agree with you completely. It will continue down hill. I only wish I could keep my mouth shut more (so does my husband!)
Not necessarily about preps either, but about moral issues, government issues, viewing something from the opposite position can get one railroaded in ways unimaginable.
That dsarti’s comments got me thinking quite a bit. The man made a joke, said why he couldn’t commit suicide and thought he had communicated that he was frustrated not a danger to himself. Then got his guns confiscated so he can’t even protect himself and can’t find an attorney to stand up for him. Gona get worse as time goes by. Just kinda shocking how fast it’s happening.
Truth… The new Hate speech.
Yep, first they came for the Catholic Church, and I said nothing, then they came for….., and I said nothing….then they came for….and I said nothing. I promise you, if the thugs in Washington can take down the Catholic Church, what chance do your preps, guns and property have? None is the answer. The government can do anything, and the Constitution is worthless. That is where we’re headed unless someone says NO.
Last I checked, the govmt has not taken down the Catholic Church. I think the govmt is just trying to see how far they can go before someone hollers. And I hear a lot of hollering! Reminds me of a two year old—push, push, push the limits. Or should I have said teen…lol
Encouager, let’s not feed the troll.
okay…let ‘em starve. lol
This week was a lot better for us. Finally after all these months I was able to go grocery shopping. This workmens comp is crap.
Bought the following
case of corn
case of peas
case of asperagus Not needed but good treat
case of spinach
case of mini raviolies Not needed but good treat
sugar
pinto beans
rice
brown gravy mix 10 pkg
taco seasoning 10 pkg
chili seasoning 10 pkg
au gratin potatoes 12 bxs
mac n cheese 10 bxs
cake frosting 4
baked beans 2 couldnt remember which ones we liked so we didnt buy to many.
slipped on the ice yesterday trying to get all the groceries into the house and hurt my back and neck. Then Mother had a siezure last night and DH had to help her up off the floor. Hurt her shoulder. Helping Mother DH hurt his legs worse, but he is in constant pain anyways just made it worse. Youngest Daughter is having to show her house today to a family from Montana and it looks like the kids will be having to move due to thier place being sold. They were renting a trailer house sitting on 3 lots< as long as they don't decide to move back in with us I will be happy.
Grandson# 3 is trying out running, about the only thing that makes us laugh anymore. Forgot how funny a child looks when they run. Feet go faster then the body then wipe out. He gets up shakes it off and says OW nothing else and starts again. I am glad we have him here and soon 3 more grandbabies in a few months. Oldest Daughter says they are moving home but dont know an exact date. She had her 3rd baby finally last weekend 8lb baby boy and he is already giving her grief over not wanting to sleep.lol.
So I have been busy crocheting and knitting stuff up for all my grandbabies. Making homemade slings for mother and resting when I can.
It is rather nice being able to shop for food after 6 to 8 months of not being able to. Just glad we had our food stored, Now to just bring it all back up where it should be.
My Daughters regretted going shopping with me then after I got hurt they regretted having to bring it all into the house.lol
Keep prepping you never know what may happen..
candy, i’m sorry to hear about the family ills. i wish there was a way i could help you out. but you have my prayers.
Best way is slow down in bad weather no matter how cold it is outside. That would avoid a whole lot of problems..lol
Picked up my Zaycon hamburger order yesterday. I am still processing it. It is very good quality and at $2.99 per pound a good deal for 93/7%. Cooked up some burgers and they were great.
Got all my first aid items. Will put together 2 for the autos and 1 large one for the home.
I received my prizes – thanks. I read “Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat” – great book. It came at a perfect time because we are thinking about buying a trailer – need some land though.
Limited other preps this week – made beef stroganoff from dehydrated meat, etc. – didn’t taste very good, so I need to find a different recipe.
Like others, I went through some drawers, kitchen cabinets, etc to clean. Found some long lost items and put a lot in the garbage/recycling bins.
I hand-loaded 200 rounds of 5.56mm Sierra 69 grain HPBT ammo – working toward my SHTF stash. I will make 100 more today.
Off subject, but toward community survival: Detroit citizens seem to be doing armed community watch patrols: Sounds like Constitutional Militia to me!
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/02/05/020512-news-detroit-vigilantes-1-5/?utm_campaign=TD_Paid&utm_medium=Media&utm_source=outbrain&utm_keyword=&utm_content=
Mike Settles:
I’m in Arizona and I read in a local Sunday paper today that AZ is in the process of getting approval for a volunteer Milita to be under the jurisdiction of the State Adjutant General (National Guard).
Didn’t get to read the whole article but I guess it has the support of the Governor and is pending legislative approval and budget. It would “assist” in emergencies as well as help patrol the southern border with Mexico. Interesting……..
Mike, nice job on the 200 rounds of 5.56. I am looking to get back into hand loading. I have a single stage press for one round at a time but figure it would be nice to tighten up on my tack drivers.
Mike,
It seems the citizens of Detroit have taken to heart the old adage, “911: When seconds count, help is just minutes away”. And have decided to deal with the situation in a more real time fashion.
Good for those citizens, protecting their own! I like what the one man said who had been hired to police the neighborhood since the Detroit Police don’t show up until the next day…”I’m not a vigilante. I’m an agent of change.” Amen!
This last week I placed orders for mylar bags and checked prices on hard red winter wheat. I also found the flour mill to purchase. Getting ready to order a wonder junior grain mill
Kevin,
You might not want to have your screen name as your email address–you could get spammed. If you are looking for hard red wheat, check out the LDS online store. They have the lowest prices for clean, stored wheat that I have come across.
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_21158_-1_N_image_0
Gayle, how do the cases from the LDS webiste come, are they packed in a plain case or is it just the case with the big word WHEAT on the sides with a shipping label on it?? Would like to get some but don’t know if I really want cases marked Wheat, Beans etc on them showing up on the doorstep from UPS and sitting there for all the neighbors to see.
Thanks,
George
George,
I don’t recall how they arrived. You might give them a call. I’ll include the link. I think they just came in a regular box but you can ask.
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GlobalServiceCenterView?catalogId=10557&langId=-1&storeId=715839595
LDS cases come marked in GREAT BIG pictured labels. I think the price beats out OPSEC for me. Cos
Does anyone know what the shelf life is on the flour in the the #10 cans from LDS online store?
Nuttbush,
Their order form lists 10 years.
Thanks, OP.
The problem with storing flour? As soon as the wheat is ground it begins losing vitamins and starts going rancid. You would be much better off, with a healthier product, if you stored the wheat berries and ground flour when you need it.
Not much on preps this week like everyone else. Still working on my basement floor to get it prepped and stained before I list the house. Got out and turned the raised beds this week before the cold weather hit so hopefully will get some nastys killed when the 20 degree weather hits. Found some eye of round roasts marked down to $1.79 so bought three 4-5 pound roasts, so will make some jerky on sunday and made some hamburger and cut some and froze for pot roast later. Placed an order with Auguason farms for some stuff to fill out holes in storage. One thing I noticed at the grocery store was they had a cart out front of the deli/bakery full of white buckets for sale for 3.50 a peice, wonder if they have had so many people asking for them for free they decided to make some money off of them? Glad those that are sick are better and those that are coming down with something wish you speedy recovery.
Everyone: you might want to put all unnecessary electronics in your faraday cage, until you see what’s going to happen with this: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/11/10382676-sun-points-a-loaded-gun-at-us
MtWoman,
Go to spaceweather.com and subscribe to their alerts. We will generally have 8 or more hours to act from a solar CME so if you pay attention you should have plenty of time to packthings up and unplug them.
Got 80 lbs of hamburger from Zaycon Foods. I am still processing it today. Froze some and now going to make some hamburger “rocks”. Will put in the long term storage as well as add some to my instant just add water meals.
Ok – Today I got the husband to show me the ins and outs of the generator wiring he did a few years back. I put hang tags on the outlets to know which ones were for what. After that I had him show me the dog and donkey act that is needed to turn on the gas log in the living room fireplace. I took notes so that I wont forget. Fortunately our other fireplaces are just regular wood ones.
With everyone talking about seeds and plants makes me want to do that too. I had ordered online a seed catalog last year from Baker Creek but didn’t receive one and tried to order a catalog from them again this year but still no catalog.
When we first moved to this place 6 years ago there were a ton of what looked like lady bugs but I guess they are actually Mexican bean beetles. I have not had any luck growing green beans or cabbage. The bugs put a ton of little holes in them and I spray with neem oil and still have way to much damage to the plants. Any suggestions.
Schatzie Ohio, I grow vegetables in raised beds so it’s easy for me to protect my plants. I use “Super-light Insect Barrier” row covers. It comes in a 8′ width with your choice of length. I buy the 8′x96′ and cut it in 12′ lengths for my use. Floating row covers are also available in a 61″ width for those who grow in the ground. I buy mine from GARDENS ALIVE! but there are other companies that sell this cloth.
I did a small bit of prepping this week. I canned 10 quarts of Canary beans. I ordered half a beef. Bought two small weiner pigs for the Grandson’s 4-H project, ordered 100 chicks (50 Cornish-Cross and 50 Rangers), planted another 3 seed trays (120 cells each) for the Summer garden. Re-seeded the small pasture and located and drug home 10 heavy-duty pallets (habit of mine…can’t pass up a good pallet). I bought 20 gallons of Kerosene. Split and stacked two cords of almond wood. Squeezed and froze 4 gallons of oj…dried one 5 gallon bucket of orange slices (that’s a bunch of oranges)…we have 5 orange tree, 3 lemon, 2 tangerine/mandarin and 2 lime trees. Bought a second chicken coop from Craigs List for the new meat birds…I want to keep them separate from the laying flock. That’s it. Didn’t get up to the cabin…maybe next weekend. If it doesn’t snow I want to plant a couple apple trees up there and maybe some cold-hardy hazelnuts.
Lynda – take a look at the videos on dehydrate2store.com – tammy made one about dehydrating peelings like orange and lemon to use in herbal teas. I’m sure there is lots of info about that around other places as well. I would so love an orange tree!
Has anyone else noticed that you can’t buy fish antibiotics on amazon any more? It’s not just that they are out of stock. They don’t have them. Does anyone know why?
didnt see that. I got mine through
http://www.calvetsupply.com/category/Antibiotics
no hassle
stay safe
I’ll vouch for this source. I’ve been buying them there for a while. All the antibiotics have proven to be the same as “human” grade. Found out about them thru Patriot Nurse on Youtube.
Cooolwoods, Grannytraveler & Pam S.,
Thanks for recommending the website. I’ve bookmarked the site. I am glad to have a Pack-approved source for buying fish antibiotics.
gayle, not sure about amazon but i can get some at california veterinary supply or cal vet. on the internet. they have a sale going on now.
You are right, nothing there on Amazon now. I hadn’t checked them in a while and kept meaning to buy some but never did. My fishies need augmentin for their issues and they didn’t have it so I never went ahead and ordered the other fish antibiotics. Shame on me.
Concentrating on water this week. Since I got “storage” some time ago, along with two Monolithic ceramic filters with charcoal (the type that when used with two six gallon buckets, produces a “Berkey” type system); all I’ve done rearding water is get a 100 gallon water bob.
Since, next to air, water is likely the most important necessity in a bad situation, thought I’d add to my H20 capabilities.
So…..added a backpack type water bladder with integral ceramic/charcoal filter, and ordered a spare filter. This bladder has a 3 liter capacity.
Also ordered a 3 gallon bladder with two integral ceramic filters. Haven’t tried this so can’t attest to it’s quality or practicability. It is advertised to have a 10GPH flow rate and roll to a packed size of 14 inches by about 4 inches; making it very transportable….we’ll see.
I think the next couple of weeks will tend towards doing some inventorying of what I have, where it is and what the dates and so forth are on it. Haven’t done that in awhile and it’s something that needs to be done periodically….isn’t terribly costly to do either. This should give me a better “feel” for which way I need to go and what I need to concentrate on in the coming weeks/months.
oh……..also added another 10 gallons of fuel, in jerry cans (with Sta-Bil), to storage. I’ve got a couple of jerry cans left (empty) and need to get them filled and preserved quickly, I guess. The gas station I visited last Friday (2 days ago) is selling regular for $3.71 today…up from $3.51 last Friday. Ugggg……………….
This week my wife has been sick with a bad cold and crud. I did get my alternate BOV…bike…out and get it cleaned up and lubed so once the snow melts I can start riding again. Did pick up some stuff from the dollar bin for barter at the local grocery store and bought my wife a Sig P250sc 9mm.
Ugh! It looks like it got too cold for my snow peas last night. They are limped over, and look like they are about to die. :( Aren’t peas supposed to do well with cold temperatures? Is there anything I can do to revive them, or should I plan to start new seedlings?
not much preps here.
the wife and I got out the candlemaking stuff, we got a bunch of used glass votives (sp?) we’re gonna refill. and were gonna try hand dipped ones, I know they take time but joeannes fabrics had a sale on candle stuff 2 years ago and the wife wanted to make candles and never did, so I got enough wick to weave a boat sail and 30 pounds of wax.
we decided since our preps have been slow we could store candles instead of wannabe candles. my prepping changed alot in the last couple of years,changing from guns n ammo to everything else(still need more ammo for some reason).
pantry porn? lmao. guilty. this site is pure “prepper porn”
one more thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh75ylAUXY
1948 cartoon “make mine freedom” 9 min something seconds of wow what a warning from the past.
enjoy
Stay safe
I have a tip for hand dipped candles.
If you just dip and then hang to dry, the final product will be uneven and lumpy. When the outside edge of the new dip is dry, but still soft, roll them on the counter under your hand to even out the bumps and rough edges.
I usually roll mine on waxed paper or freezer paper.
Coolwoods, thank you for the youtube site. I was absolutely flabbergasted hearing today’s lies in that film from the 40′s. This will definitely be forwarded to my friends that are freedom patriots. Our political scene today in the USA, Iran, Greece and etc. concern me and I will remind others of what we are all about. Not Mr. ISM. Prepping for the family is a long held philosophy in religion and cultural. What happen in the city? Did we forget?
Good luck on the candle-making.
Kate, thanks for the tip! all we did was refill 28 glass thingys we had. will try the dipped ones sometime this week.
Pumpkin, genetic memory is being lost. they dont teach this stuff to kids anymore and as soon as people that do remember grow old and die….. remember the real clouds? not the “feather” or “long thin wispy” ones. when a contrail lasted only minutes not hours?
so yes. we are/did forgetting/forgot.
Ha I typed froget.
as soon as sopa kills all the info not “approved”, the sheep will remain the pasture.
Not much in the way of purchases this week, some lighters from Target’, a couple of DVD’s, and a couple of hard cases for sunglasses. I am putting together travelling cleaning kits for our rifles and redoing the sewing kits for the packs. My ladies are addicted to Menthos gum, those containers are just the right size for for sewing or repair kits. Can’t remember who mentioned it, but those magnets to hold needles and fish hooks is working perfect, thanks. Found a couple of reserve fuel tanks from an RV for $5, 20 gallons each, they need a couple of gaskets, but will be useful. They are rectangular and will store well in a trunk or trailer. I have been revisiting the saw vs hatchet in the pack thing, leaning towards a light bow saw, lots of advantages for both. Oh yea I did order some see-thru scope mounts for the 10/22′s.
Remember those t-shirts from the 70′s, ” Keep on Truckin”
Keep on Preppin’ T’s would be fun.
Pineslayer, I have a gerber pocket saw folder about 7 or 8 inches in length and its great. I also have a coleman camp hatchet that I milled an in off the top and milled out the nail puller at the bottom. Cut down some serious weight to it.
Pineslayer,
My favorite portable saw is a Milwaukee product that consists of a plastic handle that uses reciprocating saw blades. The blades attach/detach easily to make a very small package. With the handle and an assortment of blades, you have the ability to easily cut most any material from tree limbs to rusted bolts and should a blade break, it is easily and inexpensively changed.
Dang, someone recommended an article on Tactical Intelligence on cheese making and I wanted to say thank you, but I have lost the link so I don’t know who I am thanking.
But the article had the best prepping quote I have read in a while: “Now that I know how to make fresh cheese easily from my stored powdered milk, even lasagna can be enjoyed during the end of the world.”
I aspire to be able to make lasagna post collapse.
http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/how-to-make-cheese-from-powdered-milk.htm
Gayle,
I have made lasagna without ANY fresh ingredients before. It was wonderful!! When my ward has another food storage tasting contest , I am going to enter it.
I had made all the ingredients before completely from food storage but just never put them all together to make lasagna. Lasagna is now on my post collapse menu as well!
For dessert that day, I made creme brulee from my shelf-stable cream. It was good too. Not as good as the lasagna but good none the less!
Kate,
Pizza and lasagna–we will be meeting the end of the world in style.
Greetings Wolfpack,
M.D. I share your pain on the taxes! I just did mine and because this was the first year since 2005 that I was not deployed for at least part of the year, my taxable income was way up! I still get a return but not near what I was hoping! I will have enough to replenish my emergency fund and buy my wife a handgun but that will be about it. I guess my AR will have to wait!
Several weeks ago I posted that I had built a berkey type system using the Monolithic filters and would try it and get the water tested and then post the rusults. I am sorry to say that I never got it done. I was sick with the flu for about a week, (not sure why but I would never get sick until the Army started making me get a flu vaccine every year) and then ran into a family emergency and then 80 or 90 hour weeks at work. Things should have slowed down for this week and I will try to get the water tested and the results posted.
As to what I did to prep this week,
Food
managed to can another 12 pints of beans for the pantry
dehydrated a bag of oranges
Defense
purchased 1650 rounds of 22 lr, 100 9mm, and 100 12 guage #7 for a trip to the range next weekend
Job
finished everything but the finishing touches on my resume for the civillian world and signed up for a couple of job fairs.
I hope everyone had a more productive week than I did.
Gas price jumped 12 cents: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/12/travel/gas-prices/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
Here’s “Gas Buddy”, a way to find the cheapest gas in the US & Canada: http://gasbuddy.com/ This is the only one I know of….anyone know of any other gasoline price search engines?
MtWoman (N Central Texas)…..
My Google homepage has a search engine for ten miles around my area code. Don’t remember where I came by the link…probably one of the options offered when I switched to Google for Email, etc?
First, let me say to Gayle that I regularly make ricotta cheese, and back in “the day”, the ’70s-80s, I made yogurt with double strength powdered milk in order to get a thicker product. I have recently learned that heating the single strength milk to a temp. of 185F changes the protein and makes a thicker yogurt. For ricotta, I also heat to the 185F mark. I haven’t looked at the tacticalintelligence link yet to compare recipes, but I would imagine the process is the same after the milk is reconstituted. I’ll check it out.
This week we added to our food supply:
6 Cans chicken breast
12 Cans tuna
6 cans Mediterranean meatball soup
and also purchase a rifle bag and ammo can.
In addition, I was so pleased with my jerky recipe that I bought 3.5 lbs of eye of round to make jerky and seal in bags with my Food Saver. I have “Buckboard” bacon curing which will be ready to smoke on Wed. of this week. I have made Pancetta, (75 pounds of it!) which is cured and dried but not smoked. This will be my first “smoking” experiment, which is ehy I’m starting small with one small pork shoulder with bone removed. I got the Buckboard recipe and the cure from onestopjerkyshop.com.
Nan,
Wow, 75 lbs. of Pancetta. Yum. Any chance you will write up an article for the writing competition? I would love to read about the process.
This week we got the Wondermill Jr. Deluxe. Just love it! Have ordered 100 lbs of wheat and 100 lbs of corn. Should arrive Tuesday. I have been grinding wheat and making our bread for the past 4 or 5 weeks. Everything I’ve read says we need to eat some of our food made in the same method we will use post SHTF. So, that’s what I’ve been working on. Finally have come up with a recipe of 100% whole wheat that is also soft and doesn’t taste bitter like whole wheat bread from the store. I’m using hard white wheat too, instead of the red.
Basically our preps are coming along great. I’m in charge of food and water preps, and my husband is in charge of guns and ammo and all of the “man” stuff! Lol!
DJV, that bitter taste of store WW bread is because it is rancid. You won’t have that with grinding your own flour and using it right away. You might want to try sourdough bread…it takes longer to make but the flavor and keeping ability is great.
I have the book, “Artisan bread in 5 Minutes a day”. I haven’t tried the recipes in it yet, it’s on my list of things to do.
Sourdough bread is not my favorite. But with this dough it starts off not so much as sourdough but because you keep it for a week it ends up that way, or so the book says.
This site has a basic recipe you may be interested in.
http://ingoodtasteblog.net/in_good_taste/2009/05/artisan-bread-in-5-minutes-a-day-the-only-thing-you-need-to-bake-bread.html
The only bad thing with the book…no whole wheat. Another reason I haven’t jumped all over it. You use all-purpose flour because of the gluten content necessary for the way the bread is made.
French bread with half ap and half home ground wheat made on a stone is FABULOUS!! You’ll have to give that a try too. I make the dough in the bread maker, then pull it out, shape it, pop it on the stone (with water in a pan on bottom rack) then into a cold oven. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes with an egg wash. OMGosh! With butter nice and melty on the steaming hot bread! Like Candy!
Vienna,
Thanks for the link on bread making. This is a real craft.
Soggy Prepper, this sounds like the recipe my son uses. I will look it up. Thanks!
I checked the recipe and it is much like I make it. I prefer white vinegar if available because the acid is standardized, and not more that 6% of the total volume. I make a gallon of milk and use 1/2 cup of vinegar, (5% acidity). My recipe is from Italy, and their vinegar is 7%, so I have made an adjustment. Also, you need to let the vinegar/milk mixture stand at room temp for 8 hours before straining in order to get the best use of your milk. If you have pigs, the will love the whey and It woun’t matter if you throw somwe of the protein down the drain, but I don’t. I also add about 1/2 tsp salt to the milk mix. I usually use this in savory rather than sweet dishes, (cheesecakes etc.) so the salt improves the flavor. If you want to add herbs and cracked pepper, the time to do it is just before you strain it to get the best flavor.
Nan,
Thanks for the information. I am going to have fun experimenting with the mozzarella. I bookmarked the jerky site. I ordered a dehydrator so that’s on my to-do list as well.
bought a 1971 Honda CB350K3 motorcycle
sat, if i’m not mistaken, that is a rare bike. i had a cb350, no k3. i seem to remember something special/collectable about it.
river,
Honda made 2 CB350 during that time the twin K and the four F the 350F four is not common and hard to find parts for. The 350K on the other hand was the most produced bike of its time. One of the draws to that bike was that you can still go to Honda showrooms and get factory new parts also I am told its hard to brake them and easy to fix them.
sat, knew it was something about the letters. anyway, good little bike as i recall. good luck with it.
enjoy your rides…
satisfied, looked it up on the net..it is a goodlooking bike…for the road. Are you planning on it being a BO m/bike for getting out of the city…
chloe,
The bike is more to get to work cheep during the summer and to learn how to fix something up. I would use it for supply runs. If we ever had to bug out I would want to bring it in the trailer but with the size of my family our bug out vehicle is a mini van which more than likely means we are bugging in.
satisfied…the reason I asked re bug out M/b…the exhaust pipes are so low…may get ripped out/bent going off road…however, excellent idea for work transport – and yes, very economical compared to some cars.
i have been reading yours and other websites- i repacked our BOBs to reflect how we are actually carrying them- my husband likes the idea of carrying them but felt that two every time we went somewhere was too obvious so i repacked each one to handle two people and our dog for three days- i also added another method of water purification by buying a camping stove called the swiss volcano stove with a carrier to hold it to our packs. i found a pattern to make paracord bracelets and leashes and bought ten clasps to make 10 and try and sell them to help make some money. i learned how to make butter and am getting the materials together to learn to make cheese.
not by design but our ac/heater went out earlier today so we are learning how to heat our home without electricity
mama…excellent progress..that is a good idea to have 2 stand alone packs…if one is left behind..the other will do the job.
suppose getting more heavy duty warm clothes is in your plan…dress heavy -and layered (wool/fleece/polypros etc to help with the cold. Socks are cheap and plentiful right now…and will free up your valuable time attending to other matters. cheers.
M.D., glad that you and others are recovering. Prayers for healing and of gratitude and praise continue.
Managed to consolidate an Aldi run with DH’s medical appointment. Also maybe have his ear to change from electric range to gas cooktop. Elctrical outages do happen in this rural area.
M.D., glad you are better. Being sick is never fun.
Howdy Wolf Pack! Thanks to those who commented and offered advice on my post last week. My prepping this past week consisted mostly getting a little more food put up. I went to a couple of different grocery stores and spent upward to $100.00 on beans, rice, flour, cornmeal, cooking oil, powdered milk, sugar, etc. Nothing exotic, mostly stuff my wife cooks with every day. It’s stored in sealed buckets and will rotate it out as it’s used and replaced. I also purchased a few things for my BOB. A new military style canteen and some parachute cord.
One of my many faults is I’m a book-aholic. It’s difficult for me to go very long without buying a new book for my library. This last week was no exception. I bought five books this time around. Another military manual (I counted this as a book), Do-It-Yourself Gunpowder Cookbook, Zombie Survival Guide, Total Resistance and Lights Out. Lights Out is authored by Jason Makansi and as I understand it, it is kind of a tell all book about the electric industry and its distribution. The electricity we use today, its generation and distribution, is surely a major domino in our daily lives. This book will be an interesting read.
As the weather permits I’ve been trying to get the garden and greenhouse in order for the upcoming gardening season. Oh, I almost forgot, I bought 50 – 8x8x16 inch cement blocks for the foundation of my future chicken coop/run. We are allowed to have a few hens (no roosters) in town as long as nobody complains. I’m good with my neighbors so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Guess that’s about it for me this week. I sincerely appreciate this site as it is a wealth of information, advice, etc. for folks like me.
Lesson of the night from The Walking Dead… First Contact.
Sorry but that should have been, Another Lesson on First Contact.
I have been experimenting with making my own colliodal silver and I am happy with the results.Those around me are sick but I am staying healthy up to this point.I am disappointed with the number of Obama 2012 stickers and now hats that I have seen lately!I truly fear the muslim from Kenya may hold office again,(illegal immigrant and all),because of the blind ,dumb fools in this country.Stay strong Wolf Pack,and be vigilant!God Bless America and save us from the evil dark lord!
I hate seeing them but…it tells who they are. you Know who to have OPSEC on red alert for. the true sheep
I’m finally proud of myself. My husband & I attended the Dallas Self Reliance Expo this weekend and I bought a solar oven by SUN OVEN.
We have plenty of hot sun in Texas. So, I hope this will be a worthwhile purchase. Also, we met some interesting people at the Expo and made contacts to become more involved in Emerg. Prep.
It was, also, a FUN DAY !
VERY WORTHWHILE !
This week I bought a leather awl, learned how to use it, made my own leg holster rig, then discovered my Glock was too bulky to work with it. (I was hanging an open carry holster off the ankle cuff). But I will keep this holster rig around for when I get a smaller pistol. Didn’t do much else, except fix plumbing again. Those tenants like to really crank down the shower handles. They keep wearing out the washers.
Penny Pincher, leather work is a great trade to learn.
I have finally done it! After months of saving, finally purchased a new bushmaster m4. Lots of extra parts to dress her up are on the way. Also bought some .45 gap ammo and read the book patriots by Rawles.
Spinedoc,
Two additions to that gun I recommend are the oversized charging handle, and the ambidextrous safety, which make it a lot faster to control when running and gunning.
Thanks for the advice Ohio. Never thought about the safety. Handle is being mounted as we speak and also got new rail. Lucky gunner have cheapest .223 around?
SpinDoc,
Mine came with a quad rail. A friend of mine bought the same one a year earlier for the same price without the rail. Since so many companies are now making the AR & M4 pattern rifles, the prices and extras are just getting better.
One other thing I’d recommend is a .22 conversion kit and some spare magazines. I have a CMMG kit with Black Dog magazines. The conversion is a simple bolt replacement that takes less than a minute to install, and allows complete use of the gun and all of its controls. It’s an inexpensive way to get trigger time and developed that muscle memory to run the gun.
Spinedoc, the ambidextrous safety is great if you practice right and left hand shooting. I have one mine along with the extended charging handle. Makes shooting with gloves that much easier.
OP what are your thoughts on the Mako fore grip with finger grooves that mounts on the mag well of an AR/M4?
Jarhead 03….
I have four “AR Types”. One carbine with Night Vision, one rifle (20″ bbl) with scope, one carbine (direct impingement type) and one carbine (Ruger-with gas piston).
Over the years, I’ve found myself being very “picky”, even “stingy” with attachments…hate to end up with a 40 pound carbine ;-]
Hi All,
Preps were slow this week, but did pick up some Quick Clot, para cord and some water purification drops. Also, several pairs of wool socks for my SO and myself. The cold this weekend made me think I really need to get cold weather gear for my family. Brrrrr!
It is a great time to pick up cold weather gear on clearence!
I got the family some jackets and stuff on 50% off earlier this week. Good to check out
I did the same thing for myself. I’ve been getting cold weather clothing for everybody else, this time it was for myself. Got a work jacket w/hood, 2 pair of thinner gloves, and a 70 gram Thinsulate stocking cap.
Repair Mama,
You are absolutely right here. If the patter of drought continues in the South, and cotton crops are decimated, clothing will go through the roof. I think now is about as cheap as we are going to see clothing until normal weather patterns return.
Free shipping from Coleman.com on orders over $79 free code is TWHEART
Az, thanks. I could use another lantern or two and maybe a couple as gifts.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/02/see-something-say-something-campaign-could-allow-people-to-label-any-american-a-suspected-terrorist-just-like-in-nazi-germany-or-stasi-east-germany.html
Yeah, but that evil Catholic Church doesn’t want to pay for birth control, and abortions, and abortifacients, and stuff like that.
The same people on the Obama snitch campaign. (crickets chirping)
The thing that keeps getting distorted on this is , it’s not telling a church how to care for a cogregation, it’s telling an employer how to treat an employee. The former the government must never do, the later it’s about time they did. That the head weasel in charge backed down says more about his moral fiber than takeing either side on this issue.
So been working to get my daughter, (11) involved with the whole mind set needed to properly prepare. Having lived her entire life in a suburban enviorment she’s had virtually no exposure to anything other than Frosted flakes or hot pockets. Yesterday I spotted some pigeons roosting in the gazebo & sent her up there where she found a nice fresh egg. The thought of eating such a thing shocked her but after some coaxing she fried it up and had at it. I think she was still a little grossed out, society is so used to going to the store to pick up the “fresh” chicken eggs that the thought of taking an egg from the nest is totally foreign to most people. Anyway baby steps.
I butchered my first of 4 hens for this year. It was a heartbreaking experience, but I did it and the entire process from coop to freezer took just under 2 hours. I am sure I will get faster with practice. I still can’t believe on all the research I did prior to this, I never picked up on the “crop sac”…either way, if you are thinking about doing this too, make sure you look up what that is, so you won’t be surprised like I was.
My new doe Hillary is due to have her babies this week and Monica is coming along nicely, she is 2 months old. I just found a 4-h director who will point me towards a great buck hopefully in the next couple of weeks….My bucks name will be Bill:) They will be our breeding trio and there is no problem in naming them, because they are our constants, their babies will be feeding us:)
It’s amazing how having to take an animal’s life makes you appreciate the food they provide. When I butchered my first chicken my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking.
Hillbilly Mom,
Congrats! That is a hard to get by. I say a blessing each and every time I take the life of an animal. It makes is easier for me.
When we butcher, I always rotate the jobs. Killer, scalder, plucker, gutter. We set up, and can do 50-60 in 5 hours. Of course, that is with stainless tables, scalder, Featherman plucker and experience. You will get there!
In many areas, folks rent out their poultry processing equipment, most pull it up to you on a trailer, you process and they pick it up, for a fee. About $75.00 last time I looked. Worth checking into.
For SHTF, it is good to know how to do it by hand, and a few at time, for fresh meals or an injured bird. I will truly miss my plucker the day I can’t run it.
Joel Saladin has some great videos on youtube on how to clean a bird the right way. I am always careful not to cut into the crop sac, the gall bladder, or the any other part that has digestive fluids. If you do…rinse, rinse, rinse.
What I did to prepare this week: Had a long talk with oldest son. Eye-opening. This was the one who absolutely hated our chickens, he was pecked one time too many, I guess. Or maybe it was that when one of the sons had done something for the inth time and got on my last nerve, I made them clean out the coop. (He cleaned it out most..)He told me he wants to learn to butcher chickens this summer…wait…maybe that goes back to his chicken hatred…lol. And he want to learn to can meats with me this summer. We talked about getting 25 or so meat birds but I told him the roof needed replacing on the chicken house as well as the chicken wire on the run before we could do that. Smooth as glass, he turned to his Dad and said…”think we can use that BobCat for that?’ Help me…somebody help me!
I ordered 30# of rice for him and 10 gamma lids as well as 5# of dried papaya dice, 5# dried pineapple dice, and 15# of organic dates plus other stuff for us. I also started another planter of spinach and lettuce. I figure we will finish up the older one just in time for starting seeds for the gardens. I am holding off on starting the hydroponic plants until the garden seedlings are done…I don’t have enough grow lights for everything at once. I am blessed with a neighbor who grows/sells started plants. I will be able to take my seedlings over to her to babysit while we are up north for youngest son’s graduation. I was worried about them drying out and dying on me while we are gone.
I, too, have noticed many empty shelves at the grocery stores. I have also noticed many more carts filled with the whole box of soup or canned veggies when things are on sale. Also picked up free one 3 gal. and one 5 gal. frosting buckets from Wally World. They even washed them out for me! Son has picked up dozens of them and says the gamma lid fits the 5 gal. ones fine.
I am feeling pretty guilty about the neglect of my perennial gardens. Nothing has been weeded much for two years. (I had rotator cuff surgery the first year and knee problems last year). I need to get out there once it warms up and convert some of that space for growing food…maybe strawberries in the herb garden? The thought of all that weeding overwhelms me. Sigh. It seems everyone else in this house is allergic to weeding. That is why I want a raised bed for veggies! At least I wouldn’t have to bend over or kneel down to weed!
Someone mentioned starting blackberries from seed. I want to start a living fence and plan on using blackberries in part of it. Osage oranges will be in the sunniest part. The seed catalogs I have seen all have ‘thornless’ blackberries. I want the thorniest ones I can find! So it looks like I will have to get some berries off of state land to start.
Glad you are feeling better, M.D.!
Encourager: thanks for the reminder of dried fruit!! I really need to add a good bit of that to my food stash. I really like dried fruits: dates, figs, papaya, mango, pineapple, cranberries, etc., etc.
I love dried fruit, too, MtWoman! A handful keeps ya regular, if you get my meaning…
encourager…you have had a good week…
re noticing the shoppers…yes, preppers have been amping up…ol remus’ latest post talks about same thing.
when I go in to buy the items on specials..invariably have to get rainchecks – people are definately watching their outgo.
Picked my 2 pumpkins today. happy gardening.
Hey Wolfpack-
I wanted to tell someone who would appreciate it… I went this afternoon to my County Office and started the paperwork to get my CHL. I’ve been worried about the way policy seems to be going lately, and figured if I didn’t get a CHL now, I might never be able to… and that would be a serious gap in my preparations for my family’s future.
Anyway… funny, but I was so nervous going up the courthouse steps, my knees trembled. Felt like the black suits were going to come out of the bushes and take me away for applying for something guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. I went inside, and the lady at the counter was so kind and helpful. I felt very silly afterward. There was nothing to be afraid of!
alikaat, that is great that you got this started. My DS and DDIL have just put in for theirs too. They had a break in at their home and decided that was it, they were not going to be victims again! Good for you, after your past victimization a la “overly enthusiastic basement cleaning spouse”, I applaud you for making a stand to protect yourself.
Nuttbush54-
Funny! Feels good to chuckle about things. Especially things that aren’t funny. It’s strange… but losing my ‘stuff’ affected me in ways I didn’t expect it to. It has been at least 4 or 5 months (August, I think), and I have yet to replace what is gone. Guess I’m afraid it will just get tossed again (though I always have a few months’ stores in my very large pantry and full chest freezer – those are specifically my spaces!). Instead, I’ve been trying to prep in other ways – getting my thesis done so that I can defend and take the better-paying position in academia. This move will enable us to live where we can have property… convincing my husband that the move is actually his (good!) idea and not mine (gasp!), and learning, learning, learning everything I possibly can so that we can hit the ground running with the farm. Also trying (hard) to direct the boys to consider lives & careers that will enable them to survive in the coming world… eldest may be a lost cause – he’s a musician! Just can’t seem to convince him to go with something more practical. The little ones I have more time with.
Over all, my focus has switched to physical preparedness to (at least temporarily) mental and financial preparedness.
But I have to admit… I’m very twitchy without my basement full of supplies.
The CHL is my one attempt to soothe that side of my life, at least until we move next year.
Thank you for the encouragement. It is much needed!
Cat
My OH and I applied for ours in Dec. In NC it requires an 8 hour class on gun safety and laws regarding concealed carry, plus you have to qualify at a shooting range by getting at least 40% of 100 shots in the 7 or better area of a full size sillhouette target at 21 feet. It takes 90 days after application for the paperwork to go through, so we’re almost there. I never thought I’d be one to carry concealed, but the way things are going I think it’s smart for every adult (within reason) to consider it.
I applied for mine two weeks ago. Got the fingerprinting last week, and am now waiting on the background check and the Board’s decision. It could take from two to six more weeks. Sigh. But good things come to them who wait, right?
Hi Wolfpack,
MD, Glad to hear you are feeling better, only sorry it took so long for you. Being sick sucks.
It’s been a crazy week for me with lots of back and forth between south fl and central eastern florida. Was worried about the way gas prices are increasing so I went North to the boats and filled all of them up and added a bunch of preps that I had bought specifically for them. Bought a ton of different fishing equipment, some for the house and some for the boats since that’s a self renewing food source. Got in some pretty good surfing too with my nephew. We helped pull some kid out when he couldn’t get back in. Thought he could handle the 9-11 foot waves even though he had only surfed twice before.
Went through more of my DH’s boxes. Its amazing how many tools and spare parts and other assorted stuff I’m finding. On that note, I received a plane ticket and a summons to go to France to the in-laws for some unknown reason. I waiting for a call back from my cousin-in-law to see what that is all about. I really like visiting France but leaving the country with all the turmoil going on everywhere wasn’t in my plans any time soon.
Got 18 boxes of cereal for about $4.25 total. Love stacking coupons. Also bought 100lbs of dogfood, 50lbs of cat food, and an extra tub of tennis balls since my dog chews them in between catching them, plus its nice to have extras to switch out when they get all gross.
Bought a ton of batteries and checked out all the flashlights and lanterns and got some extra bulbs. Started seeds for the garden. Planted more herbs in the ‘gutter garden’.
Thats about it here. Take care everyone and Happy Prepping.
DG
I almost forgot, i finished making up all the lemoncello, oragecello, and grapefruitcello. Havent made it with grapefruit before so that one should be interesting. And still I have more citrus than I know what to do with…..
DG
diver gal…re plane ticket…if it is one-way or return…need to really get an attorney to make some inquiries from the issuing institution -find out everything about what it pertains to…from a legal person…if your cousin-in-law is legal…ok…can also phone the issuing institution and make inquiries yourself- I assume you are fluent. Safe journey…
Chloe,
It’s a round trip. They don’t want me staying there any more than I would want to. My cousin-in-laws are awesome so I’m not worried that it is anything sketchy. Usually I go once a year to visit my DH’s grave but that’s in November so I don’t know why the parent-in-laws would want me to go there now. Who knows, it could be something positive for a change.
Chloe, I just realized when re-reading what I wrote and what you wrote as opposed to skimming what you were saying. I used bad wording. This is a family summons…. family meeting. Nothing about a company or not a legal thing. Sorry for the confusion. I’m apparently having trouble expressing myself clearly since my brother thought the same thing you did.
DG
diver gal…thanks…do take care…things are crazy over there…have cousins in Lyon and Italy.
Your brother is just looking out for you. Safe journey and safe return home.
Many folks have mentioned the book, “Lights Out”.
I just stumbled on a down-loadable version and would like to share it.
I have not yet read it, if you don’t like it don’t blame the messenger. lol.
http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/fiction/lightsout1-10.pdf
Thanks alot, Hunker-Down! I’ve started a file on my desktop for survival/prepping ebooks and just added this one to join the Wolf Pack Cookbook I recently purchased.
Cruzette,
If you have any questions or comments about the cookbook, ask away.
Hi HD-
Thanks for the book. I just finished reading it. It’s a lot like William Forstchen’s ‘One Second After’, but it’s quite short.
Pretty good read – especially liked the ‘super ninja’ scene in the parking lot… but Forstchen is better.
Have a good evening,
Cat
For those that made the vanilla extract.
How many beans did you use in what size container?
On line I’ve seen anywhere from 2 to 8 vanilla beans per pint.
Sound about right?
Do you leave the bean in it forever? Or take them out after so long?
Hello Wolfpack,
This week I started to shore up some of my food preps. I bought some raw sugar (before it becomes illegal) and molasses. Hey I’m in the South, I’m required to have some molasses on hand. I would like to know more about EE since I have heard many good things about them here. Is there a Wolfpack discount? MD is there a way you can get some kind of credit if I buy from them? A link to the correct site would also be nice. Since I have some credit at Amazon I thank you for the links you gave and will make sure to send some of those taxes back your way. Totally agree that between those that work the system for handouts and those that work the system to pay nothing the rest of us are getting squeezed into poverty.
I also purchased some ammunition in bulk and went to the range (again) since my new toy was such a pleasure to shoot . I continue to do my walks around the neighborhood within a five mile radius of my house. This week I noticed that some of the damage done by persons unknown to fencing and property was repaired. Specifically some very big rocks were placed on some trails that were big enough for vehicles to travel on. I don’t know who did this but I think someone got the message after the previous property damage. I also for the first time noticed two police cruisers sitting in the wood line in an area that had a lot of debris. Good to know I’m not the only one taking notice of the changes in the neighborhood. I continue to try to ignore the news as it becomes more of a circus than real information.
Prayers out to all of you that are having hard times and big rounds of applause to those of you who have managed to find a way to get farther off the grid or guberment out of your lives.
Deo duce, ferro comitante
Were you looking for a link to Emergency Essentials?
http://beprepared.com/default.asp?&sid=msn&eid=msB200703015&utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mBrand
M.D. gets credit for Augason Farms as linked on the page at the top, haven’t seen an EE link for him to get credit.
Honeyville is also pretty good.http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
I like their combo packs.
Sam’s club has awesome sales on augason stuff too. Altho the online clearance prices at the augason farms right now are great. Buttermilk pancake mix #10 can 5.99 and Chocolate fudge brownie #10 can 7.60. I do believe that sale switches after today tho.
Walton feed has nice bulk stuff, some prices really good but their shipping is a scary thing.
http://waltonfeed.com/
Their milk is better then LDS milk. But EE regular milk is Flipping out of this World! (but the price is high). We’ve tried them all as we are BIG milk drinkers. 4 of us going through 5 to 6 gallons a week. Morning moo sucks btw. Before you even think of ordering a large quantity get the sample size from Augason farms. Basically it is coffee creamer (plastic butt flavor!)
Sorry to all that love it, I like Milk! lol
Shelf Reliance as M.D. links usually has the best prices on freeze dried meats as I’ve found.
If any Pack member has found a better price on freeze dried meat I’d be interested to know.
And Bob’s Red Mill. They are just awesome! Their products are the divine grains and beans that make daily use a sincere pleasure!
http://www.vitaminfix.com/shopby/?vita_brands=Bob%27s+Red+Mill
Yummy steel cut oats! Great in cereal and bread. I noticed they have some good sales while posting this link. Now I have to go check them out and see what’s on.
Happy Shopping!
http://www.bobsredmill.com/monthly-specials
Real Bob’s Red Mill site. Not quite sure how I clicked on that other link. It has their products but not the real site. I was thinking, “gee, they changed the look.” Doh.
Thank you Vienna,
That’s exactly the information I was looking for. I’ve been reading the Lights Out, prepper “fiction” and I realize I have a long way to go and I hope I have the time to get there. Good post alert for all of you looking for long term food that does not have to be rotated every year. You made my day.
mexneck…yes…agree on the changes…good that you are still walking about…see so much more that way…
when I go for my walks in town -I specifically look for water taps etc…and any short cuts /alleys between the parallel streets…
driving in my car – I am on auto pilot it seems and only keep my eyes on the road…it is amazing what one sees when one slows right down.
Taking the dogs helps me to just amble along, and really have a good look at things…without it being obvious that I am making mental notes of things.
Never know, could be in town…and not be able to drive car home – for whatever reason, or call DD to come and get me.
Who knows, one day road-side assist may not be available.
cheers.
mex, link to ee top left of the homepage, m.d. gets a tiny cut. or you can type in tsbblog into the purchase code box on the ee website when you go to check out.
I really don’t know how I missed M.D.’s EE link. :(
Next time I order from them I’ll be using it. Thanks riverrider for calling attention to it.
I know I’m kinda new here and I really hate to ask this, but I’m going under the knife, saw, drill and hammer tomorrow morning. If anyone has an extra second tonight while saying prayers I’d really appreciate it if you could slip one in for me. After thirty years of working with high pressure steam, large rotating equipment, high voltage electricity and dizzying heights, this scares the heck out of me.
Thank You
John
Good Luck and God Bless, prayers are one their way. And if you can relax at all, know you are in God’s hands, no matter what!
Praying all will go terrific and the doctors will do a great job with no surprises!
SP you got it! I wish you luck and a speedy recovery.
s/prepper..am praying for you…you were on my mind yesterday…
Sounds like you are getting the full service…had to laugh when I read the ‘knife/saw/drill/hammer’.
will pray that all goes well for you – now relax – praying for your speedy recovery and better agility, and let us know how you go. cheers.
Thinking of you NOW John. Breeze through it!!! :)
Praying for you SaratogaPrepper! Praying that the doctors, nurses and rest of the staff are all guided by God’s hands. May God give the surgeons wisdom and discernment. May His angels surround you, may your recovery be quick, may your pain be controllable. Trust Him; in Him there is no fear, no doubt.
Thanks for all the prayers! I am now sitting comfortably in my hospital bed. It is the most comfortable I have been in close to 2 years. Just a dull ache from the surgery. Tomorrow morning I get to test out the new hip
SP,
Congratulations! Glad to hear your surgery is now behind you, but take it easily and don’t overdo it.
Glad to hear things went well with the surgery. Before you know it, you will be running circles around everyone!
saratoga prepper…congrats on your surgery…wishing you a swift recovery…cheers.
Hoping the procedure is successfully behind you now, and prayers for a speedy recovery. . . .
Encounters with the homeless. I had that happen to me today. I won’t go into the whole story, but after being on their own for about 7 days, they had the clothes on their backs, a couple of blankets, a bag with a bottle of pop and some graham crackers, they were getting their drinking water out of a lake and were sleeping under some bushes. They were dirty and very smelly, their stomachs were hurting from hunger and cramps from the bad water. It was 35 degrees and had been down in the high 20′s overnight. The ground was still icy when I encountered them and their clothes were not enough to keep them warm. They had no transportation and were miles from any resources that could care for them. And didn’t have a single dime between them. I called the Sheriff, they were transported to the hospital for a check up and then on to a homeless shelter. In other words, there is still a safety net. I wonder what the cost to us taxpayers my phone call instigated? I wonder when the safety net will no longer be there…………..
Worrisome,
I see that here too. More now than ever. I was dumpster diving for cardboard boxes to build a parade float when a homeless man walked by. Yes, I had my concealed on me, it was hard for me not to put my hand on it when I saw him coming around the corner into the alley.
I was just getting into my truck when he said,” You should grab the styrofoam too, it makes great insulation.” I had to hold back the tears. He was so nice and wanted to be helpful. Even though I was driving a $40,000 truck and didn’t look like I was homeless, he wanted to help. Note: I never let him get close enough to get his hands near me.
I left $20.00 on the lid of the dumpster, caught up with him (in the truck), told him “I appreciated the helpful tip, I left you something to get a hot meal.” He nodded gratefully and went back to get it.
Our area has a nice homeless shelter, run by volunteers. The homeless don’t go there unless forced to by the police. They have their reasons whether it be mental illness, or not being able to drink there, or some just don’t want to be inside.
I don’t look forward to the day when the safety nets are gone. The police don’t patrol, and the firemen aren’t waiting to jump on a shiny red truck to save the day. I don’t look forward to going hunting and finding decaying bodies in the forest.
One of these was relatively aggressive in that she was throwing around a lot of curse words and was telling the Sheriff she was just fine thank you. Since I never got close enough to them, I wonder if she was mentally ill or a drunk or drug addict. The Sheriff said they can only get them checked out at the hospital and drop them at the shelter, no one can keep them from migrating back to where I found them. Kind of Scary…..really!
mama j…what a wonderful thing to do. Some people are already living a harsh existence…he would have put that money to good use…cheers.
First, Saratoga you got it prayers are otw.
Second, had a great weekend working around the AO and finishing off the entire perimeter security install complete with infraRed/motion sensing camera’s (amazing what they have put on the civilian market these days). This project has taken quite an investment in time. Luckily I have a cousin and fellow prepper who is a master fiber install guy and he handled the design and supervision of my labor. Basically the system runs off of low voltage in a large circuit (with redundancy power) and the cams can be individually accessed, or jump to cam 1 with motion, as well as all 18 being displayed on the monitor at the same time. Each cam is weather-proof and provides its own infrared source out to 50′.
Some folks may think this sounds cost prohibitive, but before you think that way do a lil research on pricing of these packages today. Even with a 500gig HD and the cams, my system didnt break the $1000 mark. Now my cousin supplied all of the Cat5e and did whatever the pc masters do to connect the system to my PC complete with external HD and software. I know how to use, but the whole install and connect thing was a lil above me.
Now, why did I do this? For those of you that know me, I am all about multiple layers of security and this just adds to that while also giving me the benefit of real-time intel should it be needed.
And that is what I/we did to prep!
S.G.
SG, you’ve had a good week…cheers.
Col. S. Grey (Ret)….
Good job Colonel. Do you monitor it 24/7 and if so, how?
Makes me think I didn’t go far enough with my aural system….no visuals.
Hawkeye:
When at home, my system has audible alerts of motion is detected and the cam indicating the mvmt is instantly primary on the monitor.
If I am away, the alerts come to my smartphone and I can access the cam via the same device or switch from cam to cam at will with the software on the home pc which controls the setup.
Obviously if the cell net goes down my observation will be from my tactical operations center only…lol To support that, I have the house sub-wired for generator power although with the overall small amount of power draw I could run the system through my battery bank.
Technology is amazing as long as it works. So I am taking full advantage WHILE it does!
This is an example of some of the entry level systems out there that are accessible from basically anywhere in the world.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZMODO-16CH-CCTV-Security-DVR-8-Outdoor-Night-Vision-Camera-System-1TB-Hard-Drive-/150726855162?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23180549fa
S.G.
Col. S. Gray (Ret)…
I’m impressed. Checking the link, you provided, as soon as I send this off. Thanks.
Col. S. Gray (Ret), My hubby wants to know how far out from the receiver can the night vision cameras be? We have 10 acres we want to install them on. The most important is our driveway where we will be putting up a gate; it is about 800 feet from the house. Forgive me if my question(s) are ignorant; I do not fully understand how these systems work.
Encourager:
First Im a huge proponent of the belief that there are no ignorant question(s) only those who remain ignorant from their failure to question.
My system is not wireless even though there are several systems that are available in the wireless format. The system my cousin assisted me in installing is hardwired and therefore the only restriction on how much area you can cover is limited to how much you are willing to spend on cable, conduit, and signal boost if needed.
After going through this effort with my cousin’s assistance, I would see no problem in you running hardwired cams to your driveway as long as you are willing to spend the money required. Obviously I was not the expert in my project and possess on the most basic of understanding when it comes to these things. I did learn quite a bit from my cousin, most importantly, the need for redundancy in these systems should power or transmission lines fail. Redundancy was technique I employed often in the military and try to continue to do so in everyday life, yet this escaped me when it came to security systems for the property.
Personally I would not use wireless due to the need to change power sources frequently and they are limited as a resource. ***I can think of 100 better uses for what batteries I do have.
As more simple solution for you maybe to hardwire ifraRed beem sensors along non-essential boundries where there are no entranbces. That way you would at least have notification of a breach in any particular location and can then visually inspect the intrusion via spotting scope or bino’s.
If the funds permit, I would suggest seeking the advice of a few professionals for systems with different hardware and prices.
Sincerely,
S.G.
I just read this article today. You will remember this guy from last week’s Doomsday Prepper episode. Click on the link or cut and paste for the article:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/prepper-declared-mentally-defective-put-on-fbi-list.html
Although this guy comes across as a little “out there”, this is scary that he his being categorized and penalized for his beliefs. Would like to understand why the NRA is not backing his defense as well. Love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
D2, the NRA has become just another lobbiest organization. Unless you are a life member that pays for the defense fund or sends a check every time they ask, they won’t help the small guy.
Long gone are the days of “from dead cold fingers” its a “kinder gentler” NRA, they don’t want to be linked to someone like that.
Jarhead 03…
I hope you’re wrong Jar….don’t know who else there is, with their capabilities, to speak for us. Politicians, on either side of the aisle, don’t seem to move unless someone pays them. I always felt, however, that the NRA spent way to much time and money sending us “Junk Mail” while trolling for funds, than was necessary?
Saving Alert:
Bear Creek Soup Mixes.
$3 at Wal-Mart (new price)
BOGO ($2 ea) at Albertson’s.
FYI
Gas is up here by 20 cents in a little less than a week!
Here too….. :(
I was filling up my tank today at one of the Safeway gas centers and an employee came running out announcing to one of her co workers who monitors the pumps that the price just went up again! Like it had already happened at least once earlier in the day. Pretty freaky
okay WTH? demand is lower, crude is lower, no war YET, saudis promise to make up any shortfall from iran, dakota oil strike, arkansas oil strike, mild winter etc..exxon made a record 46 BILLION last QUARTER alone….. why is gas going up? something must be wrong with my calculator……
Blame it on the “speculators” :)
riverrider……
Unfortunately it’s a “world market” not an “American market”. And, it seems, emotions and fears of what “could happen” is as important as what is “actually happening”. As much as I loathe the thought of another middle east war….. until something is done to drag the Iranians into a civil world community, these emotions are going to continue. That’s part of the reason we prep…isn’t it?
For those the pundits that have been saying that the value of our money would be reduced…….it has begun. It started small, tdl wants to change the metal that is being used in pennies and nickels. Rawles was right; porter stansberry was right! They are starting small…………shh nobody will notice………….. http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/15/news/economy/pennies_nickels/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
I’ve been collecting nickels for some time now. It looks like it will pay off.
I have a question. The U.S. has been criticizing China for manipulating its currency. But the U.S. manipulates the U.S. dollar. Here’s the question: is devaluing the U.S. dollar always a bad thing? (I don’t have an answer here. So I am genuinely asking.) I wonder if the strategy of devaluing the dollar is intended to bring back jobs to the U.S. Here’s my thinking: If the U.S. dollar is strong, it is cheaper to outsource jobs. As the U.S. dollar weaken, two lines intersect on a chart and below that point, it is cheaper to manufacture goods in the U.S. In theory, as the value of the dollar drops, the price of goods and services in the U.S. should drop. (Note this “should” is theoretical.)
Does anyone know enough about economics to comment on this?
For one thing, devaluing our money, means it costs us more to buy the same basket of products/goods. For the Governments’ side of things, it means paying back all of the loans that are outstanding with cheaper dollars. For YOUR savings account, it means that whatever you have in it, inflation is eating away at its value AND with interest rates at near zero, you can’t keep up. As far as jobs, not sure.
gayle, it works for a while until a critical mass of your people can no longer afford basic foods. then we have arab spring.
Whew! I feel hubby and I really accomplished something today! We cleaned both wood stoves – from inside the house. Yes, our backs are sore, blame it on our age, lol. But how nice not to have to climb a two story house with a three story drop on one side, in the rain/snow. We bought this system that has a nylon brush (similar to a weed wacker) that hooks onto multiple fiberglass rods. You attach one end to the brush, the other to a power drill. Keep adding rods until you are at the top of the chimney. The brush end whips around at the speed of the drill. We had a blockage in the Defiant and it plowed right through it. It is called ‘Soot Eater” by Gardus. And, no, I am not affiliated with them in any way – just wanted to bring your attention to a great product.
Keep on keeping on!!
Encourager,
We have three wood stoves and I am so afraid of chimney fires that I clean them out twice a year. We burn mostly aspen, and it is fortunately clean burning. It doesn’t leave much creosote. But, the pine and cedar does. The brush on the drill is very cool.
I would freak the freak out if we had a blockage! Chimney fires are so scary, we had one once and I ran around screaming because I had no idea what to do. Luckily, it didn’t do any damage.
We have had a number of chimney fires…and trust me, your heart seems to stop. Had a bad one, needed to replace the whole pipe, when hubby was in Bemidji MN on a winter business trip. Had two little kids, house full of smoke, stove pipe turning red and six foot flames out the top.
We have an all volunteer fire department and they showed up within 10 minutes; glad some of them are neighbors! Since it was an airtight stove, and I had the presence of mind to close it down before running out of the house, the fire was out by the time they got there. So no water damage in the house. Whew.
The next time it happened, it was out without much damage; still called the fire department. When they got there to go up in the attic to make sure everything was all right, one guy said – “follow me, I have been here before” and everyone burst out laughing. Kinda embarrassing.
Can’t imagine a roaring chimney fire and no fire department to call. We have these sticks that will put out a fire called ChemStix. We have used them once and it worked great. These were one of the first preps we bought. Won’t be without them. On a funny note, (or not so funny but it struck me as funny) for about 4 years you could not find them anywhere. Then we learned the company that makes them BURNED DOWN. Umm…what? They are now back up and running.
I just heard this on CNN Headline news but cannot confirm it anywhere else: Did you know that in the fine print of your cell phone contract, it allows the holder of the contract to take pictures randomly with your phone whenever it wants and then send them (to whom?!?) ? I believe they were talking about smart phones but did not catch the brand. I was just up and on my first cuppa coffee.
Did anyone else hear this?
i dont know if anyone will read all the comments down to here but i hope so- my son and i went to academy sports store to get some shotgun ammo- he and a few friends were skeet shooting and he buys extra for his supplies and i bought some ammo for my guns. as we were leaving he saw a store called Harbor Freight- i have never heard of it but he wanted to go in as he knew what it was- it looked mainly like tools and he said they were good value for the money but he wouldnt buy tools you needed to last there- but they had some good survival type things- i got a couple of camo tarps for 4.99- i have seen them online for the same price but had to pay a lot of money in shipping. they also had some LED flashlights for 1.50 and firestarter magnesium type for 2.47 and they are going to be on sale for 2.00 march 1st. anyway, it is a good idea to have a list with you in case you find yourself in places- like thrift stores too! to get supplies. also these are expensive and a little on the heavy side but a couple in your BOB might be morale boosters- hot can inc- i had used these years ago and the company went out of business but the patent got bought and they reopened- it is beverages and soups right now but the can itself heats itself without any external heat. i have a couple packed in my bag and we use them when we go horse camping while trail riding. hope this helps someone.
With all the enthusiasm, time and resources spent on prepping for the apocalypse, one or two genius preppers might have been able to find a cure for cancer.
So………….what are you saying? That we shouldn’t prep??? Sheesh. Find another site.
I placed an order with emergency essentials. I also hit the bargain cave at cabela’s where I purchased 2 buddy portable heaters. I also purchased 12 canisters of propane., My big purchase was at an auction where I was able to purchase $7 face value of dimes for less than $2 per dime.
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