Preparations Update

[Tootsie]

Changes in temperature, maybe, plus not enough circulation? I’ve noticed some rust on older cans in a cupboard by the back door but nowhere else. That particular cupboard does not get opened very often. Air circulation is definitely limited throughout the house here.

 

[Caribou]

I've been going through closets. I had just a few #10 cans in one closet and I was surprised at the amount of rust was on the cans. I live in a mostly dry climate. There were no pipes around the cans or near the closet, but I do have a couple 5 gallon jugs of water in there, but they are well sealed. I'm wondering if I need to make sure that there is good circulation in my house and closets?

As I type the RH in my bedroom is 39%. Before I bought a dehumidifier it was 77%. When I got it, I set it up and plugged it in, a few months ago. Since then it was off for four hours a couple of days ago. When the power came back on the RH in that room was 58%. The laundry room has a floor drain so that is where I set it up.

Get a RH meter and probably a dehumidifier.

Here is a link to several meters. You can get as many as 6 for $15.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=relative...ix=relative,aps,182&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_8

 

[angie_nrs]

I've been going through closets. I had just a few #10 cans in one closet and I was surprised at the amount of rust was on the cans. I live in a mostly dry climate. There were no pipes around the cans or near the closet, but I do have a couple 5 gallon jugs of water in there, but they are well sealed. I'm wondering if I need to make sure that there is good circulation in my house and closets?

My dehumidifier in the basement is on all the time. It shuts off when it reaches the preferred humidity. I check it every time I go down there to see if it needs emptied. When the leak happened, it really stepped up and saved my bacon.

I had to dig and get one of my plastic buckets out that has sugar in it from 2014. It's hard as a brick, but it'll do just fine. I'll just have to bang it on the counter and chisle the small pieces down. I don't use a lot of sugar, but I made a lot of apple crisp this year and so I used up a decent amount. While I was down there, I organized some more stuff that I just put on the table to deal with later so now my storage area is all neat and tidy.

 

[Amish Heart]

I've got a number of bags of things needing repackaging. I'll get off my butt after Gunsmoke is over. Lack of sleep has done me in today.

 

[angie_nrs]

This thread has been rather silent lately. I don't think folks have stopped their efforts, but I think more people are getting tight lipped about it. I can't blame anyone for that. I've been doing things that I won't announce either b/c ya just never know who's watching. Still, there are some generic things that I don't mind sharing.

I got a nice coleman battery lantern for Christmas that requires 8 D batteries, which is why I wouldn't have bought it for myself. Instead of using D's, I just bough 10 more D battery sleeves that my rechargeable AA's will fit into. It has LED's in it, so it is really bright and it also has 4 detachable lights that look like cell phones that can be detached from the unit. It's pretty cool and would come in handy during a power outage.

I bought some extra mags for my pew pew.
I bought some extra C and D battery spacer sleeves for my AA batteries that I have a lot of.
I bought some fire blankets (thanks Jazzy!)
I stocked up on colloidial silver. The price of my usual brand went way up, so I got some gallon jugs of a different brand to keep the price reasonable.
I bought another set of walkie talkies with antenna extenders.
I bought a new compass for mushroom hunting season.
I bought some more supplements on BOGO sale.
I bought some more coffee on sale. We are drinking coffee with a best by date of 2022. I actually thought I had more coffee than that a few years ago, so I may only have a couple years worth now. That said, every time it goes on sale for $6, I"m buying at least 10 more cans of it for storage. I cleared the shelf on the last sale.
We dropped some cash on a nice 'buggy' to have some fun in and to get around in rough terrain.
I inherited another apartment sized frig. It will go into storage with our other one.
I bought the Left Behind series of books (thanks Grimm). I'm enjoying them right now, but I'm going to leave a note with my end of life papers stating that if the Rapture happens (and God willing, I might disappear) to read these books to get some answers to what happened and what will likely come next and how to prepare for that. I consider that to be spiritual preps, which might be (and probably is) way more important than anything else I might have.

 

[Amish Heart]

I continually add, but I think it gets kinda boring listing food stuff. Right now I'm going thru my kidney bean stash, the canned ones. Anything expiring is going in the dehydrator for "fast beans". And that shelf has gotten out of hand anyway, so as soon as all the 12/23 and 1/24 are out of there, I'll redo the FIFO on that shelf. Next will be canned pumpkin. Always working on food.

 

[Neb]

My recent prep work has focused on back up power to cover outages. That amounts to a lot of wire pulling and adding circuits to the transfer switch. One more circuit will finish that project.

Ben

 

[Acdoctor]

My recent prep work has focused on back up power to cover outages. That amounts to a lot of wire pulling and adding circuits to the transfer switch. One more circuit will finish that project.

Ben

We have been doing the same as well as doing some bartering with one older guy down the road on a backup wood stove, I also added a second mr buddy to our preps.

 

[Tim Horton]

I have 2 Coleman lanterns powered with 8 D cells and a smaller Coleman version using 4 D cells as needed for emergency lighting.. All came from a thrift store on senior discount days, so I only have $4-5 in each.. With my bad knees a fall in the dark is to be avoided at any cost..

Almost 20 years ago now I had one of the rechargeable lanterns, but it died.. I'm sure the technology is better now..

 

[Bacpacker]

I fall under the under the radar list. Still working on it, but a slower pace. Spending at a much higher pace to remove debt as quickly as possible

 

[LadyLocust]

Something for folks to consider for their preps: sharpening stones. Hubby will be getting a new one since he can’t find our old one
I too have continued but at a slower rate and more narrowed focus.

 

[Hardcalibres]

People should read this:

https://www.news.com.au/technology/...7/news-story/ec160c9f1379bcc3db31ddc05fdab00f
It is pretty well thought out and it makes the following suggestions that are logical:

1. War with China is coming sooner rather than later
2. The timetable is being driven by the age of the Chinese leadership and the opportunities being created by the West
3. A conflict with China will probably avoid nuclear weapons - but that might also extend the duration of hostilities to years
4. Supply of many goods would be very severely disrupted - and again for years

When you look at the supply problems from COVID and understand that a conflict with China might be a hundred times worse, it is sobering.

That is quite a challenge to prepare for.

 

[Peanut]

‘18-’21 life changed radically for me. But I’d been thinking for sometime… I’ve done about all I can do, bought my first emergency/earthquake food kit in 1992. In the decades since learned all I could in dozens fields. In practice too, living on the farm made many things easy. Had livestock, horses, bees, grew and sold produce, charcoal and I’m surrounded by medicinal plants! Since I was born on this farm, might be said I’ve spent the last 20yrs relearning what I spent the first 20 doing. The more you know the less you need!

Aside from food rotation which never ends... there’s not much else I want to do either. Need to take a good inventory though… always one more thing.

 

[Neb]

People should read this:

https://www.news.com.au/technology/...7/news-story/ec160c9f1379bcc3db31ddc05fdab00f
It is pretty well thought out and it makes the following suggestions that are logical:

1. War with China is coming sooner rather than later
2. The timetable is being driven by the age of the Chinese leadership and the opportunities being created by the West
3. A conflict with China will probably avoid nuclear weapons - but that might also extend the duration of hostilities to years
4. Supply of many goods would be very severely disrupted - and again for years

When you look at the supply problems from COVID and understand that a conflict with China might be a hundred times worse, it is sobering.

That is quite a challenge to prepare for.

Let's not overlook the over abundance of fighting age males and a lack females.

Brandon will do nothing.

Yeaman introducing chaos in shipping has tied up US Naval resources.

Stockpiles of fancy high tech weapons are being drawn down.

US producers of high tech stuff have limited production capabilities that would need considerable upgrades.

China's real estate market has taken a hit and a distraction with war would be handy for Xi domestically.

Other reasons?

Talk me down from the crazy tree please.

Ben

 

[Morgan101]

Talk me down from the crazy tree please.

I don't disagree with anything you are saying, but IMHO it isn't as dire as it might seem. I would hope that in a war with China the first thing that would happen would be all Chinese owned property in this country would be nationalized and any Chinese citizens would either be deported or imprisoned.

The Chinese would probably do the same, and would stop exporting anything to the US so any companies manufacturing in China would have to start producing here. It certainly would take time to scale up, but IMHO it is not insurmountable. My WW2 history isn't as good as it should be, but prior to WW2 wasn't our military in pretty poor shape? I mean to the point of scary bad? Part of the reason the war lasted so long was that we were late to the party and it took a year or two to scale up and rebuild the military. Again, JMHO but I believe we could do that again. The biggest ally we would have would be the Pacific Ocean. We should know well in advance if we are being invaded. And speaking of allies " Hey, Ukraine? You are on your own. And every other country we pour money into including the UN it stops." All hands on deck and all resources go to our own war effort.

What remains to be seen, and this I really question, is whether or not this nation still has the will and the resolve to fight to keep its freedom. Us geezers are still around, but I don't put much stock in the younger generations. Their days of immediate gratification would be over. Would they fight to keep it or would they turn belly up and concede?

 

[kd4ulw]

If/when China invades Taiwan the first thing we’ll see here is a massive cyber attack. Then all those Chinese made goods, which is pretty much everything, will start drying up. It will take a long time to recover.

 

[angie_nrs]

What happened with the bioweapon before the 2020 election will look like childsplay. This time around, they are more desperate to keep the presidency from Trump no matter what. They know he's got the votes already. So, they need to do something else to stop the election. I think more Americans see this than we might think. Although the D's don't want Americans to see the massive support that Trump has at the caucus' or at rallies, so you'll see the CIA/FBI/MSM use FF's in order to NOT cover it.

I saw a report of a housefire and the owner had to tell the firefighters he had something like 75,000 rounds of ammo in the house. I feel sorry for the dude for losing that, but it tells me that folks are seeing what's going on and gearing up for it. I also heard a firearm store worker say that shotgun ammo is now being made with powder that deteriorates (on purpose) over time. He said he was only aware of this happening with shotgun shells, but how long before that happens with all ammo? If you need to stock up on ammo, NOW would be the time.

I am convinced that THIS will be the year crap happens. I think the economy bubble bursts, war escalates, the internet and grid get attacked, and perhaps another bioweapon. Heck, maybe they'll insert the aliens if all else fails. I doubt anything would shock me at this point. I think it's going to be very difficult to get anything that is not made in the US. That's why I'm stocking up on coffee. As far as I'm concerned, it's time to top off your stocks b/c things are going to get really hairy very soon. I hope I'm wrong.......

 

[Cascadian]

I keep telling my wife the things we need are not going to get less expensive or more available.

 

[Morgan101]

I spent a few hours organizing my larder or extra long term supplies. I knew I had all of this stuff, and most of it was all in one place. It would just take me way to long to find what I was looking for. I got some large plastic bins from Wal Mart and went through the stash sorting and organizing. I separated by Fire, Water, First Aid, Medical, Knives, Containers, I feel pretty good about the progress, and have a much better handle on inventory.

 

[Morgan101]

St Anthony must have been rewarding me for getting organized. Along the way I found 5 flashlights; about a half dozen 9 hour candles; a pack of votive candles; and a new barter item: Reading Glasses.

I didn't realize how many pairs I had, but I have a drawer like Fred Sanford (remember the old TV show). I had a dozen of more old pairs of reading glasses. I don't use them anymore, so they just accumulated in the drawer. Nothing wrong with them. They just aren't strong enough for my eyes. I packed them up for long term storage and possibly barter. Who knew?

 

[LadyLocust]

St Anthony must have been rewarding me for getting organized. Along the way I found 5 flashlights; about a half dozen 9 hour candles; a pack of votive candles; and a new barter item: Reading Glasses.

I didn't realize how many pairs I had, but I have a drawer like Fred Sanford (remember the old TV show). I had a dozen of more old pairs or reading glasses. I don't use them anymore, so they just accumulated in the drawer. Nothing wrong with them. They just aren't strong enough for my eyes. I packed them up for long term storage and possibly barter. Who knew?

ETA 40 sec vid.

 

[angie_nrs]

Right now I'm going thru my kidney bean stash, the canned ones. Anything expiring is going in the dehydrator for "fast beans".

What are fast beans?
We go through a lot of kidney beans too. I've used them well past their expiration date and never had any issues. I add them to my taco meat for extra protein and to make the meal go further on the cheap. I always add kidney beans to my chili too. This time of year I make a lot of tacos and chili.

I just placed an order for more soup mix pouches. The kind I love has been discontinued. I have only one packet of that left and it has a best by date of 2017. I used one last week and it tasted great! I'm so bummed that I only have one left. So, my order was for a different brand that is good, but not as good as the discontinued brand. I think these would come in really handy b/c when things get lean, you can always make soup of leftover meats and it will taste good. Those soup pouches last a loooonnnggg time and I love to make soup and stew so they will eventually get used.

I also put in an order for some extra SD cards for trail cams that we got for Christmas but can also be used for any digital backup.

I'm slowly going through my spare rooms drawer by drawer. Some drawers still have kids clothes in them and they have been gone for years now. LOL! It's time to box them up and send them to their house.....they can decide what to do with them.

 

[Amish Heart]

Cook some dry beans or open up canned beans, rinse, and put them in the dehydrator. You can use these to make your own soup mixes or whatever. They are called "fast beans" because they are cooked and dried, just add water. I know things past the expiration are still ok, but if it's beans, I'll dehydrate them and they'll store a good, long time.

 

[user 2656]

A friend told me about these. They arrived and they come all ready to use - batteries in place (long life left on them) and so easy to use!I thought it was about the best $25 I spent. You pick them up (after taking the paper wrapping off duh), you can hang them anywhere, carry them, set them on table/floor, and the light is simply adjusted. We have had the least bright lanterns in history for years (they date back to 2001-2002 so they were good then but bulky and ran through batteries like water).
Anyhow, here is the link to Amazon and I am going to get some for both DDs. 1 is in Chicago, 1 in WI. Both have power outages and bad weather to deal with and these would be so easy to take on a road trip to safety.

Etekcity Camping Lantern for Power Outages, Emergency Camping Lights, Led Lantern for Camping Essentials Gear Supplies, Collapsible Waterproof Tent Lights for Indoor Outdoor Home, 4 Pack, Black​

Info:

• 100%abs
• Made in the USA or Imported
• Brighten Camping: This camping light has 30 LED bulbs that emit 140 lumens of light, providing a bright illumination for your camping trip with a 360° lighting range
• Long-lasting: This camping gear offers up to 50 hours of stable and bright lighting with 3 AA batteries, making it an essential equipment for your camping trip
• Compact & Portable: Featuring a compact and lightweight design, making this camping supply suitable for backpack storage and can be hung inside tents easily
• Durable & Waterproof: Military-grade ABS shell is built to withstand tough conditions and resistant to getting wet; This lantern is FCC certified and RoHS compliant as well
• Extra Storage: Store keys, change, or spare batteries in the convenient storage compartment at the top of the lantern

 

[UrbanHunter]

This weekend we have been inventorying our home canned foods, now we have a list of things to can between now and April.

The wife also had me order some more of the pans with use for our freezer casseroles, I think that puts us over a dozen.

I also spend some time playing with my solar emergency power backup system. I finally have it where I can use the as much solar as I have available and still keep the battery bank at about 90+% just in case we have a power outage.

 

[Magpie]

People should read this:

https://www.news.com.au/technology/...s-story/ec160c9f1379bcc3db31ddc05fdab00f[/UR

I've noticed several similar annoying warmongering articles are circulating recently, just from different countries.
It's interesting the spin that's put on it, depending on the target audience. I'm not saying they aren't true; it's just that it's a new rhetoric in this part of the world.
Here is one from Sweden I pulled randomly Swedish minister, commander-in-chief warn of possible war in Sweden

There probably will be a war because it's being talked up.

I mentioned last month I reassessed our store, I had let it wind down slightly for a few reasons; but saved the money I would have spent aside.
The upshot is we are reviewing the way we store things, reassessing our needs and looking also at downsizing. I'm only marginally as rural as some of you folks, and our lives, issues, concerns and fears are different because of where we live.
I'm changing my mindset a little; I've been considering the money spent on 'just in case' items that actually never get used. We used to live under the 'better have it then be looking for it' motto, but if I haven't used them in whatever years then I'm not going to waste money buying more. I feel it's easy to fall into a trap of 'buy it because we'll need it'. I want to 'retrain' my mindset to learn to make do more, or do without rather then depend on any item.
Not sure if that makes sense!

 

[Aerindel]

is time around, they are more desperate to keep the presidency from Trump no matter what.

I have always thought that the first time he won, it was because nobody took him seriously enough to make sure he lost.

In 2020, I knew there was no way he would be allowed to win, wether or not he got the votes, it didn't matter, he would not be allowed to win.

This time around....Lets just say selling Tump a life insurance policy would be a bad investment at this point.

Wether or not the vote was fixed last time.....it won't be this time....he is too far ahead to get away with it massaging the numbers, it would require tens of millions and that isn't feasible.

No, I think something else is going to happen. The most stable thing for the powers that be is for Trump to win, and then shortly aftwards fall down a flight of stairs. So sad, oh well, moving on.

 

[Aerindel]

I am convinced that THIS will be the year crap happens.

I agree.
The bad part is, I'm having a hard time caring. Its really frustrating.....but some switch seems to have been flipped in my head and I'm really struggling to care, even as I say to myself "Oh yeah, we've got about 9-10 months of life as we know it left".

 

[Peanut]

Last night I decided to put this unseasonably cold weather to good use. I ran an experiment. It was 14degrees outside when I went to bed at 1am. I left only one brick burning on my space heater. I wanted to see how cold it got overnight.

At 8am it was 68degrees in my house. Too chilly to be comfortable but higher than I expected. Now I have an idea of how well my house retains heat even in severe cold. If I needed to conserve lp gas now I have a baseline.

 

[Hardcalibres]

............

There probably will be a war because it's being talked up.

..............

If there is a war, then it will be because a handful of world leaders want to make big/fast changes to the status quo and are willing to kill millions to get that.

I don't blame the commentators for observing that we are heading in that direction......to do so would be good example of "shooting the messenger".

A bit like blaming forecasters for the weather when they (rarely these days) get the forecast right.