Prepping can take on many different styles. Some preppers focus on bugging in, while others focus on bugging out. There are those who are in the process of turning their homes into homesteads, while others are relying primarily on their stockpiles. Different people learn different skills and even put a different emphasis on learning those skills.
But even with all the diversity that exists in the prepping community, there are things in common. Probably the most central of these is stockpiling food and other supplies, to help us get through a disaster. Most preppers start their prepping right there and are usually still involved in increasing their stockpile, years later.
In this, food is often treated like our number one survival priority, even though it actually comes in third place. Maintaining our body heat and having clean water are higher priorities then food, even though food is also important. What makes those other things more important, is that you can die faster from not having them, than from not having food. Loss of body heat can kill you in 30 minutes, while lack of clean water can kill you in three days.
Even so, the pantry isn’t an appropriate place to store home heating. Your backup heating system probably isn’t going to fit there. Nor is it a good idea to be storing fuel for heating your home in the kitchen, where there can be open flame.
What’s Your Pantry All About?
Before answering the question of what’s stored in your or my pantry, I think it might be a good idea to define the purpose of the pantry. For non-preppers, this is just someplace to store whatever food is bought at the grocery store. But for preppers, it can be much more.
I have changed my view of the pantry to including my short-term disaster food storage. What I mean by that, is that in addition to being the place I look to (besides the refrigerator) when I’m trying to find food to cook or eat, I try to make sure that it has two week’s worth of food in it at all times. Two weeks is enough to get through most short-term disasters, without having to dig into my main food stockpile.
Redoing the Pantry
Two weeks worth of food really isn’t all that much. I’ve shopped on a two week basis for years, going once after each payday and buying pretty much everything I’d need for the next two weeks. So it’s not unrealistic to think in terms of fitting two weeks of food in there. But in reality, I’m fitting more like a month’s worth there, as I try and keep it so that my low point is two weeks. So, how do I do that?
- Cleanup – Anybody’s pantry is bound to have a bunch of stuff in it, that’s just there because we managed to buy it on sale. Our family doesn’t like it, but we keep it anyway, as if something magical is going to happen and their tastes are going to change. Better to get rid of it or at least move it to your survival stockpile, so that the space can be used for useful things.
Containers – Once you get rid of the stuff that’s just taking up space, the next thing I did was to go to standard containers for a lot of my dry food items. The food we buy doesn’t come in all sorts of packaging, which means that when we put it on the shelf, we waste a lot of space. I bought a couple of cases of plastic containers, all the same, from a wholesale supply, mostly to keep ants and mice out of my food. They hold breakfast cereal, various types of baking flour, sugar, pasta, oatmeal and anything else that makes sense. About the only thing I don’t try and put in those containers is canned goods.
Containers – Once you get rid of the stuff that’s just taking up space, the next thing I did was to go to- Standardization – We’ve developed a standard list of food that we keep in the pantry. These are things that we know we’re going to use all the time, like pasta and oatmeal. Before going to the grocery store, we check out levels of those items and buy what we need to have, in order to fill the standard containers or to have as many cans of those items as we consider our normal stocking level. Items that are not part of that standard list, which are bought to try out or to make something special, are stored in another cabinet in the kitchen.
Filling the Pantry
Now, with the pantry properly organized, it’s easy to fit my short-term survival stockpile in it. So, what’s in that stockpile?
Food Items
- Canned meat – This is pretty much just a survival item, although we occasionally use it. Our canned meat consists of a combination of chicken, salmon, tuna and corned beef. There are some other canned meats available, but those are our favorites.
- Pasta – We’re a big pasta family; a good source of carbohydrates, with a lot of variety. We stock four different shapes, including spaghetti.
- Spaghetti Sauce – Not only good for spaghetti, but for covering the flavor of whatever else you might need to hide.
- Canned Mushroom Soup – Great for turning that pasta into casseroles.
- Other Condiments – I’m in the habit of buying condiments several bottles or jars at a time. For example, I’ll buy four bottles each of teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and orange sauce, which I mix together to make a marinade for beef jerky. It’s just more efficient to buy it that way.
- Breakfast Cereal – While not a great survival food, it is something we eat most days.
Canned Vegetables – We stock a variety of different vegetables, all lined up neatly on their shelf, just like in the grocery store, so you can readily see what we have. I go full-depth even with ones we don’t use very often, just to have the extras on hand.- Canned Fruit – Stocked the same way as the vegetables.
- Rice – Always useful
- Flour and Sugar – For baking and other uses. Since we use sugar for homemade fruit drinks, my normal stocking level is about 20 pounds.
- Other Grains – I like making my breads with a variety of grains. I also like grains, like barley, for use in soups.
- Instant Oatmeal – While we keep regular oatmeal in our survival stockpile, we use the instant oatmeal packets for everyday. There are plenty of these, removed from their boxes and stuffed into one of my standard plastic containers.
- Granola Bars – I normally don’t stockpile granola bars as survival food, but I do use them for snacks, especially when in the car or at events away from home. So we’ve always got a bunch of the better quality granola bars in our pantry. They work well as a survival food too.
- Coffee and the Fixings – We’re a big coffee family, so we keep plenty of coffee around, usually unground beans. I grind them by hand. We also keep flavoring syrups and other goodies to fix our coffee to our personal tastes.
- Snack Foods – Yes, we do have some junk food in our pantry. I’m just as guilty of eating that as anyone, especially cookies. But I can’t really say that the junk food we have has anything at all to do with survival, unless it’s for surviving stressful days.
- Water – We have other water storage in our home, but our first use storage is in the pantry. I normally have three cases of water bottles and a half dozen gallons there. That’s enough for a short-term emergency, if all I’m concerned about is drinking water.
Canned meat – This is pretty much just a survival item, although we occasionally use it. Our canned meat consists of a combination of chicken, salmon, tuna and corned beef. There are some 
Canned Vegetables – We stock a variety of different vegetables, all lined up neatly on their shelf, just like in the grocery store, so you can readily see what we have. I go full-depth even with ones we don’t use very often, just to have the extras on hand.Non-Food Items
Since the pantry is my short-term survival stockpile, I need a few things there, which aren’t food items. Just as with the food mentioned above, these items are there for everyday, as well as to get us through those short problem situations.
- Small Gas Cook Stove and Fuel – In case the gas is out. I can use my barbecue grill as well, but this is small enough to use indoors, in the midst of a storm.
- Paper Plates and Cups – In a short-term emergency, we’ll use paper plates and cups, so that we don’t have to wash them. I make a point of paper ones, rather than Styrofoam, so that I can use them as fire starting kindling as well.
- Fire Starting Kit – Not only for the barbecue grille and fire pit, but for cooking as well.
- Small First-aid Kit – We have a larger kit, but I keep a small one in the pantry to take care of emergencies. It seems like the kitchen is a prime place for accidents and minor injuries.
- Dog Food – Maybe you don’t have a dog, but I do. We keep the dog food in a five-gallon bucket, with lid, which helps protect it from the occasional mouse that finds its way into our home.
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The SHTF Diet: Minimum Food And Water Supply For 3 Months
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Meal Planning: A Month’s Worth of Survival Food with 2000 Calories per Day
Very good review… All the facts are correct and complete…
Do you cycle your canned food so that you are always eating the oldest cans?
I.e. – putting the most recently purchased cans in the back.
Check out canned food storage rack on YouTube. You can build one, if you’re handy, or buy one. It works on the FIFO premise, first in, first out. Even though I wanted to build one I acquiesced to my husband and we bought one. it’s great. I know exactly what I need to buy and exactly what I have.
Efzapp,
I’ve built a few different designs of FIFO can storage over the years; but, really love the Thrive Life / Shelf Reliance Cansolidator.
They come in pieces that may be assembled for various can sizes and shelving heights, so you can store the thin tuna cans, small diameter tomato pastes cans, and fruit, vegetable or soup cans, all in the same adjustable assembly.
The Ohio Prepper, that is what we bought the Shelf Reliance.We just have regular sized cans in it so I was left with about 14′ empty on top. I had the cross bars there and I put wood on them so I have two flat shelves on top. I store odd shaped items there like cocoa powder, a jars of dried beans and pasta. I’m hoping to buy a second one. Great minds, huh!
Efzapp,
We’ve assembled several of them that sit on the wire shelves of the adjustable shelving units, assembled to fit the Cansolidators, and leaving room on shelves above & below for those other odd items.
With that open top turned into a shelf it sounds like you’ve done something similar, squeezing out all of the space you can on the cheap (inexpensively?).
We’ve used many of the wire shelving units over the years with a few purchased @ Home Depot for around $80.00; but, the bulk of them purchased @ Aldi’s for about half that price. If you have an Aldi’s in your area, check in the March-May timeframe and then again in the August-September time frame. The early time frame is for sorting, spring cleaning & decluttering and the later time is back to school, off to college and we see them on this schedule regularly around here.
I purchased a Cansolidator Pantry and a Cansolidator Pantry Plus a few years back on sale and paid less than $100.00 for both with free shipping.
As it turns out, the kits are identical with the Pantry Plus just containing more parts in the erector set, so we still have enough for at least one more setup as we get organized.
It allows us to thumb through things like a variety of soups to find one we’re interested in at that moment; but, also allows easy inventory management, with both the FIFO storage and the ”At a Glance” method of knowing when something is running short. High Tech plastics meet Low Tech design for simple inexpensive storage.
Gee, The Ohio Prepper, I, too, have several of the 72″ tall wire shelving. I have placed mine perpendicular to the wall rather than flat against the wall. I have them 2′ apart. Since I have all the shelves at the same height I have bought 12″ X 12′ boards and placed them across the shelves at the wall so I have U-shaped shelving. It gives me a lot more storage space rather than empty wall. My husband who is not the prepper thought I was crazy until he saw how much more space I had.
Lucky you on finding the Cansolidator on sale. I’ll have to keep my eye out. And, yes, we have Aldi’s here and I have gotten shelves from them. When I originally started buy them Lowe’s or Home Depot would put them on sale for $39.99.
I recommend clearly marking them with a marker that is easily visible. I mark all our canned, dry goods, and even things we freeze, including meats, with the month / year that is shown as the “use by” date, such as 25 October 2023 would be “10/23”, 15 April 2024 would be “4/24”. This works very well for us to plan and rotate.
For vegetables we freeze, I mark them with the date they go in the freezer, and rotate them also, such as green beans frozen in May 2021 are marked as “5/21” and more green beans frozen in August 2021 are marked as “8/21”, and we use the oldest first. If any have been in the freezer too long and we can’t salvage them or question if we should eat them, then they become compost.
I do the same. It makes rotation much easier and more likely that I do it reasonably well.
OH, just to add, I put the date upside down so I can put the cans on the shelf upside down, reducing the risk of rodents along the tops where I open them.
Ammunition, several calibers to use as barter and for your own use
My husband and I work jobs where we occasionally receive fifths of alcohol for Christmas tips. We save them for medicinal, antiseptic, barter and obvious reasons. We store them away from any open flames.
I want to work there….
Actually,. though, I have more alcohol in my bar than most bars have.
Don’t forget wine and spirits. They last forever and make great bartering items.
IvyMike: As I am a wino of many years standing, wine doesn’t last forever unless it is a really great wine to start with. If you invested in a ’74 Lafitte-Rothschild back in ’78 or ’79 when it was released and you have kept it in your root cellar at about 58°F all these years, yes!!! You have a great wine. However, if you bought Two Buck Chuck five years ago and it has been sitting in a kitchen cabinet over the stove since you bought it, it might not be so great. Spirits heavy on alcohol don’t seem to go bad. When I was a young lad my father had a bottle of Old Overholt rye whiskey which he actually kept for medicinal purposes. He would make a toddy of lemon juice, a tablespoon full of sugar and an ounce of OH for colds, take to a hot bath, take his medicine and go to bed and be well in the morning. When I left at 18 to join Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children, he still had a good bit of that Old Overholt in the cupboard and it still tasted as nasty as when it was new, so I know first hand that it is good for at least a decade or longer, open and sitting in the cupboard over the stove.
If you buy wine, drink it normally, don’t save it. I would probably weep bitter tears if I were saving a magnum of Silver Oak cab and it got lost in an EOTW scenario,
Wrong Mike. Shout be NYMike, not IvyMike. Sorry for the incorrect reference.
That was NYMike, Ivymike does not store liquor, he goes to the liquor store. In one of Hemingway’s early stories 2 young men getting drunk for the 1st time wonder if they are in danger of alcoholism. One says his father claims not finishing the bottle will make an alcoholic. The other says his dad told him it is opening bottles that makes alcoholics. It all reminds me of a Bukowski story, Chinaski and his girl friend spend the last of their money at the liquor store, line up all the bottles on a shelf and then stay drunk for a week until the liquor is gone, the landlord evicts them, and Chinaski winds up living in the street.
I’ve always been more the Grasshopper than the Ant, better get my pantry straightened out before the U.S. and China crash the world economy.
And what about those millions of pigs in China dying of flu, will that bug jump to humans?
Ivy Mike,
I grew up in a family of ants. I owned my first house (no mortgage) by age 30 and owned this property (8 acres with house and 4 outbuildings by age 45 where we are close to self sufficient at least for a year or two with no grid.
Keep in mind that even that pantry is only to get you through to better times, or until your own food production is up and running.
While it’s not guaranteed, it’s quite likely, keeping in mind that this is not the first Chinese pig die off.
When rural Chinese folks (peasants) live with their animals, these viruses often mutate between ducks, chickens, pigs, and humans and have for years. This is why many of our influenza outbreaks are called swine flu or avian flu. With the Chinese lack of free media, the actual number of human influenza cases in China, including deaths is somewhat of a guess; but, Who and CDC are no doubt already working on the probable vectors and types to develop vaccines.
I get my influenza vaccinations (flu shots) every year and have for at least 20, and that allows me to live a somewhat self reliant lifestyle, hopefully for years to come.
If (haha, big ifs are a dime a dozen) I was starting life over with at least a bit of the knowledge I now have I hope I would become a homesteader, it is such a cool way to live. And love that there are still folks around who know the fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant. It’s like when LeftCoastChuck mentions something like playing mumbleypeg. Who knows these things anymore?
One can use spoiled wine n cooking as they would use wine vinegar so it is not a total waste. whiskey Irish/Scotch/Bourbon or liquor rum gin vodka do not spoil or age once bottled. cap tightly when not in use or alcohol will/can evaporate.
“High strength” vodka or Everclear or OVERPROOF Rum or Moonshine make a great substitute for Rubbing Alcohol! I suppose one could sacrifice a good Irish or Scotch or even Bourbon for such purposes but only in a last minute LIFE OR DEATH FULL BLOWN NO OTHER CHOICE EMERGENCY! I mean you want to do WHAT with a bottle of Good Irish or Scotch? Are you Daft? That is what Vodka is for!
Actually I don’t know that wine lasts forever; but, kept sealed, most spirits keep indefinitely.
We keep some 86 proof dark rum on hand because I like rum.
We also have some 151 and 190 proof PGA that is kept primarily for making tinctures for actual medicinal use.
Ohio: As with any general statement, there are always exceptions. Generally wine with alcoholic content in the 13% to 15% range if sufficient tannins and sugars are present in the wine from the start will age quite nicely if stored in the dark, undisturbed at a temperature in the range of 58°F. Generally red wines fall in that category. However there are white wines with a very high sugar content that also store quite well under the same circumstances. They are generally in the sauterne varietal of wines. Wines without much in the way of sugar or tannins generally do not store well and are best drunk when “young”
Then there are the fortified wines which store quite nicely due to the fact that they have been fortified with a high alcohol beverage, usually brandy. Those include: port sherry, amontillado, madeira, marsala, commandaria and aromatized wines such a vermouth. I have maintained for many years without madeira we would still be a part of the British Empirette. (That’s the shrunken modern version of the British Empire) Madeira was a heavy favorite during the 18th century. The boys would gather down at the tavern and pretty soon the discussion would turn to what lousy folks the Brits back in Jolly Old England were. Things went downhill from there. Under proper storage methods those fortified wines keep very nicely. In fact, port usually doesn’t start to hit its stride until it is 20 or more years old. Of course there are poor quality ports that no matter how old they are will never be great ports. It will just be old poor quality port. You will know when a wine has turned. It will be vinegar and not good vinegar either. It will probably have funky stuff floating in it too.
left coast chuck,
Good information on wines. I drink an occasional glass of sweet wine, a good beer (Stoney’s or Bass), a Mikes Hard Lemonade, and most sweet things mixed with dark rum; but, actually just don’t drink much alcohol.,
I’m with you, but after SHFT beer and wine won’t be just for social occasions, but food and for health concerns. A glass of beer has all the nutrients as the sprouts it was made of, and with added protein. Wine will be common in houses that want to survive without scurvy, and so on.
Was salt mentioned??? Were mason jars mentioned? I always read that salt and sugar (as well as cigarettes, alcohol and coffee) were all things you could easily store to barter for other stuff
All of those are commodities that would be tradable in an EOTW situation. You should stockpile both iodized salt and non-iodized salt. You need the iodized to avoid goiter. Before salt was iodized goiter was a common ailment among folks who lived inland from the ocean. While goiter is not an especially life-threatening condition symptoms caused by an enlarged thyroid gland can be debilitating.
No need to stock tons of iodized salt, we don’t need iodine by the fistful. You use it to season table food and you get all the iodine you need.
Non-iodized salt is necessary for preserving meat and fish. You can’t have too much of that.
If you have tradable quantities of any or all of the above, you will be popular in an EOTW situation. You also will be the target of folks who are of the opinion that what’s yours is theirs and what’s theirs is theirs. They will not be adverse to helping themselves at your expense.
left coast chuck,
Since iodized salt doesn’t work well for some canning an preservation techniques like pickling, we keep a lot of plain salt with hundred of pounds stored for the softener.
Another good and inexpensive source of iodine for the diet can be found in Kelp tablets; but,, one should not exceed 200-250 mcg per day as a supplement. Eggs & prunes contain quite a bit as does most seafood, for those living where it would be available.
Elaine,
Salt and canning jars may make good barter items; but, they are actually rather good items to have on hand for your own use.
We always have at least several dozen assorted size canning jars with lids and rings on hand, purchased in quantity when on sale.
Salt may of course be used for cooking as well as for preservation of foods.
We always have a few pounds of iodized salt for cooking needs; but, always have at least 250 pounds of water softener salt. Softener salt is just plain salt, and will get used for the water softener; but, it may also be ground and used for cooking or food preservation. Purchasing it in large bags for the softener is rather inexpensive, and makes it a multiuse item, which is always a good thing.
Long term however, you might need to add an iodine source like kelp tablets.
We are in OH also and have a lot of salt for the softener. It is the rust out for our well water. Can it be used to grind and use also? TIA
This is how we teach this ”Rule of 3’s” in our classes & seminars.
You can survive:
3 seconds without a plan
3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
3 months without hope
What’s Your Pantry All About?
Two weeks is enough to get through most short-term disasters, without having to dig into my main food stockpile.
True and actually a deep pantry for many.
Working in emergency management, it’s often hard to get people to have the lifesaving 72 hour kit so 14 days is a very good start.
Redoing the Pantry
sstrong>Cleanup is something we never do, since we date everything and use it in FIFO (First In First Out) order. Many years ago we would find those old cans suitable for the trash; but, we now organize and manage our food stocks to ensure that doesn’t happen.
One should also follow the simple rule of: “Buy what you eat & Eat what you buy” that in simple terms, means that you don’t buy a food you don’t like, simply because it was a bargain.
For containers we use either #10 cans of bulk goods or 5 gallon buckets with reseal able Gamma Lids, placing boxes of dry goods like cereal in them in hot summers, with a desiccant pack to keep out the moisture.
For store purchased canned goods, we invested in the Thrive Life Cansolidators that makes cans easy to access, rotate, and inventory, plus lots of cans managed this way, takes up very little shelf space
Other Condiments
You can be more efficient buy purchasing gallon cans of soy sauce at a restaurant outlet and making your own teriyaki sauce.
Food Items
I find the you might need to hide. kind of funny, since I always think of it as just adding flavor to bland things like beans or rice or dry white meats.
It’s about the same here, plus several gallons each of honey & real maple syrup and a bit of molasses.
We don’t really like the instant; but, keep regular oatmeal and cream of wheat on hand as well as corn meal that is useful for many things, including a breakfast.
We purchase the bags of the small bags of Frito’s snacks and make cookies; but, I think long term this is survival food, since in a long term stressful situation, these comfort foods can bring back an air of normalcy, for at least a moment, relieving some stress.
Non-Food Items
We’re unlikely to run out of gas, since we keep more than 2000 gallons of propane on hand most of the time; but, we also have a two burner Coleman camp stove with fuel and a single burner butane stove with fuel and the ability to build a campfire outside and cook in a really down situation.
Same here, since you can get some really heavy duty plates that don’t drop the food on you lap.
Fire Starting Kit – Not only for the barbecue grille and fire pit, but for cooking as well.
Our small kit is kept in a bathroom closet, just a few steps from the kitchen.
The large one is on wheels and is stored out of the way; but, accessible.
All in all this is a good article for those not yet up to speed, to use as a guideline.
We keep the following additions in our pantry because it’s not our long term storage area and these turn over fairly regularly:
Oils – olive, corn, coconut, avocado, grape seed
Salts – pink, black, applewood smoked, grey
Various condensed soups – cream of mushroom and cream of chicken make great casserole bases
Crackers – saltine, Graham, wheat thins, etc
Juices – cranberry, flavored electrolytes, grape, v8, energy drinks and CO2 canisters for making sparkling water or sodas
Specialty items – sodium hydroxide (Pretzels), Hirschhorn saltz, baking powder, baking soda, decorating sugars
Dried mushrooms- morels, various dried fungi
Dried fruits – papaya, cantaloupe, apricot, cherries, pineapple, dates, raisins, kiwi,
Nuts – walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans
There are also dog treats and long term chewies. We have 3 dogs that are family members to spoil once in a while.
Chayam
We don’t have a specific long term storage and short term pantry area, except for some cases of #10 cans of grains and items purchased from the local LDS Bishops Storehouse.
We keep canola & corn oil in one of the refrigerators, and lots of olive oil in the freezer where it will keep indefinitely.
We only have normal iodized and non-iodized table salt, some kosher & pink salt, and a ton of water softener salt we can grind up if we need it.
We do the same there; but, tomato can also be used as a base along with copious amounts of tomato paste and tomato sauce. We also keep a fair number of Progresso soups for convenience, since they are pull-top and ready to heat & eat.
No way to make sparkling water; but, we use a lot of V8 and Gatorade powder.
We don’t keep our sodium hydroxide in the pantry with the food, since it may be used for other things and may be quite caustic.
Since baking powder can easily go stale, we don’t use it; but, do keep quantities of Cream of Tartar (tartaric Acid) and baking soda on hand, to make our own when we need it. My favorite cookie, Snickerdoodles uses that combination in the recipe.
We keep most of those, except cantaloupe and kiwi; but, also some freeze dried versions, some of which we make on our own when in season.
And peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut butter powder since they’re inexpensive and useful for both snacks & ingredients.
One final thing is a lot of garlic & onions, both fresh and dried / minced.
Ohio Prepper: If you want to make sparkling beverages you can buy a device that injects CO2 into any beverage. If you watch movies from the 30s on late late late night TV you will see the suave, debonaire man about town squirting homemade seltzer water into his scotch and soda. You insert your standard 12 oz CO2 cartridge in the device add water and voila! Seltzer water or carbonated orange juice if that is what floats your boat.
Technology is really old. Many decades ago in my callow youth I was a soda jerk. The fountain contained the syrups that made the soda and CO2 and water made them all fizzy and diluted enough to drink. We could make the drink stronger or weaker depending upon how many pumps of the syrup we put into the drink. I don’t know how much before the turn of the 19th century soda fountains came into being, perhaps it was after the turn. Certainly by the 1920s soda fountains were ubiquitous.
Actually, after paper boy, soda jerk was my first job paying 30¢ an hour which was the minimum wage at that time.
left coast chuck,
I am well aware of the devices, with the most prevalent being SodaStream; but, my boat floats mostly with noncarbonated beverages with the exception of a root beer float (root beer & vanilla ice cream) or the occasional cold beer.
That’s interesting since I had that same job for a while in my late teens (mid to late 1960’s). Several local drug stores had soda fountains where you could mix soda water with coke syrup and then add additional flavors like cherry, lemon, or chocolate, with chocolate being my least favorite.
We also had some of the so called ”Five & Dime” stores like Ben Franklin, W.T. Grant, Kresge’s, and McCrory Stores all of which had ”lunch counters” serving breakfast & lunch (mostly sandwiches) with that same ubiquitous soda fountain.
I also started out as a paper boy, carrying two morning routes and an after school route, the combination of which paid something like $18-20 per week or $5-6 per route. The great thing about that job was Christmas, where 350 subscribers usually gave you cash ranging from $1.00 to $5.00 with the occasional $10 or $20 bill.
Working as both a soda jerk and a restraint bus boy, gave me spending money and help put some away for college.
I was heavy into photography and purchased film, paper, and chemicals from the local (no joke) ”Acme Photo” and ended up working there for a whopping $1.00 per hour; but, that job helped me get another one In college making $1.75 as a photo technician, all of which helped pay for schooling.
I come to these forums to discuss preparedness things and occasionally fall into a thread like this, taking a walk down memory lane, remembering and discussing things long ago; but, not forgotten.
Thanks for the send off on this trip. LOL.
Don’t forget Medicine, vitamins, coffee & a few sweets.
Patrick ,
I don’t drink coffee; but, the wife cannot live without it, so we have quite a stash of it in one of the freezers, plus a good supply of K-Cups.
For sweeteners we generally keep generic Sucralose and Aspartame packets, plus 40 or more pounds of cane sugar, molasses, a few quarts of maple syrup and a few gallons of honey.
In the past we made our own honey, (actually had the bees do it for us) and will be doing this again and I also make my own maple syrup & maple sugar / maple sugar candy, so no lack of sweeteners around.
We keep our medical supplies in the guest bathroom in a shelf unit. While not officially pantry, we keep:
Isopropyl alcohol – 75 & 90
Hydrogen peroxide
Antibiotic ointment
Bandages
Dental emergency kits
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Soaps
Mineral oil
Epsom salts
Peptobismol
Tums – simethicone
Merthiolate – iodine
Suture kits
Hemostats
IV kits
Shampoo / conditioner
Powdered charcoal- activated
Witch hazel
Benedryl ointment
Poison ivy soap
Everything is FIFO managed.
Chaya,
Good list; but, you might want to add a thermometer, pulse Oximeter and a BP cuff.
These have all gotten very inexpensive and can help you diagnose and manage some issues.
The Ohio Prepper,
Yup, have the BP cuff and thermometers but not the Oximeter. Have to look into that.
Chaya,
As I stated to Clergylady earlier in this forum. I have several pulse Oximeters of the type that go on your fingertip.. These run on 2 AAA batteries and ran under $15.00 each.
Chaya,
We were shopping at Aldus this afternoon and in their non food ”notion” aisle they had a blister packed Pulse Oximeter for $20.00
No Aldies around here. Ill have to keep looking. There should be an oxy meter available in this area.
You listed toothpaste but no mention of brushes or floss….
If I can make a suggestion or two.
Baby wipes and perhaps alcohol prep pads.
A few eyedroppers different ones for different uses
Q-Tips have multiple uses from the obvious to cleaning weapons to applying antibiotic ointments to use your imagination
Eye moisturizers
Pure white vinegar. mix 50/50 with Isopropyl Alcohol to make ear drops.IT WILL cure a very painful condition called “Swimmer’s Ear. Also it is good for other ear related things…you can var the ratio as you see fit or need. Use it before and swimming or showering.
There are other uses for it as well
FYI something I learned years ago IF you put Isopropyl alcohol in your ears and it stings and burns you have an ear infection and should see a doctor.
Perhaps some foot powder and moleskin for blistered feet or the moleskin around raw spots.or elsewhere
Not to mention powder or spray for foot fungus such as Athletes Foot.
GOT TO take care of your feet OR ELSE!
What do you have for burns?
Do you have any tourniquets?
You have IVs and Suture Kits are you capable of using them?
IF so can you properly handle a Sucking Chest Wound? Or other gunshot wound?
Do you have any splints and slings??
Ace Wraps for sprains?
I did not see an pain medication or anti-inflammatory meds…
As others have said a Thermometer and Blood Pressure machine or better yet be able and know how to do it manually!
You bandages do you cover the full range and several of them to handle wounds from band-aids to large pads for serous trauma wounds?
I can probably come up with more… give me some time
Good ideas, thanks. Any remedy for burns always has zinc in it, and often silver. Zinc is a primary component of skin, and silver kills infections. I collect Irish silver when I can. This is brass or copper coated with silver. It was popular till the 1940s and there’s enough around in many areas it’s considered junk. niio
Yosemite,
All good suggestions
Amen. Moleskin & dry socks can be a lifesaver, especially in the field.
New-Skin® liquid bandage can also be useful here.
Clean gauze is often good here, depending on the severity; but, some light antiseptic ointment with lidocaine can also be useful.
I do but, you need to also have a Sharpie marker with them, since current protocol says to never take one off; but, to mark the time placed on the body with a sharpie marker often on the forehead if no other place or tag is available.
Personally I can do minor sutures; but, having the equipment is not a bad idea, in case you have people with the skills and no equipment on them. In my case, my neighbors and MAG members are a Fire Chief Paramedic and his Paramedic / Nurse practitioner wife, so having resources they can use on me & mine is an inexpensive piece of insurance.
I can handle some of those as a first responder; but, if real medical care is unavailable, we could all be in trouble
These should be standard as well as some Coban wrap for sprains or holding bandages in place.
ASA, Naproxen, and Ibuprofen all work as ANSIDS and acetaminophen also does reasonable pain relief. Heavier narcotic medications need to be used sparingly and could be hard to acquire, unless you have a really good relationship with your doctor as I do. Even then, they must be kept in the original bottle by the prescribed patient.
Hopefully we all can come up with other things to add to the kit, since that’s how we should all be approaching things.
Thanks
First I must add proper gloves that fit properly and LOTS of them to protect yourself and the person/s being treated.
I highly agree about the suture kits and IVs….and other various items that are usually used by Navy Corpsman, Paramedics, IDTs, Ect.
I was just asking and as going to suggest to find someone to teach you more knowledge…..how to find and know how you have found a vein to insert an IV and various places one can insert them….Actually finding volunteers to train on might be a tad bit difficult.
As for surface sutures you can practice on bananas their skin is similar enough….of course the banana is not bleeding or wiggly and shouting screaming or crying…or talking back to you while you insert sutures.
Eye moisturizers/Eye washes/ Eye patches
Tubes of ointment for eye infections? Styes or other eye related
Spare pair/s eyeglasses and or contacts….IF you need or wear them. also those little eye glass repair kits. Someone will eventually put them to good use.
Your own personal medications.
Burns If you have access to fresh Aloe you got it made!
I am quite sure it can be processed into some sort of storage. That is beyond my level of knowledge. I know one can store it in the fridge for a few days and be used for other purposes but that s about it. You can buy plastic bottles of the Aloe Gel for after Sun…..hat probably could be used and better than nothing. Make sure it is all Aloe.
I just have lots of it growing. Pop off the leaves and squeeze out the gel and apply it until the skin stops absorbing it then apply more once the skin has absorbed it. Just keep putting it on as such occurs.
IF you can get Silvadine GET IT! It is probably the next best thing to Aloe and definitely GREAT stuff for burns.
Zinc Oxide used to be used a sunblock and minor skin burns diaper rash and other skin irritations Think the white stuff on a Life Guards nose.
Emergency Dental Care kit.
The Original Listerine Mouthwash (Medicine Breath) had many other uses printed on the label. Among them was disinfectant and great for scrapes burns and I cannot recall all of them…. but t was and is a BIG Multi-Tool to have.
UNlubricated condoms have various uses limited by your imagination and can be used to carry water. or store items to keep them dry and the stretch in them. Make a balloon out one and see how much it will stretch.
Finger dams think tin condoms that fit your fingers. If you have a cut or a band-aid put one that finger.
Some Hemorrhoid medications..If you don’t have them Good. But IF you or someone else does you or they will be grateful for it.
Antihistimines for sinus or allergies…….
All good recommendations on the pain relief. A couple of more are useful too but for an added reason.
They can also handle a very severe problem.
I would also add baby aspirin. Multi use for it beside being made for children Adults on an aspirin regiment can use them as well to prevent strokes or heart attacks
Look at Excedrin…one of them, I think the Original Formula but there is one made for Migraines. It is one of the Excedrin formulas that as found to be great for Migraines….hen the found that out the repackaged it with the new name.
Our IDT carried a bag over his shoulder that had lots pockets and every pocket and a main pouch had a number. Each and everything had it’s own number and pocket. There was also a booklet if I remember correctly identifying he items an here they were located.
It was said you could do anything from minor eye surgery to delivering a baby and everything n between.
Spare batteries foe ALL of our electronic devices!
Preferably the should all use the same batteries… But
So far have not such to be. So no doubt you are going to need numerous types and I highly suggest the best alkaline long life that you can get.
I am not sure the new rechargeables last or if the still develop memories But that is up to the individual to decide.
Perhaps some Vapor Rub….
FYI There are inflatable splints n that take up less space.
If I come up with more to add I will.
Yosemite,
I was trained by a friend who is an E.R> doc. We practiced on raw Chicken leg & thigh quarters, and when we were finished, we removed the sutures and grilled the chicken. Waste not want not.
Even keeping around an old prescription will often be better and closer to your needs than nothing.
I have more than a year supply of the important ones.
We used Aloe Vera on a diving trip to the Florida Keys where it grew wild. Here in Ohio we have to use other things since the winters kill off such plants.
Rugby Zinc Oxide Ointment USP 20%, 16 oz is only $9.00 @ Wal-Mart.
This is a good one that tastes horrible; but, does work for numerous things.
I no longer need the stuff; but, Hydrocortisone cream works well for this and other ailments, making it a good multi tool to keep on hand.
Benadryl works for this and for minor things like bee stings.
I take 4 per day and keep several thousand on hand at all times. The two bottle pack is inexpensive: ” Equate Adult Low Dose Aspirin Enteric Coated Tablets, Twin Pack, 81 mg, 500 count” runs around $6.00 so easy to stock from Wal-Mart.
It contains Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ASA (Aspirin), and Caffeine.
You only need to keep AA & AAA and maybe a few 9V. The nickel metal hydride battery, (NiMH or Ni–MH) have no memory. I prefer the Panasonic Eneloop having found them to be a little more expensive; but, better than all others.
They make plastic cases to insert the AA batteries that allow them to operate as a C or D cell, since they are the same length.
I also have a case that holds 4 D cells to replace a lantern battery.
You will of course need a way to charge them; but, small solar chargers are available everywhere for less than $20.00
The old memory restricted cells were the NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) that are rarely used and are now treated as hazardous waste.
Absolutely!!! Some old things still just plain work.
TOP
I just recently found out about this product. It is a simple and easy to use product and I cannot believe it as not patented and put into years ago.
It is simple to use and most anyone that can use a band-aid should be able to apply this and put it into use.
I think this should be a must have item and especially for people that cannot get or use suture kits.
It has been used in 500,000 or more uses and is proven to work.
From what I can make of it it is as simple as cleaning a wound. holding the wound closed and putting the bandage on and then pull hat looks like little Zip Ties and pull them to hold the wound closed
Anyway your and others thoughts and input on it please.
https://zipstitch.us/?utm_source=Recoil&utm_medium=Newsletter&__s=vety1zrbxteajsbifyze
A big improvement over tape alone products like butterfly. It looks easy to use.
I’ve used lots of butterflys.
I have suture kits in my bug out first aid bag. Your find looks easier than sutures but I can do sutures and they stay put until removed unless dissolving materials are used.
C
I have used more than one Butterfly as well and see them as a big improvement or the next or maybe even more generations in advancement above the Butterfly strips.
The are out of Canada I THINK and have been in use there for sometime example shows them used in knee replacement and other surgeries.
What gets me is the simplicity and ease of use…and they work.
Yosemite,
First of all it does have a patent on the closure syste and it doesn look easy to use.
I have numerous closure systems including sutures; but, it still looks like a good item for the FAK.
It looks good to me; but, I’ve sent the link to several medically savvy friends including Paramedics and an E.R. Doc to see what they know or think about it.
It can be purchased on Amazon for $30.00 and I’ve added it to my wish list.
TOP
Oh I do know it has a patent I was trying or meant to say is that it is so simple WHY couldn’t I or one of us come up with it? Like a Cresent Wrench or a Flat Head or Phillips Screwdriver. Something so simple and everyone uses or can use?
Simple things but someone did have a patent on them somewhere. It has been right there in front of us. All the parts are there waiting to be assembled in this manner but everyone of us missed it.
How many of us would have come up with this simple and helpful and useful application and innovation?
There are many simple things to be invented that will be of use and anyone out there can become the innovator of a whole new idea of something that make lives or work or a Life or even tools for survival. Imagination and Dreamers that refuse to accept NO go back to the drawing board and keep trying until they ultimately fail or succeed.
I think it originated Canada but it is a simple and efficient product.
By all means please let me know what you find out.
Like I said it is new to me and it sounded like an item to share and be an item of potential use anyone could get and use.
$30.00 sounds a bit expensive but a lot of medical items are. But with more items in use the prices usually drop.
One thing for sure no one will really know until they get first hand knowledge or experience with this or any other item.
I am like you I am adding it to my wish list and waiting.
Yosemite,
I really understand both the concept and feeling on this matter. The old head slap ”duh? Why didn’t I think of that.”.
I’ve filed several patent applications over the years and was granted one (jointly with another engineer) in the mid 1990’s
I have a device I’m working on now that could be patentable; but, the process for an individual is somewhat long, tedious, and expensive, with the ability to recover your costs, let alone make a profit always a consideration.
I don’t know that everyone missed it; but, as I stated above, not many were willing to sink the time and money into the process.
As individual pieces many of us or those in the medical community may have already been doing this; but, never thought of integrating it into a single easy to use & deployable device. (Another head slap goes here LOL)
That may be true; but, even success creating a working prototype invention is only the first step.
When I was in college nearly 50 years ago I played a lot of tennis; but, with limited funs I could not always afford new balls when they went flat.
My solution was a 1 foot piece of 3 inch threaded pipe, threaded on both ends with caps. Using O Rings and a Schrader valve I made a container to hold the balls that have a maximum diameter of 2.7 inches. On the way home I would stop at a gas station and give the container a shot of air, and the pressure kept the balls inside from going flat. This was back in the day when gas station still had ”Free Air” !!! My friends who were also engineering students urged me to get a patent or make a product to sell; but, for the same reasons I made the device (lack of money) I did not.
Then one day while picking up some new balls, I spied a metal tennis ball can with a small hand pump on one end, allowing you to pressurize the container without stopping at a gas station. Another head slap moment; but, unavoidable due to lack of funds.
One of the main reasons I haut forums like this is for those tips and products I’ve not yet seen.
Here is what I found out from my medical people:
From my former combat medic and paramedic
From my E.R. doc
Hi Yosemite,
Yes, I have to be first aid trained for my job, so the stuff we keep I do know how to use. I do thank you for the feedback as well.
Yes, we have topical and ingestible pain items. I graduated with my Master Herbalist certificate and I do herbal remedies and consulting for a host of ailments.
All interesting comments.
I dehydrate and can fruits and vegetables. I used to freeze but don’t do that anymore. I can can as little as 3 pints at a time in pressure or water bath canners. Mostly I aim for full loads in the canners. I buy caselots of things we like such as canned chili con carne – on sale – when I can. We keep assorted canned meats and fish on hand. When I have power for the mini fridge there is fresh meat and milk as well. Often salad makings as well. Tomatoes sit in a bowl on the counter. There is a well stocked baking supply area. There are rice and pasta mixes that we enjoy now and then. They store in fiber board barrels that are food grade. I happen to use them as end tables in my small living room. Its all one big open room with the kitchen so they are close if wanted. They hold close to 5 gallons of volumn. That’s a lot of food. I plan to get a couple more for other storage.
We have seeds ahead and save seeds from each harvest. I harvest from our garden and forrage as well.
I have both propane stoves and wood/pellet heat and wood cooking ability outside. There is lots of wood outside. I have hand saws, gas chainsaw and a smaller electric chainsaw. Our home is off grid solar with a plug in on the battery controller box so I can plug in a wood chipper or chainsaw so trash size limbs can burn through the pellet hopper on my heating stove. The heating stove has a 16″ round top on the heat collector where I keep 3 gal of water hot, fry potatoes and heat a tea kettle.
I have a small old washing machine but when we were without electricity and the array was being rebuilt I washed laundry in 3, 5 gallon buckets. Wash, rinse, rinse. Used a new toilet plunger to do most of the agitation motion. It worked well. Light was a mix of battery and lamp oil lamps. I make candles so we used a lot of those. In winter I burned candles under pots of water or oil to help collect and use the heat. Heavy ceramic pots will do the same thing.
We take life as it comes and just handle it. That’s what we’d have to do if SHTF. Stay, camp on the mountain above us or drive away. You just do what needs to be done. I have tools, seasonal, survival kits and first aid kits in each vehicle. I aim to always fill up the gas tank before I come home. There are backpacks with necessary papers, food and a way to prepare it, surgical first aid, seasonal clothing, and more. All ready to grab and go. One pack has a pistol and ammo with more underwater and extra pairs of warm socks. By the door are two long bows and arrows on hooks. Behind the bedroom door are a medium sized crossbow with a few dozen bolts and a wrist rocket that can shoot marbles, stones or even arrows. Coats are by the front door in a free standing small closet. I have two bicycles in the shed next to the parked vehicles. A medium motor home could go but it doesn’t get great mileage. It is ready to camp in at any time. If I need to drive away I’d probably take one of the trucks. F250 4×4 crewcab or a smaller Ranger with a camper shell on it and air mattresses with bedding ready to use.
I’d prefer to hunker down and stay home. I have 2 wells here. One on commercial power and the other capped but accessible to set up a hand winch.
In the shop and in the kitchen I use an assortment of antique hand tools. I have several electric sewing machines but I also have a treadle machine that works beautifully. I’m wanting to replace an old set of long range walkie talkies.
We use solar lights on pathways, inside by windows so my husband will have lights. In the room with my rabbits there is a solar light with the panel outside and motion activated light inside. Walk in, leave a hand and the light comes on. Set it at the longest setting before it turns off. Handy at cleaning or feeding time.
I have a solar battery charger and solar phone charger. Those are part of our daily life.
Our old Mama cat keeps us in New cute mouse catchers now and then. I have motion sensors that let me know when something at a set height moves. My little dog does much the same thing and is cuddly as well.
I’d like to get a large dog. Perhaps German Shepherd. Not sure I have the time with caretaking a husband with Alzheimer’s. I’d want the dog to be well trained. That takes persistence and patience. Still a well trained dog is pure gold in protection and warning. Could also be a helper with hunting provisions if you teach the dog to relinquish what it catches. In a survival situation that could be survival. But be sure your hunter is getting a fair share of food.
There is a lot that can be done ahead of time. Mostly it takes planning and follow through.
I haven’t purchased or made shelves that rotate canned goods. That would be handy.
Clergylady, my hat is off to you. You are an awesome woman doing everything you list and still taking care of your husband. May God give you strength and bless you.
Clergylady,
First of all, you seem to lead a very well put together lifestyle, and anyone would be happy to know you in an EOTW situation.
We dehydrate, freeze, freeze dry, and can fruits & vegetables. We do a lot of freezing and have most of half an Angus beef (300+ pounds) in one of the freezers, so here we use a mix of preservation & storage methods.
It’s the same here; but, like you, we try for full loads, since the full load uses less fuel overall for processing, since one can or a full load takes about as much heat and time.
We do this quite often for commercially canned items like baked beans, and some fruits and vegetables, usually from Aldi’s.
Great minds think alike, LOL. Chicken, Tuna, Salmon, and Sardines are almost always abundant in the pantry.
Ours is just a shelf, not really an area; but, the same here also with various flours, flavorings, and a small amount of baking powder, with a significant amount of baking soda and cream of tartar (Tartaric acid) on hand to make our own.
We also keep a large amount of grains, especially wheat and have several ways to grind into flour. The ability to make our own flour from a storable grain and the baking soda and cream of tartar to make our own baking powder, gives us a much longer shelf life than just flour & baking powder alone.
We always have a good supply of a variety of Knorr pasta sides and the soup mixes from Bear Creek.
It’s much the same here, with forage for only a few types of berries (black raspberries & mulberries) and rose hips, all when in season. We also have tons of black walnuts; but, those often go to waste or to seed making little trees, since the work involved for the meat you get is not time & cost effective. In an EOTW event where you have lots of time, this could of course change.
We have wood heat from an air tight fireplace insert as backup, with propane as the primary. A gas forced air furnace and two ventless heaters are connected to our tank farm, as is the gas range & oven, the water heater and the whole house generator. The tank farm can hold about 3000 gallons, and was just recently topped off with our summer fill of 1423 gallons. We also have buddy heaters and both 20# BBQ style tanks with adapter hose & 14 & 16 oz cylinders.
A 2 burner Coleman camp stove and single burner butane stove with adequate fuel on hand finishes this for inside cooking with a BBQ grill and fire ring outside and plenty of fuel for both.
We have a 40 year old Stihl that still runs quite well as well as a smaller gas powered saw, along with small electric & battery electrics and a pole saw.
A few hand saws, several axes, a splitting maul, sledge & wedges finish off the basic wood gathering tools. As I get older I’m not excited with using that maul and have been considering a splitter.
They make a purpose built ”Off Grid Clothes Washer” that looks like a big plunger; but, I have also used a plunger in a pinch and it works rather well. It’s called the ”Breathing Mobile Washer”
We have numerous LED flashlights, headlamps and lanterns, with the newer versions really getting bright and inexpensive; but, still have Aladdin and Coleman mantle lanterns with plenty of fuel on hand.
For extra heat you can invert a Terra Cotta flower pot over a gas burner or even a few candles and when the ceramic gets hot, it radiates a nice warm heat. For candles (or Sterno) you need to set the bottom (top lip of inverted pot) on a pencil or something to allow air flow into the system. The drain hole becomes the chimney and the pot can get quite warm.
With the exception of a short term bug out to avoid a noxious cloud of something coming our way, or a house fire, we plan to shelter in place, along with some local MAG members, all of whom bring skills or security to the mix.
We have seasonal car kits and have always used the maxim: ”Half is empty” for fuelling the vehicles, since an emergency could easily mean 20-80 miles to reach a medical facility.
I carry a handgun with me most of the time, as well as extra ammunition.
Our plan is also to Bug In (”Shelter in place”. We have only a single good well; but, the generator is quite capable of running the pump and all refrigeration equipment, with plenty of fuel and consumables on hand at all times.
We also have a creek running through the property and ponds and rain catchment and ways to purify or filter the water.
I prefer my Ryobi ONE+ battery tools; but, also have older tools like a Draw Knife, hand saws, an old style block plane and sanding blocks I hope to never need.
We have two machines including an old treadle machine that’s been converted to use an electric motor. One of my projects is to get the treadle pieces and get that working again, eventually.
What do you call long range?
I’ve been a ham operator working in communications for more than 40 years and the term ”Long Range” is very subjective. Most often the range of a radio is base mostly on the height of its antenna. If we were on opposites sides of a mountain with 100 watts each, we may not be able to communicate; but, with both on top of the mountains, even a little FRS radio running 500 mw (0.5 watts) might easily communicate 10 or more miles.
We use them also, and some of the new solar lights are amazingly bright. I can recommend the ”Atomic Beam Sun Blast” or its generics. The originl was an “As seen on TV” device running $20.00; but, I just purchased two generic versions for $25.00 total from Amazon.
We also have those; but, only for emergencies, although we use them to make sure all is working. Once again, the electronics are getting really inexpensive.
We have the same, wireless for intrusion detection, purchased from Harbor Freight for around $10.00 with a coupon.
It’s a continuous evaluation and improvement. As you learn, you find the holes and plug them in a continuous cycle. Early lighting was candle and wick or mantle based lanterns, then ”Usable LED lights”; but, some inexpensive, very bright and efficient LED lighting is now the norm.
We purchased the Cansolidators from Shelf Reliance and love them and as I mentioned above to efzapp, that there are some ladies who run a Thrive Life site with the occasional sale. with the best way to find out is to drop your email with the ladies who run this site: http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ for updates on freeze dried products and items like the Cansolidators.
Prepping is a continuous life style and you seem to have things well in hand.
Just a thought, but if the dog is trained to stay with your husband? A hound would do as well as a German Shepherd. Females prefer to stay near men and as male coyotes are bolder than females, she’d be more protection. No male would attack her. niio
Hi Clergylady,
Just an FYI. you can use the plastic milk crates to concrete blocks and some planks/boards to make shelving. I have done to make bookshelves and for storage of various items. place the crates or concrete blocks at the base of a wall and the length of the wall or the length of the boards/planks. Lay the board/planks on top then another set of crates/blocks. Continue doing that layer upon layer. Voila you no have shelving space for whatever you choose to put on them..
Please, can anyone tell me about TO filtration and how to set up for rain water catchment? Also interested in growing warranty but don’t know which type to grow or where to get seed.
I love all the info I learn from all of you, but threads tend to get confusing after a while when you’ve gone through so many comments and can’t figure out what the discussed item is…like the sound closure thing. I’ve only been doing this for a couple of years but I’m always learning and loving it. I’m more than happy to learn from all who are willing to teach. Please excuse, what may seem to you like ridiculous questions. I ask only in an attempt to learn more.
Thank you one and all!
Vinegar. Natural, homemade or bought in a store, vinegar is high in a lot of minerals and Vitamin C. It’s a purifier, medicinal, flavoring agent, and so on, and easy to make from grain or fruit. 5 gallons of nopale (prickly pear) juice are in storage and the remains of the fruit are in a covered bucket to make vinegar. Rice dough is made of fermented rice, and the water is rice wine vinegar. A plus, if stored right (sealed in jugs) vinegar will keep for years without degrading. Honey is another food that should be stockpiled without loss of value. Unlike sugar, it is a food, not just flavoring.
I buy and keep white, wine, and cider vinegars. I have a quart of nopale juice from two years ago that I never heated or sealed just as an experiment. It fermented into a pretty descent wine but left sitting it should turn to vinegar. That’s what I’m after to see how it turns out. It never spoiled as in rotten, nor did it grow a mold. It made a tasty wine but I wanted to see what it would do in the long term unsealed. So far it’s still a very tasty wine. Nothing was added to it. When I make wine I usually add some sugar to help the fermentation along. I think I like this full bodied wine even better. So the experiment is good how ever it ends up.
I also save water in my home for short term emergencies. I have 2 , 5 gallon containers and 2 , 2 1/2 gallon containers at all times. That would give me a bit of time to set up the winch system to draw water from my capped well. The winch is an old hand cranked one taken from a boat trailer that was abandoned here. I’ve added a longer cable. Ultimately I plan to set that well up with a solar powered pump and a pressure tank for home use and some diverted to a couple of 330 gallon storage containers for the garden. I also have 4, 330 gallon totes for rain barrels when I can get the gutters for my mobile home and larger sheds. Two of those will be for my critters. The rest will be for garden and fruit trees. We will have the fresh well water for home use with or without power.
On the desert water is precious. If the monsoon rains don’t come or if they pass over too quickly everything must be watered. Not just the garden but the fruits and berries as well, so they will survive. I bought the 330 gallon totes for $75 each. I also have a 275 gallon tote. Definately not for drinking water. It contained liquid fertilizer.
I also have 3, 55gallon food grade barrels that potable water can be stored in. They aren’t set up yet. To be used they must be protected from freezing. I’d like to set them in the planned walipini or pit greenhouse. I can set a small solar pump to pump water up to a place where I could get the water. The planned root celler will be next to the walipini.
If we were going to drink the rain water it would need to be filtered. The well water tests as clean. So for the present time I keep well water for stored drinking water.
I’m not sure how RO water would be. I don’t have that here. I enjoyed it at my last home. I keep my well water for an average of one year at a time and it’s still good when we change out for fresh water in the 15 gallons of containers I have in the kitchen. The old water goes into the top of a 330 gallon tote of water for the garden. It will eventually be connected to the soaker hoses in the garden. I have to reduce the bottom valve from 2″ down to 3/4″ to fit the hose. Easy to do. It just takes a few parts. I just got those 330 gallon totes a couple of weeks ago. I’ve already been adding water to one tote so I don’t waste the water.
There are many things to consider in planning what to save and how to save it. If you aren’t sure on something ask. I’m sure someone will have a answer. The articles are interesting but usually become a starting point for discussions.
Clergylady,
We keep two 5-gallon buckets with loose fitting lids (to keep out the bugs & dirt) full of water at all times. We have a good well & a whole house generator; but, even with that, we’ve had a pump fail a few times over the years, and each bucket provides enough water for 3 toilet flushes with modern low (1.6 gallons per flush) toilets.
Look on Amazon for the ”Gravity Water Filter Kit for DIY Purifier, Includes .2 Micron Ceramic Filter, Pre Filter, Dispenser, and Instructions by SHTFandGO” and for around $30.00 and your own food grade buckets, you can easily build your own system, I’ve built several.
All of our cooking and drinking water comes from our R/O system and we love it. It’s about as pure as you can get water.
I would agree and most of the best information is passed in those discussions.
Yo, I’m back! Red’s little adventure went well. New heart valve, and no ciggies for 5 day, caught a lung infection and always do when I quit. I got so many needle tracks, it’s like thank God the cops didn’t stop us. I would have been hauled off on general principals 🙂 I have to say, I have never gotten better treatment than at a VA. Any neolib state and they know I’m another mongrel half-breed rednig and I get the bum’s rush and very little treatment.
You will succeed. You always have because you’re smart and willing. No matter the adversity, folks like you are leaders because you’re the success we all look up to.
When I made the nopale vinegar, I saved the cooked pulp from juicing and seeded that with yeast. A short time later, no sugar added, I had vinegar. Vinegar is something I’m stocking up on this year, and trying to not buy much. With all the apple juice jugs, I’ll have plenty. It’s so easy to make, why bother? It can store for decades and retain all vitimins. The old timers used to mix vinegar with water to drink to kill parasites. I think it took only a tablespoon or two, but no one should trust well water and creeks are never safe. The FDA claims there’s not a water source anywhere that is safe. Not even tap water. So, coffee and tea are primary, and not a lot of coffee as its loaded with potassium and can dehydrate.
No rain since last Sunday but the garden looked good. 2 plants were severely wilted, one in a bucket, the other the chimoyo that survived winter, and sits over a ledge of caliche. Even the beans in the planters were healthy. The tepary beans are in bloom. They like it on the dry side, so I try to lay off irrigating them. It’s not good for them, anyway, and they can develop root rot. Native to the desert, hot and dry are their season.
Anyway, right now I look like someone took the woman’s ax to me for witchcraft 🙂 Split me right down the breastbone. I had a great-grandmother who escaped the rez in Ela, NC, for a few little oddities. They came so close the ax cut hair off the back of her head. I bet that added a little fire to her run. Maybe made her run all the way to western Virginia, to the Willies.
All good things must come to an end. I met a Navajo metis prepper and gave him this site. Got a German very interested in it, as well.
Red,
Was that the TAVR? I’ve been evaluated twice for that procedure; but, thankfully found to not need it.
You of course know that you should have never started. I started when I was 14; but, never finished the first one before I got dizzy and tossed my breakfast and saw no good reason to continue.
I understand with all of the IV’s needed to keep you under and running during a procedure like that. They will of course heal and you’ll be better for it, as I have been with similar procedures.
Instead of yeast we just dropped a few raisins in the fall apple cider and it quickly turns hard and then to vinegar if you let it go that long. LOL
Prior to the vinegar stage you can let it freeze and strain out the ice for a nice warming, long lasting drink.
I had not heard this EPA assertion; but, I can assure you that our well water is perfectly safe and has been tested to be so. All we have is some iron algae and some calcium (lime), all removed with a few filters and a good water softener. Our drinking water is then processed via and RO system and additional filters, including one that is activated carbon.
Our creek and our rain catchment undergo numerous filtration methods before use as a potable source and then only in an emergency.
I drink no coffee; but, the wife drinks a few cup per day.
I prefer either Gatorade (made from powder) or various juices or ice tea. I don’t think the potassium or the caffeine in the coffee dehydrates all that much unless you’re drinking a few pots per day.
I take a diuretic and need extra potassium at times; but, V8 takes care of that quite easily and cheaply.
TARV? You know, I haven’t a clue. Went in, got preppered, and knocked out. I’ll fall asleep even in a dentist’s chair.
According to studies done outside the US, tobacco is relatively harmless and nicotine not addictive. There’s plenty in tobacco that is addictive. Inhaling makes this a problem, but tobacco smoke was never meant to be inhaled, but as a medicinal. Tobacco was and is still a primary medicinal for Native American herbalists. 1) Calms the patient, 2) kills bacteria, viral infections, 3) gives liberals the horror-shakes and chases them off. What’s not to love? I had my 1st one at age 4, and because of asthma, I was allowed peppermint ciggies under adult supervision. They reasoned it was a lot better than watching me turn blue and pass out.
Heart problem was caused by growing up in a war zone. Then, it felt normal to hear of another murder victim found in the woods, someone’s home torched or partially buried when abandoned mines under it collapsed. I saw my first dismemberment at age 11. Before entering kindergarten, every kids knows what to look for to avoid a pedophile or someone on a Rodney King high. Nic acts as a deterrent to PTSD. It reverses it, and it’s known to enhance thinking processes, which is why the patches are so popular among college kids. Smoking was not to be avoided, but embraced. Ditto coffee. I cut way back on coffee, down to a half-pot a day from 3 pots. Too much and it flushes out calcium, causing leg cramps. Of course, too much calcium does the same. The lung infection happens each time I stop.
Do you like fruit beer? It sounds like you were making apple jack, which is a beer, but then distilled. If you have the bottles, try to bottle it while its working and let it sit in a cool place for a few weeks. Mind the cork or it’ll put a hole in the ceiling when opened.
You live in limestone country. Every farm well I used had a high bacteria count. It was, in general, considered ‘safe’ but how much is safe? Water eats holes in limestone, allowing surface water into the well. A cracked pipe, anything. Animals allowed within 100 feet means some nasty will eventually work its way into the well. We don’t live in Elysian Fields and no one expects paradise. Even NYC has bacteria problems from the pristine mountain streams she takes her water from. All wells, after a decade or so, will have problems. There is no safe place to take drinking water from, only places safer than others. Arizona has natural arsenic wells/springs, gonorrhea ponds, and so on. They’re not common, but happen.
V8, Ohio ambrosia! My stepfather, grew up on a farm near W. Mansfield, bragged about it. During WWII, the Bromfield family invented it and sold it by the quart at their farm stand. We live in a beautiful country. Niio!
Red,
Actually TAVR or Trans Aortic Valve Replacement which allows the aortic valve to be replaced without cracking your chest open, since it’s all done with catheters through the femoral artery.
I had a bypass more than 20 years ago and have that zipper on the chest; but, would not like to do it again.
That was indeed apple jack with freeze distillation.
I’ve made real root beer as a kid; but, no corks, since we used cork and metal caps. If you cap the brew too early, it may not pop the cap; but, can break the glass. Ask me how I know. LOL
Our limestone is rather solid since it sits under 30 or more feet or clay and 5-10 feet of topsoil.
The well is at least 60 years old, and we’ve been using it here for 35 with no problems, other than occasionally replacing the pump. It helps that the casing, pump and other mechanicals are in the basement, so no chance of ground water intrusion. The closest animals are the chickens, at least 50 feet away, with livestock at least 150-200 feet away.
We have a little creek flowing through the property about 300 feet to the west, so the aquifer is always kept topped off and we never run low when pumping.
Actually your V8 story seems to be a family myth since according to their website: ”V8 Vegetable Juice was developed by Frank Constable of Chicago, IL who worked as a contractor for W.G. Peacock (1896–1948), the founder of the New England Products Company, which manufactured individual vegetable juices under the brand name Vege-min.”
West Mansfield BTW is less than 10 miles to my north and has a whopping population of around 650 people. Many of the villages around here are small like that; but, since everyone pretty much knows everyone else, crime is virtually nonexistent, except by the occasional outsider.
Double invention, happens all the time. V8 is still considered an Ohio invention. Yes, I did my research. That’s my job title.
Nope, got the zipper.
Limestone is the worst sort of rock to use as a filter. Even dolomite is eroded easily compared to others. Delaware is all sandstone, but after centuries of towns and farms, all wells are contaminated by nitrogen. Here, AZ, some arsenic but not as bad as in other moning areas I’ve lived. Penna is one of the worse for mercury and arsenic. Stepdad’s mother was a Jehu. You sound like you have a great place, and my hat is off to you. niio
Red,
It’s quite possibly claimed like other things via multiple myths, with a smattering of truth in each of them. All I know is that it’s a great vegetable addition from a nutritional standpoint and contains the potassium I need, requiring only some fiber, like beans for an almost complete meal.
I have one of those also, more than 20 years old and only a problem / pain the first few months home during recovery.
There’s some truth in that; but, other than making the water hard (lime & iron algae) the water is quite safe and potable. That extra calcium doesn’t hurt the he chickens who need it for their egg shells and the other livestock don’t seem to have a problem with it. The wife & I will often drink straight from the outside hydrant since it is always cold on a hot day; but, for inside plumbing the soft water keeps things from clogging and the RO system makes sure there are no contaminants and makes a better source for coffee, tea, and other drink mixes.
I think you meant nitrogen compounds like nitrates, since nitrogen itself is just an inert gas making up 80% of the air we breathe. Nitrogen compounds like anhydrous ammonia are however heavily used in some agriculture and sandstone would offer little capture or filtering, so I suspect that make some sense, since Delaware has a population density of 442.6 people per square mile while Ohio only has a population density of 282.3 people per square mile making its density 1.5 times that of Ohio. Almost 50 percent of the land in Ohio is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “prime farmland,” which is the most fertile and productive land in the country. Ohio has the fifth highest percentage of “prime farmland” in the nation and I happily live smack dab in the middle of it. We also have a large Amish / Mennonite population and the agricultural areas between the metropolitan areas are large and widespread.
I grew up in PA and we had great water; but, only from a few springs off the beaten path and from large reservoirs filled by rain and snow melt.
We had a cottage in southwest PA (Bedford County) and the well had lots of iron and lime. It was drinkable; but, we usually opted for soft drinks or bottle tap water from home and brought it along.
We do. We were forced out of a rental some miles from here and this place (a real fixer upper) was available with many people checking it out and not wanting the potential problems. It had an electric range and only a fuel oil stove and wood heat that turned many people away; but, we were up for the challenge.
The house needed attention, like all new windows and doors; but, had a good well with the pump in the basement and enough trees on and around the property to heat the place. I fell in love with the two old 100 year old barns, built with post & beam, mortise, tenon & pinned construction, as well as the creek meandering through the west side, so when the owner passed away after 2 years, we jumped at the place and have been here in total for 35 years, still improving the property, a bit at a time as we can afford it.
Personally, I get claustrophobic in the concrete and asphalt valleys of a large metropolitan city with their skyscraping buildings.
Here the tall buildings are SILO’s or grain elevators, and that’s how we like it.
We are indeed lucky.
Pain I know. They gave me percoset, Oxy, and a very strong acetaminophen. So far, I’m using the acetaminophen just to help sleep. Screw the rest of it. I’d rather bear with the pain than an addiction.
One major about calcium, too much and the body will flush it from the system. This is why people who owned dairy animals developed dowager hump faster than people who only use some dairy, and Mexicans very rarely. If the calcium/phosphorous level is out of whack, that can mean brittle bones and so on, as well. Right now I’m on water pills, so need to watch the calcium or get leg cramps, but we have hard water here so it’s not as bad as when drinking low Ph water in Penna. Limestone can be very water soluble and family down near Allentown, PA, had to put filters on their well because of sewage and farm wastes leaking in from over 100 feet away. Unless you have cloudy water, I wouldn’t worry about it. One sister-in-law in Shelby county had to have her teeth pulled because of all the sulfur in the water. She’s near to 55, now and looks ‘way younger.
We call all forms of nitrogen, nitrogen 🙂 Call it a farmer’s thing. I suffered a mild form of agoraphobia in Ohio. All that open country and no brush, brrr 🙂
One sister still lives up east, in the Pocono Mtns, and her water is high iron and some zinc. Her kids all live a few miles away and go to get jugs of good water. Theirs is all mine water from Hazleton, and Hazleton gets warnings every year about the mercury.
When in Ohio, my stepdad and I used to tear down old barns that were falling apart, friends and his family. We’d go visit Amish folk and they’d come help just to get the timbers, most of which was chestnut, and took the iron, as well. Most often, nothing remained because the Amish do not waste anything. niio
Turning the conversation to water and water storage…If I have a reverse osmosis (RO) water system, should I be saving water from it for SHTF or plain tap water? I know that having city-treated water includes chlorine but if I treat my RO for long-term storage in a plastic BPA-free 55 gallon drum with a product such as this – https://www.amazon.com/Preserver-Concentrate-Emergency-Preparedness-Earthquake/dp/B0010OI5WK
am I better off or doesn’t really matter?
Chuckster59,
It depends on your system and the intended use of the water.
My RO system has an 8 gallon pressure tank that holds the product, so it will provide up to 8 gallons, even with no incoming water.
The information on the additive doesn’t really say much; but, I would keep the RO water in clear bottles or just store the chlorinated water and have a way for a quick boil before drinking, since that will drive off the chlorine. You could also allow the chlorinated water to just sit out in the open, covered with a towel or cheesecloth to keep out the bugs, for 24 hours and the chlorine will leave.
Pure water with no living contaminants will keep indefinitely all by itself; but, a quick boil and the aeration by pouring it back and forth between two containers will make it taste better.
And Chuckster59,
If you plan to use an RO system for chlorinated water, you’ll need an activated carbon filter ahead of the system to remove the chlorine, since even in the small amounts in treated municipal tap water, it will destroy the RO membrane.
I have 1400w, 9KW, and a welder generator. They are handy but I don’t have a lot of fuel storage capability here. Maybe someday. I depend on wood/pellets for my heat. The mobile home is just over 3 years old, purchased last year as a repo. It had propane forced air heat, water heater, and pipe for a stove connection. I bought a 250 gallon tank but before its hooked up I need a trench for the pipe. The gas company guy that does that shattered his arm and can’t run the trencher. My neighbor started digging it with my tractors backhoe. About 6 ft into that it started leaking hydraulic fluid. He took the tractor up to his place to check it out. Its a dented filter that’s pouring out fluid. So I’ve had to wait till I could get a filter and a bucket of hydrolic fluid. Now we’re waiting till he has time to get to it. School is about to start and his days will be freed up. He and his wife are raising 4 teenagers, 2 toddlers- grand children and a 2 month old great grandson. It’s been so long since we had central heat or hot running water that we’re quite content without. I’ll fill the tank someday just for my cookstove and as winter backup. For now the stove is hooked up to a 5 gallon gas bottle.
I dry the laundry on folding frames. One larger one is free standing or folds almost flat. The other two mount on interior doors and fold out as needed. Someday I may get outside clotheslines. One step at a time.
The garden is doing well but isn’t as large as I ultimately want. The tomatoes are blooming like crazy and starting to set like crazy. They were setting and blooming but just a few blooms at a time. The green beans will be ready to pick in a few days. The red and yellow watermelons vines are running like crazy and blooming some. Same for the cucumber and I see some setting. We ate the first yellow squashes yesterday with diced onion and a bit of browned hamburger. Seasoned lightly and a bit of real butter, it made a meal for two. We eat seasonally.
Mostly I want folks to know they can live prepared to meet most disasters. I live on social security. We live frugally. I have to save up for every major purchase. We live carefully budgeting to save for things we need or want.
I take advantage of Craigslist and often drive an hour each way to get a pickup full of things we want and need. Sunday after church I’m planning to pickup 4 free serama hens. Cute tiny chickens. Three weeks ago I picked up a new looking rabbit cage. That is what serama chickens are raised in. Somehow it all seems to fall together. They lay about 4x a week. Tiny eggs like quail eggs. The birds at full maturity weight about 1 lb and eat very little. They mature early. These are 4 months old and already laying regularly. My regular chickens are mostly free range and forrage food all day long. They show up for some grain every morning. The serama eat smaller seeds or chicken mash. They would eat amaranth or other smaller seeds. I’ll be saving seeds for them. I save amaranth and lambsquartes from wild plants. I use them for part of my winter sprouts. Popped amaranth seeds are tasty too. I’ll just gather more for the seramas2.
Craigslist has free Pallets, free or low-cost items, estate sales and their discounted or free leftovers. Free things this week included 2 bicycles, a travel iron, baking pans, platters, a bag of clothing, a pickup load of premade drawers, about 100 sets of drawer glides, two small boxes of hinges and a drawer full of different kinds of pulls. There were 2 printers from one place and 2 computers from other sources. I’ve already given them away. There was a very large metal set of deep shelves that I did pay $25 for. It is now full of drawers and hardware. Freebies included much more. Even a couple of nice bow saws and an extra blade. I use most things. Some I give away. Some I’ll resell. Some will go into the church sale in September. There was a handful of old tools used by someone’s dad who was a welder. I’ll use them. I’m still looking for a vice.
Old homes when cleaned out yield wonderful old kitchen and other tools. Families often don’t value those things. I do. I use them added to my heirlooms from Mom and Grandma. I put some in with camping items. I share with younger friends that are learning to appreciate those things. My two younger sons love those gifts. There was a nice tent this week. It went to my neighbor. They have a large tent but too many kids to fit in it. The smaller tent will hold the three older girls and give them more privacy.
The treadle sewing machine cost me $100. I need to rebuild the bottom of one drawer and had to put the belt back on. Its missing the cover for the bobbin. I’ve made a cover that’s working ok… From an Arizona tea can. Mechanically it’s perfect..
My backpacks were discounted at Wal-Mart after school started last year and the year before. I paid $2 and $5 for them all. New.
Just saying, young or old, rich, middle class, or poor… You can be preparing to meet life. …if… Storms, wild fire, civil unrest… You can get what you need. Just watch for things that meet needs. It doesn’t have to say its for peppers. I watch for old hand tools for the shop and the kitchen. Many times folks buy specialy food prep tools and never use them. They are great for camping or your SHTF preps. I personally use great pgrandma’s handcrank meatgrinders and a flour grinder. I use a mandolin and whisks and gave away my electric tools except a mixer. When my arm heals I may decide differently about it. Last week I found an old salad shooter. I’d worn out mine years ago. This one looks almost new. Free. And 2 hand pasta rollers for $5. One lightly used goes to crafts. The new unused one goes to the kitchen while I learn to make pasta other than Mom’s thin rolled, wide cut egg noodles.
Clergylady,
That’s a shame, since owning your own tank makes for more fill options, for the best prices. We always call the local dealers and order from the lowest price provider. This year we paid only $0.959 (95.9 cents) per gallon plus sales tax, delivered. We have 4 tanks in the system holding a total of 2800-3150 gallons when filled to between 80-90%. Tanks cannot be filled to 100%, since they need some vapor space for the liquid propane to convert to gas. We purchased our tanks in steps as we could afford them with our 1st 1000 in 1999, 2nd 1000 in 2001, a 500 in 2016, and the final 1000 in 2017.
This provides us with enough propane under normal operation for several years; but, in a SHTF scenario, we could save a bit of propane by heating with wood, and moving some of our cooking to the outdoors, also using wood, that is plentiful on the property.
Once you’ve started using that 250 gallon tank you might want to evaluate adding another in the future. Based on your need and use.
I find that you either pay a professional or when a neighbor can help, work on their schedule, so you end up paying with patience.
I haven’t lived without hot running water ever, except when roughing it camping somewhere or when the water heater was broken and being replaced for a few days. When we first moved here as a rental, we had no central heat, using only wood and electric in the bathroom; but, when we purchased it, the bank required s furnace, rhat was the start of our journey into propane.
We normally use the electric clothes dryer; but, if it dies, we’ll switch to propane; however, when the weather is right, we also use a fold up drying rack, that sounds like your description, and also the clothesline outside in summer. In a real pinch you can dry clothing outside in the winter, with the wet clothing first freezing and then the ice sublimating. We’ve done this a few times, just as an experiment and it does work if you were forced to do it.
Our garden is large; but, the past two springs have brought more than normal rain, and we’ve gotten late starts, so not as much yield as in the past. We’re going to layer in a lasagna garden this fall, so hopefully next year will be better.
Great for you; but, I’m just a bit jealous. LOL
Sounds good and hopefully the local farm market will have some things this week. We also usually eat seasonally; but, it’s good to have enough extra to preserve for later use and this year we a running short.
I would agree. We also live on SS times 2 plus a small pension and monthly distributions from two IRA’s. I can take larger distributions from another IRA for larger, planned purchases when needed, so we are actually rather well off, all things considered; but, for a good reason.
I worked for more than 40 years as an engineer making good money; but, lived a frugal lifestyle, mostly driving pre owned vehicles until they were turned in at the junk yard. I saved to the 401K and other plans regularly, and learned to do most maintenance on vehicles and the property. When I needed a new hot water tank some years ago, I did all of the plumbing myself, including the chimney & propane connections, and saved a ton of cash, purchasing only the tank and some fittings.
I bought my first house @ age 25, renovated it and sold it, with the proceeds paying off this property more than 20 years ago.
I see too many people strapped with debt due to house hopping and car hopping, not content to stay in one place or drive one car until it dies, or being impatient and not saving for a large purchase, when they can use the credit card and make horrible payments. We use a credit card heavily; but, pay the balance, every month, no matter what it is, since all major purchases are planned and scheduled.
Once again, it takes patience.
Unfortunately, most items on Craig’s list around here are old junk, with people asking new prices, or free items you would not want in your house.
A free item might be a couch, sitting in the alley behind a house, where you can just pick it up. Who knows what animal waste or how much rain (mold & mildew) has befallen such an term.
Ours are Rocks with a mix of Barred & White; but, your little Serama sounds interesting and perhaps worth looking into. When ours are not molting, which they are right now, we get more eggs than we can eat and gift or trade them with neighbors.
We feed clover and some greens for a treat as well as scratch, freeze dried meal worms that they love; plus, insects and worms they find in their paddock area.
The wife inherited the treadle machine from her mom, already converted with a motor, so I’m still looking for treadle pieces to convert it back; however, around here they are considered antiques and are much too expensive.
In our rural neighborhood everyone is a prepper; but, most would not use that label. We are sitting rather pretty, with a 3000 ft2 home with all new windows & doors and foam insulation, 5 outbuildings, a propane tank farm with enough propane to run us for years in austerity mode, supplementing with wood heat, from our wood lot, and a whole house auto start generator, fueled from those tanks. I could go on & on; but, my whole point here is that all of this stuff and our situation took more than half of our lives, living in one place, planning and being frugal and careful with our expenditures. People who hurry through life and want it all now, often hit that debt cliff, where the SHTF moment could be as simple as an extended job loss or illness.
We still use electric tools to save time; but, still have functional manual tools and occasionally check them and use them, lest they fail when really needed.
Ok, so maybe I lost the thread here, but what are we speaking of? Butterfly or stir strips or some other brand name item. If you can buy on amazon, why not mention the name of the product. It gets confusing when everyone is referring to something and I cannot readily see what that item is. Help please?
I agree about staying in one place and living frugal. I’ve lived in this little unincorporated village since 1977 and owned the 3 acres here without mortgage since 1981. We drilled 2 wells. One at a time of course. Paying for everything as we went.
My current mobile home is just 4 years old and the new regulations are more stringent than for a conventional stick built home. No more particleboard floors that turn to mush if they get wet. 🙂 I bought it as a 3 year old repo.
Friends and I tore down the 1974 singlewide that stood in this spot. Then moved in the home as soon as the spot was cleaned up. We’d camped for a year in another old mobile home officially designated as storage. My solar array is in place and hooked up but I’m waiting for the home to be grounded and we can turn on the power. It’s paid for also. We’ve camped in here with cold running water and the heating stove while work had been done and room by room has been painted and while I recovered from injuries and 2 surgeries. I’m beginning to work on things again so trying to get things arranged and sorted out and settled in. I hate moving! Hopefully never again.
I have a 1912 Vulcan propane cookstove next to the wood/ pellet stove. They sit on solid cement blocks set on cement board that also extends up the wall and is covered with dry layed used bricks. My lamps, candles, glass and ceramic insulators and antique kitchen items sit on and in it. That’s the focal point of the room that is kitchen, dinning and living room. There is a tiny laundry room at the back door, a 12’x16′ bedroom and a 4’x16′ bathroom across the end wall. It opens to the bedroom with a 4′ wide opening without doors. Toilet in tiny area with a door. Shower across the other end is build with 2 seats and sliding glass doors. In between in a linnen cabinet, the sink cabinet with drawers and doors under the one sink then a large space to the shower. I set a 1930s waterfall dresser there with the shower mat in front of it. That gives us more storage.
I have the hardware kit for a 12′ barn door set that will eventually close the bathroom off as we choose to. Mostly for visitors comfort and privacy.
I have a sturdy metal folding cot that is more than 100 years old. I put a twin mattress on it and made it up in a corner with lots of pillows rather like a daybed. Under it I have storage bins out of sight and the ottoman is a folding twin bed (with an air mattress to make it more comfortable) if we have company. Mostly it is my husbands daughter and her two granddaughters that come to visit. Most of my kids live about an hour away. I tease my husband “in this home kids won’t be moving home to live with us”. I need to pick up one more twin air matress and blanket as the girls are getting too big to share a twin bed now. Those go in a bin under the bed. Pillows for all the beds are in pretty pillowcases on the bed as part of the throw pillows.
Were hoping to find a sponsor for my daughter in law and grand daughter to come from the Philippines. A son who is on disability is currently living there. He had fixed up my parents little home for his family.
Most of my Craigslist things come from high end neighborhoods or weekend estate sales. I drive a long way to pastor a country church and home through Albuquerque. I go to pick up things or shop the estate sales on Sunday afternoons. I only go shopping sales on Dr visit days in between. Sundays are the end of most estate sales and leftovers are donated. By afternoon they are deeply discounted.
Sometimes in free things or materials I’ll find things I want and pick then up on Sunday if they don’t mind holding them for me.
This last week I did make a trip to get a cabinet shops leftover premade drawers, 100 sets of drawer glides, 2 boxes of hinges for cabinet doors, a large drawer filled we both handles and drawer pulls and a narrow cabinet of other hardware. I bought a 4’x 30″ metal shelves 5′ tall. The shelves and floor under the shelves are now filled from the cabinet shop things. Cabinet shop items – free. Heavy Metal shelves $25. That was worth a couple of hours on the road.
Yesterday on the way home I picked up two tall cabinets. One I’ll paint and put in the laundry room. The other is painted and nice but its going to the shop. Then I went by a home the family is cleaning up. It was the parents home. I bought a few things already but they asked me to come back. They had boxes for me and what I don’t keep will go in the church sale. I’ll see what’s there when I get the truck unloaded. I pd $15 for a loveseat size metal glider with wood seat and back, a small metal and glass table, and two heavy plastic chairs. I’ll paint the metal cream and the wood aqua to match my metal and aqua heavy folding picknick table. They will look nice in the yard. I also picked up a wood mail sorter from a school office- free.
Spray paint and plastic sheeting and tape left from painting my home inside will be a cheap project and unify the yard items by color. I could go more turquoise and be brighter but still in related shades of blue. I’ll choose when I go buy Spray paint.
Just over a week ago I bought a $10 sewing machine in a nice wood stand. I spent 12 minutes on cleaning and oil. Had it running perfectly. Bought a package of needles and checked timing. Broke the first needle. Worked on timing and adjusted the motor outward a bit to increase tension on the belt. Perfect!. Less than 20 minutes and $15 total. I gave it to a friend who is raising all her grand children from age 2 months up to 16 years. Her machine broke and is unrepairable.
At one stop last week the lady gave me a lot of her gardening stuff. She was getting ready to move. I ended up with with one of those seldom if ever used little seats on wheels with and empty area for small hand tools. I probably won’t sit on it but tools in it by the garden could be handy. The leftover seeds should be ok for several years. I’ll add them to mine. I’m always pleasantly surprised when free things are added to what I buy or get free.
The serama chickens were promised but weren’t kept. So I didn’t get them. Guess I’ll start watching for the little French quail that are gaining popularity here. Hens are better breeders than the serama chickens. They lay eggs very young. And one adult is a small serving or two for a larger serving. I’d like them for eggs. They take cage layers just 8″ – 10″ tall. Need to be kept inside. Eat small seeds. Amaranth and Lambsquarters would be just right. I like them for food grains so I’m thinking I’ll order seed for amaranth that makes the bigger seed heads. First enough for us and if I get small birds I will grow for them as well. Volunteer alfalfa grows in a corner of the property. The chickens, ducks, and rabbits all love it. I gather growing tips for tea or to add to my green drink from the blender. There is usually some Mullen there also.
The 2 bikes I was given last week just need flat tires repaired and a chain guard would be nice. I’ll see if my husband can still ride before I make a final decision on what to do with them. I still enjoy riding.
The 6, 5 gallon cans we keep diesel in came from free stuff on Craigslist. I picked up 2 rabbit cages, and went home with the cans, an air hose and a bunch of 2x4s. I like Craigslist. 🙂 it makes it possible to get lots of free or cheap items I need and use. Our health and life insurances cost us about 1/4 of our social security income.
Not complaining. Not paying out interest or mortgage payments is a life saver.
More people should live this way and then this country would be a lot better off.
Chuckster59,
I agree. We’ve had no mortgage for more than 20 years; but, did just recently take on a new car payment when our last new vehicle (2000 Toyota van) was just too old and tired to keep fixing. We’ll pay that vehicle off early; but, the payment is more than manageable since we have little other debt and tend to save money doing bulk purchases.
This past summer we purchased, actually paid for all of last year’s propane, that was only 1423 gallons total @ less than $1.00 per gallon, so no more heating (house & domestic water), cooking, or generator expenses until next summer.
We planned for retirement expenses; but, never dreamed we would be in such good financial shape until we got here. For those not yet retired, every penny you can save or use to pay off debt will be worth dollars in retirement, so live frugally now or be forced to do so when you retire,
I have a blood pressure cuff and 2 thermometers. A way to measure oxygen is a great idea.
Clergylady,
I have several pulse Oximeters of the type that go on your fingertip.. These run on 2 AAA batteries and ran under $15.00 each.
Ill have to look for a couple. I’d imagine a pharmacy would carry them.
In the pantry and Hurricane Box or whatever name you want to give it.
I do have canned meats such as Roast Beef and Gravy. BBQ Pulled Pork Chicken Turkey Tuna Corned Beef, sardines smoked herring. Assorted other canned good soups Sauces Ramen and other type assorted pasta spaghetti, linguine, shells….etc. are kept in the freezer to keep bugs out but can easily removed. Lots of rice including yellow rice, various packages of Instant mashed potatoes and various pasta dinners. Various canned veggies from asparagus to carrots green peas to green beans etc. Both Beef and Chicken broth Vienna Sausages and some boxes of saltines and Waverly Wafers. Peanut butter Strawberry and other Jams. Coffee and tea an assorted creamers.
A few bags of Hard candy from Butterscotch to others.
Large box and I got most of tt a few items at a time
Most of the canned meats come from a Dollar type store. A couple of can openers but most are pop tops these days. A couple decks of cards and some puzzle books and pencil and several of those small pencil sharpeners and travel games. Little things to break the boredom.
An emergency AM/FM/Weather hand cranked radio
Assorted canned snacks candles assorted batteries and some lamp oil. Strike anywhere matches and Bic lighters.
Knives and forks and spoons paper plates cups .Spices honey and a bunch of other food and drink related items. I also have some other long term items to eat.
A couple those safely drink water straws. I have free flowing well and a swimming poo to get water from.
and most important……Toilet paper and a real Military
E Tool a folding shovel. and other things.
I do have a checklist and do rotate items in and out regularly/ as needed..Again it comes from catching items on sale and buying a few here and there and eventually adds up……There s no true one Hurricane Box.. Mine is actually several boxes and I prefer to use large coolers as the boxes.
Red.
Good to see you’re back home. Glad the garden survived while you were gone. Of all my vet kids all but one use the VA for medical care. Just one has expensive insurance and prefers that. I think it’s his wife’s influence. The rest seem to get good care. When my younger son reacted to a new med and stopped breathing while in route to the hospital he was taken to the leading trauma center instead of the VA. The VA has paid the bill.
We had a big pan of amaranth greens with dinner tonight. I cut up some chicken breast and lightly browned it in a frying pan then added 2 diced yellow squash and half a diced onion. Added herbs and a bit of salt then covered it to steam the veggies. In the big skillet I diced 4 slices of bacon and browned that. Set aside the meat and added a big bowl full of washed amaranth leaves. Added 1/2 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Mrs dash herbs, and 1 tablespoon of real butter. Cover and let steam. Turn the greens a few times with tongs. Then cut up with two knives. Add 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar and leave lid off to cook off liquid. Simple meal. Husband hates greens but ate almost half of what I cooked. It was equal to nearly two cans of spinach in volumn when cooked. Then he also ate half of the chicken and yellow squash. He really surprised me eating that much of the amaranth.
I have two distinct kinds growing wild here. One has a white pattern on the green leaves. My favorite has larger leaves and is plane green. It is the more tender of the two. It’s also the better one in salads.
I was checking the tomato plants just before dark this evening. There are dozens of fruits setting. Usually we don’t get many and they are ripening just as winter is starting. This year many plants didn’t survive the long wait until it was arm enough at night to plant. Those that made it into the garden are bearing better than I’ve ever seen tomatoes do here. The first two cucumbers are three inches long and more are setting. It was so late I was afraid we wouldn’t have much garden. Ears are showing silk on the corn. It was getting so late I started plants and transplanted. Every plant made it. I pulled my first radishes this evening. They will go in a big salad tomorrow evening.
I have three stops on the way home tomorrow. 2 for Craigslist item and the other started out as. Raiglist sales but they keep giving boxes of good item for me to keep or put in the church sale in September. I think tomorrow it will be Christmas things including a small train set. My husband loves trains and Christmas.
Wild amaranth is in bloom, and getting cut off. The tamer stuff is growing well, some should get 6-10 feet tall with leaves bigger than my hand, but the grasshoppers get most. I take plenty from the wild amaranth to eat. The rest is mulch. A ton of purslane is coming up all over. niio
The solid green amaranth that is the tenderer of my two wild ones is about 3ft tall. Leaves are as wide as my hand and much longer. Both kinds are blooming. I think I’ll pull out the one with the pretty pattern on the leaves. Both set lots of seed heads on the plants. Hmm maybe wait. The birds all love that seed… Save seed then pull the pretty one. The solid green one is still edible up to frost. I’ll pile everything I pull on the garden to hold moisture and feed the soil. I’m piling weeds on the ponds around the new fruit trees. That should help with moisture.
I wish I had a bunch of old blankets and sheets to cover tomatoes with. When the first frost some we often get a warm spell till around thanksgiving. 6 to 8 weeks more when tomatoes could be maturing and ripening. I have covered tomatoes through the winter. We ate tomatoes from the garden till at least February. Quite a few plants survived the winter under a foot or two of snow and uncovered again when sunny days returned. They were ready to bloom in early spring. I’ve kept cherry tomatoes through three years. I’m hoping to get the walipini dug before winter. I could transplant garden into the pit greenhouse where it has a better chance of surviving a winter. I have lots of large pots if I didn’t decide to plant into the dirt of the pit.
I wish some tomatoes survived here. I tried the tents, and the sun ate the plants up. Those transplanted did not like it and died. Only the chilis transed well. Prickly amaranth leaves are a quarter the size of yours. Yet, they stay tender quit a long time. Get the walipini done. We expect regular reports on it! “:) Sorry, I was just looking at that pix in Epstein’s apartment of Bill Clinton in drag.. God, I hope I’m not having a heart attack 🙂
Ok, so maybe I lost the thread here, but what are we speaking of? Butterfly or stir strips or some other brand name item. If you can buy on amazon, why not mention the name of the product. It gets confusing when everyone is referring to something and I cannot readily see what that item is. Help please?
Also, dear clergylady, where oh where do you get warmth seeds and of what type are they? Thank you for your and everyone else’s help.
Lol. That painting of Clinton in a “Lewinski blue dress” was a tongue in cheek joke. It is a well done portrait. But I wouldn’t want it.
Tractor still isn’t working. Neighbor’s almost lost a son, resuscitated twice. Drank too much and almost died. He’s checked himself into rehab.
Still waiting on the trench so I can get the gas line run and attached to my tank and the mobile home. Then I hope to start on the walipini. I may see if my arm can work the backhoe controls yet. Its still weak and somewhat awkward. I bought 1 lb weights for when I’m walking around. What a whimp, hand still won’t hold onto a 2 lb weight. Not many years ago I was easily lifting 50 lb weights from behind to overhead at the gym. I was lifting more than 200 lb front lifting. That’s the direction we use most. I used to have a free anytime membership. Mostly was doing weight work. Helped with being able to work and stay limber. At 72 I may not get back to where I was but I sure need to get better than I am right now.
The amaranth is all blooming now. If seed sets all of it will have more seed than I’ve ever seen on this wild stuff.
I bought a cutting hook that will cut grass grains like a sickle would. It made for branches up to 3/4″. If I’d had the cash I’d have picked up a new long handled ax. Price was marked down $15. I just couldn’t do it. I’ll be watching for a used one somewhere. I had two axes, a mall, 2 wedges, and a good hatchet that were part of the things stolen last year. They got my two burner camp stove but I still have a four burner cook top on legs Mom bought for me do cooking for church. It was made for catering hunting camps. Glad they didn’t get that. I can get another 2 burner stove new for $34 or find something used for less. The big one cost $200 a little over 20 years ago. They took my butchering/ skinning knives. Those I’ve had to replace already.
Amaranth, yellow squash, and the first young zuchinni are on the menu today. Radishes, tomatoes, and a first cucumber will go in a salad. I love it when we can finally eat fresh from the garden.
Walk in strength
Oh, God, chest hurts! clinton’s dress. 🙂
Yeah, one niece died a party animal, but that’s how they live there. Brain aneurysm stole her life. Two small kids and a husband left alone now. The town put on a giant block party to raise college funds for the kids, 5 and 2, and took in over 70K, which surprised me. The funds are being handled by the bank in a good interest bearing account.I had a dream about her tonight, her busting my stones and me teasing her back. It was a good-bye dream, telling me it’s time to stop mourning her loss.
Remember what the preacher said, fast and failure, slow and certain. I always push the envelop and get setback all too often. It’ll happen. Patients!
I used those stoves when cooking at cow camp. They’re built to last. I lost most of my knives, thanks to the stepson’s addiction, so I know the loss. Most were made long before me, of high carbon steel and kept a good edge, or German made, and easy to keep sharp.
I miss my brushhook and scythes. One had a grain cradle. I can almost feel Grampa’s hands holding it when I would cut the barely and rye. That was all good steel and hickory wood, easy to use and light.
I used to make fancy knives to sell at pow wows, antler handles, forged steel blades. I gave a pair of them that looked like they were cut from stone to a sister-in-law and while she doesn’t dress for the circle anymore, keeps them on a wall with a wooden sign my brother made, detailing what they are and who made them 🙂 Once I’m healed and mosquito season is done, I have some mesquite that would make good horn spoons. Some bros on the Big Rez, Tohono, can have them to sell. anything made on them can go to help folks there.
stay strong, we need you. niio
My younger boy made a knife for me. Railroad spike, antler handle and red jasper set into the handle end. Someday I may make a display shadow box for it.
I have my grandmothers 22 revolver from the 1980s. Pearl handles. Too worn to be safe to fire it. It was made for a lady’s drawstring purse”reticule”.
I have grandmas youngest sister’s beautiful solidly beaded bag from that era. In a shadow box I’d like to first mount the purse then the pistol on it to show how they went together and still show off the 130 year old beadwork and the 130 year old pistol. Grandma was born in 1876 and married in 1897. Grandpa bought the used pistol for her in the 1920s. She shot it every week, cleaned it and put it back in her night stand. She was shooting it till her last year when her eyes were getting really bad. Died in 1970. I have her meat grinders, cast iron cookware, cookie cutters, and favorite rolling pin. Most of those came from her grandmother that died shortly before grandma married. A lot of her furniture came from the same source. I have the old stacking lawyers bookcase, I gave a son the hall tree. I was given great great grandma’s dresser when I was 8 years old. The family in Pennsylvania made it for my great great grandma when she was 8 years old. My husband is using that dresser. I have the mirror frame to go on that dresser. It needs a mirror.
It is amazing to still be using those things. They were carefully cared for and used, not hung up for decoration. I love the old cast iron that is heavier and heats even better that the newer stuff.
I found a cast iron round flat griddle. It was up on the hills near the old dump area. Covered in rust but no bad spot as in the metal. At a storage sale I bought a “lot” for $40. A cute round table with a leaf, a 25 lb gas bottle, vintage dish towels and table cloth. There were odds and ends of costume jewelry, kitchen tools and a nice 10″ cast iron skillet.
I’ll be cleaning up and reseasoning the cast iron. I don’t need either one. I’ll see if they are dateable then sell them next month at the church sale. Both are really heavy old ones. Too bad someone who would enjoy them isn’t closer. I’d give them away if I knew they would be used and enjoyed.
Most of what I bought will go in the sale. Still it’s fun once in a long while. The old odds and ends of jewelry will go in my craft stuff. I make a lot of jewelry and at times incorporate old into new.
I added more drink mixes to my storage area. My husband has gotten to where he doesn’t drink plain water very often. He needs to stay hydrated so flavored mixes or sweetened teas are the answer to keep him drinking. He will drink 32 oz sipping while he eats slowly and drink any left if I leave it with him. I just keep reusing the 32 oz Gatorade bottles and 2 packets made for 16oz water bottles. The dollar store has the packets 10 in a box for $1. He will drink two or three bottles of flavored water everyday. That’s important. I need to get many more so if we can’t get to town he will be ok.
I suppose I could fill a backpack with just flavor packets and an empty bottle. The water filters and purification tablets could go in the side pockets. I’ll still leave some in other
Backpacks. I put a fire starter and a whistle in every pack.
The little 5 gallon round fiber board containers I recently bought to use as end tables are handy. One for mix packages and the other is empty. That may be a good place to start storing drink flavor mixes. I want to get two more soon. They have a wooden top with a closing metal ring to seal the containers tight. Food items and herbs are shipped in them. A friend gets them all and sells the containers for $5. The One here by my seat in the living room says it contained panax gensing from China.
We had two short showers a few minutes ago. It had really cooled the air. We need more but every little bit is nice.
Get well soon.
The old timers used to coat all wood and clay storage containers, even corn cribs, with a layer of yucca root sap or agave. It keeps rodents and bugs out of things. Because we can’t get white creosote, and homemade stinks, it might help if you do have a problem. Of course, just the skins and cook the roots 🙂
I’m having a Lurch moment, a la Adam’s Family. I’ve been replacing cast iron, grinders, stuffers, and knives ASAP. I like high carbon steel knives, not chrome because it holds an edge better for me. All that stuff from the grandparents, aunts and uncles, gone. Pictures, tools, you name it. We had a ton of stuff when we worked on a ranch in Colorado, but a sister-in-law helped herself to it. She took the stuff because she loved the West. Hated Westeners, though. Too independent. The stepson stole most of what was left to buy opium. God is my revenge. Both are paying, him in prison for other things, her living alone and bitter. I forgive them and that’s all anyone can do.
Old dumps are fantastic places for a treasure hunt. Provided they weren’t burned off or everything crushed, they yield a lot of good things.
The rain passed us. They had heavy showers to the northeast and south, but nothing came over the mountains. Looks like it’s hose duty tonight.
Yeah, the doc kept coming back to see me when I was with the PA. He said it’s amazing how fast I’m recovering. I say, blame God and he grinned, then nodded. niio
Something easy to do to add taste flavor to water is a few drops of lemon juice and if you like a little bit of honey. You can also use lime or other juices. If you have the “bottle” of Real Lemon or REAL Lime makes it tad easier. Just add a few drops at a time to suit our taste.You can heat the water not boil it but heating it will help the honey dissolve allow to cool and then the lemon/juice drops to taste and refrigerate.
Hi Clergylady
I would like the iron skillets and will pay for shipping/postage on them.
Please contact The Ohio Prepper and he can/will safely an securely arrange for us to exchange contact info.
God Speed!
ClergLady
Welcome back and God Speed your healing and lesson your pain in the process of healing
You have my utmost Empathy!.
I am interested in those Iron Skillets and willing to pay shipping. The US Post Office has a one price box rate up to a certain weight. I am not sure what UPS would charge,,, But if you still have them and want to get id of them…..by al means please let me know. I will give them a great home and use them.
I am probably interested in other items you might have that you are looking at finding a good home for.
Just need to find a way to contact you..
I am not sure who it was .from PR but I an across this and thought I would share. I firmly support them in flying and displaying the PR flag.
As for Home Owners Association Reminds me of an Old Southern saying “We don’t give a BLEEP how Y’all did it up North!”
Red
I would also like to be able to swap emails and/o find another a to converse personally if possible.
For All
M understanding ALL Water does eventually does go bad.
The British invented the IPA aka India Pale Ale Brew/Beer that it would last and not spoil on the long voyages to India.
I might be wrong on storing water for long term BUT I do know the water in Survival Rafts and included in Survival Gear s removed (among other items such as the rations and first aid items, etc ) every so often, 5 years I think, are removed and replaced.
I can also say this The Spaniards use to sail up rivers on the Southeast coast an get fresh water from the rivers and that Tannic Acid in the river water created b the decaying leaves acted as a preservative. That is what causes the tea like color in such water.
Here is a link that might be of use:
There are many others and not mentioned BUT it is a start. So you can learn these and stay safe.
I had nothing to do with the list before anyone starts to flame me.I am only sharing it in hopes it may help and be of use to some if not all and save them from pain severe itching and irritation.
“An ounce of prevention and worth a pound of cure.”
https://www.fieldandstream.com/10-stinging-burning-and-downright-deadly-poisonous-plants/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email
try this. It belonged to one of the kids. We’ll go from there “)
Water in the river was from a lot of springs and peat bogs. The peat gave it that Scotch Whisky look. People with skin problems come up from NYC and Philly to swim there and peat, as well as the acid, help, even heal. niio
Yosemite,
Several things.
The USPS box weight limit is 70 pounds. We used them a lot when my daughter was first in college out of state. They have several sizes, and you pay a fixed price based on the size and you can fill the box up to 70 pounds for that price.
For the cast iron, one might take one into the post office and see what box would be the best fit.
If anyone here would like to contact someone I’ve been doing this for 10+ years for folks on thesurvivalistblog.net. Click on my name and you’ll be taken to a simple website (theohioprepper.org) where you can click a link to send me an email. In the body include this sites name and your nom de plume / screen name / handle / used here. I keep track of these and can hook people up when both make the request either here or by email. I do keep OPSEC, and don’t share anything without the permission of both parties.
I’ve made quite a few friends and developed some interesting relationships over the years with people in the preparedness community.
For anyone reading this after 2020. TOP passed away between Christmas and new years 2020. I sent his widow a sympathy letter but never received a reply. He was a great man.
Correct email
Susanart19523rtf@gmail.com
For a med kit.. Childbirth: 1 double bed white flannel sheet cut in 4 equal parts then was with bleach and dry in a hot dryer.fpkd and put each in a gallon Ziploc bag. White shoe laces cut offhand tips and wash in blsmeach and hot fry. Put each one in a seperate ziplocksa dwhichor snack size bag. Small sealed bottle of olive oil, 4 sandwhich bags of cotton balls, 1 waterproof sheet, 1 double bed or other fitted sheet washed with bleach and hot dried then folded and zip lock bagged, baby squeeze bulb syringe to clean nose and mouth of a new born..often sold for washing out ears. Washpan to hold the after birth and umbilical cord.
CB Kit cont: You also should always have vynal gloves, might need a suture kit.
The cotton balls and olive oil are for cleaning a newborn.
The details of birthing, after birth care, umbilical cord double tye and cutting can be found online, on you tube or from your Dr as a just in case scenario.
Still if someone is prepping with a group or family this might be a good idea to include.
Been awhile. Arm is healed but not as strong as I need as I’m working on that. Hand I’m told may always be awkward. I’m working on that as well and its improving but I still eat like a messy kid.
I had covid April and May. No pneumonia thank God. A world class headache. Fever, nausea, diarrhea, and sense of smell diminished, I reached a point I couldnt stand the taste of food and wasn’t hungry anymore so I just forgot to try to eat. It’s a Horrible disease. While so sick it was all I could to get from bed to bathroom or to a chair in the livingroom so I could watch out for my husband’s needs. He lived on premade sub whiches from Wal-Mart. Neighbor would take cash and a list and shop for us. Walgreens for perscriptions. We couldn’t have survived without his help. Thank God he was there and willing to help.
I had the neighbor pick up bottled water during that time. I’d remind husband to get cold water for us and put more in the refrigerator. I’d watch the clock and tell him to get a sandwhich. With instructions he’d do it. Alone he’d just stay in bed and never fix food to eat.
At one point I truly thought this may be my death but I kept praying about who’d care for my husband. He can’t do it. I hadnt eaten in 10 days and was so weak I don’t get dressed. Just made it to the recliner and sat there praying. Not afraid of death just concerned for husband. Left tv on and we spent the night there. The next morning the fever was gone, the headach was was gone the fog in my head began slowly to clear. Thinking and understand were returning. I knew I needed food but couldn’t figure out what to get or how.
By afternoon I figured out I could eat canned fruit if my husband could pull the pop on a can. I told him where to look. He found it and opened it. Then he brought me a plastic spoon. It took hours but I ate all of it and drank the juice. Did that for 2 more days. Still too weak to walk but we managed helping each other.
Neighbor came for shopping list as usual. I asked for fruit and something I could snack on like chicken nuggets. He was so happy I was trying to eat he quickly went to the reservation store deli and came back with lots of hot chicken tenders. My husband and I ate for two days. Husband also ate the mashed potatoes and gravey. I drank water and ate chicken. Slowly my strength was returning.
When I managed to get dressed my pants fell down. Lol. Fluffy great grandma grandma wasn’t so fluffy any more.
6 months later many things still taste so awful i can’t swallow them. I’m still weak but slowly gaining strength. That is one horrible disease. My hair was falling out so I just took scissors to it and cut it short. Thank God for natural curls. It looked OK. Now I can feel new growth on the scalp. Sort of short velvet under my hair. Glad its returning. Dr said it probably would. I’m finally working slowly on projects outside. Work a few minutes, rest a couple of hours then rest again was how I started. Now I can work an hour or two then rest for hours. But I’m seeing progress. Old fibromyalgia has flared again. It makes life a pain and adds to the exhaustion. But I’m not giving in. I’m slowly building a new chicken coop. Its against my mobilehome on one long side and near the front porch. Eventually the space between the porch and coop will be covered and gated for grain in barrels to store it rhodent proof. The sides of the coop are being covered in wrapped rows of doubled wire fencing. 2×4 welded field fencing outside with 1×1 hardware cloth behind it up the entire sides 3 sides. Then chicken wire to fill in the peaked ends. Its an old cheap carport frame with a tarp roof. A neighnor was getting rid of it. Another old neighbor and wife team put it together for me and anchored it down. I payed them with a hot meal a and $40 for gas money. They drove 100 miles to get here. Thank God for a few good friends. I had the materials except a roll of 18 gage wire and heavy needle nosed pliers. I’m initially putting it together with zip ties then I’ll use the wire to add strength. Chicken wire on the ground attached to green boards around the bottom. That wire will be burried in flower beds on two sides. The side at the wall of my home doesn’t need the chicken wire and the end with a pallet wall and door I’m making doesnt need it as it will be a gated area. 5 ft tall heavy metal gate will keep dogs out. The under p!rt of my front porch is 4 feet off if the ground. I’m enclosing that with heavy wire and will cover that with white plastic latice to match the lattice around the upper railing . A wire tunnel to the porch will give the chickens more run space.
I’m slow but its getting done. A kids turtle sandbox for a pond and a shipping crate for the ducks to use. A set of nesting boxes and a crate for bad weather and tree branch for roosting and the chickens will be provided for. Three big dog crates covered in hardware cloth for broody hens and chicks. Its a plan and a big project after being so sick but I’m enjoying getting back to work. What should have been a couple of days work is taking weeks. It took over a week just moving the wire. Bring a roll. Go rest. The bits of chicken were all free peices of rolls. I found two perfect without cutting for a long and a short side. They are attached to the greenboard posts being use for the bottom of three side walls. The first long wall stretch of fencing is laid out ready to cut and attach today. I may may lay out and cut all the pieces. It will be easier to work with. The frame is metal pipe. I’ll be attaching to that.
I’ll be glad when that’s done. Then I can move the six dog crates of nearly grown chickens out of my tiny lauudryroom. I bet they will be glad for room to roam.
I have 8 cases of fruits, vegetables, and tuna to add to the pantry. Neighbor picked them up for me at a case sale. I couldn’t move them when he stacked them near the door in the kitchen. Now I can lift one at a time time and I’ll soon get them put away. The pantry I made will be full. It helped create an entry way with a tiny closet and bench. It looks nice and gives me some storage space in the 4’x8′ area with 2 tall cabinets and a bookcase to the ceiling against the wall. Space between the tall cabinets is perfect for stacking two stacks of 3 gal buckets with lids $1 @ from a bakery. All full of beans and rice and a bucket of mixed beans, split peas, lentles, et. Shelves of canned goods down the hall to my bedroom. One big metal shelf is all home canned meats and soups and some turkey bone broth. My extra jars, lids, waterbath canners and pressure canners are moving out to a garden shed in the backyard. I need an old fashioned root cellar where food will stay cool but not freeze. Maybe someday.
A gal can dream……
I’m so glad to hear you are doing much better. Thank you for giving us a look at this vicious virus. May God continue healing you and your husband. You have gotten so much done to prepare your place and see to the chickens needs.
I don’t worry about rotating anything that can be stored for long-term storage – I simply package those things in Mylar, with oxygen absorbers where appropriate, and pack them away. They’ll last at least 30 years, which is longer than I’m going to last. Then, for those items, I buy what I eat.
For canned goods, though, rotation is very important but don’t always believe the best buy date on the can.
Some brands of canned beans, for instance, mark a best-by date 5 years out while Walmart marks theirs for only 2 years out. Similarly for peanut butter. Before a peanut butter botulism scare a few years ago, most brands marked a 2 year best-by date, including Walmart. After the scare, Walmart now marks theirs with a 1 year best-by date while other brands still mark 2 years. The difference, whether peanut butter, beans, or something else, is in the attorneys, not in the food.
Even the USDA agrees that food in a can that is not rusted, leaking, or swollen is safe to eat, even if it might be less nutritious than a fresher can – though there is also science that says even if much of the texture and taste is gone, older cans haven’t lost much in nutrition.
Peanut butter, I wouldn’t keep beyond the 2-year date, especially opened, but I eat beans beyond Walmart’s 2 years all the time. When I can get them, only because it makes me feel better, I buy Goya brand beans with the 5-year best-by date.
All canned foods are better closer in time to when they were canned but many canned goods are still completely safe and palatable to their best-by date and even beyond. Just don’t get caught short with a bunch of canned foods you won’t eat and can ‘t replace. Test, and taste, your older canned goods even if you can’t get them all consumed or rotated, and prioritize buying or replacing those that need replaced the most.
this is a very easy to follow article about long-term storage of white rice in sealed mylar bags with oxygen absorbers inside, which can also be applied to many other grains and dry goods like wheat, oats, beans, flour, and pasta as long as they are completely dry, and have no oil content that will eventually go rancid even when sealed.
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/how-to-store-rice/