This weeks preps check-in

[Mountain trapper]

I picked up a pressure washer and shop vac the other day at Tractor Supply and ordered a 30 ton log splitter.
The builders finished the siding on the shop today. We're going to pick up the paint tomorrow. The electrical, insulation and drywall should be delivered any day.
Got the auto start connected to the generator. Also programed the inverter to automatically start the generator when the battery bank drops to a certain voltage. Got the hole dug for the solar panel mount. We got the hole down to 6 feet deep and 6 feet square. All in solid shale.
Yesterday we turned the cattle out. The wife and I took the 4 wheelers out today looking for them. After driving around for a couple hours we found them. For being mid July we still have a lot of lush green pasture left. Should have good grazing through to late October early November, or until the snow falls.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I just joined a gym.

I've been stashing guns, ammo, food water, medical stuff, etc..

And, of course, I let myself get out of shape.

I started using the stairmaster (you know you're making progress when you need to vomit), and lifting weights.

Also, about 2/3 to 3/4 of my work commuting is on my bicycle

If you really want to get into shape, why don't you come out here and give me a hand? I need to move our winter supply of hay in to the barn. Good upper body work out.
Or how about helping with the fence? I've got a section about 2 miles long that's too steep to drive the 4 wheelers to and have to pack in the fence posts, barb wire and tools on my back. I've got to split and stack a winter's supply of firewood too. Or maybe you could help me thin a few acres of trees this fall. Or this winter you could strap on some snow shoes and follow me around on the trap line. All great exercise, or so I hear.

 

[Brent S]

If you really want to get into shape, why don't you come out here and give me a hand? I need to move our winter supply of hay in to the barn. Good upper body work out.
Or how about helping with the fence? I've got a section about 2 miles long that's too steep to drive the 4 wheelers to and have to pack in the fence posts, barb wire and tools on my back. I've got to split and stack a winter's supply of firewood too. Or maybe you could help me thin a few acres of trees this fall. Or this winter you could strap on some snow shoes and follow me around on the trap line. All great exercise, or so I hear.

Yeah, all great forms of exercise, but do you have beautiful girls in skintight outfits? I often wondered why people join gyms and that was the best reason I could come up with. Personally I would rather use the energy from a workout on doing something productive too. Seriously though, any form of exercise is better than none.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Yeah, all great forms of exercise, but do you have beautiful girls in skintight outfits? I often wondered why people join gyms and that was the best reason I could come up with. Personally I would rather use the energy from a workout on doing something productive too. Seriously though, any form of exercise is better than none.

You got me there Brent. Not too many girls around here in skin tight outfits. Although it's not uncommon to see a beautiful girl on horseback in a tight tank top bouncing around.....

 

[Maverick]

Garden doing good, all the equipment maintenance is done. Got permission from the Forrest Service to remove brush a hundred feet back from the property line on FS land also permission to trim the trees up 10' from the ground, should be done Sundy. They place 2 bulldog brush trucks on the property for staging plus two water tankers they place here earlier in the year, I placed power out there last year to keep the fire apparatus equipment charged, they had a problem a couple of years ago with one of the equipment not firing up.

 

[Kevin L]

I did some reorganizing in my attic. I counted 412 rolls of toilet paper, 64 rolls of paper towels between there and the bathroom closet. I threw out some old holiday decorations and used the space for old magazines(populer mechanics and hunting, fishing mostly) and paper plates. I will also add the old set of encyclopedia's as soon as I aquire more sealable containers.

Split about a bunch of wood earlier in the week with the electric log splitter.

Be careful storing paper products in an attic. The swings in temperature will, over time, cause paper products to deteriorate into dust.

I'm a stamp collector, and I lost some valuable parts of my collection when a well-intentioned girlfriend put stuff in the attic when she was cleanung up my place.

 

[Kevin L]

Yeah, all great forms of exercise, but do you have beautiful girls in skintight outfits? I often wondered why people join gyms and that was the best reason I could come up with. Personally I would rather use the energy from a workout on doing something productive too. Seriously though, any form of exercise is better than none.

I disagree with some of your points, but only in a minor way.

There is a difference between working out in a gym and having an active lifestyle (like farmwork, as arctic dude mentioned earlier).

The difference is that gym exercises are prearranged, sometimes with equipment, and allow you to precisely track your progress.

A gym program and an active lifestyle should both be utilized at the same time, but I don't believe they are interchangable.

When managing diabetes, for example, a gym workout allows you to track and manage your calories in a way that an active lifestyle (like farm work) really doesn't.

P.S. There are, indeed, lots and lots of beautifully stunning girls at my gym, but the irony is that I have little interest in them when I'm trying to keep from vomiting when I use the Stairmaster...and clutching my midsection in agony from all the medicine ball crunches that make me feel like I've been beaten up with a baseball bat.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Be careful storing paper products in an attic. The swings in temperature will, over time, cause paper products to deteriorate into dust.

I'm a stamp collector, and I lost some valuable parts of my collection when a well-intentioned girlfriend put stuff in the attic when she was cleanung up my place.

Yes you are correct. My attic is below a double roof and ventilated, its mostly shaded by tree branches and the part that is not has solor panels. It doesn't get over 105 up there. I seel everything in containers with moisture absorbers. I had tested some paper products for 2 years up there that were not as protected and they were fine.

 

[Maverick]

I've said this before, I had muscle fit guys here that have no endurance and no strength in the right places, they didn't last. In farm work one will be using muscles they didn't know they had and using in a far longer period of time certainly more than a few hours a day at the gym. Muscles ain't **** if they are the wrong one's, looking pretty won't cut!

 

[Kevin L]

I've said this before, I had muscle fit guys here that have no endurance and no strength in the right places, they didn't last. In farm work one will be using muscles they didn't know they had and using in a far longer period of time certainly more than a few hours a day at the gym. Muscles ain't **** if they are the wrong one's, looking pretty won't cut!

I agree, but I said both an active lifestyle and working out should be used together...they are both beneficial, but not interchangable.

I'm currently trying to increase my cardiovascular fitness with combo of stairmaster and cycling. I can't run because I have steel rods and a metal plate in my spine, and I can't handle impact if I want to stay out of a wheelchair.

I can lift weights at the gym, because gym equipment has precise angles and form that let me avoid putting punishment on my lower back.

 

[jimLE]

I got 2. Aloe vera plants.and 2 boxes of band-aids.which I've been needing both,since i touched 2 finger tips on a extremely hot muffler of a hand held leaf blower..i had gotten a aloe vera pad from someone. And had some band-aids .but thier getting used up.i also got 2 more reading glasses.car has a full tank of gas now..

 

[Psalm7]

Picking squash , zucchini , cucumbers everyday . Hoping for a big Sweet potato crop .

 

[Mountain trapper]

It's been awful hot and dry here lately; 82-83 degs with 18-20% humidity. The last couple days the wife and I work till around noon and then spend the rest of the day at the lake. It's hard to imagine that just a couple months ago this lake was covered in ice.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Got the airstream. All the appliances and power works. Long list of things to do though. Got rid of the computer, phone only now. Took the CQB course, I need a lot of work with an AR to be where I want, but it was fun. It turned into really more of a room clearing and weapon handling course, bit any training is good.
Started buying 1 box of 5.56 and 1 of 9mm per paycheck.
Looking for land around the Madison area where I can live in the airstream while I restore it.
Been doing kettle bell workouts and dry firing.
Setting up to do a USPSA pistol competition. Should be soon.

Hope everyone has been healthy, and having a good year.

 

[Dani]

I was just wondering last night what happened to you @Squirtgunsquirter . I hadn't seen you for awhile, but maybe I have just missed seeing you. Glad are you are around stull.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Nope. Been really busy. Not having a laptop cut way down on my online time as well. I still lurk, though.

 

[brandx]

Nothing exciting. Purchased a large roll of black plastic for blacking out windows and doors, more duct tape, batteries and disposable razors. I also am trying out some new laundry soap( roma?) that was super cheap and a weird brand I never heard of before. Cheaper than I can make it. I'll give it a try and if is OK, then I will buy more and store it in big plastic tubs. It is hard to compare prices on detergent because you have to figure how much per ounce and then how much you use per load. Then you have to compare price per load, not compare price per ounce.

 

[jimLE]

Comforter is in the wash 1st.seeing how it needs to hung out to dry.got tired of putting off reorganizing my 1st aid supplies. So that,and reorganizing my sewing kits will get redone as well.got a lil bit of sewing to do on 3 pairs of jeans as well.

 

[Kevin L]

Nothing exciting. Purchased a large roll of black plastic for blacking out windows and doors, more duct tape, batteries and disposable razors. I also am trying out some new laundry soap( roma?) that was super cheap and a weird brand I never heard of before. Cheaper than I can make it. I'll give it a try and if is OK, then I will buy more and store it in big plastic tubs. It is hard to compare prices on detergent because you have to figure how much per ounce and then how much you use per load. Then you have to compare price per load, not compare price per ounce.

If you want to stockpile laundry soap, a few things to be aware of (and I live in a very hot, humid environment, so some of my points may not apply to you).

Powder laundry soap will cake up into concrete if you don't take precautions to store it properly.

Put it in plastic restaurant buckets with plastic lids, and seal the lids with a bead of clear silicone sealant. You might also consider putting Damp Rid into the containers just before you seal, and store these containers out of direct sunlight.

Keep in mind that you want to be careful with certian types of laundry soap if you have a septic tank and if you use well water.

Certian substances (like phosphates and dyes) can leach into groundwater and find its way into streams and ponds, which can affect wild animals and, therefore, your food supply.

If these issues are a concern (and--in my mind--they should be), then get Seventh Generation laundry soap...which cleans really well and is safe for the environment.

I hope this helps you.

 

[Doreena]

If you want to stockpile laundry soap, a few things to be aware of (and I live in a very hot, humid environment, so some of my points may not apply to you).

Powder laundry soap will cake up into concrete if you don't take precautions to store it properly.

Put it in plastic restaurant buckets with plastic lids, and seal the lids with a bead of clear silicone sealant. You might also consider putting Damp Rid into the containers just before you seal, and store these containers out of direct sunlight.

Keep in mind that you want to be careful with certian types of laundry soap if you have a septic tank and if you use well water.

Certian substances (like phosphates and dyes) can leach into groundwater and find its way into streams and ponds, which can affect wild animals and, therefore, your food supply.

If these issues are a concern (and--in my mind--they should be), then get Seventh Generation laundry soap...which cleans really well and is safe for the environment.

I hope this helps you.

I agree with 7th generation, good stuff. Store in a bucket with a humidity absorber (silica gel) and an air tight top (gamma).


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[jimLE]

It turns out that im doing better with band aids,anti bacterial ointment, anti fungal cream,amongst other items that i had forgotten.about.now to deal with my sewing items.then make my bed after i get everything out of the way.

 

[Brent S]

Roma laundry soap is ok and not too bad for the soil. I haven’t heard of seventh generation before but will look into it.
The best ones for not contaminating the soil are;
Oasis
Bio pac
Biokleen
Life tree
Ecover
Mountain green
Vaska
I’m sure there are others, but these top a quick google list. In reality none of these clean as well as the things that will kill your garden, but they do well enough. I’ve been using a mix of oasis and Roma for a while now and it’s effective enough for me.

 

[Doreena]

Roma laundry soap is ok and not too bad for the soil. I haven’t heard of seventh generation before but will look into it.
The best ones for not contaminating the soil are;
Oasis
Bio pac
Biokleen
Life tree
Ecover
Mountain green
Vaska
I’m sure there are others, but these top a quick google list. In reality none of these clean as well as the things that will kill your garden, but they do well enough. I’ve been using a mix of oasis and Roma for a while now and it’s effective enough for me.

I have used the liquid version of Biokleen and Ecover. I really liked Biokleen, Ecover had a really strong fragrance but it may have been a bad choice on my part. It cleaned good, though.


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[Mountain trapper]

Got the wiring and insulation done in the shop today. They'll start hanging the drywall tomorrow morning. The concrete guys are supposed to be here on Thursday to pour the footers for the house. I finially got my boat back from the shop last week. It was in the shop for over a month. The impeller and pump housing, among other things, was worn out and needed replacing.
We've had several days of 85 degree heat with no rain and no relief in sight. The wife and I are thinking about buying a place on the lake up north near the kids.

 

[Maverick]

If you want to stockpile laundry soap, a few things to be aware of (and I live in a very hot, humid environment, so some of my points may not apply to you).

Powder laundry soap will cake up into concrete if you don't take precautions to store it properly.

Put it in plastic restaurant buckets with plastic lids, and seal the lids with a bead of clear silicone sealant. You might also consider putting Damp Rid into the containers just before you seal, and store these containers out of direct sunlight.

Keep in mind that you want to be careful with certian types of laundry soap if you have a septic tank and if you use well water.

Certian substances (like phosphates and dyes) can leach into groundwater and find its way into streams and ponds, which can affect wild animals and, therefore, your food supply.

If these issues are a concern (and--in my mind--they should be), then get Seventh Generation laundry soap...which cleans really well and is safe for the environment.

I hope this helps you.

I think in a shtf it won’t matter if stains come out as long as it’s clean so....

Just use dish soap, cheap, doesn’t require as much, affective, easier to store and not overly bad for the environment plus a very long shelf life also dual purpose.

 

[Doreena]

I think in a shtf it won’t matter if stains come out as long as it’s clean so....

Just use dish soap, cheap, doesn’t require as much, affective, easier to store and not overly bad for the environment plus a very long shelf life also dual purpose.

Yeah, I doubt if laundry will be a priority. Have you seen the non-electric washers? This makes me wonder what thoughts anyone has on doing laundry? By hand, or plunger or?


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[Maverick]

Yeah, I doubt if laundry will be a priority. Have you seen the non-electric washers? This makes me wonder what thoughts anyone has on doing laundry? By hand, or plunger or?


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6gal bucket and sink plunger, cut a hole in the lid to slip over the handle.. cheap

 

[Mountain trapper]

Yeah, I doubt if laundry will be a priority. Have you seen the non-electric washers? This makes me wonder what thoughts anyone has on doing laundry? By hand, or plunger or?


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My neighbors have a non electric clothes washer. Not really sure how it's works, but I think it has a plunger and a hand crank for spinning. They say that it works great.

 

[Dani]

This is where I plan to do laundry next time I am without electricity. It was added after hurricanes Rita & Ike when we had no power for weeks on end. Back then it was the 5 gallon bucket and sink pkunger.

This is the ingredients for my laundry detergent except there should be 2 bars of the Zote laundry soap.

 

[Doreena]

View attachment 8885 This is where I plan to do laundry next time I am without electricity. It was added after hurricanes Rita & Ike when we had no power for weeks on end. Back then it was the 5 gallon bucket and sink pkunger.View attachment 8884This is the ingredients for my laundry detergent except there should be 2 bars of the Zote laundry soap.

How does your washer work? I can’t figure it out from the picture.


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