Americans Are Preparing At Unprecedented Levels

SHTF Plan ^ | 4-27-2011 | Mac Slavo

[ncpatriot]

Stupid question: how can you tell if gasoline is going bad?

we have a ford truck that has two tanks. we don’t use truck often and it is running poorly. could this be due to gas gone bad. would adding Sta-Bil help?

[blam]

"Stupid question: how can you tell if gasoline is going bad? "

I can tell when gas is bad by the smell...it smells bad.

Don't use it if you suspect it...it'll clog up you fuel injectors, big time.

[PA Engineer]

The gasoline and propane is just to get me through until I can get my wood-burning supplies out and set-up. Wood-burning is a whole other thing...fire bricks, cast iron pots/pans, chain saws/axes...etc.

I have prepared the same way and would say that a couple of months of fuel would help in the transition to the "new normal". I still believe we will see similar problems as those experienced in Argentina.

There probably will be shortages and intermittent outages of electricity. Because of this I am not preparing for a total grid down situation "alone".

Years ago I installed inverters (stacked) and L16 batteries for power outages that are quite common where we live. This insured refrigeration and kept the deep well (170 feet) running. Our fuel requirements for charging the batteries and other chores while the generator is running is about 1.5 gallons of fuel per day.

If it is a longterm grid down then I have 8 helios with all the gear ready to mount for well water. The fuel buys me that time if necessary. The probable worst case however will be rationing. The back-up system is set to handle that by keeping 10 critical circuits powered until they can switch back to external power and charging.

We also purchased a gas stove that can quickly adjusted internally to use propane. I do not foresee this as being likely since we live in the middle of the largest gas producing municipality of western PA. Again, if worst case we have a year to make out transition over to wood.

Finally, we all burn wood in my little neck of rural heaven. Have everything you mentioned in storage, except we do fire up two of the four wood stoves regularly during the winter months. Have five full chords seasoned and ready always. I can cut, hull and split a chord during a weekend (if I have to). Check out this little baby from Northern Tool. I prefer my electric splitter, but the one linked works great.

In short I agree with you that fuel buys time (if necessary) for the new normal. I'm betting on the middle case situation, while having prepared for the worst. I have never considered preparation as an act of self flagellation.

[PA Engineer]

we have a ford truck that has two tanks. we don’t use truck often and it is running poorly. could this be due to gas gone bad. would adding Sta-Bil help?

Check out PRI. Google around because there are many who claim using greater concentrations will recover bad fuel. The other item you may want to look at is E-ZORB. The combination may help if you have no option but to run the truck.

[Little Bill]

http://marginstoves.com/

This along with a lot of flour, rice, beans, dry milk, Smoked bacon, salt pork, molasses, dry mustard, salt and pepper, and a dutch oven. Kept my family alive on the Oregon and Mormon trail.

[blam]

We used wood and coal burning pot bellied stoves for cooking and heat when I was a kid. (TV and AC was unheard of)

I've read that there were so many deaths on the Oregan Trail that if they were distributed equally along the trail that there would be a grave every five feet.

We think we have it tough today.

[blam]

I’m well prepared and in a rural area too. I’d like to have you as my neighbor though. I have neighbors that compliment and fill-in some gaps in my preparations...as I do theirs.

[ctdonath2]

Religeous charity still applies. For $20 you can get 50lbs of rice to share. 10’% tithe means you can do a lot for the poor on a little.

[ctdonath2]

:-)

[CottonBall]

My best preventative though is I live in Texas.

You'll be inundated with illegals. Not that you aren't already, but they'll become even more violent and demanding. Plus, I'd much prefer to head east - where rain will help with growing crops when water and electric is shut off in communities.

[I see my hands]

You go ahead and tell starving folks you have a little extra to spare. Good plan.

[MaxMax]

You are correct. People are preparing and they have no idea why, they just are.

[ctdonath2]

Basic Christian virtue.
Did a lot to preserve a society worth preserving.
Don’t be stupid, of course...but don’t be a jerk either.

[papertyger]

Why do you think no one knows why?

[MaxMax]

For myself it’s a gut feeling. And I don’t know why.

[papertyger]

Um...don’t you find it the least bit embarrassimg to admit on an open forum how you have no idea why you assume OTHER people don’t know why they are doing something?

[I see my hands]

What do you think will happen to your family when you tell starving folks you have a little extra to spare?

[PatriotGirl827]

That’s a great link. Thank you!

[PA Engineer]

I’d like to have you as my neighbor though. I have neighbors that compliment and fill-in some gaps in my preparations...as I do theirs.

Same here.

My neighbors are varied, from Farmer to Surgeon. All of them good people and not likely to go MZB type on anyone. The only two families that I know are watching closely and prepared are both retired Farmers (with lots of land). They have lived through this before. We talked about it and they surprised me. They both said the plows are ready to go if necessary, but are grateful to have doctors and an orthodontist here. This turned out to be a big issue during the last depression according to their families.

I have made sure we could cover a couple neighbors (and of course family) with the basics. I don't think I could stand by and watch someone go hungry.

[MayflowerMadam]

“My fears are for when the government checks stop coming and the lights start going out.”

Or checking on investments and seeing “$0.00” balance on your funds that exist in cyberspace.