- Lowes had some battery only ones for 5.00 each. There better than none. If you have a few then the odds of at least one working is pretty good. The average price is about twenty each.
This weeks preps check-in
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A month ago I bought a new 8750 watt generator to run my well pump. It was made in China but the price was right and I thought it would last a year or so until I get the solar system running. Big mistake. Whenever you buy China you usually buy twice. I knew better. First thing the 12 volt charging system quit working, then the idle control went out, then the volt meter quit working, the fuel tank doesn't vent properly so the engine dies. So today I ordered an American built generator. It costs twice as much but it will be worth it in the long run. I'm able to return the China junk but its a 300 mile round trip. The moral here is; Never buy made in China crap for anything that you really need to depend on.
A little luxury for the bag. Reasonably good antiseptic as well. Can't stand the stuff personally, but can't gripe as I like rotten fruit in my drink! By the way, I emptied 30 gallons of wine from the barrel today into 6 5 gallon jugs. I'm just about out of bottles, and this years grapes are looking great. I'm going to have to start throwing some parties or something.
Heck of a post SHTF business you'd have there Brent!
It's something a lot of people don't consider. If you can provide a useful service or product (that requires you to stay ALIVE so it keeps coming), it's a good counter to roving bands of marauders, etc. Deals can be struck, and one could likely even prosper.
People have this fantasy of staving off a roving gang with a gunfight, etc. The reality is that such a confrontation is likely to end in some of your family getting killed. Granted, there may be no choice, but if you have something to bargain with, it's a better footing than a bloodbath. (Not to mention, such gangs could provide you with protection from OTHER such gangs, and/or trade with you for things they get in their travels.)
May not be the moral high road, and hopefully, I'd be trading with just other survivors, but one has to recognize the very real possibility of this situation.
Imagine if you will, post SHTF, a small military unit. Well-armed, even a couple of war vehicles from a nearby National Guard Armory, trained in tactics, etc. You could either fight them (and likely lose), or make a deal. If they raid you, it's a one time thing. If they trade, it's a resupply location and more of a guarantee. A smart leader would make a better decision (for everyone involved).
It's something a lot of people don't consider. If you can provide a useful service or product (that requires you to stay ALIVE so it keeps coming), it's a good counter to roving bands of marauders, etc. Deals can be struck, and one could likely even prosper.
People have this fantasy of staving off a roving gang with a gunfight, etc. The reality is that such a confrontation is likely to end in some of your family getting killed. Granted, there may be no choice, but if you have something to bargain with, it's a better footing than a bloodbath. (Not to mention, such gangs could provide you with protection from OTHER such gangs, and/or trade with you for things they get in their travels.)
May not be the moral high road, and hopefully, I'd be trading with just other survivors, but one has to recognize the very real possibility of this situation.
Imagine if you will, post SHTF, a small military unit. Well-armed, even a couple of war vehicles from a nearby National Guard Armory, trained in tactics, etc. You could either fight them (and likely lose), or make a deal. If they raid you, it's a one time thing. If they trade, it's a resupply location and more of a guarantee. A smart leader would make a better decision (for everyone involved).
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The moral high road can kiss my -ss when it comes to surviving. I agree with it being wise to know when to fight and when to give a little.
We've had three hens taken, two on one day and the third the next, through the same manner, apparently something climbed the fence without damaging it and hauled them up bodily with only a few drops of blood and a few feathers. Scarce feather trail out into the woods, but no corpses or parts recovered. What kind of animal am I dealing with, here?
Do you have Weasels, Pole Cats, Stoats / Pine Martins ? Its sounds like them to a T
One of the biggest problems I have is with skunks destroying my eggs and killing some of my chickens, in the past we had problems with owls, hawks, bobcats and badgers. generally with bobcats and badgers they be feathers all over, skunks generally leave a caucus, with owls and hawks you would sometimes see a little blood and a few feathers but not always, weasel/polecat you would see areas of a skirmish.
woot woot..i got me a new toy.. 1st pic,is with the air mattress on top of everything.2nd is with it inside of the cover for it..and one end raises up,so it can be used as a lawn chair.or what ever..and only paid $15.00 for it..im leaving it as is for now,just to see if the mattress stays aired up or not..and im thinking that it will..
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Anytime you have poultry you will have the occasional predator. Disease sneaks up occasionally too, keep some antioniotics at the ready. I had almost all the birds die in a three day period once. It's just part of learning and living as a prepper.
found some Baofeng Uv5RCs on amazon UK for only £23 post free, ordered one.
I've been wanting to get two of those for a while now. An acquaintance wanted me to upgrade his ham antennae with the bucket truck, and said he had a couple he would help me with as far as programming and using. I'll wait till he is easy as I'm not an electronic fan and would like to have someone show me the basics. I have the regular 30 mile units, that get about 2000 feet, but realized in the mountains they suck. I'm hoping the baofengs do better.
Brent when it comes to radio technlogy I fit into the confirmed village idiot mode, but as I said to Jonnte programming a Uv5 is a bitch doing it by hand but a doddle using CHIRP..
I'll post some links.
This one is great
http://geekprepper.org/program-a-baofeng-radio-with-chirp/
http://www.miklor.com/
http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home
Program Your VHF UHF Transceivers for Disaster Preparedness with FRS GMRS PMR MURS BUSINESS WEATHER MARINE HAM Channel Frequencies
https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/20...iness-weather-marine-ham-channel-frequencies/
We live in the Ozarks, so we don't have weasels or pine martins, but polecats aren't unknown. I raised the fence on the side being assaulted by a foot, using solid 2x4's above the chicken wire so it's a slick, not easily climbable surface, and have made sure to lock the surviving hens up in the chicken house at night, something we hadn't had to do before. So far, no further casualties.
My experience says that when you solve one predator problem, odds are another one will come around before too long. Just keep plugging along and deal with each issue as it comes along. A good strong hen house is a big help too.
I got my package from Amazon today! I got the patriots book, some tattler reusable canning lids, a sawyer mini filter, and some mason jar lids for the fridge. Not high excitement, but all stuff I wanted. This gave me a fourth option on water filtering, which I should be up to six or seven by now as drinking water is really, really important! The canning stuff is nice to have on hand, and the book is just for fun, (although it may help me learn something I hadn't considered hopefully). I also still have some potassium metabasulfate coming, which is used for steralizing wine equipment and bottles. This was all on my Amazon rewards points, and I have about 30 dollars still to use. I really like free stuff 
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well brent..your deffently making progress
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Got the barn done. Just need to put some more fill on the floor to make it level and build the stall doors and a man door. Next I'll start on the corral and begin fencing off about 10 acres around the home site. Also got all the posts in for the garden fence. I'll get the wire next week and build the gate. Next year I'll add a green house and more raised beds.
I read the first 115 pages of the patriots last night. So far it's very engaging and interesting. I will say I'm really jealouse of the groups dedication to prepping. I would love to have a group of friends working on the same goals.
Our core group consists of about 40 poeple, and its only been a pleasure so far, everyone does their bit to help, if finances are thin, then you give time and effort, sometimes we even go on "holiday" together, over the past 5 years those that talked the talk but didn't walk the walk got weeded out, some of the group moved away, but we still keep in contact at least 2 to 3 times a week, we know we will band together when the cookie crumbles.
The one part I dont agree with about most of the very high quality PA fiction novels is all to often the authors cannot see past CONUS, EG there is a HUGE GREAT GINORMOUS country call Canada to the North of CONUS, just as many British PA novels cannot see further than the English channel.
When it comes to prepping and survivalism I have little or no time for NATIONALITY and 100% time for Preppers, I see OUR global community nothing else. I think most of the folks HERE from US/UK/Scandi/SA/Aus etc as just one Community. Look in all reality it doesnt matter if Prepper A in NYC seeks advice and support from prepper B if he is 1800 milles away in the mid west, 3000 miles away on the west coast or 2000 miles away in the UK. Preppers, one community on one planet.
Im definately going to try and reach out more to people here. I found a group a while back but it was an hour away and was tough to go to the meetings regularly. I may go and try to investigate that more.
I agree with the borders being meaningless as far as people go. Personally I think all the leaders should do the fighting for all the wars instead of sending our youth to do their dirty work! I don't care what color, religion, or how ugly anyone is, only if they are of good character.
I would like to see more groups around here focus more on Bushcraft (Woodcraft) and foraging this I have a lot to offer in, unfortunately all the groups I have come in contact with locally are of the ready-made type and of conveniences. Prepping and Surviving are really two different things whereas prepping requires very little skill thus easier to spend money for the conveniences unfortunately I have yet to find a local group that can make that distinction.
