Monthly Prepping & Self Sufficiency Thread

3/12/2022 | Pollard

[Pollard]

Monthly Prepping & Self Sufficiency Thread

I've been meaning to do a prepper thread for a while now and will do my best to start one the first Saturday of each month from here out.

When you start prepping, it's about stocking up on food, water and supplies and maybe having a BOB(Bug Out Bag) and a retreat to bug out to. That leads to moving to that retreat which is usually away from the cities and your retreat likely is larger than the typical city/suburb home lot. In fact, you probably have room to produce some of your needs. Basic prepping leads to living in a more self sufficient way and producing some of your needs. It's a natural progression and as such, I'm calling these threads, Prepping & Self Sufficiency threads.

In preparation for this, I've reworked my profile page and also included a lot of info that freeper Pete from Shawnee Mission has been collecting from past Weekly Gardening threads. Gardening is a part of prepping and self-sufficiency but I'm far from being an expert so be sure to join in the weekly gardening threads. The best way to find past gardening threads seems to be by doing a keyword or tag search for "gardening:. https://freerepublic.com/tag/gardening/index?tab=articles

[Pollard]

From here; https://www.dareproducts.com/pdf/high_tensile_fence_system.pdf

Fence design tool; https://www.dareproducts.com/fence-designer

I did every other strand hot starting with the bottom. They did get out the first summer when the ground was so dry the fence was down around 2-3,000 volts but since the does had their first kids and the buck got so big he'd really have to squeeze through, plus he got calmer(adult instead of teenager), they've stayed inside. Even when they got out, they stayed in view. I've got three 8 foot ground rods all the way in but evidently the soil gets dry that far down in mid summer. Down at the low spot of the property it tends to stay moist but I haven't been able to drive a rod in there due to rocks/boulders. I plan on running our grey water drain to where the ground rods are to see if that helps.

I went with high tensile because the post spacing can be so big and we have rocky soil on most of the property. Some of my corner posts took a full day each and there was no way to get equipment to the back corners unless I wanted to cut down a hundred more trees. Most of the fence line goes through forest. Got almost two year's worth of firewood from cutting the fence line just wide enough for my sub-compact tractor which is about 42 inches wide. Made a 42 inch wide trailer for it for hauling wood up.

I used fiberglass sucker rod for the line posts that were not in a dip and used t-posts in the dips.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

” Maybe the best thing for that would be a younger partner/pupil”

But I like my present partner (Mr. Apple Pan Dowdy) Yeah, I know he’s old…. But aged like a fine wine 🙂

[Pollard]

But if you are serious about zombie apocalypse then you would have bugged out long ago as I and others on the forum did.

I originally had plans to bug out to the mo-in-law's place. She has 5 acres in North FL almost up to the GA line and it's rural. We ended up moving to rural MO ten years ago. All my neighbors grow a garden every year. One has pears, peaches, apple, grapes, wild persimmons/plum/cherry. He also has several head of beef cattle. I have meat goats. They all know how to hunt, fish, process, tanning, build things, fix things.

[Pollard]

I've got a high tunnel to put up sometime and the heritage varieties don't do all that well in them so I may end up with hybrids in there for some things. Maters especially.

Luckily the kids are done growing. I just got a new to me pair of boots on ebay. I normally wouldn't buy shoes online but they're the same thing I'm wearing right now but this right one has a hole in the soul. I keep my old boots. Socks and undies are good to stock up on.

I do plan on composting this year. Haven't done it in a few. Got the goats for fertilizer and we can start peeing in jugs and using that if need be.

Been thinking about buying some of these; https://allrags.com/collections/white-terry-rags/products/recycled-white-terry-washcloth?variant=36519545488

Paper products are through the roof. I bet the white terry rags would pay for themselves in paper towel use reduction. Approx 300 in a 25lb box. Would make good TP too. Wipe, fold, wipe fold, toss in bucket of water to soak and wash when you accumulate enough.

I buy Dawn dish liquid in the big jug and refill the little one by the sink. I buy purple cleaner in the gallon jug. It's concentrated and can be reduced quite a bit for a household cleaner.

[matthew fuller]

I had just bought a smaller jar, but I did buy one of the half gallon jars.

[NautiNurse]

Nearly every source out there will tell you that you need to dilute the urine with water at a 10:1 water to urine ratio

One example of full strength urine is the number of dead spots on a lawn where dogs were permitted to urinate.

[NautiNurse]

I keep my old boots

Old boots, especially little one's sloshers, are great for making into planter pots for herbs or ornamental flowers. Drainage hole in the bottom, some potting soil, and they are not only useful, but also adorable. They can be hung on a porch or low fence railing.

[metmom]

For insect control, check out this place.

Arbico Organics

https://www.arbico-organics.com/

They sell beneficial insects and nematodes.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

All the preps in the world don't matter squat unless you have guns.

Incorrect.

Guns are very handy tools and having them and ammo is important. BUT I can do more damage with what I have in my garden shed then I could do with anything short of an artillery battery.

If you are prepping for defense you should know how to make weapons not just use them.

And if you are falling over from hunger or thirst or cold having a gun will not help.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Try buckwheat.

You can plant it after the other grains have finished and my chickens enjoy it when mixed in with their weevil infested cracked red wheat.

Throw in some greens and cow bones for them to peck at and you will have happy chickens.

[Pollard]

Oh but they coma back a nice dark green.

[joma89]

Thanks for the link.

[joma89]

That is a really good deal.

[joma89]

You are in a good place.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Re: Old Boots

[Man from Oz]

Looks good. In another venture, I serve as as an expert witness for court cases involving vehicle/livestock collisions. You have sufficient grounding rods. If anything, I’d recommend documenting the voltage on your fence @ weekly to avoid any potential negligence claims.

Carry on and best wishes. If possible, please add me to your ping list.

MFO

[Cold Heart]

Buy a gallon of milk on sale. Make your own Parmesan.

cheesemaking.com

[Cold Heart]

If you live in earthquake country, a simple wood stave across the middle of those jars would be appropriate.

That’s how we kept books on the shelf on a ship.

[Cold Heart]

I thought urine was saved for making black powder.

[Taxman]

THANKS!

WE APPRECIATE YOU EFFORT!