Top 9 Mistakes Of Prepping

http://www.commonfolkusingcommonsense.com/2010/06/07/top-9-mistakes-of-prepping/ ^

[Paved Paradise]

With all the beans and cheese, you probably can produce your own source of energy as well; now if you can just learn how to harness it.

[MrB]

For water purification, there is something better than HTH out there now, it’s dichlor pool shock. 1/4 teaspoon, yes, I typed that correctly, will purify 55 gals.

http://www.ldsprep.org/WATER.doc

[ChocChipCookie]

There’s a software program, Depiction, that helps organizations and individuals plan various escape routes. It uses numerous different types of maps and anticipates events such as floods, road closures, etc. www.depiction.com, and they’re having a free Webinar on the 22nd, I believe.

[Uncle Ike]

” The other option is to have a couple of barrels of water stored in the basement. “

Good for short-term bare-survival - and, with a little bit of preparation, you can devise some kind of rainwater catchment and filtering system to replenish...

However, if you’re thinking long term, ya gotta be thinking in terms of agriculture and that means irrigation - and that means a substantial natural supply of water, and the means of retrieving it....

YMMV - I don’t claim to have any one-size-fits-all answers that will suit everyone - I can only share my thinking and my preparations (some of them, anyway) for my local conditions....

[GonzoGOP]

Bars of soap?

As well as antiseptic and bandages. Lets face it there will be no or very limited medical care in a SHTF world. So you need to stay clean to keep from getting sick. And if you are cutting wood, boarding up your house or whatever you are going to get a lot of cuts and scrapes. And you need to pay attention to anything that breaks the skin since if it gets infected you are going to have to barter away a whole bunch of food and ammo to get a small amount of antibiotics. If they are available at all.

[fireforeffect]

Do not waste resources. Give the body to your neighbor with a hog lot.

[goodwithagun]

Great post! I thought about adding dried beans to my stores but then decided on canned beans. Yes, they take up more space but they are already hydrated. Water might be a premium and I don’t want to waste it on bean rehydration. Also, I added fully constituted soup for the same reason. Water is needed for condensed soup.

[ChocChipCookie]

In “Little House on the Prairie,” their dog saved their lives more than once. I’m talking about the book series, not the TV show.

[FReepaholic]

...any females who live will be bartered away into sexual slavery for supplies and ammo...

Note to self: buy extra ammo.

[goodwithagun]

#12: Not keeping track of experiation dates. I have a list of items and exp. dates. When the time draws neer I will either use it myself or donate it. At that time I will also rotate in a fresh supply of that item.

[RedStateRocker]

It would be nice if they knew how to use the English language. I have a hard time taking any advice from someone who doesn’t get the concept of ‘plural’

[fireforeffect]

Depending on how deep your well is.

Hand pump? Wind mill? Put them in storage until needed.

My well is 220 feet TBH. Can not hand pump. But my pool has about 3k in it and most of the local surface streams can be treated.

Actually, I have not looked at backup pumps recently. Something to do until quiting time.

[MrB]

Along with that, knowing what expiration dates are hard dates, and what “expiration dates” are on products just because the manufacturer wants you to buy more.

[goodwithagun]

For those with a Flex savings account- the pretax account that can be used for medical expenses- you WILL NOT be able to use them on OTC’s starting January 2011. I suggest you stock up on OTC’s anyway, SHTF or not. As for scripts, I'm sure you can convince your doc that you need an extra supply for an emergency kit. I think that a doctor might actually applaud the forethought.

[ChocChipCookie]

"Some Christian you are" one said, only to be informed that the Bible is not a suicide pact. God commands you to take care of your responsibilites, and if you refuse to do that, you'd best begin praying to the FEMA god.

Yes! This drives me crazy. I was talking with someone yesterday about the possibility of an EMP and the repercussions, and she said, "God is in control."

Of course! But when people say that, I think what they really mean is, "Nothing bad is going to happen to AMERICA! God is in control, and he's watching out for AMERICA!" Well, God was in control and we had the Civil War, Great Depression, Dust Bowl, etc. There are natural consequences, and our country is going to begin reaping those with our government's disastrous policies.

[Red in Blue PA]

One word: Spreadsheet.

This will have all of your items along with a column for when they are to be replaced.

[I see my hands]

"those solar walkway lights, make a good flashlight"

I look at them as battery chargers.

[MrB]

Ask how she is going to fulfill the Great Commission when she’s struggling to feed herself and her family.

On the other hand, those who are prepared ahead of time will have the “extra” time to share the Gospel.

[goodwithagun]

One morning years ago my parent’s well pump went out. My dad, being the man that he is, had an extra one on hand (don’t ask). Until he and my brother got everything in working order, mom tied a rope around a jar with a handle on it. We dipped water out of the well with it. It wasn’t easy or fast, but we had water.

[GonzoGOP]

However, if you’re thinking long term, ya gotta be thinking in terms of agriculture and that means irrigation - and that means a substantial natural supply of water, and the means of retrieving it....

Ya I was thinking short term. 110 gallons of pure fresh water givs you three months to come up with a way of A) getting more gas for the generator B) getting a hand pump set up. C) Order being restored for an hour so you can run the pump and refill the barrels. Kind of like why the advice is to put away a years worth of food. It isn't that we only expect to live for one year. It is that give a year we can probably find an additional source of food. There is an old saying that the difference between difficulty and disaster is how much time you have.