Preparations Update

[Tim Horton]

Has anyone here tried the canned bacon? I'd like to have a case or two on hand if its any good. I learned my lesson on canned Mac and cheese. The chickens like it though.

Yep. Yoder's brand is good. You can can your own, too

==
Yes.. Home canned bacon is easy and the best..
I even know one guy (hint, hint, wink, wink) who would cook big packages of bacon ends and pieces for cheap in a slow cooker.. Jar the bacon grease, and can the bacon bits.. Some wrapped in parchment, some chunks ground in the KitchenAid, spread on parchment paper and canned.. Seemed to work well...

 

[Morgan101]

I've spent much of the summer using up some of my stock, as I wanted to make room for some precooked dinners in the freezer, and some of my cupboard sauces etc are out of date.
Yesterday, while looking for papers, I found some money I hid (or put aside for something specific and cant remember what). I took 20 and today bought 4 extra large chickens that are on special.
My question to you is- if you had an extra 100, and imagining you are pretty well stocked, what would you spend it on? You folk might some up with something I have forgotten.

Another thing we have been focusing on are OTC meds and medical supplies. Our insurance company offers a monthly allowance on medical supplies, and we are taking full advantage. We can get vitamins, dental supplies (toothpaste, tooth brushes), most of the items we would buy at a drug store, and we are stocking heavily.

People tend to neglect many health and toiletry items, and focus on food. Another advantage is that the many of the health items have no shelf life, and they can be used for barter if times get really tough.

 

[Magpie]

Thanks everyone.
First of all, I am amazed that you guys, will all your opportunities to bulk buy, stores like Walmart etc now consider 100 bucks 'not enough'. Things must have gotten very dear.
I've made a list, and will see whats on sale, and will come back to you with results. It'll be a bit random

 

[elkhound]

looked a couple of days ago 20# pintos is $15...cheapest rice 20# is $11.14

so two of each would be $30 and $22.28 for total of $52.28..not counting tax....thats not much food to be honest when nothing is coming in besides what you grow,have in storage etc.

cheapest meat is chub mackerel and its $2.26 a can so a dozen cans is $27.12 plus tax

the above when you ad in tax is over $80

 

[UrbanHunter]

I hit W-mart this morning when they opened. Targets were, yellow onions, cooking carrots, potatoes, and bananas (the bananas are the odd duck, buy no more than 6 at a time, wife eats them for potassium). I almost bought some whole chickens but when I reached in the case they were fully thawed and warm, backed away slowly.
This weekend we are planning to make 8"X8" frozen casseroles. We will be making 3 each: shepherds pie, chicken Ritz, and chicken broccoli. They will all go in the freezer.

Unfortunately, we we will still have to decide what's for supper.

One purchase that you might not consider prepping but has been very helpful for us are 8"X8" stainless steel baking pans. We use them for frozen casseroles, lasagna, breakfast casseroles and quiche's, and or course brownies . I originally purchased 8, and then just kept adding... the nice thing is they stack, don't take up much storage room, and I can go to the cupboard and count the empties. Once the contents are frozen, they stack in the freezer too, making good use of valuable space.

 

[Magpie]

Ok so I decided take some of the 100 and stock upon pet food. Having checked around, found an online place, and spent 47 on wet and dry stuff.
Then, as I was teaching this morning, went to a supermarket that usually has good offers, and purchased the following.
Choice was based on things I use alot, and two 'treats' I don't buy usually because of price, but were on sale.

Large Hellmans - 4.00 on sale
grated cheddar 2 bags @2.55 each (split into 6 containers that will do a month)
lasange sheets x 70c each
3x cereal 3.19 (own brand rice crispies and fruit & fibre)
passatta x 3 62c each
gravy granules jar 3.00 down from 4.29 - (great for making up a small amount with the kettle)
butter x 4lbs @ 3.29 each
The treats- 8 pack 'posh' coffee sachets 2.99, & 2x frozen cookie dough packs 1.50 each (the sachets don't need milk, great for camping, and the dough because one night we will hanker warm cookies and no one will want to get out the flour and make them) - 85.40
The remainder will go on 3lbs of mince and a pack of paracetamol

@UrbanHunter like that tip on tins - its something people don't think of.

 

[Snowman]

One can always use a Oven Tier Rack Outside on a table in the Sun if power is out...

 

[LadyLocust]

Got some pork loins for the freezer. One was half off because today was the sell by date. All are cut up and put in the freezer. We didn’t get a pig this year so am glad for it.

 

[Pearl]

Ok so I decided take some of the 100 and stock upon pet food. Having checked around, found an online place, and spent 47 on wet and dry stuff.
Then, as I was teaching this morning, went to a supermarket that usually has good offers, and purchased the following.
Choice was based on things I use alot, and two 'treats' I don't buy usually because of price, but were on sale.

Large Hellmans - 4.00 on sale
grated cheddar 2 bags @2.55 each (split into 6 containers that will do a month)
lasange sheets x 70c each
3x cereal 3.19 (own brand rice crispies and fruit & fibre)
passatta x 3 62c each
gravy granules jar 3.00 down from 4.29 - (great for making up a small amount with the kettle)
butter x 4lbs @ 3.29 each
The treats- 8 pack 'posh' coffee sachets 2.99, & 2x frozen cookie dough packs 1.50 each (the sachets don't need milk, great for camping, and the dough because one night we will hanker warm cookies and no one will want to get out the flour and make them) - 85.40
The remainder will go on 3lbs of mince and a pack of paracetamol

@UrbanHunter like that tip on tins - its something people don't think of.

Be glad you are not in America!

 

[Mountain trapper]

We seldom get away with less than $400 spent at the grocery store. But we don't go very often either.

 

[d_marsh]

I find myself well stocked, but separated from my supplies. I have brought a well equipped 72 hour bag and a smaller GHB into the apartment as a means to provide some needed items as we travel to the storage unit, whether than be a short simple journey or a long difficult journey. I now also have enough arms and ammo to provide proper defense until we can go and while we are enroute.

Still, I have decided to put together a supply of food and water that when added to the normal groceries in the kitchen would give us a 21-30 supply. Just in case we have to bide our time before heading out, something I do not want to do but want to be prepared for regardless.

 

[Morgan101]

I find myself well stocked, but separated from my supplies. I have brought a well equipped 72 hour bag and a smaller GHB into the apartment as a means to provide some needed items as we travel to the storage unit, whether than be a short simple journey or a long difficult journey. I now also have enough arms and ammo to provide proper defense until we can go and while we are enroute.

Still, I have decided to put together a supply of food and water that when added to the normal groceries in the kitchen would give us a 21-30 supply. Just in case we have to bide our time before heading out, something I do not want to do but want to be prepared for regardless.

I just put together a 3 Tier system GHB that I keep in my car. I was very happy with the way it turned out. I am seldom far from home, so probably worst case would be an overnight stay some place, but it is very comforting to know I am well prepared.

I totally agree with your decision to add more supplies. You never know when or if you might be stranded and have to hunker down.

 

[Peepaw from Tex]

Ordered some more food from Mountain House they are having a decent sale.

 

[Caribou]

Got back home last night and started going through the packages that had arrived since I was home last time. I found four body bags with four handles on each side. They are designed to be used as a soft stretcher also. They are packaged in clear plastic. I’ll be making a small slit in the packaging so I can put a couple space blankets in with each bag. This will make it possible to use these as emergency sleeping bags as well.

My SAS Survival Handbook is here as well. Two more Baofeng radios and a couple flat free tires for my wheelbarrow. It is ultimately less expensive to buy flat free tires than to have the current tires patched.

 

[Sourdough]

I have been purifying gasoline. Scrubbing the containers, ultra drying the containers. At the same period.....while that is happening, plus overnight I put a container that might (or might not) have some water in with the gasoline, I put that (5) Five-gallon container into the chest freezer which is set at 35 degrees BELOW ZERO. This allows any water to freezes, so I then pour the gas into the cleaned container. Then allow the ice to melt, dump that water out, scrub the container......just keep repeating the process till all just have zero water and zero contaminates. It will take about nine days to complete this.

 

[Aerindel]

I got a hand cranked air raid siren from Temu today.....not sure what I will use it for, but always wanted one.....my daughter thinks we should use it to run drills.

 

[SoJer]

..hand cranked air raid siren.....not sure what I will use it for..

'Warn the Neighbors' should 'The Dragon' ever approach / threaten again (and Cels are down / Radio spotty, etc) I should think if mounted high-up enough (with a lil 12V motor / high-ratio gear / remo-sw. to 'crank' from below) that 'Unique sound'd carry Miles..

.02
jd

 

[Sourdough]

I am in the slow & methodical & flat-ass boring process of reluctantly substantially "adapting to prevail". I suspect I don't truly grasp the size of this "Mulligan".

A "Mulligan" means "Do it OVER again".

 

[LadyLocust]

I got a hand cranked air raid siren from Temu today.....not sure what I will use it for, but always wanted one.....my daughter thinks we should use it to run drills.

Guess I’m just ornery. First thing I thought is strap it to the hood of your rig and do a drive by at about 2AM and have an accomplice snap pixs as folks open their door being awakened by shock. Then use the photos as ransom

 

[Hardcalibres]

I got a hand cranked air raid siren from Temu today.....not sure what I will use it for, but always wanted one.....my daughter thinks we should use it to run drills.

Reminds me of one of my favorite videos on youtube:

 

[Aerindel]

Reminds me of one of my favorite videos on youtube:

there was a gas powered siren for sale locally on FB, looked about that size, they only wanted $40K for it.

 

[Aerindel]

Guess I’m just ornery. First thing I thought is strap it to the hood of your rig and do a drive by at about 2AM and have an accomplice snap pixs as folks open their door being awakened by shock. Then use the photos as ransom

The irony is, I do that all the time already.

 

[Aerindel]

Broke down and ordered a few pounds of cannon grade blackpowder. Its annoying, because the hazmat feed, is equal to the cost of a pound of powder, but I couldn't find any locally.

 

[SoJer]

Broke down and ordered a few pounds of cannon grade blackpowder...

My personal 'Go-To', Fwiw... https://www.buffaloarms.com/black-powder.html ..Of Course, they've got to Charge the HazMat, but.. They seem to get pretty good rates, as it works out quite reasonably, ie: 5 Lbs of Schuetzen BP - FedEx'd all the way 'down Here' - is only like $54.something, Including HazMat fees.. How does that compare to Yer source?

I assume it'd be Less, because they're in ID, and I've gotta believe ID > MT would be at least somewhat Less, than ID > AZ.. Just a thought..

Fwiw..
jd

 

[Mountain trapper]

My personal 'Go-To', Fwiw... https://www.buffaloarms.com/black-powder.html ..Of Course, they've got to Charge the HazMat, but.. They seem to get pretty good rates, as it works out quite reasonably, ie: 5 Lbs of Schuetzen BP - FedEx'd all the way 'down Here' - is only like $54.something, Including HazMat fees.. How does that compare to Yer source?

I assume it'd be Less, because they're in ID, and I've gotta believe ID > MT would be at least somewhat Less, than ID > AZ.. Just a thought..

Fwiw..
jd

Buffalo Arms is in the panhandle of Idaho, not far from where my kids live. It's easy for me or the kids to pick up stuff there, no hazmat fees.

 

[Aerindel]

Buffalo Arms is in the panhandle of Idaho, not far from where my kids live. It's easy for me or the kids to pick up stuff there, no hazmat fees.

Dang......That is.....pretty close to me, I travel up there for events a few times a year....I didn't know about it. That would be easy to go pickup.

Where I ordered from was $25 per lb, plus hazmat. I actually ended up on that same site, but they where out of stock of Goex, and I didn't see the other brand. Came to about $100 for 3 lbs.


Well, live and learn. If the cannon works out, I'm going to need a lot more anyway. I just ordered enough to do some testing.

Yes, testing......because its a homemade cannon, 20 years in the making.....It may just be a very large and accidental bomb....First shot is going to be with a 30 second fuse and mini-bike.

 

[SoJer]

...they where out of stock of Goex,..

Yah, I think due to the 'Buyout-Drought' for Goex (the Best, IMO..) lots of BP-shooters 'hoarded the avail. stocks' Soon as they were shipping / became in-stock again.. And, thus, we're Still seeing 'skeletons of backlogs', etc.. Some 'backstory', here: https://www.ilovemuzzleloading.com/...bution-update-january-2024-muzzleloading-news

...a homemade cannon, 20 years in the making.....It may just be a very large and accidental bomb....

Video or it didn't Happen! (I mean.. once it Does.. Let us know when to put the Popcorn on..

jd

 

[Aerindel]

Yah, I think due to the 'Buyout-Drought' for Goex (the Best, IMO..) lots of BP-shooters 'hoarded the avail. stocks' Soon as they were shipping / became in-stock again.. And, thus, we're Still seeing 'skeletons of backlogs', etc.. Some 'backstory', here: https://www.ilovemuzzleloading.com/...bution-update-january-2024-muzzleloading-news



Video or it didn't Happen! (I mean.. once it Does.. Let us know when to put the Popcorn on..

jd

I think I'm going to call it Moo Deng.

 

[SoJer]

I think I'm going to call it Moo Deng.

Hah! She Is to be Feared, for sure..

View attachment 165794

I'm gonna 'visually Est.' about a 3" bore? (based on the 2x6 / 4x4's in the Pic..) Or is it a 4"er? And.. I'd bet that 'lil hippo' weighs pretty close to 175-185 lbs, if not more?

Regardless, that sucker's... Gonna leave a Mark.

<popcorn>
jd

 

[Aerindel]

Hah! She Is to be Feared, for sure..

I'm gonna 'visually Est.' about a 3" bore? (based on the 2x6 / 4x4's in the Pic..) Or is it a 4"er? And.. I'd bet that 'lil hippo' weighs pretty close to 175-185 lbs, if not more?

Regardless, that sucker's... Gonna leave a Mark.

<popcorn>
jd

2.75, which is perfect for shooting soda cans filled with concrete.

120lbs.