Posted on 10/07/2012 2:50:25 AM PDT by djf
We often have threads that quote recommendations of others about things you should do to prepare. Those threads usually focus on food, water, medicinal items, bug out preparations, etc.
So I think it would be interesting to find out what FReepers themselves are doing. Combined, we are probably one of the most intelligent, experienced, honest, and practical group on the planet.
Without further adieu! In the last two days I:
Bought 3 food grade 5 gallon buckets Bought enough oatmeal to fill one, which amounted to 18 lbs. Bought a 5 lb bag of tobacco (I'm a smoker, I admit it, but if SHTF, tobacco will be priceless) In my garden, I had a number of radish plants that went to seed, so I spent about an hour collecting radish seed pods.
So post away on what preps you are making. Hopefully, we can give ideas and help out people who are curious about what to do!
What have you done to prepare for clean adequate water supply
I also have a fair amount of food in mylar bags, either in 5 gal pails or in boxes, some bulk, and some in smaller amounts, like oatmeal 2 lb 10oz, in one bag so I don't have to open up 20lb tub, but something that is missing is water.
I don't think many folks consider how much water we need. Drinking, cooking, cleaning, and hygiene. If there ends up being a SHTF event, then staying healthy is going to be paramount. You can live for a few days without water before you die, but dirty water is not much better, you will get sick and die as well. Sanitation is one key element to staying healthy. So you will need water for cooking, and drinking, clean sanitary water for cleaning dishware...., the amount of water you will need is more than most think.
Look for your water sources, ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, rain-barrels, pools.
I don't believe that just a ceramic filter system is adequate, the system does not produce enough water, and will get clogged pretty rapidly if water is very dirty and full of particulate matter.
I have developed a system that uses 4- 5 gal buckets one with a 100-50 micron filter, next 50-20, next 2ea 20-5, and last 2 ceramic filters. The last 2 are the slowest, keeping buckets full helps keeps pressure up and better flow.
My procedure is first filter water with cheesecloth through funnel, let water settle to remove heavy stuff, then pour into 5 gal bucket, I have a fixture at the bottom made out of a PVC cap with holes drilled in it, I put more gauze and filter water one more time, then it gets poured into each bucket with filter progressively getting cleaner.
For basic hygiene the 5 micron water is fine, for drinking use ceramics which get down to 99.5(but take longer to filter). If you have buckets set up for all containers this is a continuous process, final water still should be treated with chlorine of some type household bleach, calcium hypoclorite, or UV(found a 12 volt unit).
Last point you will need something larger than 5 gal buckets to store water, you can use bathtub in short term, but 55 gal food grade barrels probably best. my 2 cents
I have collection barrels at every gutter site coming off the roof that are fenced in - that would be 5. The barrels are sitting off the ground on cinder blocks so I can hook a hose to the collection nozzle at the bottom of the barrel and take the hose to the bank of holding barrels for which I have a series of water filters and a treatment “station”. I can collect about 300 untreated gallons at a time and hold about 5,500 of treated water.
Yes, definitely. I’ve used corncobs for Charmin, too. - We are too coddled these days, I suppose.
Bought more Mosin ammo
There are always more things than can be planned for, so the best advice is to train yourself to see when something bad is coming, and make your preparations quickly with respect to it.
Let’s parse this:
1) “There are always more things than can be planned for.”
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan and be prepared, just that your plans and preparations must be flexible. Emotionally invest in people, not things. That is, if you and your family have to flee buck naked, and you lose all your stuff, keep in mind that it was just stuff. Write it off. Stuff is expendable.
2) “Train yourself to see when something bad is coming.”
The ‘slowly boiling frog’ nails a lot of people; but at the same time if you prep too early your prep might be wasted.
The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis is an excellent example of this. Hitler was in charge of the Nazi party in 1921, but only got real power in Germany after 1930, and in a big way in 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor, after which he rapidly established a totalitarian regime.
Most Jewish emigration from 1918-1921 was *from* Soviet Russia *to* Germany. Then a very large number left eastern Europe to Germany as well. But from there, many of them left Germany to go to the US and Palestine.
The largest outflow of Jews from Germany didn’t start until 1930, when the Germans started making restrictive anti-Jewish laws.
So look at this from a prep point of view. Interestingly, there is no association with movement based on the international depression. Remember that Weimar Germany had been devastated by depression and hyperinflation even worse than the US was by its Great Depression.
There are all sorts of lessons in here for preppers.
3) “Make your preparations quickly.”
I believe it was the great violinist Itzhak Perlman, who said something to the effect of “I make as many mistakes as anyone else, but I correct them faster.”
Exploit news immediately. For example, if you lived in California right now, as soon as you heard there was a major gasoline refinery fire, you should not only have filled your gas tanks, but invested in gasoline cans and filled them as well, because that means not just much higher prices, but shortages as well.
“Bartering with people means you have a conversation with them, a sort of respectful distance.”
I am planning on being alive on day 7.
Don’t talk down to me ole wise one.
I’m not talking down to you at all, FRiend.
But I have seen prepping threads before that talk about all kinds of items useful for barter.
It seems to make sense.
But that means assuming that all the people you meet will be upright and honest, have something of value, ready to make a deal.
More and more I am coming to believe that that is a failed policy. if SHTF, don’t expect ANYONE to be nice or honest or have a sense of community, in fact you have to be ready to think that EVERYONE is ready to kill you! Or at the very least steal everything you have.
It’s not nice, or pleasant, or Christian.
But it is what it is.
Stockpilers are completely invested in the “I have to stay here” mentality and that will be their downfall. The most mobile will be the survivors. They can adapt.
You have to be Switzerland to hold out for long period of time.
No harm, no foul. I took it wrong.
Peace be with us all in these scary times.
Stockpilers at least have the advantage of being in familiar territory and knowing the resources.
A ten minute walk for me and I have all the water I need.
I know where the deer bed down, and the smallmouth bass make their nests. I know where the cattails grow.
I know quite a few of my neighbors and have a good idea of which of them are armed.
It’s just my take on the possible situations, but I think being in unfamiliar territory is very, very risky.
WOW, this thread has tinfoil hat dripping from its very core.
Sheesh
Well, when you think about it, for 99.999% of the time man has lived on this planet, people lived in caves!
If you went to any of those people and described life today, they would lock you up quicker than you can say boo!
It is our lifestyle today that is unusual.
Look at some of the basically neolithic tribes that still exist in South America and Borneo.
I doubt we would ever go back to being that primitive, but it gives you something to think about.
5,500 gallons that is amazing, what are you using to store that much a pool? Sounds like you have a good supply of clean water, that is great.
This is exactly the vision i have and of which i prepare for.
Do you plant these. if so what weather and soil requirements?
I don't think I could grow coffee bushes here, without some expensive infrastructure.
Green beans keep longer (much longer) than roasted. I roast as I go, so the coffee I had this morning was roasted yesterday, and ground today.
It's slightly cheaper than Folgers(tm), but more work.
It's also better than the swill they sell at Starbucks(tm).
I buy coffee once a year between October and February, depending on market price (now is the beginning of harvest time) and my stock level. Stock level drove this purchase. If the price drops by Feb, I'll buy another 10 lbs.
/johnny
Because history shows that the Mongol hordes now control Europe.... no, wait...
Because history shows that the Vikings now control Europe.... no, wait...
Because history shows that the Dacians control Rome... no, wait...
Oh yeah. History shows that parasites die when the host figures it out. It's the folks that put down the roaming bands of thieving thugs that actually survive, long term.
/johnny
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