A very prepper Christmas!

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Sentry18

Sentry18

Thrivalist
Neighbor
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
19,105
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US of A
So all you preppers, homesteaders, survivalist and country folk; will you be giving any preps for Christmas? Do you expect to receive any preps for Christmas? Will be using any preps for Christmas?

I always try and find a way to bring preparedness into the holidays. This year Santa will be delivering a mini-survival kit to all the families coming to visit us. Kits that I put together myself. Each of these kits will include a 299 piece first aid kit, some vacuum sealed nut-heavy granola bars and hard candy, several hand warmers, a budget priced multi-tool with knife, a small LED flashlight, a small notebook & pen, and a couple other small items in a utility pouch. My cost was around $30-35 a kit as I shopped clearance all year long.

Not sure everyone would consider this a Christmas prep, but I am also upgrading my oldest boys AR-15 from a standard M4 style slick slide upper to free float M-Lok upper with forward assist, dust cover and folding back up sights. He is also going from standard AR furniture to a combination of a Magpul grip and a Tactical Intent stock. He keeps drooling over some of my AR's, so I am sure he will be happy for the upgrades.

I have asked for a couple more battery powered 'wireless linked' smoke detectors this year, so I am keeping my fingers crossed!

:pluggin in:
 
Well ... As I have the gift that keeps giving this time of year ... (Yule, Christmas, Birthday and anniversary :))

The homestead will gain 8 ponies, 1 bull and 2 bull calves... what more could a person want, food and transportation ! :D
 
We usually do very practical gifts, and some of them may not be considered preparedness, but there are often some of the same things that are in my preps. Our stockings usually have new toothbrushes, lighters, flashlights, safety pins, band aids, carabiners and/or whatever else I might stumble across or think of. We also get socks, tools, hats, gloves or mittens, and other gear that would serve us in times of SHTF.

Some years we do not exchange gifts, but just do stockings. It depends upon what is going on and where we are. My daughter has been elsewhere many times on Christmas, often with her now deceased dad and his family. It is all good, and we have the rest of the year to be together. We also buy gifts when one of us needs something. It can be the middle of July, and one of us will hand another one something and say, "Merry Christmas."
 
One of our daughters is getting a propane Coleman two burner because she borrows ours. Alot of preparedness in everyones stockings. Every getting a windup flashlight, and those credit card sized window smashers/seatbelt cutters. All of our children have received good backpacks and backpacking contents in Christmas pasts.
 
I am the queen of giving practical gifts. I give the gifts that nobody wants to buy for themselves, but my boys appreciate it. Other than immediate family, I don't typically do gifts b/c I'm really not that good at it.

Some of the gifts the boys are getting include:

socks/underwear
crossbow with arrowheads
hunting accessories
ammo
stamps
bed linens/comforters
towel sets
shoes/boots
pants/shirts
hot beverage containers
arctic jacket
books - at least they were requested by the recipient
bird seed/suet cakes for in laws

I'm trying to think of any "feel good" items I bought for them but I've already wrapped everything and don't remember now everything I bought. I did not buy any video games or tech accessories......except for an SD card reader for DH so he can look at his trail cam cards while he is in the blind instead of having to bring them home and plug them into the computer.

I spent more at the farm store for Christmas gifts than anywhere else. Go figure.....
 
For some reason this Christmas seems to be a silver Christmas.

2 days ago hubby gave the secretary of the dept he works in an ounce of silver as a present and she actually squealed lol Was tickled that she now had something "valuable" to put in her husband's gun safe. lol

Yesterday a sub-contractor working on hubby's projects gave him 5 ounces of silver. The funny thing is hubby was going to give him the same thing! lol Apparently the guy collects it as a hedge against something economic going wrong.

Hubby gave me 5 ounces of silver and 1/1oth ounce of gold for our 37th wedding anniversary on tuesday

Hubby sent me to the dollar tree store to buy a dozen small Christmas stockings so we could stuff them with small bits and bobs for working construction for his crew. Drill bits, folding knife, gloves,hand warmers, etc. Of course I put slim jims and mints in there lol

For ourselves we get what we want through out the year so we don't exchange gifts
 
This Christmas goona be more bout family then gifts. Been a tight year fer us. However, we be given sumthin what will be a family keepsake er sumtin what they really needed. A fair amounta the dinner be comin out a the storage racks. May not be as fancy a Christmas as Christmas past, but it'll still be full a love.
 
OldCootHillbilly said:
This Christmas goona be more bout family then gifts. Been a tight year fer us. However, we be given sumthin what will be a family keepsake er sumtin what they really needed. A fair amounta the dinner be comin out a the storage racks. May not be as fancy a Christmas as Christmas past, but it'll still be full a love.
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Oldcoot, I would rather sit down to a bowl of chilli with special family members, than the most lavish dinner with family member I don't like. Sorry it has been a tough year but I am sure every single guest is grateful to be able to spend the time with you.
 
This year my folks are staying home (mom has shingles) and the baby and I got sick so I am thinking more about pandemic and epidemic preps for next year. Actually I'll try to hit after Xmas sales for these like I do every year.

This year I tried to fill gaps in the girls' BOBs. I had to watch what I got seeing as how they are 1 and 6. Juju got her first EDC. It is a toddler harness that is a tiny backpack. Just like with Roo's first EDC I'll keep some snacks and a toy in there to make running around with her a bit easier. I keep a duffle in the car with clothing, diapers, water, food, FAK etc for both girls.

After Christmas I'll use my saved cash back and rebates to focus on next years stocking stuffer preps.
 
TMT Tactical said:
Oldcoot, I would rather sit down to a bowl of chilli with special family members, than the most lavish dinner with family member I don't like. Sorry it has been a tough year but I am sure every single guest is grateful to be able to spend the time with you.
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Woo hooooo you hear that guys TMT is going to be making a chillie dinner for us :D
 
I received many preps. . . as mentioned in another thread, my jersey is getting AI'd (hopefully take) with a heifer calf. 2 pairs of overalls, a yarn caddy, 3 cases of canning jars, extra lids and gift cards to JoAnn's. My plan there is to buy fabric to make us a quilt.

I also give preps too
Flannel shirts, socks, undies, good bags for GHB. Can't go too crazy on things like that for the kids though. They think we are pretty crazy as it is, so try to keep it useful all around.
 
For DH and myself we tend to get most things preparation wise during the year and more so in January when we have the after Christmas sales that are considerably cheaper.

For friends we gave them a jar of honey of about 750g , some chocolate fudge and some homegrown garlic. So some preps and some food that they can put up or eat meals with.
 
I may have told this elsewhere, but my cousin's wife cans lots of food every year. Turning 80, she doesn't can 120 quarts of green beans a year any more, just 120 pints. They make up 5 gallon buckets for close friends and family. They put in 2 quarts of canned tomatoes, 2 quarts of canned green beans, jellies and jams, local honey. Sounds like a prepper gift to me.
 
We kept to mostly practical stuff. I gave hubby a small Liberty safe for his jeep but then he also got a tacticool stocking for next year along with the tacticool "chefs" apron. He wanted to get the kids their own AR's for Christmas but we settled on having the oldest ones car fixed and paid for drivers ed and some cast iron pans for the youngest. I got an ice cream attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. Of course my sister also got me 5 M&M dispensers....:dunno:
 
Sentry18 said:
You are going to love it! We have one and we do.
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I already do. Made vanilla ice cream yesterday morning and chocolate tonight. Didn't last long...
 

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Weedygarden said:
I may have told this elsewhere, but my cousin's wife cans lots of food every year. Turning 80, she doesn't can 120 quarts of green beans a year any more, just 120 pints. They make up 5 gallon buckets for close friends and family. They put in 2 quarts of canned tomatoes, 2 quarts of canned green beans, jellies and jams, local honey. Sounds like a prepper gift to me.
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So how does a person get on her Christmas list??:green man:
 
Grimm said:
This year my folks are staying home (mom has shingles) and the baby and I got sick so I am thinking more about pandemic and epidemic preps for next year. Actually I'll try to hit after Xmas sales for these like I do every year.

This year I tried to fill gaps in the girls' BOBs. I had to watch what I got seeing as how they are 1 and 6. Juju got her first EDC. It is a toddler harness that is a tiny backpack. Just like with Roo's first EDC I'll keep some snacks and a toy in there to make running around with her a bit easier. I keep a duffle in the car with clothing, diapers, water, food, FAK etc for both girls.

After Christmas I'll use my saved cash back and rebates to focus on next years stocking stuffer preps.
Click to expand...

That is what I liked about xmas was the after xmas sales. Always lots of bargains. And money we saved not celebrating gave us money to spend on family in other ways like trips to ski or snorkel,etc.. Grandkids loved it better than gifts which they got plenty of from our families.
 
Got a nice Porter Cable battery reciprocating saw, will be useful. The advantage is I can charge it's batteries with a low watt inverter/solar set-up, and won't have to run a generator :)
 
Terri9630 said:
We kept to mostly practical stuff. I gave hubby a small Liberty safe for his jeep but then he also got a tacticool stocking for next year along with the tacticool "chefs" apron. He wanted to get the kids their own AR's for Christmas but we settled on having the oldest ones car fixed and paid for drivers ed and some cast iron pans for the youngest. I got an ice cream attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. Of course my sister also got me 5 M&M dispensers....:dunno:
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I have been thinking about an ice cream maker for the kitchen-aid.
Let me know how that works out if you would be so kind.
Thanks

Christmas was good.
New BOB, first aid kit, small flashlight, battery powered lantern,hatchet,Dremel tool,a Boker pocket knife as well as a couple other pocket knives.
I gave my son a new AR, my daughter a new Walther PPS 9mm, my granddaughters long time boyfriend a 12 ga pump shotgun, and even tho it pained me I gave my son's girlfriend my Beretta .380.
I just never shot it and she really liked it so I guess it was meant to be.
That will make 2 guns I have given away that I will miss.
My S&W 686 no dash was the first one I gave to my son and I miss it.
My wife wanted a iRoomba vacuum so I got her one even tho I don't like giving her house stuff for presents.
Overall a good Christmas.
 
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