Preparations Update

[Bacpacker]

I filled my empty fuel cans with 100% gas. I've got 30 more gallons to rotate thru yet. Picked up more dog food yesterday. Got at least 3 months stocked now

 

[Spikedriver]

I'm in Chillicothe, Missouri for work. I'll be here til next Tuesday. My hotel room is a total dump, but it has a full kitchen. The appliances are straight out of 1979, but they still work...anyway, just in case, I short term prepped for general post election goofiness by buying a weeks worth of food. I can hole up here if necessary. Given the conservative nature of this area, trouble is highly unlikely, but still...I figure $50 of food is cheap insurance against trouble. I can take most of it home with me if I don't use it...

 

[Spikedriver]

I confess to having a decent accumulation of tools. Most of my hand tools are stored in two roll cabinets and their top boxes while the power and larger woodworking tools are stored on wall shelf units. After 40 years as a mechanic, building a house, a garage and a shop and gardening for most of that time I have tools for just about any purpose and a knowledge of how to build something I may need but don't have. I also have a basic chemistry lab that is packed away.

The size of one's manhood is directly related to the amount of tools in his shop. Or so I hear...I just have a solid selection of homeowners hand tools, plus the typical circ saw, drill, jigsaw, etc. I guess that would make me...average?

 

[WildHorses]

So now what? This election went almost exactly the way I expected, a likely win for Trump + major fraud on the part of the Dems = everything in limbo.
Is anyone rethinking their prepping plans and if so, what changes will you make?

I'm a somewhat disabled widow liviing in a small rural town in Oregon which was plagued by protestors this summer. My town doesn't respond nicely to unwelcome guests so I haven't been overly concerned with things getting ugly here. But now, who knows? If Biden gets in, the "protesters" may be back with worse intentions.

I have an adequate supply of necessities on hand (which is the norm for me) plus a couple dogs and a couple "close friends". Obviously I would not be able to hold off a crowd alone. I have family in a safer location about 30 min. from me and always have a full gas tank and my BOB handy. Outside of that, not sure what I can do to improve my situation w/o breaking the bank. If things are going to go to heck here, there's possibly a week's grace period between now and then so I'm considering my options. Buying a small utility trailer to pack with more essentials is about all I can come up with. Don't have any further ideas other than getting the heck out of Dodge at the first sign of real trouble.

 

[Sourdough]

not sure what I can do to improve my situation w/o breaking the bank.

Two thoughts.

1.) This election however it turns out........is a total "Nothing Burger" compared to what is coming.
2.) I have adopted the position that I can't eat money in the bank or other paper securities. From this point forward.....whether we go wild hyper-inflation, or catastrophic depression/anarchy..........have stuff/things will be useful.

 

[Meerkat]

I filled my empty fuel cans with 100% gas. I've got 30 more gallons to rotate thru yet. Picked up more dog food yesterday. Got at least 3 months stocked now

We filled up the van,truck and our gas cans too. Plus bought a few more groceries.

 

[Meerkat]

I'm in Chillicothe, Missouri for work. I'll be here til next Tuesday. My hotel room is a total dump, but it has a full kitchen. The appliances are straight out of 1979, but they still work...anyway, just in case, I short term prepped for general post election goofiness by buying a weeks worth of food. I can hole up here if necessary. Given the conservative nature of this area, trouble is highly unlikely, but still...I figure $50 of food is cheap insurance against trouble. I can take most of it home with me if I don't use it...

I'd love to have one of those old gas stoves, they were great for cooking, the new ones are not nearly as good.Burners are uneven and loose on all the newer ones last 20 years.

 

[Meerkat]

Two thoughts.

1.) This election however it turns out........is a total "Nothing Burger" compared to what is coming.
2.) I have adopted the position that I can't eat money in the bank or other paper securities. From this point forward.....whether we go wild hyper-inflation, or catastrophic depression/anarchy..........have stuff/things will be useful.

Realistically speaking armies will need supply and food.
Lets not forget the Civil War when those who prepared were outnumbered by the yanks and their food was taken,women raped and homes burned.
I'm sure hoping this won't be that bad but after seeing no resistance it made these thugs braver and more determined to take over.IMO. Or if history is any example.

 

[Meerkat]

Of course I don't think it will get thaat bad but better safer to plan the worst aand hope for the best.

 

[SheepDog]

Meerkat, do you and your hubby have the means for self defense?

 

[Neb]

Realistically speaking armies will need supply and food.
Lets not forget the Civil War when those who ..

.

The supply of food plays a part in my plans.

The longer the SHTF situation persists, the more desperate they become AND the weaker.

Ben

 

[Meerkat]

The supply of food plays a part in my plans.

The longer the SHTF situation persists, the more desperate they become AND the weaker.

Ben

You have a good point there Neb.

 

[Meerkat]

Meerkat, do you and your hubby have the means for self defense?

Yes but there is only two of us. But we have guns and ammo just not a lot but enough I hope. Nothing close to what most peopel have though.

 

[Weedygarden]

Of course I don't think it will get that bad but better safer to plan the worst and hope for the best.

It is like insurance. You have it in case you need it and hope that you won't.

 

[Meerkat]

It is like insurance. You have it in case you need it and hope that you won't.

Yes it is so we store what we feel is ok for aawhile anyway. Had planed on growing most of it but you know how plans can change.

 

[Weedygarden]

Yes it is so we store what we feel is ok for awhile anyway. Had planed on growing most of it but you know how plans can change.

Yes, and that is why beans and rice in 5 gallon buckets is another backup plan for most preppers.

 

[Neb]

Yes it is so we store what we feel is ok for aawhile anyway. Had planed on growing most of it but you know how plans can change.

A garden can act as cover to explain why you are not starving. I can get away with letting my potatoes over winter in the ground. I dig them in the spring at let the rest sprout.

I just don't see the mohawk sporting maraders digging up gardens. My spuds are hidden in plain sight.

Ben

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I'm in Chillicothe, Missouri for work. I'll be here til next Tuesday. My hotel room is a total dump, but it has a full kitchen. The appliances are straight out of 1979, but they still work...anyway, just in case, I short term prepped for general post election goofiness by buying a weeks worth of food. I can hole up here if necessary. Given the conservative nature of this area, trouble is highly unlikely, but still...I figure $50 of food is cheap insurance against trouble. I can take most of it home with me if I don't use it...

You're about 1.5 hours from me.

 

[Spikedriver]

Lol Mo, we're almost neighbors!

 

[Caribou]

Lol Mo, we're almost neighbors!

Me too! I'm only a couple generations from you guys.

 

[LadyLocust]

I bought a toy today. It's a fun one.
Wanna know what it is?
I found a Stihl 251 with a 18" bar (as opposed to the monster one at home.)
It's so cute I even splurged on the easy start model - heehee.
We've been wanting a smaller chainsaw for a while. After @Sewingcreations15 said they were having troubles getting them in, I'd been thinking about it and talked to Hubby about it and he jumped - saying yes, we need a smaller saw. It will be nice as we age as well. The big Stihl works great but is a lot to handle.
This one should be a nice usable size for most things aside from felling trees.
PS - got an extra chain also just for good measure.

 

[Aerindel]

I ordered body armor for my wife.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Two thoughts.

1.) This election however it turns out........is a total "Nothing Burger" compared to what is coming.
2.) I have adopted the position that I can't eat money in the bank or other paper securities. From this point forward.....whether we go wild hyper-inflation, or catastrophic depression/anarchy..........have stuff/things will be useful.

My wife has been in mindset #2 for a couple of years, but I got fully into this mindset about January. Stuff will near impossible to come by or very expensive in the future. Might as well invest in what one would need to survive verses letting in waste away in market collapse, inflation or through progressive redistribution.

 

[UrbanHunter]

My thinking has been along the lines of sustainable living, water, food, shelter, and defense. I would prefer to have too much food to eat than not enough... Water is something that I worry about, I have collection systems and some storage. I have invested in several filtration systems so I could filter water if need be.

I think that we will have to be very careful in the future as there are lots of people out there who feel entitled to what ever they want, even if it's yours....
Not letting people know what you have is the first step in keeping it...

 

[Tank-Girl]

So, I have put my money where my mouth is and this pension I have split my money into two halves of the prep whole. Bugging In and Bugging Out.

I put money into two wire-free WIFI connected security cameras to keep the house monitored remotely. It'll ping my phone and give me direct recorded feed to a cloud, SD card and real time downloads to my smart phone.

AND

I brought a roof basket that fits on the roof racks on my car. This is to help me shift more gear when I bug out. Next pension I'll commit to buying a heavy duty, water proof / dust proof roof bag.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Been adding to the storage as much as I can without people noticing. ( self checkout is great for that)
Dehydrating everything I can and vacuum sealing it ( have to make a run for apples yet)
Gathered seeds from the plants I let go this year
Topped off the propane and all the vehicles
Hubby bought extra reading glasses
I bought a down parka at half price ( still looking for good gloves that keep my hands warm. haven't found them yet)
Have medical appointments which should be good for another year afterwards
Added to the composting by adding a barrel composter
Added 3 lbs of different sprouting seeds which should last for a good while since you only use 2 Tablespoons per sprouting jar
Added extra over the counter medications including a good horse liniment for our achy joints
Considering buying a keychain stun gun ( 20,000,000 volts)

 

[Amish Heart]

You've got it going, WV Dragonlady

 

[angie_nrs]

I ordered body armor for my wife.

Where'd you get it from?

 

[hiwall]

Yesterday we went to the local small town. Bought another 275 gallon IBC water tote. Also got an extra 50# salt block to have on hand for the critters. And a little food for us.

 

[Aerindel]

Where'd you get it from?

AR500.