Posted on 09/16/2023 3:07:53 PM PDT by CottonBall
This is an ongoing thread – meaning come back to chat, post information, or ask questions any time. Hopefully the thread won’t stagnate and I’ll do better at posting weekly (or bi-weekly) topics than I have in the past. (anyone willing to post a topic now and then we'll be highly praised and appreciated).
We are in for some bumpy rides, and prepping can only help. If for peace of mind, if nothing else. We have a wonderful gardening thread and a current-events survival/prepping thread, and hopefully this one can piggyback off of those, maybe having a longer discussion about certain topics or … whatever. It's your thread, do what you like with it! (civilly, of course)
Here are granny’s threads, if anyone wants to peruse them:
nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #1
nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #2
nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #3
I would also recommend checking out www.driveonwood.com for ways to keep the generator going when there isn’t any gas.
Also good for small tractors. I have tried planting and harvesting an acre by hand. People are going to want the tractors running!!!
That’s lot of tomatoes!
I canned pears one year. I did them wrong and they discolored, which I was told was normal. I probably pressure canned them, since that’s my preferred method, especially if I have to add acid to something. they weren’t pretty, tasted OK.
The only thing I have to do is put on something a little more presentable than I normally trot around in, put my fake messy bun in my hair, and make my way over to Natalie’s lol. She made a pineapple upside down cake and homemade vanilla ice-cream for dessert. Birthday is actually Tuesday, so if there’s a piece of cake left for me to save for breakfast on Tuesday morning, I’m a happy Nanna!
You got us a new topic, helping others!
How do you balance helping your neighbors with not letting others know what you have, or thinking they know.
You sound like a gem, ansel. What a wonderful, peaceful, helpful attitude.
Full disclosure - I am not, myself, a genuine prepper, although I would have been at a younger age. I am, however, a prepper, once removed.
We moved a couple of years ago to my daughter and sil’s farm, having sold the house with real estate so ridiculously high. Bought a mobile home (1200 sq ft) for one-tenth of what we got for the house so were able to help the kids with the goal of being debt-free.
At the farm, we then joined to get prepared for what may be heading our way. Lots of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, cows raised on the pasture for freezing, a few pigs ready for the butcher soon, and the farm raises a couple of thousand sheep a year. We have a huge garden, honey bees, laying hens, and an outbuilding with a walk-in fridge at one end for all of the storage. Large generator, large gas containers, tractors, wood stoves, a lots of trees to cut. My son also has a property with many trees. The kids all hunt, so we’ve also got lots of Canadian geese in the freezer which is going to be made into sausage, deer, wild ducks, etc. So much canning on the shelves, and 8 freezers almost full.
I know the kids will also be in the position to help where needed if the SHTF, and I’m glad they will take care of us, as well as others. I just hope they don’t need to.
Got your 2 topics noted - water & sanitation and helping others.
That’s a great idea to start out thinking about a short amount of time. A lot less stressful and I’m sure a lot of ideas come out of it.
“””How do you balance helping your neighbors with not letting others know what you have, or thinking they know.”””
This will vary greatly from individual to individual, and also their situation, having kids, having a normal wife who isn’t a Rambo girl, being single, being male or female.
A big consideration is how vulnerable are you, an inner-city apartment dweller would not want to reveal anything to anyone but someone with a few respectable neighbors can chance to help someone as long as you have the personality strength to switch gears and put on your hard face if the time comes.
Use this rough standard, if you think the emergency is temporary, then help, if it is EOW, then drive every single person away to the shelters and govt centers, in time the few remaining people in your area who were prepared will start finding each other and trading goods and helping each other.
Using your supplies on the unprepared at the beginning of an EOW situation is stupid but..... after some time the slackers will be gone to wherever the government is while the few preppers will know who each other are, and with someone like that you may be willing to help them through a rough patch with a little rice, or salt, or whatever.
People have to deal with things in ways that match who they are, a gentle Rambo can get away with taking risks and helping in ways that a fearful person who isn’t capable of suddenly being violent can’t.
I’m very fond of my digital pressure canner! I’ve always had trouble keeping the pressure consistent with the regular kind. I was actually researching ways to make a digital one myself when they started hitting the market. I LOVE being able to just push a few buttons and have it take care of itself!
“””At the farm, we then joined to get prepared for what may be heading our way. Lots of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, cows raised on the pasture for freezing, a few pigs ready for the butcher soon, and the farm raises a couple of thousand sheep a year. We have a huge garden, honey bees, laying hens, and an outbuilding with a walk-in fridge at one end for all of the storage. Large generator, large gas containers, tractors, wood stoves, a lots of trees to cut. My son also has a property with many trees. The kids all hunt, so we’ve also got lots of Canadian geese in the freezer which is going to be made into sausage, deer, wild ducks, etc. So much canning on the shelves, and 8 freezers almost full.”””
When I hear of an incredible situation like that, the first thing I think of is ‘WHEAT’.
If I had a Garden of Eden situation like that I would want to make sure that I had years of long-storage wheat for years of baking and bread, some rice would also be nice.
I think it also makes a difference how much is going to be obvious during normal times, because it’s going to be hard to pretend otherwise when things happen.
Anybody who has ever talked to me for probably already knows about my seed-collecting obsession. It’s too big a part of my personality to hide it. But they don’t need to know that the bug and rodent repellents mixed with my bean seeds are perfectly edible. Or that a lot of my squash seeds are still inside the squash, because I chose such long-storing varieties.
Also, some preppers haven’t thought of the benefits and security gains of networking, lending a helping hand, being known as someone who will come over with maybe a bag of beans and some useful advice on open-fire cooking, or with some seeds and advice on how to get them started.
I have a lot of hard liquor in my survival stock that I don’t use, while it is good for trading, taking a little over to a house to have a little drink and comforting talk, (especially for the neighbors who miss booze more than they thought they would) and doing some schmoozing, is a way to gather intelligence information and to build the eyes and ears of allies.
Composed people who know things such as what seeds are and how to use them, will be liked and appreciated when people are stressed and ignorant about basic life, and the bigger your friendly bubble, the better your personal security.
Excellent points.
One of my main seasonal considerations (or determinents) is the heat of the vehicle interior year 'round but especially in the summer.
The temperature inside a closed vehicle in the summer sun can easily hit 120 to 160 degrees dependent upon your locale.
So the summer sun and the heat build up on BOB's and other gear in a closed vehicle preclude packing some items I would like to have that I might be able to pack in the winter.
Not only can the intense heat ruin some items in short order it can also reduce the usable life of other items.
Items to think about include butane fuel canisters and lighters, wax candles, some types of energy bars and other foods, etc.
For what it’s worth the coolest part of the car seems to be under the seats.
For things that you have to keep in the car like a flashlight and batteries, and some electronics, try using a soft-sided lunch cooler for storing them under the seat, keep your alkaline batteries separate from the electronics and flashlight, the batteries leak.
My SIL, Matt, also does crops with his father. There’s wheat, corn, soya beans at various locations. There’s a fair bit of acreage. He hasn’t kept any of the crops as of yet, but it’s available if need be. We’ve been very blessed, and, thankfully, I know they will help as many as they can.
My russets fall apart when I try to mix them up as a salad.
Let’s start a commune, at your place.
That is because you are over cooking them.
It’s probably too late to wish you a good birthday dinner! I’m sure you’ve started already.
Wow, that’s great practical advice. I never really thought about it but about the confrontational type so me planning on holding back a bunch of Neighbors probably wouldn’t happen.
And I never thought about waiting it out, until the unprepared have all gone to government shelters etc. I suppose they will be going to their 15 minute cities.
Thanks for the ping. It will be good to get this thread going again, very timely.
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