Hey from NC!!!

[NCHydrangea]

I am truly a newbie when it come to prepping. I'm originally from a rural area in Eastern North Carolina, so I grew up gardening, canning, freezing, etc, but have since moved to the big city (ok, maybe not so big), so I've lost a lot of what I used to know. I'm here with my boyfriend and sweet rescue dog, just trying to get ready for whatever may happen.

We started talking about prepping a few months ago & started making our list from various other websites, but it became so overwhelming that we were stuck at where to begin. We were supposed to have so much flour, sugar and oatmeal and we hadn't even started our BOB, much less water, medical supplies, guns and ammo. I stumbled upon this website and have been lurking for the past week or so and decided I had to join. I think I now have a cleared idea of how we need to start on a limited budget, then build up from there (thanks to the wonderful preppers here). Luckily my boyfriend, probably the more sensible one, keeps me from trying to jump ahead in our prepping process. We still don't have a completed BOB, nor do we have enough food/water stored for more than a couple of weeks, but we're baby preppers, so it's baby steps.

We have decided on a BOL, which is back home in Eastern NC, but it's about a 2.5 hour drive from our current location. We don't have any food stored at our BOL, but we'll work on that the next time we go back "home". We're planning to work on our food/water here along with our BOB (we only have 1, but I'm planning on getting one for me). We live in a small house, but it does have a basement, so there's room for storage & place to lock ourselves in if we have to Bug In for a bit until we can get out of town, but we have to be ready for anything. I don't know how well we would do in a survival situation, but I'm still a country girl so I've hunted and skinned, etc with my Daddy. My boyfriend is a skilled mechanic, and can make or do most anything when it comes to building, fixing and calming me down.

Sorry for such a long post, but y'all will discover that I can be a bit long-winded when I'm excited about something. I look forward to learning from all of you and growing more confident in what we're trying to do.

 

[jontte]

welcome,glad you joined
as a "budget" prepper myself,while studying,it can sometimes be hard,but this forum gives a lot of sound good advice.
however you do your preps,take time to think over what,where,how...and your skills from back home are still there,just need some practice..and ask and ask..that's what I do.

 

[jimLE]

howdy from a texan .... and welcome to the forum and family...there's quiet a few knowledgeable folks here that'll gladly tell ya what you need to know,or at least point ya in the right direction and/or give ya a good idea or 2..and by all means jump right on in with any replies you have on a topic.and start new topics if/when needed....

 

[Roninsensei]

Welcome!!

 

[Texas Patriot]

Welcome from Texas.

 

[Brent S]

I am truly a newbie when it come to prepping. I'm originally from a rural area in Eastern North Carolina, so I grew up gardening, canning, freezing, etc, but have since moved to the big city (ok, maybe not so big), so I've lost a lot of what I used to know. I'm here with my boyfriend and sweet rescue dog, just trying to get ready for whatever may happen.

We started talking about prepping a few months ago & started making our list from various other websites, but it became so overwhelming that we were stuck at where to begin. We were supposed to have so much flour, sugar and oatmeal and we hadn't even started our BOB, much less water, medical supplies, guns and ammo. I stumbled upon this website and have been lurking for the past week or so and decided I had to join. I think I now have a cleared idea of how we need to start on a limited budget, then build up from there (thanks to the wonderful preppers here). Luckily my boyfriend, probably the more sensible one, keeps me from trying to jump ahead in our prepping process. We still don't have a completed BOB, nor do we have enough food/water stored for more than a couple of weeks, but we're baby preppers, so it's baby steps.

We have decided on a BOL, which is back home in Eastern NC, but it's about a 2.5 hour drive from our current location. We don't have any food stored at our BOL, but we'll work on that the next time we go back "home". We're planning to work on our food/water here along with our BOB (we only have 1, but I'm planning on getting one for me). We live in a small house, but it does have a basement, so there's room for storage & place to lock ourselves in if we have to Bug In for a bit until we can get out of town, but we have to be ready for anything. I don't know how well we would do in a survival situation, but I'm still a country girl so I've hunted and skinned, etc with my Daddy. My boyfriend is a skilled mechanic, and can make or do most anything when it comes to building, fixing and calming me down.

Sorry for such a long post, but y'all will discover that I can be a bit long-winded when I'm excited about something. I look forward to learning from all of you and growing more confident in what we're trying to do.

Welcome from N Georgia as well. For a "newby" it sounds like you've allready got alot of skills! If you can garden, can and hunt/skin, you're allready ahead of most. There are loads of useful topics here, just dig in, and most are happy to offer advice. My advice is start with a couple water filters, as it is the most important thing you need to live. We are all on a budget here, so don't worry about not being able to go out and buy a years worth of freeze dried foods. Just do a little at a time and before you know it you will have a full pantry and you can weather any type of emergency better than most. Again, welcome.

 

[hlrive]

Well welcome to the forum. I also am from NC. I do all of my prepping on a budget so I know how that is. However just spending a couple of extra dollars a week or month adds up and before you know it you have a months supply of something. I actually started with salt and baking soda, then worked on rice, Ramen noodles, and other things.

 

[NCHydrangea]

Thanks for such a warm welcome!!

as a "budget" prepper myself,while studying,it can sometimes be hard,but this forum gives a lot of sound good advice.
however you do your preps,take time to think over what,where,how...and your skills from back home are still there,just need some practice..and ask and ask..that's what I do.

I need to get a lot more ammo & start practicing. It's been such a long time......

 

[NCHydrangea]

Welcome from N Georgia as well. For a "newby" it sounds like you've allready got alot of skills! If you can garden, can and hunt/skin, you're allready ahead of most. There are loads of useful topics here, just dig in, and most are happy to offer advice. My advice is start with a couple water filters, as it is the most important thing you need to live. We are all on a budget here, so don't worry about not being able to go out and buy a years worth of freeze dried foods. Just do a little at a time and before you know it you will have a full pantry and you can weather any type of emergency better than most. Again, welcome.

Sorry for all of these posts, but I don't know to do this in one post.

Thanks, Brent!! I've been researching filters and straws or something for our BOB. I know it's best to have 3 methods, I just need to whittle it down.

 

[NCHydrangea]

Well welcome to the forum. I also am from NC. I do all of my prepping on a budget so I know how that is. However just spending a couple of extra dollars a week or month adds up and before you know it you have a months supply of something. I actually started with salt and baking soda, then worked on rice, Ramen noodles, and other things.

Hey! I'm about a hour from you in the RDU area...The D area to be exact. lol We have a Sav A Lot, so I try to pick up more canned foods than we need every time I do in because most of them are .49 a can. Maybe I'm a little more ahead than I thought because I do have baking soda, rice, sugar & flour that I bought from Costco, but I need to get more.

 

[jontte]

p.s if you don't already have the know-how of first-aid,worth learning it,an amazing skill to have

 

[NCHydrangea]

p.s if you don't already have the know-how of first-aid,worth learning it,an amazing skill to have

Great idea!! I know CPR is offered for free through my work & I plan on taking that, but I'm going to check into first-aid as well. Thanks!

 

[Brent S]

Great idea!! I know CPR is offered for free through my work & I plan on taking that, but I'm going to check into first-aid as well. Thanks!

A lot of fire depts and county EMS have classes for first responders for free or minimal cost. I took a first responder in my first year of college and went on to spend the next 6 yrs in the medical field. I thought it was just going to be an easy credit, but it was so interesting I became an EMT and then a surgical assistant. Even though I moved onto other careers, I've always been greatfull for the knowledge I gained, and it's been really usefull many times since.

 

[hlrive]

Hey! I'm about a hour from you in the RDU area...The D area to be exact. lol We have a Sav A Lot, so I try to pick up more canned foods than we need every time I do in because most of them are .49 a can. Maybe I'm a little more ahead than I thought because I do have baking soda, rice, sugar & flour that I bought from Costco, but I need to get more.

I have close to 25 boxes of salt. Spices also are a good thing to keep around. If you have a dollar tree close by go in there and get spices. Garlic powder is something that I buy lots of at dollar tree. If you sprinkle it around the yard it helps keep fleas and ticks away. Feeding it to your dog in their food also helps keep fleas off them. So I keep plenty of it put away. Peppermint oil is something that we all should keep on hand. I buy mine online rather then through other places. I want it to be pure. It keeps mice away, and most bugs including ants.

I don't know if you like Mexican food or not, but if you do buy a tortilla iron & Mesaca, and make your own. I fill mine with refried beans or chicken and seasonings fold them in half and fry them 3 of them each fill is up, and it's a cheap meal with the Mesaca. If the crap hits the fan I have enough Mesaca and beans here to keep us in those for about 3 months. Never the less all the buckets full of rice, macaroni, and much more.

 

[Brent S]

I have close to 25 boxes of salt. Spices also are a good thing to keep around. If you have a dollar tree close by go in there and get spices. Garlic powder is something that I buy lots of at dollar tree. If you sprinkle it around the yard it helps keep fleas and ticks away. Feeding it to your dog in their food also helps keep fleas off them. So I keep plenty of it put away. Peppermint oil is something that we all should keep on hand. I buy mine online rather then through other places. I want it to be pure. It keeps mice away, and most bugs including ants.

I don't know if you like Mexican food or not, but if you do buy a tortilla iron & Mesaca, and make your own. I fill mine with refried beans or chicken and seasonings fold them in half and fry them 3 of them each fill is up, and it's a cheap meal with the Mesaca. If the crap hits the fan I have enough Mesaca and beans here to keep us in those for about 3 months. Never the less all the buckets full of rice, macaroni, and much more.

I've probably got 6 months of food stored now. Of course that's counting what I normally use. If shtf, then you're likely to have others come stay with you, so consider that when figuring how much to stock up on. The best advice I can give is stock up on the things you allready like and eat. I have a couple cases of oats, gotten when I first started my pantry. Sure they store well and last a long time, but the truth is I don't like oats! I'm a lot more selective now with what I save. Bringing up the spices was a good point. They will be hard to come by in an emergency or shtf.

 

[NCHydrangea]

I have close to 25 boxes of salt. Spices also are a good thing to keep around. If you have a dollar tree close by go in there and get spices. Garlic powder is something that I buy lots of at dollar tree. If you sprinkle it around the yard it helps keep fleas and ticks away. Feeding it to your dog in their food also helps keep fleas off them. So I keep plenty of it put away. Peppermint oil is something that we all should keep on hand. I buy mine online rather then through other places. I want it to be pure. It keeps mice away, and most bugs including ants.

I don't know if you like Mexican food or not, but if you do buy a tortilla iron & Mesaca, and make your own. I fill mine with refried beans or chicken and seasonings fold them in half and fry them 3 of them each fill is up, and it's a cheap meal with the Mesaca. If the crap hits the fan I have enough Mesaca and beans here to keep us in those for about 3 months. Never the less all the buckets full of rice, macaroni, and much more.

I love Dollar Tree & I'll certainly stock up on spices the next time I go. I also love Mexican food & already have a press. I never thought about tortilla's being used as a survival food, but it's perfect! Thanks for the tips on Peppermint & garlic because I'm always looking for more natural ways to keep the pests away.

 

[NCHydrangea]

I've probably got 6 months of food stored now. Of course that's counting what I normally use. If shtf, then you're likely to have others come stay with you, so consider that when figuring how much to stock up on. The best advice I can give is stock up on the things you allready like and eat. I have a couple cases of oats, gotten when I first started my pantry. Sure they store well and last a long time, but the truth is I don't like oats! I'm a lot more selective now with what I save. Bringing up the spices was a good point. They will be hard to come by in an emergency or shtf.

I've tried to like oats, but I just can't get through a bowl. I love grits but I'm not sure about their storage time.

 

[hlrive]

I've tried to like oats, but I just can't get through a bowl. I love grits but I'm not sure about their storage time.

I keep grits for that just in case moment. Grits along with some eggs makes a great meal. I put it all in a big bucket in the bags and seal it. I even have some in the packets so if I have to take off we can just throw a few packs into a BOB and take off. Don't forget powdered milk as well. I keep some on hand all the time and last month it came in handy my daughter needed just 1/4 of a cup of milk, so I just mixed a tiny bit rather then making a store run for a gallon of milk.

Oatmeal I have plenty of. My kids love oatmeal cookies, and when I make apple crisp I need oatmeal. I have bought big bags of it at the local tractor supply and put it away. Normally the rolled oats are used for horses and goats but it can be used for humans as well and taste even better then what I buy in the grocery store.

Corn meal is another thing that I keep around along with flour. If something happens I can always bake.

 

[Gazrok]

Welcome.

You seem to have a good start.
I'd recommend re prioritizing the BOBs. They don't have to be "complete" (whatever that is), just ready.
(BOBs are "never" complete...you'll constantly change them, probably). This should really be your first step.

The whole flour/sugar thing is perhaps a bit overblown. Me, I prefer to store dry pasta, mashed potato flakes, dry peas, dry beans, rice, and canned goods myself.

Stockpiling is one thing, but the real key to surviving, would be to have a replenish-able source of water and food at the BOL. You probably won't be there often, but think now, and plant some fruit trees, for example. Rig up a rainwater catchment system, etc.

 

[davidnh]

Hello and welcome to the forum.NH for now and NC before the fall

 

[NCHydrangea]

Hello and welcome to the forum.NH for now and NC before the fall

Thank you, davidnh!!! What part of NC will you be moving?

 

[davidnh]

Not sure yet ,but were in Raleigh today through sunday

 

[davidnh]

We have been from Duck :-( all the way to Highpoint have looked at many areas going to take a drive to Wilmington Nc Friday so.e town looked ok.some not so much also have done lots of research online

 

[davidnh]

Anyone in the Raleigh area I'll be around tomorrow .First stop Big Eds City Market.my favorite breakfast place in Raleigh.

 

[NCHydrangea]

Anyone in the Raleigh area I'll be around tomorrow .First stop Big Eds City Market.my favorite breakfast place in Raleigh.

We're in Durham, but work gets in the way of all of my fun stuff!!! If it wasn't for that, we'd love to meet up with you. We're just newbies, with no one else in the area so it would be nice to know other "like minded people" if you decide to settle around here.

 

[hlrive]

Not sure yet ,but were in Raleigh today through sunday

Whatever you do don't move to Harnett county new laws coming, that are really ticking me off. Can't shoot a gun within 1/10 of a mile of anyones house not even your own. Also can't drink on your own property and many more new laws coming into effect. I told hubby it's time to move back to Maine. This BS is ticking me off.

 

[davidnh]

What is going on in your area?That sounds like some stupid rules/laws

 

[Clyde]

I am truly a newbie when it come to prepping. I'm originally from a rural area in Eastern North Carolina, so I grew up gardening, canning, freezing, etc, but have since moved to the big city (ok, maybe not so big), so I've lost a lot of what I used to know. I'm here with my boyfriend and sweet rescue dog, just trying to get ready for whatever may happen.

We started talking about prepping a few months ago & started making our list from various other websites, but it became so overwhelming that we were stuck at where to begin. We were supposed to have so much flour, sugar and oatmeal and we hadn't even started our BOB, much less water, medical supplies, guns and ammo. I stumbled upon this website and have been lurking for the past week or so and decided I had to join. I think I now have a cleared idea of how we need to start on a limited budget, then build up from there (thanks to the wonderful preppers here). Luckily my boyfriend, probably the more sensible one, keeps me from trying to jump ahead in our prepping process. We still don't have a completed BOB, nor do we have enough food/water stored for more than a couple of weeks, but we're baby preppers, so it's baby steps.

We have decided on a BOL, which is back home in Eastern NC, but it's about a 2.5 hour drive from our current location. We don't have any food stored at our BOL, but we'll work on that the next time we go back "home". We're planning to work on our food/water here along with our BOB (we only have 1, but I'm planning on getting one for me). We live in a small house, but it does have a basement, so there's room for storage & place to lock ourselves in if we have to Bug In for a bit until we can get out of town, but we have to be ready for anything. I don't know how well we would do in a survival situation, but I'm still a country girl so I've hunted and skinned, etc with my Daddy. My boyfriend is a skilled mechanic, and can make or do most anything when it comes to building, fixing and calming me down.

Sorry for such a long post, but y'all will discover that I can be a bit long-winded when I'm excited about something. I look forward to learning from all of you and growing more confident in what we're trying to do.

Welcome and thank you for taking time to join Doomsday Prepper Forums.com. Your presence here is much appreciated. We look forward to your posts, and hope you enjoy the community!

Please feel free to ask (post) and questions you may have in the proper area, as the members on here are extremely knowledgeable and more than willing to help!

Thank you again for taking the time to join Doomsday Prepper Forums.com!

 

[hlrive]

What is going on in your area?That sounds like some stupid rules/laws

Yep, stupid for real. However like I told Juan it all has to do with so many folks moving out of the cities and into the rural areas. They want to make the country into city zones I guess. Stupid as can be if you ask me.

 

[davidnh]

That has happened in some areas in NH as well.People move into the areas after leaving bigger towns ans cities.And try to change it into what they left.When should have just stayed where they were.