30 Days of Prepping - 2024

Started by EBuff75, August 27, 2024, 10:13:35 PM

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EBuff75


Day 21 - Work at Oktoberfest (again)

I spent a little over 12 hours working at our local Oktoberfest today and I'm completely wiped out.  The event ended at 11pm, but I stayed for another hour, helping to load up the temporary barricades. 

Oh, and I had 13,850 steps today, most of which was just pacing around at one of the entrances. 
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 22 - Reset from Oktoberfest

Making sure that you put things away after using them is an important part of being prepared.  After all, if you can't find your stuff when you need it, then it's not much use!

I pulled out a fair amount of gear to take to Oktoberfest (lights, power stations, snacks, etc.) and now that the event is over, I needed to put things back in their places.  I did some of that last night when I got home (technically, it was early this morning, since I didn't leave the event until just after midnight), but I just finished up the rest of it.  I did plug in the power station to charge, along with the USB power bank that was running the string lights, and the battery from my flashlight once I arrived home, so those were fully charged by the time I got up this morning.

Why didn't I do the rest of the cleanup sooner?  Because I spent the day visiting family on the other side of the state and didn't get home until about an hour ago.  Everyone is well, we had some good food, and got to see my cousin's new house (it's newly built and they just moved in a couple of weeks ago, so it still has that "new house" smell).  I did find that the tires on my Suburban need to be balanced.  The initial "it's been parked for a bit" flat spots never fully resolved and I had to deal with vibration all the way there and back.  It's probably due for a rotation anyway.  Looks like a trip to the tire store is in my future.

I'm still sore / tired from yesterday, so no official exercise for the day.  I'm at a hair under 2800 steps so far today.  Not much exercise to be gained in doing 300 miles worth of driving, unless cursing at other drivers counts as aerobics...  :D
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75

#62

Day 23 - Swap furnace filter, print new insurance cards

I don't have pets and it's just me here in the house, so I tend to let this go longer than you're supposed to.  The filter I removed today had been in for a full year, but I could still see plenty of light through the very thin layer of captured dust in the pleats.  The filters that I use are just one level down from the best that Filtrete sells, so it's not like the dust is escaping being caught!  Of course, the filter companies tell you to change them every 3 months, but at 3 months I can barely tell that the filter has been used.  They're expensive enough as it is!

I'm still recovering from all my activities over the weekend.  Even after sleeping 10 hours last night, I'm still tired today and I'm anticipating heading off to bed early again, so today's task was an easy one. 

I've only gotten about 1600 steps in thus far, but I'll try to get in some time on the exercise bike, or even go for a walk this evening yet. 

ETA: I do check the filter more than once a year, it just hadn't needed replacement the last time I looked.  This is the 5th filter out of 6 in that package and I bought it a little over 4 years ago, so it's somewhere around 9-10 months on average.

ETA2: After renewing my car insurance last week, it took a few days for the email confirmation with the new insurance cards to arrive.  Today I printed them off and put the copies into each vehicle.  Yes, digital versions are legal here and I do have the app on my phone, but this is just in case of:  I forgot my phone, no service, old-school cop.  Never hurts to have a printed copy to give them along with registration and driver's license.
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 24 - Sharpen knives using new sharpening system

Despite buying it a couple of months ago, I hadn't done anything more than just take my new sharpener out of the packaging and put it together to make sure all the parts were there.  It's just a cheap one from Vevor and it... works... mostly. I did have the handle come loose and fall apart when I was swapping stones, but it went back together just fine.  The knives that I sharpened were my EDC knife, which is the discontinued SOG Mini Aegis, and an eBay purchased Kershaw Drivetrain that needed some touch-up.

The sharpener works like a lot of others and comes with a pretty good range of sharpening stones (180 grit up through a glass sharpener that's 10,000 grit).  The storage bag is useless, but the box for my Commountain shoulder mic was a good fit for the stones and I put them in there to keep them from rattling around too much.  The clamp mechanism for the knife is sort of annoying.  You have to press a button on the back to release it, but to hold the knife firmly, you also have to tighten the hex screws once the knife is clamped in place.  On top of that, the arms aren't held firmly in the base and want to shift when you apply pressure.  So I ended up supporting the knife with one hand while I drew the stone across it with the other.  I guess there's a reason it was only $30! 

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After sharpening, the knives were pretty sharp, but I thought I could do even better with yet another new-to-me sharpening item - a strop!  (purchased at the same time a couple of months ago and also unused until now)  I watched a video on how to use it, since I'd never used one before, rubbed on some of the compound and went at it.  Okay, NOW they're sharp!  Almost scary sharp - they went through cardboard like it was barely there!  Me likey!  :smiley_clap:

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I also used a small half-round file and a round diamond file to sharpen the cord cutter on the Kershaw.  The annoying part is that there's a bolt on one side that gets in the way, so I did most of my sharpening on the other side and only enough to cut down the burr on the side with the bolt.  It's better, but to get it really sharp, I'd have to disassemble the knife to work on it.  I'm not planning to use it all that much, so I didn't bother going that far.

It was good to finally break these out and give them a shot.  For the nearly 50 years of my life up until now I've just done freehand sharpening with either a whetstone or a diamond sharpener from Smiths (sort of like this one).  Doing it that way worked okay, but this was much better and gives a much more consistent edge.

Only 1800 steps so far today, but I'll hit the exercise bike again tonight.  Last night I did 20mins on it (which is generally enough to work up a pretty good sweat) while listening to some old Kylie Minogue.  Gave me flashbacks to middle school when I bought the album (on cassette) and listened to it non-stop for weeks.  I still know almost all of the lyrics!
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 25 - Review Rockpals Rockpower 1300 power station

Well, Rockpals went out of business last year, but I never got around to reviewing this power station, so I'll post it for posterity sake.  If you happen to come across one really cheap and it works, then it's a decent unit.  Just be cautious, as there wouldn't be any warranty or support for it.  Mine has worked quite well and is the 2nd largest power station (by capacity) that I own.  I've run power tools, a refrigerator, and large floodlights on it with no issues.  *fingers crossed* that it will continue to work properly (I've seen general reports on the Facebook page of Rockpals power stations bricking or whose charging systems stop working).  Also be warned that there's no AC pass-through, the included AC charger is quite slow (160w, which takes about 8hrs to charge it), and it weighs 39lbs (although the built-in handles are pretty good).

Got in another session on the exercise bike tonight, while listening to a couple of early 90s Billy Joel albums.  Last night I did the same, except that I listened to Flood by They Might Be Giants.  As you can tell from the last few days, I've been listening to some throwback albums from my middle school and high school years!
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

majorhavoc

Rockpals power station owner here.  I had no idea they went out of business.  

Maybe we should form a support group on Facebook, lol.  Mine's still working fine.
A post-apocalyptic tale of love, loss and redemption. And zombies!
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EBuff75


Quote from: majorhavoc on September 26, 2024, 07:15:28 AMRockpals power station owner here.  I had no idea they went out of business. 

Maybe we should form a support group on Facebook, lol.  Mine's still working fine.
There's a group on Facebook called 'Rockpals VIP Group', but it's not very active. There were a few people sounding the alarm there last summer before the company sort of ghosted everyone.  Basically, people started having trouble getting warranty support last summer, then the company just sort of stopped responding entirely.  All that's left now is a landing page that says goodbye:  https://rockpals.site/

Here's hoping that ours keep running for years to come!
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 26 - Update wallet emergency contact card, address list, and vehicle info

This was another one of those really overdue things, as my previous address list was from 2018.  But it's all back up to date now, with as much new information as I have.  You just about need a magnifying glass to read the list, but that's because it has name, address, phone number, and email address columns, but is still just wide enough to fit into a credit card slot in my wallet.  I also printed larger versions to put into the GHB in each car, plus copies for my BOB and emergency binder.

I also had an "In Case of Emergency" card behind my license that was also out of date.  The old one was hand-written with my parents' old address and home number.  That's all updated now and printed out on the computer.  I also added my brother's info on the back.

And finally, I had a reference card that listed vehicle details, including license plate number and VIN for each of my vehicles (Mazda hatchback, Suburban, and motorcycle).  I used to know my plate numbers by heart, but they changed a few years back and the new ones haven't stuck.  The VIN is just for quick reference if I'm at a parts store or repair shop. 
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 27 - Pack for cemetery cleanup

Okay, so it's not really "prepping" other than in the sense of me "getting prepared/ready" for an event tomorrow.  The 'Movie In the Cemetery' event is coming up in a few weeks, which means that it's time to do a clean-up of the cemetery  in preparation for it.  The historic society does a cleanup 2x a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to be raining tomorrow and so far it looks like they're planning to go forward with it (next weekend is supposed to be beautiful). 

To get ready, I removed some of the gear that I normally carry, as I won't need it for this.  Then I took out the 3rd row seats in my Suburban.  And then, for the first time, I removed one of the 2nd row seats.  It's not too hard; just pull the carpeting back, unclip the electrical connection, remove four bolts, and lift the seat out.  It's not even that heavy.  And it finally gave me a chance to use my impact wrench, because those bolts were tight!  I also found plenty of crap under the carpet, including some broken glass that looked like it came from a bottle.  I'd never considered pulling the carpet out of a vehicle to ensure that it's REALLY clean in there, but it looks like it might be needed in some cases!

I'd made a list earlier in the week and have been adding to it whenever I thought of anything else.  I do all my own yard work, so I've got quite a few tools to bring - rakes, shovels, a wheelbarrow, a leaf funnel, saw, axe, gloves, loppers, plus power tools like a string trimmer, leaf blower, and electric mini-chainsaw.  For those last few, I also put chargers and a couple of power stations in my truck so that I can top batteries off if needed (I also put a bunch of batteries for the tools in the truck).  On the "random items" side of things, I have my big first aid bag, water, snacks, a pop-up canopy, assorted tools, starter spray, and safety gear (including a full kit of chainsaw gear - helmet, face shield, gloves, and Kevlar chaps). 

This evening, I drove through the cemetery, just to see how bad it was.  Actually, it's pretty good right now.  There are scattered branches that will need to be picked up, some garbage, one big chunk of tree that appears to have fallen recently, and the bushes next to the drive that goes in a loop through the cemetery need to be trimmed back by both the entrance and exit.  Not nearly as bad as I was afraid it might be.

Since all of this took several hours tonight, I'm pretty well beat, and I'm just going to count this as my "prepping" item for the day.  Removing the 2nd row seat was something that I'd wanted to try out for a while now, as the layout in this truck vs my 2004 is quite a bit different, and I'm going to have to take out the 2nd row seats when I use it for camping.  So this was a good run-through for that.  The Movie In the Cemetery event is just two weeks away now, so I'll probably leave the seat out, since I'm going to need to pack even more gear for that! 

Unfortunately, this didn't get me a whole lot of steps.  I'm around 3200 right now, even with all the back-and-forth of packing the truck.  Last night I did get on the bike again, and listened to Aaron Copeland's Greatest Hits.  I've got a weird music library...
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Quote from: EBuff75 on September 27, 2024, 08:16:50 PMDay 27 - Pack for cemetery cleanup

Okay, so it's not really "prepping" other than in the sense of me "getting prepared/ready" for an event tomorrow.  The 'Movie In the Cemetery' event is coming up in a few weeks, which means that it's time to do a clean-up of the cemetery  in preparation for it.  The historic society does a cleanup 2x a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to be raining tomorrow and so far it looks like they're planning to go forward with it (next weekend is supposed to be beautiful). 

To get ready, I removed some of the gear that I normally carry, as I won't need it for this.  Then I took out the 3rd row seats in my Suburban.  And then, for the first time, I removed one of the 2nd row seats.  It's not too hard; just pull the carpeting back, unclip the electrical connection, remove four bolts, and lift the seat out.  It's not even that heavy.  And it finally gave me a chance to use my impact wrench, because those bolts were tight!  I also found plenty of crap under the carpet, including some broken glass that looked like it came from a bottle.  I'd never considered pulling the carpet out of a vehicle to ensure that it's REALLY clean in there, but it looks like it might be needed in some cases!

I'd made a list earlier in the week and have been adding to it whenever I thought of anything else.  I do all my own yard work, so I've got quite a few tools to bring - rakes, shovels, a wheelbarrow, a leaf funnel, saw, axe, gloves, loppers, plus power tools like a string trimmer, leaf blower, and electric mini-chainsaw.  For those last few, I also put chargers and a couple of power stations in my truck so that I can top batteries off if needed (I also put a bunch of batteries for the tools in the truck).  On the "random items" side of things, I have my big first aid bag, water, snacks, a pop-up canopy, assorted tools, starter spray, and safety gear (including a full kit of chainsaw gear - helmet, face shield, gloves, and Kevlar chaps). 

This evening, I drove through the cemetery, just to see how bad it was.  Actually, it's pretty good right now.  There are scattered branches that will need to be picked up, some garbage, one big chunk of tree that appears to have fallen recently, and the bushes next to the drive that goes in a loop through the cemetery need to be trimmed back by both the entrance and exit.  Not nearly as bad as I was afraid it might be.

Since all of this took several hours tonight, I'm pretty well beat, and I'm just going to count this as my "prepping" item for the day.  Removing the 2nd row seat was something that I'd wanted to try out for a while now, as the layout in this truck vs my 2004 is quite a bit different, and I'm going to have to take out the 2nd row seats when I use it for camping.  So this was a good run-through for that.  The Movie In the Cemetery event is just two weeks away now, so I'll probably leave the seat out, since I'm going to need to pack even more gear for that! 

Unfortunately, this didn't get me a whole lot of steps.  I'm around 3200 right now, even with all the back-and-forth of packing the truck.  Last night I did get on the bike again, and listened to Aaron Copeland's Greatest Hits.  I've got a weird music library...
That was quite a bit of work.  We were only there for about 2hrs, but during that time we got a lot done.  I had just under 5000 steps on my watch while cutting up branches, hauling them to the dumping area (back edge of cemetery) and hauling several loads of dirt/clods from edging, plus two loads of firewood from cut-up branches that was moved to the parking lot. 

Turned out to be a good thing that I brought all the equipment, because the other volunteers brought... gloves and a few leaf rakes. We used the wheelbarrow, leaf blower, string trimmer, chainsaw (and extension pole), tarps, and shovel that I brought.  I continue to be impressed with that little Seesii mini-chainsaw.  It ran for almost an hour straight one one battery!  When it finally ran out, I put it on the charger (I already had a Milwaukee battery on a charger in the truck as well), but didn't even need the 2nd battery as it had literally run out of juice as I was making the final cut!  The other volunteers were very grateful that I'd brought things like the wheelbarrow, because hauling buckets of dirt / grass clods all the way to the dump area would've sucked.

I'll probably go back sometime in the next few weeks to do some trimming along the driveway, as we didn't get to the overgrown bushes.  Hopefully I can get some other folks to come and help with that.  

And the weather kinda sorta cooperated.  It sprinkled a bit on and off, but that was all.  Could've been much worse!
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

EBuff75


Day 28 - Reorganize belt FAK and purchase floor jack

I took advantage of a daily deal that Harbor Freight had today (40% off) and bought the Daytona 3-ton, long-reach, low-profile, with rapid pump.  I've needed a floor jack a couple of times, but never had one, so now I do!  Still need to get some jack stands, but that'll be a separate trip to Home Depot for the ones I want.

This evening, I pulled out the waist pack that I use with CERT as a portable FAK when I'm working at various events.  Because we have our big pack at those, I don't have a ton of stuff in it.  It's mainly so that I could deal with something minor (boo-boos), or something more serious for a short period of time until other team members or emergency services arrive.  I'd like to put some more stuff in it, but the pack is pretty well full with what I've got already.  I'll have to search around and see if I can find something a bit larger (this one is probably around 1L, but I'd like about double that).

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Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

MacWa77ace

What did you pay for the jack? Says 239 this morning.

Dood[ie] Wipes?

What are the big green tinctures?

I like the label on the aspirin ziplock.
Lifetime gamer watch at MacWa77ace YouTube Channel

Ask me about my 50 caliber Fully Semi-Automatic 30-Mag clip death gun that's as heavy as 10 boxes that you might be moving.


EBuff75


Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 29, 2024, 07:57:12 AMWhat did you pay for the jack? Says 239 this morning.

Dood[ie] Wipes?

What are the big green tinctures?

I like the label on the aspirin ziplock.
The jack was $144 after the discount. 

Dude Wipes, for any sort of hand cleaning or other wipe-up tasks.

The green vials are Sting-Kill treatments

All-hail the label maker!  All of my first aid kits have baggies with labels like that and I've gotten lots of comments about them in the past.
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

NT2C

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 28, 2024, 09:16:44 PMDay 28 - Reorganize belt FAK and purchase floor jack

I took advantage of a daily deal that Harbor Freight had today (40% off) and bought the Daytona 3-ton, long-reach, low-profile, with rapid pump.  I've needed a floor jack a couple of times, but never had one, so now I do!  Still need to get some jack stands, but that'll be a separate trip to Home Depot for the ones I want.

This evening, I pulled out the waist pack that I use with CERT as a portable FAK when I'm working at various events.  Because we have our big pack at those, I don't have a ton of stuff in it.  It's mainly so that I could deal with something minor (boo-boos), or something more serious for a short period of time until other team members or emergency services arrive.  I'd like to put some more stuff in it, but the pack is pretty well full with what I've got already.  I'll have to search around and see if I can find something a bit larger (this one is probably around 1L, but I'd like about double that).

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Thanks for jogging my sluggish memory.  I've been meaning for months to replace some of the stuff in my vehicle FAKs with better/newer versions, but kept putting it off because, unlike when I was an EMT and could "strategically relocate" needed supplies from the ER to my kit as required, that shit takes a bite out of my slim monthly budget.

Just ordered a half dozen better-quality tourniquets with metal windlass dohickies out of concern that high interior vehicle temps could weaken the plastic/nylon ones.  The replaced ones will be tested and moved to the house FAKs as appropriate.
Nonsolis Radios Sediouis Fulmina Mitto. - USN Gunner's Mate motto

Current Weather in My AO
Current Tracking Info for My Jeep

NT2C

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 29, 2024, 08:28:13 AM
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 29, 2024, 07:57:12 AMWhat did you pay for the jack? Says 239 this morning.

Dood[ie] Wipes?

What are the big green tinctures?

I like the label on the aspirin ziplock.
The jack was $144 after the discount. 

Dude Wipes, for any sort of hand cleaning or other wipe-up tasks.

The green vials are Sting-Kill treatments

All-hail the label maker!  All of my first aid kits have baggies with labels like that and I've gotten lots of comments about them in the past.
One of the things I really like about the Surviveware FAKs that we give away on here is that everything is well-labeled:
You cannot view this attachment.
Nonsolis Radios Sediouis Fulmina Mitto. - USN Gunner's Mate motto

Current Weather in My AO
Current Tracking Info for My Jeep

EBuff75


Day 29 - Inspect fire extinguishers / fire blankets

Given that I've never needed to use one, I have somewhat of an obnoxious number of fire extinguishers in my house.  Tonight I went around and confirmed that they're all in good shape (no damage) and in the green.  From smallest to largest, I've got a 1-2lb one in my car (hatchback, not much room), a 2lb in the garage, and a 2.5lb in the basement rec room.  Then, I have all of the 5lb units - truck, garage, basement workshop, kitchen, living room, and bedroom.  Yes, I've got 9 fire extinguishers - deal with it!  :shades:

There are also XL and XXL size fire blankets (59" x 59" and 79" x 79") in my vehicles, workshop, and bedroom.  The one from my car needed to be cleaned off, refolded, and repacked after I used to to contain sparks from cutting metal during my brother's bathroom remodel this summer.  I shook off most of the metal splinters and after several tries, figured out how to fold it in such a way that it would fit in the bag.  Rather than put it back into my car, I swapped it with the one in the workshop, since that's probably not the last time I'll need one for that sort of thing. 

After working on the cemetery cleanup yesterday, I recharged all of the batteries and mostly unloaded the truck.  There's still more to go, but I've probably gotten 80% of it out now.  Other than that, I sort of lazed around today.  I'm down to the last few books in the Dresden Files series and will probably finish up my re-read of them sometime this week.
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

NT2C

#76
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 29, 2024, 07:33:48 PMDay 29 - Inspect fire extinguishers / fire blankets

Given that I've never needed to use one, I have somewhat of an obnoxious number of fire extinguishers in my house.  Tonight I went around and confirmed that they're all in good shape (no damage) and in the green.  From smallest to largest, I've got a 1-2lb one in my car (hatchback, not much room), a 2lb in the garage, and a 2.5lb in the basement rec room.  Then, I have all of the 5lb units - truck, garage, basement workshop, kitchen, living room, and bedroom.  Yes, I've got 9 fire extinguishers - deal with it!  :shades:


It's not enough just ensuring they're in the green, expiration dates matter too, particularly in extinguishers that sit in one place and are rarely moved.  The dry chemical powder in them can pack itself over time, causing clumps that can clog it when discharging.  I make it a habit to take mine off the mounts and give them a good shaking twice a year, just to help prevent this but I also will not rely on an extinguisher that's expired.  I may still keep it as a spare but it won't be a primary.  I do buy higher end extinguishers that have better quality valves and that are refillable but given the cost to recertify one and refill it, buying new is sometimes the cheaper alternative.

Currently, there's one 15lb 3A-50BC just inside every entrance to the house (garage doors, front door); one of the same in the laundry area; and another attached to the center leg of my workbench.  There's also a 2.5lb. BC attached by the corner of the bench.  There's currently a Halon extinguisher next to the fridge in the kitchen, wool blankets (naturally fire resistant) in each bedroom, and the wife just told me she wants a couple of fire blankets.

edit: The halon extinguisher is in the red so I ordered a new extinguisher for that location that's non-toxic and also rated for class D fires and lithium batteries.

edit edit: As someone who has lost almost everything they own in a fire (clothes on my back and a photo album found in the cast iron kitchen sink) I look at fire protection gear a bit different than most.  I don't quibble on price and I buy quality gear because saving a few bucks and losing something priceless because of it is a poor bargain.
Nonsolis Radios Sediouis Fulmina Mitto. - USN Gunner's Mate motto

Current Weather in My AO
Current Tracking Info for My Jeep

EBuff75


Quote from: NT2C on September 29, 2024, 07:56:53 PM
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 29, 2024, 07:33:48 PMDay 29 - Inspect fire extinguishers / fire blankets

Given that I've never needed to use one, I have somewhat of an obnoxious number of fire extinguishers in my house.  Tonight I went around and confirmed that they're all in good shape (no damage) and in the green.  From smallest to largest, I've got a 1-2lb one in my car (hatchback, not much room), a 2lb in the garage, and a 2.5lb in the basement rec room.  Then, I have all of the 5lb units - truck, garage, basement workshop, kitchen, living room, and bedroom.  Yes, I've got 9 fire extinguishers - deal with it!  :shades:


It's not enough just ensuring they're in the green, expiration dates matter too, particularly in extinguishers that sit in one place and are rarely moved.  The dry chemical powder in them can pack itself over time, causing clumps that can clog it when discharging.  I make it a habit to take mine off the mounts and give them a good shaking twice a year, just to help prevent this but I also will not rely on an extinguisher that's expired.  I may still keep it as a spare but it won't be a primary.  I do buy higher end extinguishers that have better quality valves and that are refillable but given the cost to recertify one and refill it, buying new is sometimes the cheaper alternative.

Currently, there's one 15lb 3A-50BC just inside every entrance to the house (garage doors, front door); one of the same in the laundry area; and another attached to the center leg of my workbench.  There's also a 2.5lb. BC attached by the corner of the bench.  There's currently a Halon extinguisher next to the fridge in the kitchen, wool blankets (naturally fire resistant) in each bedroom, and the wife just told me she wants a couple of fire blankets.

edit: The halon extinguisher is in the red so I ordered a new extinguisher for that location that's non-toxic and also rated for class D fires and lithium batteries.

edit edit: As someone who has lost almost everything they own in a fire (clothes on my back and a photo album found in the cast iron kitchen sink) I look at fire protection gear a bit different than most.  I don't quibble on price and I buy quality gear because saving a few bucks and losing something priceless because of it is a poor bargain.
When Kidde had their big recall back in November 2017, I replaced two recalled extinguishers out of the three that I had at the time.  After that, I decided to add more, so most of them date from 2018, or very late 2017.  The non-recalled one is over 20 years old, which is why it's just a backup in the garage.  Based on a 10-12 year service life, I've still got another 3-6 years before I need to worry about replacements.  All of them are ABC rated, made by either Kidde or First Alert, and the 5lb and 2.5lb extinguishers are all refillable (the only non-refillable ones are the small one in my car and the old expired one in the garage).

I haven't bothered with any specialty extinguishers, although I've considered getting either Halon or CO2 for the garage in the event of a fire while working on a vehicle (just due to it being less of a mess than dry chemical).  My kitchen is all electric appliances and I've never deep fried anything in my life, so ABC should be good enough there!
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

NT2C

The thing to remember about dry chem extinguishers is that the stuff is very corrosive and a nightmare to clean up.  The one I just bought for the kitchen is a water-based foam, non-toxic, non-corrosive.

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Nonsolis Radios Sediouis Fulmina Mitto. - USN Gunner's Mate motto

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Rednex

Ok so since my last post during the 30 days of prepmas I change or charged all battery things, including charging all rechargeable batteries. I upgraded to some Panosonics e loop and got away from bunny Amazon basic NiMi . Jump starters in truck, xterra, flashlights, portable cell power banks,smoke co2 alarms, everything. Re did Dec bag , my wipes dried out so replaced them, umbrella broke so replaced it. And as always worked on House deck to move and worked chicken farm on weekends.

On my tablet so typing may suck.

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