Had to go by the store to get an avocado so also got 3 gallons of pumice olive oil. I use it in making our soaps during summer months. (Lard for winter months)
Preparations Update
- Thread starter Sentry18
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We've been working on cross fencing our pasture so we can rotate the cows and not kill our grass. I also set the gardens up with timers for the irrigation. We are trying to find a post hole digger for the tractor before we start fencing in the new acreage.
We wash our zip or clip seal bags too around here @Amish Heart and use them until they spring a leak and die a natural death.
Something we have been working on too @LadyLocust is reducing what we need to buy commercially with items we already have. I used to use a lot of paper towels for cleaning and now use old flannelette sheets cut into squares as well as old cotton sheets cut into squares. The flannelette ones are great to clean glass with.
We have also eliminated buying most household cleaning products and use mainly vinegar, dishwashing liquid and bicarb which are our main pantry items anyway. Still have to buy disinfectant though and haven't worked out an alternative for that except using peroxide which is way more expensive.
Something we have been working on too @LadyLocust is reducing what we need to buy commercially with items we already have. I used to use a lot of paper towels for cleaning and now use old flannelette sheets cut into squares as well as old cotton sheets cut into squares. The flannelette ones are great to clean glass with.
We have also eliminated buying most household cleaning products and use mainly vinegar, dishwashing liquid and bicarb which are our main pantry items anyway. Still have to buy disinfectant though and haven't worked out an alternative for that except using peroxide which is way more expensive.
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Stocked up on a good set of kitchen knives and sharpeners in a good brand recommended by a chef friend. They happened to be over 75% off the normal prices so that was a bonus. Been filling in the gaps on just the few items we were low on such as wet cat and dry cat food, baking chocolate chips and tinned fruit. Most of the way there and just a bit to go.
Also been working on harvesting, blanching and freezing our vegetables we pick from the gardens as fruit and vegetable prices are huge here due to Covid, bush fires and drought. Also got a huge amount of firewood cut and stacked drying.
Also been working on harvesting, blanching and freezing our vegetables we pick from the gardens as fruit and vegetable prices are huge here due to Covid, bush fires and drought. Also got a huge amount of firewood cut and stacked drying.
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I have been stocking up on canned goods, Raman noodles, pop-corn, pasta, sausages (the kind that don't need refrigerating), baking goods (flour n stuff), canning supplies (lids and such), seal-a-meal bags, TP, seeds for next year, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene stuff, and hunting gear.
I keep a small stock pile (dozen pints +/-) of my wife's Ice cream and my Diet Coke, but you can't stock enough of those to consider them preps....
Need to use up my spring fuel supply and restock sometime in the next 3 weeks.
I keep a small stock pile (dozen pints +/-) of my wife's Ice cream and my Diet Coke, but you can't stock enough of those to consider them preps....
Need to use up my spring fuel supply and restock sometime in the next 3 weeks.
I believe vinegar is a disinfectant.
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Added 16 cans of tuna and 8 cans of soup to the inventory. Got my bush beans transplanted yesterday, so I am looking forward to having fresh beans in a few months. I also started my pond garden yesterday. I have an old and relatively large pond/bog that I dug some years ago (about 4' deep by 8' wide). I stopped using it because it is up a rocky slope and I didn't have much reason to go up there. I've decided to try some water-loving edibles up in there this year. I have already added some lemongrass and watercress growing happily around the border, and this year I added arrowhead and cattail into the pond. I have some American lotus seeds that I hope to germinate next spring. I also have some sugar cane potted up next to the house. I am not sure yet if I am going to put that up in the pond or just grow it nearer the house.
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What kind of do did you say that avatar is,I know you told me but I forgot?He looks like the full blooded wolf we had when I was a child.Vet save him twice once from snake bit in the nose again from shotgun blast in the face nd chest thatblinded him in one eye. I rememebr being about 11 and him taking up whole front seat almost while I tried to hold him up from falling since he was so dizzy. And we had huge cars back then in the late 50s and vrry early 60s.
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I think I may have mentioned it before, but I use a disinfectant designed for dog kennels. It is virucidal (effective against SARS) and I figure if it is safe to use around pets, it is safe to use in the house. I buy mine from a U.S. supplier called PetEdge, but any place that sells kennel supplies would have it. I use a product called TP-256. It comes in a one gallon concentrate bottle for about $30, and one bottle makes 256 gallons of disinfectant. Comes in lovely scents, as well! 
I just use plain old Lysol in the brown bottle. It smells medicinal but kills just about everything lol I have either 6 or 8 ( I can't remember) bottles of it stored in the laundry room
I use vinegar
During my "vacation" I relocated about 1/3 of my preps from my residence to our family farm. My parents and my oldest son now live approx. 15 miles away from the farm, my oldest daughter lives about 30 miles away, and we live 40 miles away. So it seems like a better location for everyone to bug out to if need be. I filled a good sized enclosed trailer worth of Augason Farms 30 day dehydrated food buckets, 10# cans of dehydrated foods, cases of MRE's & ration bars, first aid supplies, alcohol, water filters, fire kits, wool blankets, extra winter gear, all of our old bug out bags, and a whole lot more. Most of which is now safe & sound inside a 20' conex box placed inside a steel building that used to house tractors, but now houses ATV's, UTV's, kayaks, lake toys, lawn chairs, picnic tables, etc.
The only guns I had stored there were a few Mosin Nagant M38 rifles and some 440 round tins of 7.62x54R. I now added three AR-15's and two Maverick 88 shotguns (both having 18" & 28" barrels), plus of course a several cases of ammo. When I go out there in September I am going to take a few M&P's and some 9mm as well. I also discovered that my cousin started storing his 22 cal rifles out there as his new lady-friend doesn't like guns in their home. He has about 5 rifles, all older and all 22lr, along with a nice pile of ammo. He lives a few states over, so I don't think he will mind if I use them if SHTF.
I also stopped at my mid-way storage garage and replaced my food & water stores, and checked on my survival gear. I also dropped off a couple old sleeping bags and ground pads that my son didn't want anymore. All was well but the homemade MRE's and ration bars were definitely ready to be replaced. I made sure to leave the door wide open for quite a while so people could drive by and see that the garage was essentially filled with nothing but junk. And just for show we took a couple old beat up kids bikes and some other no-value items out there to add to the pile. If I ever have to make that 40 miles trip on foot that storage garage is going to provide a nice respite along the way.
The man cave and storage room seem kinda bare, but rest assured I will fill them back up.
The only guns I had stored there were a few Mosin Nagant M38 rifles and some 440 round tins of 7.62x54R. I now added three AR-15's and two Maverick 88 shotguns (both having 18" & 28" barrels), plus of course a several cases of ammo. When I go out there in September I am going to take a few M&P's and some 9mm as well. I also discovered that my cousin started storing his 22 cal rifles out there as his new lady-friend doesn't like guns in their home. He has about 5 rifles, all older and all 22lr, along with a nice pile of ammo. He lives a few states over, so I don't think he will mind if I use them if SHTF.
I also stopped at my mid-way storage garage and replaced my food & water stores, and checked on my survival gear. I also dropped off a couple old sleeping bags and ground pads that my son didn't want anymore. All was well but the homemade MRE's and ration bars were definitely ready to be replaced. I made sure to leave the door wide open for quite a while so people could drive by and see that the garage was essentially filled with nothing but junk. And just for show we took a couple old beat up kids bikes and some other no-value items out there to add to the pile. If I ever have to make that 40 miles trip on foot that storage garage is going to provide a nice respite along the way.
The man cave and storage room seem kinda bare, but rest assured I will fill them back up.
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We do too espcially on all our fresh veggies we will eat raw. But not all purposee cleaning it cost too much and harder to find lately.
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That's alot of work, Sentry. Combined our two storage stuff when we moved, and still going through it.
I use vinegar.
So does my wife and that is why I mentioned it. Plus it is totally natural so you can even drink it. And make your own.
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It is good to keep going through stuff in storage areas. I keep at it, but sure have a ways to go.
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I ordered some new 2x2 grow bags for our spring garden. The bags we currently have are decomposing from use and storage. I will need to set up a short fence to keep the dogs away from the garden when we plant it but I figure a cute 3ft trellis fence will work. I want some hanging herb grow bags to put on the fence too but they are sold out. I have grow bulbs for the seed rack in the garage for this late winter. I need to grab a few extra starter trays and bulbs just in case and/or they sell out again.
Mostly my prep updates are restocking our everyday pantry with long term storage (canned and dry foods) and focusing on the girls' education.
Mostly my prep updates are restocking our everyday pantry with long term storage (canned and dry foods) and focusing on the girls' education.
Or use it as fabric softener, or hair rinse, or food preservative, antidote to bee stings, or ......
Me too Weedy. I have a stack of things to go (places still closed here) so had quit sorting, but decided I need to continue making the pile grow so when I am able to donate, it will be done.
I added a few boxes of washing soda and borax to the lot. Will keep adding little by little.
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Cousin brought a few gallons of raw milk today, and two buckets of organic wheat berries they harvested. Kids prefer the raw milk.
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That's alot of stoves! Why five?
Added 12 cans of tomato sauce ( which I plan on dehydrating and turning into powder for longer storage). Plan on adding more soon.
6 cans of pineapple
10 cans of diced tomatoes
5 boxes of pasta
2 jars of peanut butter ( smooth and chunky)
2 jars of plain applesauce ( for baking instead of oil)
4 bricks of ground espresso coffee
8 pack of bath soap
2 bottles of Zinc
1 bottle of Magnesium
2 pairs of shoe insoles
And I splurged and bought myself a new ceramic non-stick frying pan. A Green Diamond pan and it really is non-stick. Usually they're not what they're advertised but this one really does work. I'm hoping to find a small one for eggs. Less oil for cooking is always good
6 cans of pineapple
10 cans of diced tomatoes
5 boxes of pasta
2 jars of peanut butter ( smooth and chunky)
2 jars of plain applesauce ( for baking instead of oil)
4 bricks of ground espresso coffee
8 pack of bath soap
2 bottles of Zinc
1 bottle of Magnesium
2 pairs of shoe insoles
And I splurged and bought myself a new ceramic non-stick frying pan. A Green Diamond pan and it really is non-stick. Usually they're not what they're advertised but this one really does work. I'm hoping to find a small one for eggs. Less oil for cooking is always good
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You're doing well, WVDragonlady, and I have a green pan, too. Got it from my mom, and it doesn't stick at all.
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Our cabin is over 4,000 square feet so it takes alot to heat it. A 2,000 square foot for the greenhouse-conservatory/sitting room, 2,000 for the living room-kitchen 70 foot hallway. The bathroom and my wife's two quilting rooms feed off of the heat from the hallway. Our bedroom is 14x20 so a wood stove for us, our daughter's room is 16x16 as well. Our rooms are 12 feet high with fans to push the heat around. My 14x20 reloading room takes heat via a blower from my daughter's bed room. We also heat another 600 feet on the other side of the house with forced air from the living room and then there is the 14x14x10' outside kitchen which has it's own small wood stove. Our hallway is 70x4x12' and this also serves as our air gun range for rifle and pistol to have fun and keep in practice.
My wife and I have been "dreaming" our house for 40 years as to what we want. Our favorite movie to pattern our house after is "Christmas in Connecticut" from 1945. We decided against the open fireplace due to the massive heat loss.
My wife and I have been "dreaming" our house for 40 years as to what we want. Our favorite movie to pattern our house after is "Christmas in Connecticut" from 1945. We decided against the open fireplace due to the massive heat loss.
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DW bought 13 cans of beans for 0.45c each, 2-one gallons cans of sliced Carrots for $2.00 each.
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Good deals your DW got, Joel
Still 80 days to stock up but I don’t want to wait until election eve 
. I’m still working on filling gaps. Yesterday had to go get a few things so also got: 3 tubs of organic coconut oil and 2 pales of lard. I use both for making my soap but obviously both are edible. I also got another 12 cans of coffee. Am feeling a little better about my stores but would rather have excess than scarcity- especially coffee . Will get more as $ allows- already spending more than usual but don’t feel it’s a waste.
. I’m still working on filling gaps. Yesterday had to go get a few things so also got: 3 tubs of organic coconut oil and 2 pales of lard. I use both for making my soap but obviously both are edible. I also got another 12 cans of coffee. Am feeling a little better about my stores but would rather have excess than scarcity- especially coffee . Will get more as $ allows- already spending more than usual but don’t feel it’s a waste.
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Today I was at the store, getting snacks for range day. Checked the cleaning supplies and they had the dishsoap the wife likes in stock.... Key word is had. One more hole filled....
