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Prepping Discussion => Bugout Location Planning & Preps => Topic started by: SCBrian on June 26, 2021, 10:37:09 AM

Title: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on June 26, 2021, 10:37:09 AM
*Mod note - Couldn't find this thread here yet, maybe I'm just missing it... *

Rolled out the generator in preparation for Hurricane season.  Added some treated gas, and let her run for a solid 30 minutes to wake her up.   Closed her in the shed to hear how loud she was, inside, wasn't terrible,  Neighbors will hear if they are outside, but inside - probably not.  Will do it again next week, and walk the perimeter of the yard to get an idea of how far the noise will carry.  NEED to get my chainsaw up and running soon.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on June 26, 2021, 11:55:04 AM
Quote from: SCBrian on June 26, 2021, 10:37:09 AM
*Mod note - Couldn't find this thread here yet, maybe I'm just missing it... *

*Admin note - Nope, it needed creating.  You did it so now you get to be in charge of it.  >:D
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on June 26, 2021, 01:29:07 PM
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/131/393/ohoq9.jpg)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on June 27, 2021, 06:45:22 AM
 :smiley_clap:  Thanks for this, always one of my favorite threads.

Rain delay on some other plans I had for yesterday so decided to tackle an indoor project I'd been dreading.

(https://i.postimg.cc/jjW3dwWr/s-1.jpg)

After some wiring brushing, stove polishing, and mopping (needs more):

(https://i.postimg.cc/brPmTmmz/s2.jpg)

This is the back half of the outhouse (a 12x16 repurposed pole barn) at the guest house, a sauna room my Father built back in the '90s that we hadn't used in 10 years or so and had become storage space.  Been putting in some much needed maintenance into the outhouse recently, including a new roof which had been leaking and the cause of the rust.  The wood stove is the backup heat for the outhouse, when opened for use it has running water so we have to heat it in the winter, but in a pinch the sauna could serve as an additional bedroom or the whole building as a standalone shelter for 1-2 people. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on June 27, 2021, 08:55:11 AM
Wait...  Your Dad turned the outhouse into a sauna?  And now you also want to bunk people in it?  What sort of evil person are you ?  though it may help to get rid of those in laws you dont want to deal with!  :icon_crazy:  Or are you not using "Outhouse" in the traditional sense?   Also - you might want to make sure there is some shielding between the pine wood and the cast iron, to reduce the fire hazard.   But it looks nice,  I love seeing cast iron restored.  :)


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on June 27, 2021, 01:00:21 PM
canned 6 pints of yellow squash relish. Froze 4 one gal. bags of zucchini.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on June 27, 2021, 10:52:32 PM
Quote from: flybynight on June 27, 2021, 01:00:21 PM
canned 6 pints of yellow squash relish. Froze 4 one gal. bags of zucchini.

I planted two young yellow squash plants this morning along with several peppers.

Not prepping related, but I also planted some lilies that were on clearance. I like my flowers.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on June 28, 2021, 04:13:06 AM
Quote from: SCBrian on June 27, 2021, 08:55:11 AM
Wait...  Your Dad turned the outhouse into a sauna?  And now you also want to bunk people in it?  What sort of evil person are you ?  though it may help to get rid of those in laws you dont want to deal with!  :icon_crazy:  Or are you not using "Outhouse" in the traditional sense?   Also - you might want to make sure there is some shielding between the pine wood and the cast iron, to reduce the fire hazard.   But it looks nice,  I love seeing cast iron restored.  :)

My Niece named it the Rest Barn (restroom + pole barn), but yeah it's a bath at the end of a path.  :) 

(https://i.postimg.cc/KjHMByJZ/restbarn.jpg)

Toilet, stall shower, and laundry tub/sink in the front half and much less claustrophobia-inducing with the skylights. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lettuce Pray on June 28, 2021, 12:43:45 PM
This may not seem preparedness related, but I busted my butt for the last two days and moved ALMOST all of my mother's final stuff from the Wiregrass area up to Birmingham metro. We hope to be able to close the sell of that property in a couple weeks and free up money for a land purchase up here along with other prep-based home improvements.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on June 28, 2021, 01:03:02 PM
Signed and notarized the docs to refinance the house and get the money for a new roof and to move.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on June 29, 2021, 12:58:42 PM
Canned 4 pints of Blueberry Jam yesterday after work.  We buy a couple pints of berries every week and what we don't eat during the week, I freeze until we collect enough to make jam.


Today I lifted weights (curls/bench press).
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on July 05, 2021, 08:31:59 PM
I made and canned 9 pints of Corn Relish.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Tony D Tiger on July 06, 2021, 12:08:08 AM
Living out of the trailer for the week.
Need to sort out some of the old stuff and ensure systems are operable.  :smiley_coffee:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lettuce Pray on July 07, 2021, 12:43:14 PM
Since my small gas sipping commuter vehicle bit the dust and was going to be expensive to have repaired, I (and the bank) bought a full-sized truck. It will be the default BOV since it is 4WD.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: boskone on July 07, 2021, 01:24:28 PM
Quote from: Lettuce Pray on July 07, 2021, 12:43:14 PM
Since my small gas sipping commuter vehicle bit the dust and was going to be expensive to have repaired, I (and the bank) bought a full-sized truck. It will be the default BOV since it is 4WD.
As someone who recently stepped "up" to a less fuel-efficient vehicle, I offer my commiserations on your upcoming fuel bills.  Especially with fuel prices primed to climb.

Hopefully I can offload this beast in a couple years without being upside-down.

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 07, 2021, 01:40:10 PM
The better half took the dogs to the vet for their shots y-day, made copies of the new vacc certificates for the BOB and the safe and replaced the old ones.  We always get them the Bordetella/kennel cough too just in case we have to board or shelter them during a BO.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Anianna on July 07, 2021, 02:51:33 PM
My husband and I got us a pair of Orygen Dual Valve respiratory training devices.  It's resistance training for your pulmonary muscles.  There's a lot of research on the benefits of resistance respiratory training for a lot of things, even lowering high blood pressure (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210630135033.htm?fbclid=IwAR0O5BhvU6tGY5GmLYk8NBoh2hQjNtCRWVlRyXuYchNcIuB3wllHmraegWM) as well as medication does.  Athletes and musicians use devices like these to improve their performance.

I was recommended one to improve my respiratory health since I have an immune deficiency and have had several bouts of pneumonia.  Hubby decided to join in to get his blood pressure down. 

I figure we'll be stronger breathers in the PAW. 


More info if you want it:

I picked this particular one because there was some research done comparing medically rated devices and this one met my criteria for having a price reasonable for the home user, ease of use, and it is dual valve meaning you exercise on both the inhale and the exhale while most devices are inhale only.  If you want to see that research, Google "A Review on Respiratory Training Devices" at hilarispublisher.com (it opens as a pdf to the study, there's a handy chart for comparison). 

I also tried The Breather which is dual valve, cheaper, and readily available on Amazon.  I'm not sure how to describe how they differ.  The Orygen is a medical device and The Breather is not.  The Orygen is bulkier and designed to be implemented by doctors or coaches, not really to be used by the general public, though they do have instructions on their website that make it easy to use without a doctor (make sure you're using your diaphragm to breathe - that's important - if you're not sure what that means, look up diaphragmatic breathing to learn how, there are easy-to-follow videos on YouTube).  The Breather comes with a user-friendly app that guides you through sets each day. 

The results of a breathing exercise with each feels different.  I thought The Breather was giving me a decent workout, but the Orygen felt a lot more like a workout.  The settings on The Breather are poorly defined while the settings on the Orygen are an actual measurement.  The Orygen is more expensive ($110), but I think it's worth the cost over The Breather (~$50), plus Orygen does run sales.  We got ours for $85 each on sale. 

ETA:  Also, for whatever reason, The Breather is unnecessarily noisy.  Not sure if that's by design, but I was surprise when the Orygen gave me a workout without the noise.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 09, 2021, 03:19:52 PM
It wasn't today, but some months back I was tinkering with a 'free to me' Kaito Voyager radio.  It ran off either 3 disposable AAs or a little rechargable battery pack (the green one in the pic) when running off solar or crank power. The little battery pack didn't last very long with the radio turned up, so I rewired the charging connector to the 3 AA battery holder and installed 2300 mAh NiMHs so the solar/crank charges them instead.  Longer run time, but poor reception with the internal antenna (which doesn't allow turning left/right, just extends straight up/down) and there's no fine tuning knob for the frequency.  For those reasons I don't recommend this radio, although it does receive NOAA so might have some use as a backup if you can't find anything better.

(https://i.postimg.cc/hjCN7Ryy/kaito-KA500-3.jpg)

Fast forward to last weekend, had guests visiting so pulled out the radio (no power at the guest house) and connected it to a 2m antenna already on the roof using an alligator clip, wire, and a couple adapters.  Much better reception, but found the upgraded batteries still only provided about 4 hours of listening time.  So plugged it into a jump starter battery pack (w/USB out) I had in the truck along with a spare USB to mini-USB cable, and that powered it the rest of the weekend including a couple late nights BS'ing around the campfire.

(https://i.postimg.cc/XJDDYcqt/IMG-1877.jpg)

Nothing spectacular, but maybe just a reminder to check your radio and power connector junk drawers/boxes to ensure you have anything you might need in the way of adapters.  I had to steal an adapter from my scanner antenna to mate this together, so just ordered a replacement set that came with a few extras (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Q39NKK4) I didn't have.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on July 11, 2021, 11:20:27 AM
Chicken breast was on sale in my locale, so I added 12lbs to our freezer stores.

Also picked up 3lbs of stew meat that was on sale. Will use it to make beef/veggie soup in the next few weeks and can for storage.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on July 25, 2021, 02:08:20 PM
Bought one of these yesterday from the Amazon Treasure Truck for $75.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

They had a limit of just one at that price.  Is it still hideously expensive per meal?  Yes.  But with a 30-year shelf life and a menu selection, we know that we enjoy it's an easy way to keep a few more days of food on hand, particularly food that could be quickly stuffed into a pack if we had to evac.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on July 26, 2021, 12:26:02 PM
Yesterday I started clearing out a room (roughly 8 x 11) in the basement to make a new food/canning supply storage area and consolidate everything in there, instead of having it scattered throughout the basement as it is now.  Still debating on if I'll build shelves or buy some pre made... 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 26, 2021, 04:01:27 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on July 26, 2021, 12:26:02 PM
Yesterday I started clearing out a room (roughly 8 x 11) in the basement to make a new food/canning supply storage area and consolidate everything in there, instead of having it scattered throughout the basement as it is now.  Still debating on if I'll build shelves or buy some pre made...

Just something to consider on the shelving, but if you built your own out of dimensional lumber and screwed it together it could be dismantled for the lumber later.  Dual use/dual purpose, shelving now and could be used to board up a broken window or make hasty repairs to the roof after a storm if needed, and it doesn't take up any additional space. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on July 27, 2021, 08:20:15 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on July 26, 2021, 04:01:27 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on July 26, 2021, 12:26:02 PM
Yesterday I started clearing out a room (roughly 8 x 11) in the basement to make a new food/canning supply storage area and consolidate everything in there, instead of having it scattered throughout the basement as it is now.  Still debating on if I'll build shelves or buy some pre made...

Just something to consider on the shelving, but if you built your own out of dimensional lumber and screwed it together it could be dismantled for the lumber later.  Dual use/dual purpose, shelving now and could be used to board up a broken window or make hasty repairs to the roof after a storm if needed, and it doesn't take up any additional space. 

Yes, that thought had crossed my mind.  But how things are at the moment-  One, we have several other shelving units I built with that in mind (not that it would be bad to have moar!)  and two-  with the price of lumber the way it is right now, I can buy the required shelves for less than 1/3 of the plywood I'd need for built in.

Now a rub with the premade is, there would be gaps in the shelving and they would not connect.  The room is a small "U" shape, longer on one side than the other.  So custom built would provide one continuous unit along the entire wall length.

So, I continue to ponder...    :smiley_chinrub: 


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on July 27, 2021, 09:21:30 AM
Today, I get the rest of the PPE I need to clear out the nasty bugs on the ol' homestead.  That way, we can actually use the property (for something other than raising ticks, chiggers, and spiders).

The monkey child wants to raise chickens, so we may look into that.  :icon_crazy:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 30, 2021, 10:05:46 AM
Primary 500 gallon propane tank refilled today, always makes me feel a little relieved when I'm topped off.  Asked the driver to fill it as much as possible, but said that I understood it's the hottest time of the year too. 

(https://i.postimg.cc/T3HzRCkp/T1.jpg)

I'm good with that  :D

Emergency tank (disconnected).

(https://i.postimg.cc/rFV3xv3D/T2.jpg)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on July 30, 2021, 12:26:16 PM
Nice!
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on August 02, 2021, 06:55:06 PM
Decided to go with a hybrid of shelving units.  So last week I cleaned off the units we already have, moved them to the new room and reorganized everything back on them.

This past weekend I started building some shelves to accommodate the home canning goods. I'm utilizing all free reclaimed wood I've accumulated over the years.  When I'm done, besides time, I'll only have a couple dollars worth of screws in the project.

Shelf measurements are 80"W x 18"D, overall height and how many shelves I get TBD yet depending on how much more wood I have.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 05, 2021, 12:08:27 PM
Topped off the gasoline in the truck and refilled a six gallon can with premium, our small engines and the motorcycle like 93 octane better than 87/89.  And a Amish country feed store trip for 45 lbs of Dog Chow, 8 lbs of dog biscuits, 2 pigs ears as backseat treats for my traveling companions, and 2 packages of DuraMectin (veterinary ivermectin paste).  The last was an impulse buy, $3.99 each where I see Amazon is selling it for $12.  Noted they had 5 different brands that included ivermectin along with other active ingredients like praziquantel on the same shelf.  The other varieties were all untouched and fully stocked, I'd say 16 each of the others, where there were only 4 DuraMectin left before I grabbed 2.   
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on August 05, 2021, 12:35:39 PM
I bought a few pounds of feed plot seed (stuff like this (https://www.atwoods.com/catalog/product/view/id/241551/category/2/)) that I'm going to try on the back half of the property.  I'm less interested in bringing in deer (wouldn't mind, of course, but neighbors are probably closer than is prudent for hunting) than I am in getting some decent ground cover, maybe giving more noxious weeds from spreading, and if it leaves some potentially useful plants to forage, then that would be pretty nice too.   I would guess that chickens would like it, too.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on August 08, 2021, 04:25:26 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on August 02, 2021, 06:55:06 PM
Decided to go with a hybrid of shelving units.  So last week I cleaned off the units we already have, moved them to the new room and reorganized everything back on them.

This past weekend I started building some shelves to accommodate the home canning goods. I'm utilizing all free reclaimed wood I've accumulated over the years.  When I'm done, besides time, I'll only have a couple dollars worth of screws in the project.

Shelf measurements are 80"W x 18"D, overall height and how many shelves I get TBD yet depending on how much more wood I have.

Ended up with 5 shelves total.  All 80"W --- 4 are 18"D and the top shelf is 12"D.  I'll store the canning lids/bands, tools and food sealer up there.

From the floor to first shelf has 18" clearance and I stuck the boxes of Pint jars under there for storage.  So the first shelf has 12" clearance to double stack pint jars and then there are 3 shelves with 8" clearance to accommodate quart jars.

Now that I've put what little self canned goods we have on there, I now feel inadequately stocked with them.  Hopefully next year we'll have the garden back online and producing to help fill up these shelves.

.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 05:26:30 PM
Yesterday I tried "dry tooling." It's rock climbing with ice climbing gear. Whomever came up with the idea is truly crazy. It was awesome.

Right now my pressure canner is getting up to temperature. It has 6 quarts of squash curry base and a quart of rendered bacon fat. Once it's fully up to pressure it will cook for 90 minutes at 240 degrees. When it's done and cooling I'll start another batch of squash curry.

I use the squash curry base for both curry over rice and for soups. I go real mild on the spice when canning it and add more when using it so I can dial it in for my mood and accommodate others that don't like as much spice as I do.

I'll likely never render bacon fat again unless I find a better way. I made a horrible mess and it wasn't worth the effort. Even after 90 minutes at 240 degrees I'll stick it in the back of my fridge for storage.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on August 22, 2021, 06:17:16 PM
Quote from: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 05:26:30 PM
Yesterday I tried "dry tooling." It's rock climbing with ice climbing gear. Whomever came up with the idea is truly crazy. It was awesome.

Right now my pressure canner is getting up to temperature. It has 6 quarts of squash curry base and a quart of rendered bacon fat. Once it's fully up to pressure it will cook for 90 minutes at 240 degrees. When it's done and cooling I'll start another batch of squash curry.

I use the squash curry base for both curry over rice and for soups. I go real mild on the spice when canning it and add more when using it so I can dial it in for my mood and accommodate others that don't like as much spice as I do.

I'll likely never render bacon fat again unless I find a better way. I made a horrible mess and it wasn't worth the effort. Even after 90 minutes at 240 degrees I'll stick it in the back of my fridge for storage.

You can it for 90 minutes? How many lbs. pressure?
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 06:30:26 PM
Quote from: flybynight on August 22, 2021, 06:17:16 PM
Quote from: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 05:26:30 PM
Yesterday I tried "dry tooling." It's rock climbing with ice climbing gear. Whomever came up with the idea is truly crazy. It was awesome.

Right now my pressure canner is getting up to temperature. It has 6 quarts of squash curry base and a quart of rendered bacon fat. Once it's fully up to pressure it will cook for 90 minutes at 240 degrees. When it's done and cooling I'll start another batch of squash curry.

I use the squash curry base for both curry over rice and for soups. I go real mild on the spice when canning it and add more when using it so I can dial it in for my mood and accommodate others that don't like as much spice as I do.

I'll likely never render bacon fat again unless I find a better way. I made a horrible mess and it wasn't worth the effort. Even after 90 minutes at 240 degrees I'll stick it in the back of my fridge for storage.

You can it for 90 minutes? How many lbs. pressure?

I use the 10 pound weight on it to push it up to 240ish degrees. This is my 2nd year using a pressure canner and this method worked great last year once I dialed it in.

My previous attempts without a pressure canner fell short of my hopes.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on August 23, 2021, 08:17:41 PM
Quote from: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 05:26:30 PM
I'll likely never render bacon fat again unless I find a better way. I made a horrible mess and it wasn't worth the effort. Even after 90 minutes at 240 degrees I'll stick it in the back of my fridge for storage.

Bake your bacon in the oven. Remove bacon from cookie sheet.  Pour grease through strainer (with paper towel at the ready to catch the last drip).
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on August 23, 2021, 10:44:45 PM
Quote from: CG on August 23, 2021, 08:17:41 PM
Quote from: RoneKiln on August 22, 2021, 05:26:30 PM
I'll likely never render bacon fat again unless I find a better way. I made a horrible mess and it wasn't worth the effort. Even after 90 minutes at 240 degrees I'll stick it in the back of my fridge for storage.

Bake your bacon in the oven. Remove bacon from cookie sheet.  Pour grease through strainer (with paper towel at the ready to catch the last drip).

I had several cans of it that I heated up and strained through coffee filters. A lot of the grease must have evaporated while heating it and then condensed, cause I ended up with a layer of grease EVERYWHERE. It was absolutely awful cleaning the stove and the area around it afterwards.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on September 05, 2021, 12:00:27 PM
Rollup of the last few weeks. Checked the zero on the 10/22 that lives in the BOV (minor adjustments needed) yesterday.  Changed the plugs and oil on the standby gennie, and cleaned the air prefilter today.  Bought some shipping tags (https://www.amazon.com/Office-Depot-Shipping-Wires-XS007005A/dp/B00F63P2YA) tags last week for marking the gas cans for the various fuels, regular, 93 octane, 2 stroke mixes, kero, and off-road diesel.  Charged the battery that powers the Dakota Alert at our main gate, would really like to get a small solar panel for that but it'd require cutting some trees to get any sun.  Got out 2 weekends ago for some sporting clay practice with some friends.  Been too long, I sucked, but in my defense I was throwing the clays for them further out with nice glide paths - they couldn't get the hang of the hand thrower so I had to take my shots closer and quicker, and often while the clays were falling almost vertically.  Getting more clay pigeons and will try again in the middle of the month, found my ground mounted thrower (similar to this (https://www.amazon.com/Do-All-Outdoors-Competitor-Full-Cock/dp/B000FDSUEK/)) so it should be more fair next time.  Got a new DirecTV receiver (long story), and they didn't want the old one back so I removed the 40 watt power supply board (5v and 12v outputs) and a USB cable from it before tossing it.  Dispatched a mouse and a porcupine in the last week, first mouse in this house ever, it's ICF so no clue how he got in unless through an open door while we were bringing in groceries or something.  The porcupines chew on the wood molding around my entry door, so it's shoot on sight for them, this morning the wife said there was a porcupine quill stuck in the bark of her bird-feeder tree so another one might have already moved in to replace the deceased one.  Of the two the mouse could be the most dangerous in terms of cost considering the amount of dry goods in the pantry (and that the dogs learned their lesson and don't mess with porcupines anymore thankfully).
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Blast on September 05, 2021, 08:46:15 PM
Made mead!!  :smiley_blink:
-Blast

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 01, 2021, 01:55:46 PM
Fire extinguisher day today!

I guess in the US, fire extinguishers are expected to last 12 years? The ones I have (Kidde) are listed as having a 12 year life. I decided to check my parents extinguisher and my family's extinguishers.

My parents extinguisher was made in 1998 and was coming apart at the bottom.

Mine are made in 2015. I decided to get 2 new ones anyway. I'm on the "replace every 6 years" wagon.

One of my 2015s will go to replace my parents kitchen extinguisher (rated for liquids and grease). I put in a place where one does not need to fight child locks to get to it. (My parents installed child safety stuff when grand children became a thing... actually, my hyper sensitive brother did it and installed them to be as difficult to open as possible)

One of the 2015s will be used by my wife and myself to put out some practice fires.

I got my new ones from Walmart. 2.5 lb units. They have metal handles, valves, and depressor handles. I'm very excited about metal since our previous were all plastic.

So hopefully this weekend we will light fires and put them out.

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: MacWa77ace on October 01, 2021, 02:56:07 PM
Quote from: NT2C on July 25, 2021, 02:08:20 PM
Bought one of these yesterday from the Amazon Treasure Truck for $75.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

They had a limit of just one at that price.  Is it still hideously expensive per meal?  Yes.  But with a 30-year shelf life and a menu selection, we know that we enjoy it's an easy way to keep a few more days of food on hand, particularly food that could be quickly stuffed into a pack if we had to evac.

Seems Ok pricing wise at $3/serving. Even now its back to $99 or $4 / serving. The thing I look at on those is the calories. Those types are really low calorie counts. So I'd expect to eat 2 servings per meal, that means its only a 12 day supply or 6 days for two people to get 1500 calories / day, which is more realistic than 900+. It works as a fill in for a lunch.



Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 01, 2021, 03:38:14 PM
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 01, 2021, 02:56:07 PM
Quote from: NT2C on July 25, 2021, 02:08:20 PM
Bought one of these yesterday from the Amazon Treasure Truck for $75.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0843HYLK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

They had a limit of just one at that price.  Is it still hideously expensive per meal?  Yes.  But with a 30-year shelf life and a menu selection, we know that we enjoy it's an easy way to keep a few more days of food on hand, particularly food that could be quickly stuffed into a pack if we had to evac.

Seems Ok pricing wise at $3/serving. Even now its back to $99 or $4 / serving. The thing I look at on those is the calories. Those types are really low calorie counts. So I'd expect to eat 2 servings per meal, that means its only a 12 day supply or 6 days for two people to get 1500 calories / day, which is more realistic than 900+. It works as a fill in for a lunch.

I think those need a tablespoon or two of olive oil added. I had to double check, olive oil is about 120 cal per tablespoon, so adding 1 or 2 per meal will be helpful. Adding grass fed butter would be better, but can be tough to store long term.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 04, 2021, 02:08:02 PM
Laid in another 45 lbs of rice and beans. I need to package it in 5 gal buckets now. Which means I need more 5 gal buckets.

I've been building 5 gal buckets with roughly 10 lbs rice, 10 lbs different beans and lentils, a bottle of oil, and a spice of some sort. Based on my calculations, it should do for about 20-25 days of food for 1x adult, and I feel having a different spice in each one will help with food boredom. Also, having different beans/lentils helps too. But based on my 2 years of mostly rice, beans, veggies and meats (when available), I wish I could get more variety for cheap.

A key issue is "am I just prepping for my family? Or my extended family and maybe others?"

Realistic answer: we are always prepping for more than just our family.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: wolf_from_wv on October 04, 2021, 03:15:04 PM
Have you had any problem finding lids?  Lowes usually has enough buckets to stack to the ceiling, but many times has no lids.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 04, 2021, 03:39:06 PM
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on October 04, 2021, 03:15:04 PM
Have you had any problem finding lids?  Lowes usually has enough buckets to stack to the ceiling, but many times has no lids.

When I was in Lincoln, NE, I started having a hard time with lids starting in about 2020. I think I mostly used Lowes but also searched at Home Depot.

Different state now, but my local Tractor Supply (60 min away) says they have both lids and buckets in stock. I was considering just ordering, but might try to do an in store pickup or something. There is a Cabela's in that town too, and the drive is pretty, so any excuse to go is a good one.

FYI to all: I was keeping some cans of spam in each of my buckets, but they were about to expire so my wife donated them and I have yet to replace them. My wife would rather I didn't replace them, but I'm kinda fond of spam now.

Anyway, that is how my buckets used to be a 25 day supply, and are currently a 20 day supply for an adult.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on October 04, 2021, 10:37:43 PM
Quote from: woodsghost on October 04, 2021, 02:08:02 PM
I've been building 5 gal buckets with roughly 10 lbs rice, 10 lbs different beans and lentils, a bottle of oil, and a spice of some sort.

For some reason it never occurred to me to put different but complementary items in a single bucket. This just blew my mind and completely changed how I'll pack my deep pantry in the future. Except I will add multiple spices in each bucket.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 05, 2021, 06:03:53 AM
Quote from: RoneKiln on October 04, 2021, 10:37:43 PM
Quote from: woodsghost on October 04, 2021, 02:08:02 PM
I've been building 5 gal buckets with roughly 10 lbs rice, 10 lbs different beans and lentils, a bottle of oil, and a spice of some sort.

For some reason it never occurred to me to put different but complementary items in a single bucket. This just blew my mind and completely changed how I'll pack my deep pantry in the future. Except I will add multiple spices in each bucket.

Perfect idea!

My logic is "if I have 5x buckets, I now have 5x spices, + iodized salt." I recently discovered that iodized sea salt is also a thing and I am now stocking that.

Anyway, you don't need to do things the way I did them. I just wanted to share my logic.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on October 05, 2021, 06:08:10 AM
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on October 04, 2021, 03:15:04 PM
Have you had any problem finding lids?  Lowes usually has enough buckets to stack to the ceiling, but many times has no lids.

I checked another local farm store and they, too, had food grade buckets but no gamma lids. They had the clip down lids, but that was just not what I wanted.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on October 05, 2021, 03:16:19 PM
Quote from: woodsghost on October 04, 2021, 02:08:02 PM
Laid in another 45 lbs of rice and beans. I need to package it in 5 gal buckets now. Which means I need more 5 gal buckets.

Curious - How are you packaging the buckets?  Individual vac sealed bags, or putting it all in a large bag, and dumping in an Oxy absorber?
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Blast on October 05, 2021, 06:18:15 PM
Cleared more land for gardening.
-Blast
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on October 24, 2021, 11:27:29 AM
Winterized the guest house yesterday, it's really only adding some antifreeze to the toilet and a few squirts for the connectors for the (removable) water line to the pump.  Need to get some more RV antifreeze on the next trip to Amish country (best prices around).  Filled the firewood rack in the garage from the wood crib, we'll likely need to light our first fire of the season this coming week.  The passive solar in the primary home is all we've needed so far to keep the inside temps in the high 60's, even with 370 heating degree days this season and nighttime temps down into the 30's and highs in the 50's recently, but the next few days look cloudy, rainy, and colder.  Ordered a couple Lansky Pucks, never used these before but going to give them a try for a better edge on our kindling hatchet.  Still trying to deal with that badger(?), a new hole last night, but this one is different - dug in a circle around a mostly buried rotten stump.  Putting out a second Dakota Alert in the hope whatever it, or they, are trips one of them.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on October 24, 2021, 08:21:12 PM
Added:
Four boxes of crackers.
Four pounds honey.
Two cans chicken.
Seven cans diced tomatoes & green chilies.
Four pounds peanut butter.
Nine pounds roasted cashews.
Four large original V8.
Four 2 ltr. bottles water.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on October 31, 2021, 06:45:09 AM
No luck yet on whatever is digging up my property, although the new holes are mostly outside our fenced in area where the dogs keep guard.  No luck with the Dakota Alerts either, even set to their highest sensitivity.   I don't think whatever it is is large enough to set them off, or at least not at any distance.  Starting to wonder if it's opossums, seen more of those this year than is usual.  I'm kinda neutral on opossums as with other critters that don't cause property damage, live and let live, but might have to thin their herd to see if the burrowing decreases.  Our dogs will gladly help with this job, and all it requires is my not warning them before letting the dogs out after dark as I often do (mostly I'm checking for bears and skunks before "releasing the hounds" at o'dark thirty in the morning).

Lansky pucks arrived, I like it.  Sharpened a hatchet and two wood splitting mauls in not much more time than it would have taken on the grinding wheel, and sharpened our limb cutters/loppers that don't open far enough to use on the grinder and were very dull.  Picked up some more RV antifreeze and shopped for a new handle for one of the splitting mauls that broke recently, but the usual place didn't have the correct size in stock so just ordered one from Amazon rather than drive to the hardware store in the next town.  Getting the broken handle out of the maul was a PITA.

Glanced through Anesthesia Off the Grid: A manual for humanitarian health care workers (https://www.amazon.com/Anesthesia-Off-Grid-humanitarian-workers/dp/1973150069) that arrived a few days ago, not much use for us personally but might be a good reference for a physician in the ZPAW.  Well illustrated, worth the <$6 cost imo.  I need to get more hardcopy reference books as most of my library is digital.  Also ordered a chest percussion cup (https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Inability-Expectoration-Long-Term-Fulfillment/dp/B07HNJSBHY), it'd be fairly easy to improvise one or just use a cupped hand, but might as well have one designed for this use.  And a  venom extractor (https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Supplies-Extractor-Backpacking-Camping/dp/B074CN58RV/), no not really much use for snakebites but could be useful for bee or wasp stings and tick or spider bites (particularly in the allergic).  Maybe after lancing (http://www.amazon.com/16172400-Safety-Lancet-McKesson-Button/dp/B07K32W5HQ) it first to open a wider channel for extraction(?), although I suppose that might just push the venom deeper too.  Just thinking out loud, but might have to give this a try just to see if the itch of a bite/sting is noticeably reduced afterwards, tick and spider bites sometimes itch for a week or more on me.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on November 07, 2021, 02:03:08 PM
Rain-X'ed the solar panels, helps the snow slide off a bit easier.  While on the roof inspected the safety lifeline/rope and decided it needs replacing.  The anchor in the roof looks OK both from above and from the attic below, but the safety line purchased from FallTech (10 years ago  :rolleyes1:) is looking just a bit too iffy for my likes.  Ordered one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Fall-Protection-01320-Vertical/dp/B004EEPTA4) and will replace it next weekend.  Need to figure out a different solution for clearing the panels of snow before too long as I'm not getting any younger (or braver when it comes to heights).  Seems like every solution I come up with (including moving them) has drawbacks as bad, or worse, then just climbing up there with a shop broom and brushing them off. 

The wife isn't helping much either, she doesn't want to take her turn up there brushing them off and she nixes my trained chimpanzee idea every time I bring it up.   :icon_crazy:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on November 08, 2021, 08:13:03 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 07, 2021, 02:03:08 PM
The wife isn't helping much either, she doesn't want to take her turn up there brushing them off and she nixes my trained chimpanzee idea every time I bring it up.   :icon_crazy:


Don't look at me, I don't do heights.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 09:08:06 AM
Quote from: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on October 24, 2021, 08:21:12 PM
Added:
Four boxes of crackers.
Four pounds honey.
Two cans chicken.
Seven cans diced tomatoes & green chilies.
Four pounds peanut butter.
Nine pounds roasted cashews.
Four large original V8.
Four 2 ltr. bottles water. 

How are you storing those cashews for long term?


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 09:22:15 AM
Over the last few weekends, I've canned 6 pints of Blueberry Jam, 6 pints of Apple Butter and 7 quarts of Beef Stew.  Planning to can some Chili Con Carne soon.

Added another dozen cans of store bought soup for my old lady, as she has this weird fear of eating anything I can.   :rolleyes1:

.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: wolf_from_wv on November 08, 2021, 09:26:44 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on October 31, 2021, 06:45:09 AM
No luck yet on whatever is digging up my property, although the new holes are mostly outside our fenced in area where the dogs keep guard.  No luck with the Dakota Alerts either, even set to their highest sensitivity.   I don't think whatever it is is large enough to set them off, or at least not at any distance.  Starting to wonder if it's opossums, seen more of those this year than is usual.  I'm kinda neutral on opossums as with other critters that don't cause property damage, live and let live, but might have to thin their herd to see if the burrowing decreases. 

I'd attach a trail cam to the fence pointed at the stump.  I've got a couple in the front and back to see what goes on when I'm at work.  It cut down on the drug deals in front of the house.  Usually when I'm not home, there is open space on the street for parking.  I got tired of waiting for the guy down the street to finish his deals so I could park in front of my house when I got home from work.

I put up two battery powered motion sensor lights on the front of the house.  I've noticed quite a few people  cross over to the other side of the street until they get the house.  I had the one aimed wrong.  I was picking up cars on the street, and drained the batteries in a week.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Raptor on November 08, 2021, 11:25:24 AM
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on November 08, 2021, 09:26:44 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on October 31, 2021, 06:45:09 AM
No luck yet on whatever is digging up my property, although the new holes are mostly outside our fenced in area where the dogs keep guard.  No luck with the Dakota Alerts either, even set to their highest sensitivity.   I don't think whatever it is is large enough to set them off, or at least not at any distance.  Starting to wonder if it's opossums, seen more of those this year than is usual.  I'm kinda neutral on opossums as with other critters that don't cause property damage, live and let live, but might have to thin their herd to see if the burrowing decreases. 

I'd attach a trail cam to the fence pointed at the stump.  I've got a couple in the front and back to see what goes on when I'm at work.  It cut down on the drug deals in front of the house.  Usually when I'm not home, there is open space on the street for parking.  I got tired of waiting for the guy down the street to finish his deals so I could park in front of my house when I got home from work.

I put up two battery powered motion sensor lights on the front of the house.  I've noticed quite a few people  cross over to the other side of the street until they get the house.  I had the one aimed wrong.  I was picking up cars on the street, and drained the batteries in a week.

That is good advice. ----^^^^

Holes sounds like armadillos and not opossums. Both IMO are mostly harmless as long as the population is reasonable.

The opossums do eat ground nesting chicks and will literally eat anything that they find. They are not hunters per se but opportunists. Think of them as the garbagemen of the animal kingdom. 
https://www.montanadecoy.com/news/meet-the-turkey-hunters-worst-enemies-raccoons-and-opossums

Armadillos on the other hand do eat grubs and insects hence the digging. I view the ones in my AO as beneficial and give them a free pass... even as I fill in their holes.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 02:48:10 PM
'Possums aren't burrowing animals, they usually stick to tree tops for living/safety.  And, they're tick eating vacuums.  I always leave them be in our area.

https://possumfacts.com/do-possums-dig-holes/

https://forfoxsakewildlife.com/2018/12/19/opossums-dont-dig-up-yards/#:~:text=Opossums%20are%20not%20digging%2C%20burrowing,to%20withstand%20digging%20up%20lawns.



Now the damn whistle pig on the other hand, digs burrows all over the place and makes a hell of a mess everywhere.  His days are numbered come next spring.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on November 09, 2021, 05:29:43 AM
Quote from: Raptor on November 08, 2021, 11:25:24 AM
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on November 08, 2021, 09:26:44 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on October 31, 2021, 06:45:09 AM
No luck yet on whatever is digging up my property, although the new holes are mostly outside our fenced in area where the dogs keep guard.  No luck with the Dakota Alerts either, even set to their highest sensitivity.   I don't think whatever it is is large enough to set them off, or at least not at any distance.  Starting to wonder if it's opossums, seen more of those this year than is usual.  I'm kinda neutral on opossums as with other critters that don't cause property damage, live and let live, but might have to thin their herd to see if the burrowing decreases. 

I'd attach a trail cam to the fence pointed at the stump.  I've got a couple in the front and back to see what goes on when I'm at work.  It cut down on the drug deals in front of the house.  Usually when I'm not home, there is open space on the street for parking.  I got tired of waiting for the guy down the street to finish his deals so I could park in front of my house when I got home from work.

I put up two battery powered motion sensor lights on the front of the house.  I've noticed quite a few people  cross over to the other side of the street until they get the house.  I had the one aimed wrong.  I was picking up cars on the street, and drained the batteries in a week.

That is good advice. ----^^^^

Holes sounds like armadillos and not opossums. Both IMO are mostly harmless as long as the population is reasonable.

The opossums do eat ground nesting chicks and will literally eat anything that they find. They are not hunters per se but opportunists. Think of them as the garbagemen of the animal kingdom. 
https://www.montanadecoy.com/news/meet-the-turkey-hunters-worst-enemies-raccoons-and-opossums

Armadillos on the other hand do eat grubs and insects hence the digging. I view the ones in my AO as beneficial and give them a free pass... even as I fill in their holes.

When the D.A.'s weren't detecting whatever it was I wondered if I'd have the same issue with a trail cam, but I'd need to get new batteries for the ancient ones I have just to find out.  Checking their prices now though they aren't as bad as I thought.  Another option was some older Q-See wired cameras I have in storage, but no motion sensor on those plus the extra power for the DVR.  But whatever it was (too far north for armadillos) seems to have been scared off, no activity in about a week.   

It does bother me that something can wander around my property and escape detection, and I've been admiring NT2C's recent pics of his yard and barn from his security cam, it might be time to research what options/features are available now.  The problems last time I looked were mostly the power consumption, the range for wireless devices, and the cost. 

Quote from: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 02:48:10 PM
'Possums aren't burrowing animals, they usually stick to tree tops for living/safety.  And, they're tick eating vacuums.  I always leave them be in our area.

https://possumfacts.com/do-possums-dig-holes/

https://forfoxsakewildlife.com/2018/12/19/opossums-dont-dig-up-yards/#:~:text=Opossums%20are%20not%20digging%2C%20burrowing,to%20withstand%20digging%20up%20lawns.



Now the damn whistle pig on the other hand, digs burrows all over the place and makes a hell of a mess everywhere.  His days are numbered come next spring.

Thanks, and yeah, we've had opossum's around as long as we've been here and never seen holes like these before.  Usually they just eat the birdseed that's fallen from the feeder, and usually too dumb to climb the tree before the dogs get them.  Didn't know they ate ticks.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: wolf_from_wv on November 10, 2021, 12:32:07 PM
I've been using the $30 trail cam from Walmart - 8 AA batteries and SD card.  I think the camera is 12MP.  It isn't fast enough to pick up cars on the street, but usually gets people and deer.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on November 19, 2021, 11:37:09 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 09:08:06 AM
Quote from: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on October 24, 2021, 08:21:12 PM
Added:
Four boxes of crackers.
Four pounds honey.
Two cans chicken.
Seven cans diced tomatoes & green chilies.
Four pounds peanut butter.
Nine pounds roasted cashews.
Four large original V8.
Four 2 ltr. bottles water. 
How are you storing those cashews for long term?
.
Apologies for delay in replying.

Am buying the cashews in prepackaged 1lb bags from the grocery store and putting those bags in food grade plastic buckets.

The same with walnuts, pecans, and almonds.

I 'think' I'm doing this okay.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 23, 2021, 04:44:59 PM
Quote from: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on November 19, 2021, 11:37:09 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2021, 09:08:06 AM
Quote from: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on October 24, 2021, 08:21:12 PM
Added:
Four boxes of crackers.
Four pounds honey.
Two cans chicken.
Seven cans diced tomatoes & green chilies.
Four pounds peanut butter.
Nine pounds roasted cashews.
Four large original V8.
Four 2 ltr. bottles water. 
How are you storing those cashews for long term?
.
Apologies for delay in replying.

Am buying the cashews in prepackaged 1lb bags from the grocery store and putting those bags in food grade plastic buckets.

The same with walnuts, pecans, and almonds.

I 'think' I'm doing this okay. 

Sounds good.  So how "long term" are you planning to store those?  I only ask, because I've never had luck storing nuts or nut butters for a super long time without them going rancid, due to the oils in them.  Similar to brown rice.  Or for that fact, cooking oil itself.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: MPMalloy on November 26, 2021, 01:07:17 PM
After catching up on this thread, I find I am really slacking..... :smiley_surprised:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on November 26, 2021, 03:49:59 PM
Bought five wax toilet rings. To make a tin coat
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on November 28, 2021, 09:41:53 AM
Finally got the safety line on the roof replaced last Wednesday, just in time as it's been snowing for the past 2 days.  The old line:

(https://i.postimg.cc/5NMyWWpn/IMG-0015.jpg)

I'll save the hooks at least, maybe the rope as well but not for anything involving life or limb.  May try using it to pull a few stumps, mostly just out of curiosity if it breaks and if so how easily.
And got the snow plow on the truck yesterday, had a nice Indian summer but winter is here now (even if the calendar says otherwise).
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on November 29, 2021, 06:45:31 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 28, 2021, 09:41:53 AM
Finally got the safety line on the roof replaced last Wednesday, just in time as it's been snowing for the past 2 days.

What, pray tell, is a safety line on the roof used for in reference to snow?  (I live in Texas, if that helps with the explaining)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on November 29, 2021, 08:33:01 AM
Quote from: CG on November 29, 2021, 06:45:31 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 28, 2021, 09:41:53 AM
Finally got the safety line on the roof replaced last Wednesday, just in time as it's been snowing for the past 2 days.

What, pray tell, is a safety line on the roof used for in reference to snow?  (I live in Texas, if that helps with the explaining)


My first guess is so that Santa doesn't slip and fall off.  Or maybe so that they don't, while they are up there sweeping the snow off.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 29, 2021, 12:27:11 PM
Canned another 9 pints each, Black & Pinto beans.

   
I also rotated out some older items in storage to make ham and bean soup this weekend.  Replenishment of those items to happen shortly.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on November 30, 2021, 04:34:56 AM
Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on November 29, 2021, 08:33:01 AM
Quote from: CG on November 29, 2021, 06:45:31 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 28, 2021, 09:41:53 AM
Finally got the safety line on the roof replaced last Wednesday, just in time as it's been snowing for the past 2 days.

What, pray tell, is a safety line on the roof used for in reference to snow?  (I live in Texas, if that helps with the explaining)


My first guess is so that Santa doesn't slip and fall off.  Or maybe so that they don't, while they are up there sweeping the snow off.

Yep, clearing snow off the solar panels.  Needed to get the panels as high as possible to increase the hours of sun on them here in the woods, but with the higher wattage panels available today I am debating about replacing them with ones on pole mounts in the yard when I do replace them.  Getting too old for this climbing shit.  Permanent ladder attached to the house, climb up wearing the harness and connect up before stepping off the ladder.  Makes cleaning the chimney easy too.  View while standing on the ladder after clearing them a few years ago.

(https://i.postimg.cc/xjbX7JkP/roof-panels.jpg)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on November 30, 2021, 03:25:24 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 30, 2021, 04:34:56 AM

Yep, clearing snow off the solar panels.  Needed to get the panels as high as possible to increase the hours of sun on them here in the woods, but with the higher wattage panels available today I am debating about replacing them with ones on pole mounts in the yard when I do replace them.  Getting too old for this climbing shit.  Permanent ladder attached to the house, climb up wearing the harness and connect up before stepping off the ladder.  Makes cleaning the chimney easy too.  View while standing on the ladder after clearing them a few years ago.

(https://i.postimg.cc/xjbX7JkP/roof-panels.jpg)

That's pretty cool.  Does the layer of ice/snow show affect the productivity much?
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on December 02, 2021, 04:27:43 AM
Quote from: CG on November 30, 2021, 03:25:24 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on November 30, 2021, 04:34:56 AM

Yep, clearing snow off the solar panels.  Needed to get the panels as high as possible to increase the hours of sun on them here in the woods, but with the higher wattage panels available today I am debating about replacing them with ones on pole mounts in the yard when I do replace them.  Getting too old for this climbing shit.  Permanent ladder attached to the house, climb up wearing the harness and connect up before stepping off the ladder.  Makes cleaning the chimney easy too.  View while standing on the ladder after clearing them a few years ago.


That's pretty cool.  Does the layer of ice/snow show affect the productivity much?

Not too much with the amount on them in the pic, and a small layer like that melts off fairly quickly on a sunny day.  But only takes about 2-3 inches of snow on them to completely block all power.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on December 02, 2021, 03:34:52 PM
Added 4 more jugs of laundry soap to the stash-  They were on sale at half price, but limit of two each.

Also some more CR123 batteries.

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on December 09, 2021, 12:31:55 PM
Added some more mantles and a couple gallons of Kero for the lanterns to the pile.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on December 13, 2021, 08:22:47 AM
Starting battery on the standby generator died last month, or so I thought.  It was 8 years old so I didn't even bother looking for another cause.   :smiley_bagonhead:

Last week the generator wouldn't start again, new battery is dead.  Check the battery charger for it which is plugged into a GFCI outlet on the generator (normally the outlet would be powered from utility power but from the inverter/deep cycle batteries in my case), and it's putting out nothing.  GFCI was tripped too, and couldn't even reset it with nothing plugged in.  Attached a different battery charger using an extension cord from the house and the new battery won't hold a charge.  My guess is the charger went first (something shorted in it maybe) which took out the GFCI, but at least it died gallantly since the breaker in the house didn't even trip.  But I was left with a bad GFCI outlet, bad battery charger, and a dead battery I just spent $90 on last month.   :headbang:

Bought two 1.1 Amp trickle chargers from Amazon and two GFCI outlets from the local HW so I have spares for next time.  I think the small charger will be enough to keep the battery topped off since even in the worst case we only start the generator every other day, but I'm going to keep an eye on the battery voltage for a few weeks just to be sure.  Bad weather delayed the repair but finally had a sunny day yesterday to get it done, I'd been using a Stanley jump start battery to start the generator when needed and it worked well.  The 3 year old jump starter is one I wrote about at the old site after rigging up a charger to keep it charged off the truck alternator, worked so well I might have to ask Santa for a second one to keep as a spare.

Anyway, somewhat a PITA replacing the GFCI as it's in the bottom of the electronics enclosure underneath the generator control board (behind a sticker that says No User Serviceable Parts Inside) with no slack on the wiring and not much room to work.  Once installed and after confirming the new battery charger was working I take out the dead battery and head to the auto parts store to buy a new one, it was still under warranty of course but the battery wasn't defective, it was just a victim of the bad charger so I wasn't going to ask for a replacement.  After I explain what happened to the clerk he replaces the battery for free anyway, so a major thumbs up to him in particular and Auto Value in general.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Raptor on December 13, 2021, 12:29:22 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on December 13, 2021, 08:22:47 AM
Starting battery on the standby generator died last month, or so I thought.  It was 8 years old so I didn't even bother looking for another cause.   :smiley_bagonhead:


Starting batteries are the bane of my existence when it comes to generators, tractors & mowers. I use battery tenders like this to keep them charged. I hate batteries they are always fully charged until you need them and they only fail when it is inconvenient...like windshield wiper blade but heavier and more expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Trickle-Battery-Charger-1000mA/dp/B074Z2NFWW/ref=dp_fod_1?pd_rd_i=B074Z2NFWW&psc=1


But I also keep a jump starter in my car for times when the battery is not charged.
https://www.amazon.com/Imazing-Portable-Car-Jump-Starter/dp/B07T49JQBR/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=car+jump+starter&qid=1639419922&s=automotive&sr=1-4

For generators and cars I replace the starter battery at the 3 year interval and do not wait for them to fail. It is just cheaper and more convenient to schedule a replacement rather than await failure.

I hear you about the PITA of replacing a GFI.   
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on December 13, 2021, 01:27:23 PM
Quote from: Raptor on December 13, 2021, 12:29:22 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on December 13, 2021, 08:22:47 AM
Starting battery on the standby generator died last month, or so I thought.  It was 8 years old so I didn't even bother looking for another cause.   :smiley_bagonhead:


Starting batteries are the bane of my existence when it comes to generators, tractors & mowers. I use battery tenders like this to keep them charged. I hate batteries they are always fully charged until you need them and they only fail when it is inconvenient...like windshield wiper blade but heavier and more expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Trickle-Battery-Charger-1000mA/dp/B074Z2NFWW/ref=dp_fod_1?pd_rd_i=B074Z2NFWW&psc=1


But I also keep a jump starter in my car for times when the battery is not charged.
https://www.amazon.com/Imazing-Portable-Car-Jump-Starter/dp/B07T49JQBR/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=car+jump+starter&qid=1639419922&s=automotive&sr=1-4

For generators and cars I replace the starter battery at the 3 year interval and do not wait for them to fail. It is just cheaper and more convenient to schedule a replacement rather than await failure.

I hear you about the PITA of replacing a GFI.

I picked up these (http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Maintainer-Portable-Motorcycle-Batteries/dp/B07CZ7KWP3), same connectors but a wall wart style charger so I wouldn't have to mount the charger inside the gen enclosure.   For me it's the mower and motorcycle batteries, Murphy's Law is fully enforced. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on January 04, 2022, 12:05:47 AM
Most of my Christmas presents were stuff I wanted in my vehicle kit for my new old truck (new to me).

Yesterday I scrubbed out the old Seahorse 920 case (similar to Pelican brand) I used to use for my travel tool kit in my previous career. I let it dry in front of the furnace overnight and today.

This evening I packed all my new vehicle kit toys and some stuff I already had into it. I discovered the new tow strap I got didn't come with hooks or rings, so I need to order a set. I also still need a good foldable shovel. I'll steal the one from my civic for now as I am far more likely to get in trouble with the truck.

I expect to tweak and adjust this kit some more in the future, but at least I'll no longer be swapping one "car box" between the two vehicles.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 04, 2022, 10:50:10 AM
Found a sale this past weekend on Dove bar soap (for my delicate manly skin  :smiley_crocodile:) and picked up 18 bars for approx. $0.60 each.  Also found some Suave body wash my wifey likes for half price and picked up 4 more bottles for her.

On the way home for lunch today, I'm going to swing by Lowe's and pick up a couple of the headlamps majorhavoc posted in the Bargains and Discounts section. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 04, 2022, 04:00:01 PM
Decided that our generator in Idaho does us no good in Virginia and that the 2kw one the neighbors gave us before moving to Texas just isn't up to the task.  A new generator for the house is on my shopping list now.

Also ordered a fresh 12 pack of butane for my camp stove that we cooked on the past 24 hours.  Additionally, replacements for the batteries expended in various lights the past two weeks.  And... since we got such a lovely demonstration of just how much we need our phone connectivity (and because Amazon gave us a 20% off lightning deal on it), we just bought a decent quality cell signal booster (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SW9CFZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for the house.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 04, 2022, 05:02:11 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this.
Space heaters are not good options.  Heated blankets are though, and a Big Buddy propane heater does a nice job warming our place.  Kerosene heaters are also good but smelly.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on January 04, 2022, 07:23:35 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 04, 2022, 05:02:11 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this.
Space heaters are not good options.  Heated blankets are though, and a Big Buddy propane heater does a nice job warming our place.  Kerosene heaters are also good but smelly.

My electric blanket is also in the camper.  We have one small propane heater...
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on January 04, 2022, 07:41:56 PM
Alladin kerosene lamps put out 2500 BTU's per hour. Plus light up your house,  They are kinda pricey But you can find them at auctions and are sometimes on sale from dealers

https://aladdinlamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dealer-Directory-for-Website-10.19.21.pdf
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 04, 2022, 09:57:52 PM
Quote from: flybynight on January 04, 2022, 07:41:56 PM
Alladin kerosene lamps put out 2500 BTU's per hour. Plus light up your house,  They are kinda pricey But you can find them at auctions and are sometimes on sale from dealers

https://aladdinlamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dealer-Directory-for-Website-10.19.21.pdf
Just be careful with them around pets, else we'll have to change your screen name to Mrs. O'Leary.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on January 04, 2022, 11:22:26 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

Gloves and lots of blankets. Somewhere I still have the blanket I cut a hole in the middle of to make it into a poncho for use in the house when we went 3 winters without heat. Blankets were on every couch and chair and we'd pull those over our laps every time we sat down. For large parts of the winter we didn't have to put stuff in the fridge. We could just leave the jug of milk on the counter.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 01:00:03 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this. 

How about a Radiant Oil Heater?  I've had one for a few years and it's been great, quiet, no smell and puts outs lots of heat.

Example---  https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1128077-comfort-zone-deluxe-oil-filled-heater-white.html?blaintm_source=google&blaintm_medium=lia&setstore=10&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn5O2p56b9QIVCsmUCR2Yzg4_EAQYASABEgJMQPD_BwE


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on January 05, 2022, 01:34:48 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 01:00:03 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this. 

How about a Radiant Oil Heater?  I've had one for a few years and it's been great, quiet, no smell and puts outs lots of heat.

Example---  https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1128077-comfort-zone-deluxe-oil-filled-heater-white.html?blaintm_source=google&blaintm_medium=lia&setstore=10&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn5O2p56b9QIVCsmUCR2Yzg4_EAQYASABEgJMQPD_BwE


.

That still requires electricity, but would it pull less than a straight electric heater?
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 02:12:54 PM
Quote from: CG on January 05, 2022, 01:34:48 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 01:00:03 PM
Quote from: CG on January 04, 2022, 04:18:17 PM
I just realized...if the camper isn't here (we left it at my parents' house and will pick it up around Valentine's Day), that severely limits my prep supplies in terms of heat and cooking without power.  We spent the Texas February freeze out in it with the generator running.

I should probably figure out how not to freeze if we lose power again before we go get it.  The generator is here, so we could run an extension cord into the house for space heaters...

I shall have to ponder on this. 

How about a Radiant Oil Heater?  I've had one for a few years and it's been great, quiet, no smell and puts outs lots of heat.

Example---  https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1128077-comfort-zone-deluxe-oil-filled-heater-white.html?blaintm_source=google&blaintm_medium=lia&setstore=10&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn5O2p56b9QIVCsmUCR2Yzg4_EAQYASABEgJMQPD_BwE


.

That still requires electricity, but would it pull less than a straight electric heater?
No, and they're less efficient than say an infrared (radiant) or ceramic electric heater.  The two best non-electric choices I've found are propane or kerosene, each with its pluses and minuses.  Currently in my AO, after the recent snow, you can't buy a 1 lb propane tank for a 100 mile radius, and 20 lb tanks are not safe for indoor use.  (yes, people still do) That's assuming you could get one filled.  Then there's kerosene.  The 20k BTU kerosene heaters work well, are very safe, and will heat a good sized area.  Ours heats the whole house.  But you have the kerosene small and the soot if the heater is improperly adjusted.  With both types of fuels/heaters there's CO to worry about and leaving a window cracked is not a bad idea.  K1 in my AO is currently $39 for 5 gallons at several local gas stations with kerosene tanks.  You can also often get it in pre-filled cans at farm supply stores and home improvement stores but at a significant markup.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 03:14:40 PM
Being a collector of old camping stuff, I almost forgot... Another option would be an old Coleman catalytic heater or two.  No electricity and no flame w/minimal fumes. 

A couple gallons of Camp Fuel would run them for a long time.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on January 05, 2022, 04:28:38 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 03:14:40 PM
Being a collector of old camping stuff, I almost forgot... Another option would be an old Coleman catalytic heater or two.  No electricity and no flame w/minimal fumes. 

A couple gallons of Camp Fuel would run them for a long time.

That's what we were using in the in-laws' house.  It doesn't do much good to heat the space.  If we're to that point, we're going to set up a tent inside and heat it.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: CG on January 05, 2022, 04:29:56 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 02:12:54 PM
No, and they're less efficient than say an infrared (radiant) or ceramic electric heater.  The two best non-electric choices I've found are propane or kerosene, each with its pluses and minuses.  Currently in my AO, after the recent snow, you can't buy a 1 lb propane tank for a 100 mile radius, and 20 lb tanks are not safe for indoor use.  (yes, people still do) That's assuming you could get one filled.  Then there's kerosene.  The 20k BTU kerosene heaters work well, are very safe, and will heat a good sized area.  Ours heats the whole house.  But you have the kerosene small and the soot if the heater is improperly adjusted.  With both types of fuels/heaters there's CO to worry about and leaving a window cracked is not a bad idea.  K1 in my AO is currently $39 for 5 gallons at several local gas stations with kerosene tanks.  You can also often get it in pre-filled cans at farm supply stores and home improvement stores but at a significant markup.

*blinks*  I don't think I've EVER seen kerosene in a tank.  Just small jugs.  Not so much used down here. I'll have to pay attention and see if it's hiding somewhere.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 04:41:32 PM
Quote from: CG on January 05, 2022, 04:29:56 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 02:12:54 PM
No, and they're less efficient than say an infrared (radiant) or ceramic electric heater.  The two best non-electric choices I've found are propane or kerosene, each with its pluses and minuses.  Currently in my AO, after the recent snow, you can't buy a 1 lb propane tank for a 100 mile radius, and 20 lb tanks are not safe for indoor use.  (yes, people still do) That's assuming you could get one filled.  Then there's kerosene.  The 20k BTU kerosene heaters work well, are very safe, and will heat a good sized area.  Ours heats the whole house.  But you have the kerosene small and the soot if the heater is improperly adjusted.  With both types of fuels/heaters there's CO to worry about and leaving a window cracked is not a bad idea.  K1 in my AO is currently $39 for 5 gallons at several local gas stations with kerosene tanks.  You can also often get it in pre-filled cans at farm supply stores and home improvement stores but at a significant markup.

*blinks*  I don't think I've EVER seen kerosene in a tank.  Just small jugs.  Not so much used down here. I'll have to pay attention and see if it's hiding somewhere.
Yeah, there's several gas stations up here that have pumps (I hate typing that word - they're dispensers) for it.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:13:13 PM
If you go the kero route and are really concerned about fumes, the klean strip kerosene alterntive is good stuff, but pricier than from the pump.  It's what I use for the oil lamps for in the house.

This one---  https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/978230-klean-strip-klean-heat.html?blaintm_source=google&blaintm_medium=lia&setstore=10&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIheCWs92b9QIVYsmUCR3ZAwILEAQYAyABEgLjHfD_BwE


DONT USE THIS ONE it has a lower flash point and may cause runaway flames/flare ups----   https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/g--1663-klean-strip-kerosene-1-k-heater-fuel-plastic.html
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lambykins on January 05, 2022, 05:19:30 PM
What did I do today?
Reorganized my preps, redid my water supplies and tossed out a lot of stuff no longer useful.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Got mine on Amazon w/free shipping.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 12:33:31 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Got mine on Amazon w/free shipping. 

Link?

I'm not an Amzn fan and don't use it often, but the best I found for just a lid is $9.99 plus $5.99 shipping.  Bucket and lid is $30 shipped.

Fahk, are they really all that expensive?  Probably explains why I never bought any before.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 06, 2022, 02:10:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 12:33:31 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Got mine on Amazon w/free shipping. 

Link?

I'm not an Amzn fan and don't use it often, but the best I found for just a lid is $9.99 plus $5.99 shipping.  Bucket and lid is $30 shipped.

Fahk, are they really all that expensive?  Probably explains why I never bought any before.
Yes, that's what I paid but with free shipping since I have Prime.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: woodsghost on January 06, 2022, 02:32:18 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 12:33:31 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Got mine on Amazon w/free shipping. 

Link?

I'm not an Amzn fan and don't use it often, but the best I found for just a lid is $9.99 plus $5.99 shipping.  Bucket and lid is $30 shipped.

Fahk, are they really all that expensive?  Probably explains why I never bought any before.

I had got mine at Lowes. You could maybe do a "buy online pick up in store?" Same for Ace Hardware (check local store) and Tractor Supply.

Prices have doubled since 2019. Damn.

I have my issues with Amazon too and only use them sparingly.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 03:41:46 PM
Well, not going to buy a prime membership for the 3 times a year I might buy something from the site.  Oh well.

None locally to be had, called Ace and TS, been to Lowes, Target etc...  NADA.  I've gotten along without for years, so time to move on, not that big of a deal I guess.


We now return you to your regularly scheduled "what did you do today to prepare?" thread.



I picked up 4 of the Energizer headlamps majorhavoc posted about and added them to our tornado/emergency bags. 


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 06, 2022, 04:17:47 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 03:41:46 PM
Well, not going to buy a prime membership for the 3 times a year I might buy something from the site.  Oh well.

None locally to be had, called Ace and TS, been to Lowes, Target etc...  NADA.  I've gotten along without for years, so time to move on, not that big of a deal I guess.


We now return you to your regularly scheduled "what did you do today to prepare?" thread.



I picked up 4 of the Energizer headlamps majorhavoc posted about and added them to our tornado/emergency bags.
My wife likes Prime videos and we do save quite a bit on delivery costs.  Do I like Amazon as a company?  Not especially, but as a resource they can't be ignored.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 08, 2022, 12:10:48 PM
Got a shipment of new mags to fill with that Norma 5.56 on strippers that I bought.  The new mags are Duramag Speed mags and in conjunction with the StripLULA that I also bought I can load a mag in seconds.  I'm very pleased with how that worked out.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Anianna on January 08, 2022, 01:01:20 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 06, 2022, 12:33:31 PM
Quote from: NT2C on January 05, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 05, 2022, 05:17:36 PM
Anyone know an online source to get Gamma lids as singles without getting raped for shipping on one unit?  I tried US plastics...  a bucket and lid was around $18...  then almost $20 for shipping.

I have not been able to find any locally.  I just want one bucket/lid to try out for now.
Got mine on Amazon w/free shipping. 

Link?

I'm not an Amzn fan and don't use it often, but the best I found for just a lid is $9.99 plus $5.99 shipping.  Bucket and lid is $30 shipped.

Fahk, are they really all that expensive?  Probably explains why I never bought any before.

Used to be if you didn't have Prime, you could still get free shipping once your purchase added up to a certain amount.  I thought that was still a thing, but I don't remember what the minimum is.  $25?  $35?  Something like that.  It wasn't outrageous.



I ordered a couple of Trangia alcohol stoves from Sweden.  Two to have a backup in case one gets lost or damaged.  I've also been watching videos on using them. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on January 08, 2022, 01:28:27 PM
#10 can of Augason Farms dehydrated chopped onions arrived y-day, will ask the Mrs to try these in some sauces and maybe an omelette to see how they taste first before buying a few more for the pantry.  A #10 can of butter powder is on backorder but still have nearly a case of Red Feather butter on the shelf so this is backup anyway.  My new still (hi google bots and BATFE agents, it's for distilling water, I have flooded lead acid batteries) arrived y-day too, still shopping for what I need to improve it but moderately surprised that it does seem to be of reasonable quality and no damage.

Tested my new safety rope for the first time while clearing the solar panels on Thursday, the old one was natural fiber where the new one is poly.  The new poly one doesn't absorb water (and then freeze) like the old one, less weight dragging behind me, I like it so far.  It got pretty much a full test too, with only about 4" of snow on the roof it was slippery work where I'd have probably fallen for sure without it.  More snow on the roof actually helps with footing I've found.

Charging the 12v battery we use for the Dakota Alert at the main entry gate. 

Dropped off a tank top propane heater (similar to this (https://www.amazon.com/DuraHeat-TT-15S-Single-Burner-Propane/dp/B00NLBT704/)) and 20# tank to a neighbor, they've got a frozen water pipe where it enters the house from their pump.  Hopefully saved them a few bucks buying/renting one. They have a secondary spigot that works so they do have water. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on January 15, 2022, 06:50:07 AM
Tried the dehydrated onions in broccoli and potato soup and spaghetti sauce this past week.  No complaints other than the size of the onion 'flakes', had hoped they'd be larger pieces given they're marketed as "chopped", but these are little different in size than the minced ones sold in the grocery store spice aisle.  Still, will order at least one more can for storage.  The Augason butter powder arrived early too, and went straight to storage without testing.  This will likely get used for cooking/baking and the Red Feather saved for spreading on bread/crackers.   Together they should help spice up the other storage foods, I can't recall ever saying no when asked if I'd like whatever fried in butter and onions.  :)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: majorhavoc on January 15, 2022, 07:11:27 AM
"Retired" another of my DIY 3-day x 1-person/1-day x 3-person ration packs and replaced it with up-to-date food components.  I have about 10 of these in rotation.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Rednex on January 15, 2022, 07:48:45 AM
Bought a set of these , one for my truck and her Xterra.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H7P9P8D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

They aint bad had to jump my backup truck from nothing  and it did great. Jumped the Xterra too.

Now to figure out out to set up one of those trickle chargers y'all posted to the backup truck.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on January 24, 2022, 01:41:13 PM
Not sure how or when it happened but discovered I didn't have any marine band channels programmed into my two primary HT radios this past weekend so I corrected that today by re-adding Marine channels 9, 16, 68, and 69 (https://www.boatsafe.com/us-vhf-marine-radio-channels-frequencies/).  Not sure when they got removed because I'm 99% sure I had them when I last reprogrammed these radios back in 2019 or so, but I was doing some testing then so it was probably my doing and not a problem with the radio (especially since the channels were missing from both radios and I always program both when I change anything).  Not that I needed it but it's never a bad idea to be able to monitor marine band when you're on a large body of water. 

Thankfully I did have NOAA weather programmed since weather information on cable TV seems to have gone downhill recently, or that's the situation at my cousin's house with Comcast/Xfinity (?) where I was staying over the weekend anyway - the weather channels only have recorded shows and no up-to-date weather info/radar as they did when I last had cable living in a metro area in years past.  Local news weather is near useless (imo), "we'll have a 45 second weather update following this 10 minute segment on local donut shops - so stay tuned".   :tickedoff:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on February 19, 2022, 06:16:40 AM
Changed the spark plugs and oil on the generator yesterday, and ordered more plugs.   Topped off the vehicles and refilled the gas cans, 2.97 a gallon with a .50 per gallon discount code, plus 2% in Amazon money using the prime card.  Then hit the ATM and withdrew my daily max amount from the savings to add to the cash stash.  Heading back to town today to fill a cart at the dollar store and use a $5 off coupon, and will withdraw the max again, and might do it again tomorrow.   Watching events in our neighbor to the north has me thinking I need more cash on hand.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on March 05, 2022, 02:36:10 PM
Busy/good week:  The Mrs did the grocery run on Thursday, I asked her to overshop and help top off the pantry given current events and she did not disappoint, god I really love her sometimes.  I went out today and again hit the ATM for our daily max cash, then to Amish country for an extra 48 pounds of kibble and some extra biscuits for the dogs.  We've only been keeping about 100 pounds of dog kibble in rotation as any more than that starts to go rancid before they eat it, but I put this extra bag in the unheated patio room which is frig/freezer temps this time of year so hopefully that'll help keep it fresh until we use it. 

Got the septic tank drained after our basement drain backed up and overflowed a bit while doing laundry last week, and it was very informative in a couple of ways.  The cause of the backup was due to ice in the top of the tank, and the drain pipe into the tank being nearly clogged shut (with ice) so it couldn't keep up with the large amount being pumped out of the washer all at one time.  It's been a moderately cold winter here but not much snow cover so the tank was more exposed to the colder air than when under a blanket of snow.  The septic guy said he's seen a lot of that this year.  The good news is that he said the tank and drain field appear to be fine, the water level in the tank was at the normal working level after never being drained through 16 years of use.  And, if it exhibits these same symptoms again I have a 6" PVC cleanout port about 8' from the tank that I could use to pour hot water down to help melt the ice next time.   He also offered a discount to come back in the spring and clean it again when the ice was gone, and he said he had no problem draining the small septic (which is closer to 20 years since draining, and not exactly per code...) at our cottage/guest house at the same time.  I did have to use about 25# of rock salt over a 4' X 4' area to melt the ice on the top of the tank to find the metal hook to lift the access port on the tank so I wouldn't be charged extra for that.  After I finished the Mrs asked why I didn't just use the metal detector to find the hook and save time and rock salt  :gonk:, god I really hate her sometimes.   :))

In other preps, ordered some more double-sided tape and heavy-duty plastic sheeting. 
https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Double-Sided-Tape-1-41-Gray/dp/B082P44MVS/?&tag=wilediofhou-20
https://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-P1025-Polyethylene-Sheeting/dp/B0040ZC5AO/?&tag=wilediofhou-20

Never really had enough of the tape to begin with, and used most of the plastic sheeting I did have when putting down a vapor barrier under the woodpile a couple years ago.  These will likely get used for more mundane stuff over the years to come, but in the event we lose some windows in a storm (or over pressure from a nuclear detonation) then they'll help keep the elements (or fallout) out.  We have some OSB and plywood pre-cut for most of the windows, but the plastic over top should keep the drafts down and the moisture out.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 07, 2022, 04:27:58 PM
Crosscut, could I borrow your Mrs. to come over and teach my Mrs. to over buy also?  28+ years with mine and I still can't get her to buy more than what she plans for meals in a week.   :headbang:


I went through our working pantry this weekend and made a list of items for replacement.  I'll make a grocery run for some of the bulk items, since my wife thinks that's an endless supply on the shelves and typically doesn't replenish as she consumes...
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 07, 2022, 04:42:10 PM
Oh, and since physical health is important to prepping also, I started expanding our exercise room a few weeks ago to consolidate our equipment to one space.  This weekend I got all the new furring strips up on the walls and was able to hang a few sheets of drywall. 

Hoping to have that area completed and functional in a month or less...  If I can remember which flooring I ordered last time so we can match it to what's there now. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Anianna on March 07, 2022, 05:58:17 PM
Was double-checking my planned escape routes in case of problems at any (or all) of the nuclear power plants around us and realized my road atlas was seriously old, so I now have a 2022 road atlas of the US. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 05:36:06 AM
What kind did you get?  I printed up  topographical maps of my area but  miss my old thomas bros. map book. ( which I'm sure there is nothing similar for the state of kansas )
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on March 08, 2022, 09:27:10 AM
Quote from: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 05:36:06 AM
What kind did you get?  I printed up  topographical maps of my area but  miss my old thomas bros. map book. ( which I'm sure there is nothing similar for the state of kansas )


Isn't a paper map already a pretty good topographical representation of Kansas?   :awesome:






Printing important stuff out is probably a really good idea right about now.




It was last night, but I cleaned and put together a "spare parts" AR that I'm actually looking to sell in favor of a bolt-action .22 with a threaded barrel (probably a Savage Mk II FV-SR if I can get my paws on one) for pest control and small game.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Anianna on March 08, 2022, 10:08:46 AM
Quote from: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 05:36:06 AM
What kind did you get?  I printed up  topographical maps of my area but  miss my old thomas bros. map book. ( which I'm sure there is nothing similar for the state of kansas )

Rand McNally with the vinyl cover.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0528023772/
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 11:39:20 AM
Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on March 08, 2022, 09:27:10 AM
Quote from: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 05:36:06 AM
What kind did you get?  I printed up  topographical maps of my area but  miss my old thomas bros. map book. ( which I'm sure there is nothing similar for the state of kansas )

Quote
Isn't a paper map already a pretty good topographical representation of Kansas?   :awesome:






Printing important stuff out is probably a really good idea right about now.




It was last night, but I cleaned and put together a "spare parts" AR that I'm actually looking to sell in favor of a bolt-action .22 with a threaded barrel (probably a Savage Mk II FV-SR if I can get my paws on one) for pest control and small game.

Pancakes... Pancakes  are a good topographical representation of Kansas :slide:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on March 09, 2022, 08:10:48 AM
Quote from: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 11:39:20 AM
Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on March 08, 2022, 09:27:10 AM
Quote from: flybynight on March 08, 2022, 05:36:06 AM
What kind did you get?  I printed up  topographical maps of my area but  miss my old thomas bros. map book. ( which I'm sure there is nothing similar for the state of kansas )

Quote
Isn't a paper map already a pretty good topographical representation of Kansas?   :awesome:






Printing important stuff out is probably a really good idea right about now.




It was last night, but I cleaned and put together a "spare parts" AR that I'm actually looking to sell in favor of a bolt-action .22 with a threaded barrel (probably a Savage Mk II FV-SR if I can get my paws on one) for pest control and small game.

Pancakes... Pancakes  are a good topographical representation of Kansas :slide:


I mean, they're not perfect, but they'll work okay, I guess...


Okay, the link wasn't working.  Let me just do this:  https://www.usu.edu/geo/geomorph/kansas.html
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 09, 2022, 09:33:54 AM
Good for you Anianna.  Even pancake states have updated their navigable roadways over the years.


Added a couple rolls of Duct Tape and another package of AA batts. to the pile.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Anianna on March 09, 2022, 10:53:26 AM
Added binder clips to the go gear.  My preferred size is 1.25" with a 0.5" capacity.  I have used them for all sorts of things over the years including keeping janky hotel curtains closed, containing a windshield screen so it wouldn't pop open after the case tore, keeping my laptop screen together after the hinge popped, running cable along the ceiling (clip the cable in, remove pinch bars, adhere clip to ceiling with Command strips), keeping the end of the charger cable handy by running it through the pinch bars of a clip on the side of a nearby shelf, clothes pins, generally holding things together, etcetera, etcetera.  I always keep one on my boonie hat just in case and I always pack some for trips. 


Also added the boxed set of the Canterbury Bushcraft series to my library. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lodewijk on March 09, 2022, 11:17:06 AM
Stopped drinking a few ago. I feel like shit but it needed to happen.

I didn't have a "drinking problem" exactly but I was at 3-4 every weeknight dumping work stress and my wife finally said something.

I don't know if it's connected but I've also been shitting my brains out. So this has been pleasant.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 14, 2022, 03:44:05 PM
Canned another 5 pints of Blueberry jam this weekend for the shelves.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on March 14, 2022, 04:02:16 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on March 14, 2022, 03:44:05 PM
Canned another 5 pints of Blueberry jam this weekend for the shelves.


Nice!  We planted a couple of blueberry starts just the other day.  It'll be a while before I get to worry about making jam, of course, but hopefully, maybe someday.   :)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 15, 2022, 02:46:54 PM
Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on March 14, 2022, 04:02:16 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on March 14, 2022, 03:44:05 PM
Canned another 5 pints of Blueberry jam this weekend for the shelves.


Nice!  We planted a couple of blueberry starts just the other day.  It'll be a while before I get to worry about making jam, of course, but hopefully, maybe someday.   :) 

One of my friends put some a couple years ago, last summer they got 3 berries from 6 or 8 bushes.  I told him to get a few other varieties, since they like to cross pollinate with each other.

He does however, harvest several bushels of Raspberry's every season from along the side of their garage.  He can't keep up pruning and digging them out as they grow so fast and out of control.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on March 16, 2022, 08:25:58 AM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on March 15, 2022, 02:46:54 PM
Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on March 14, 2022, 04:02:16 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on March 14, 2022, 03:44:05 PM
Canned another 5 pints of Blueberry jam this weekend for the shelves.


Nice!  We planted a couple of blueberry starts just the other day.  It'll be a while before I get to worry about making jam, of course, but hopefully, maybe someday.   :) 

One of my friends put some a couple years ago, last summer they got 3 berries from 6 or 8 bushes.  I told him to get a few other varieties, since they like to cross pollinate with each other.

He does however, harvest several bushels of Raspberry's every season from along the side of their garage.  He can't keep up pruning and digging them out as they grow so fast and out of control.


.

More blueberry bushes.  I like that.  The monkey child would love having some raspberry bushes too, I'm sure.   :greenguy:   
 
When I was a young'un out on the Oregon coast, my grandparents had some blackberry bushes that grew out of control like that.  I've seen a few blackberry plants out here, but they have a lot more competition, so I haven't seen any going wild like that. 


I like the idea of plants where you have to work harder to keep them from growing than you do to keep them alive.  Then again, part of that was probably just living in the desert.  :awesome:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on March 18, 2022, 11:16:55 AM
On the food side I added 20 lbs each of lentils & split peas plus 10 lbs of quinoa. A big shipment of Raman finally came in. Lots of 12 packs. I brought home three 12 packs. Two six packs of this tea I treat myself to once in a while.

Non-food was four rolls clear packing tape, another package of alcohol hand wipes, two rolls of scotch tape.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 18, 2022, 03:30:48 PM
Found a sale on boneless/skinless chicken thighs- which we haven't seen on our AO for quite awhile and last time we saw them they were North of $3/lb.  $1.99 today.

22lbs in our freezer now.  Along with a coupe of Pork Tenderloins.


Also picked up a few single cans of that store's brand veggies to try, hopefully they're good and we can stock some of those-  They are half price of the name brand at other stores.


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mister_Dark on March 21, 2022, 08:43:12 PM
Just got 3 batteries for my (still under development) solar rig.    12volt, 200aHx3, Gel Cell.     Not gonna power the house with these, but they will keep a fridge running for a while.    Up next, panels.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on March 23, 2022, 03:35:56 PM
Ordered a 5 pack of M<->M BNC connectors, when digging in the junk drawer recently I was looking for one (that I swore I had) but couldn't locate.
https://www.amazon.com/TLS-eagle-Coaxial-Coupler-Straight-Connector/dp/B083LZ39HM

A replacement tube of Shoo Goo, just used some to repair the sole on one of my boots and am running low.  This stuff works well, have used it on boots, shoes, and slippers.  They sell it in a kit with some different applicators but I just use a disposable plastic butter knife.
https://www.amazon.com/SHOE-Shoe-Repair-Adhesive-Clear/dp/B00KT3RE5C/

And 3 emergency food ration packs.  Never tried these before, will taste-test one pack with the wife and dogs and see how it goes over.  If we agree they're reasonably edible will put the others in the primary BOV, else give them to a friend that I know doesn't have much of anything for supplies in his daily driver.
www.amazon.com/Katadyn-NRG-5-Emergency-Food-Ration/dp/B099SD7LM3/
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on March 26, 2022, 03:18:53 PM
Over last few days:
1. Continued to finish the sleep systems for the troop, with Klymit ground mats, work well and well like the feel
2. Bipod for the Mini 14 ( I live in a gun unfriendly state; only 6 years to go will we leave). Ordered other parts for it as well. Not looking to do tacti-cool but need a few more features. In all accuracy has been good as its a 2011 model not a 1970s one.
3. Upgraded the multi-tool for my BOB to a titanium three in one, eliminating the need for a separate hand saw. https://www.camillusknives.com/camillus-camtrax-3-in-1-hatchet.html Id descent and got it at Wally World of all places. So far functions well and fairly well put together.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: aikorob on March 26, 2022, 09:01:44 PM
new wheels and rubber for the truck..............will keep the old ones
replaced snacks and water in truck bag
new LED light bar for vehicle emergencies
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on March 29, 2022, 03:11:51 PM
Added a couple flats each of the aforementioned veggies to the stash.  Now looking for some extra pasta.


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: majorhavoc on March 29, 2022, 06:32:09 PM
Replenished a secondary cache of cash (cash-squared?) that I keep in my car.  I unwisely dipped into it a few weeks back and it's taken me this long to replacing the $60 I took out.  It's only $200, but it might help get me home (or the hell out of dodge) in an emergency.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on March 30, 2022, 06:32:39 PM
Added an Accustrut to my Mini-14.

Continuing work on sewing my ALICE pack to meet my needs for my BOB.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on April 02, 2022, 10:30:37 AM
The NRG-5 Emergency Food Rations (https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-NRG-5-Emergency-Food-Ration/dp/B099SD7LM3/) ordered last week are a bust as survival food on-the-go imo.  Very dry and bland, turns almost to a powder in your mouth so better have plenty of liquid to wash them down with.  Our dogs wouldn't touch them either, and the one is very non-fussy about eating most anything.  Instructions mention "crumble and mix into previously boiled drinking water to prepare a porridge suitable as infant food", so I tried that this morning adding boiling hot water and some brown sugar for taste.  It's more palatable this way, cream of wheat type texture, but still very 'blah' tasting.  Non-fussy dog still wouldn't even taste it after a quick sniff.  Suppose it might have some value if pulverized and used to thicken soups or stews, not for taste but just for the added nutrional value, but near useless for my intended BOV use. 

Fixed a minor plumbing problem, hot water valve to the clothes washer sprung a leak.  Only mention it because I previously was not much of a fan of the SharkBite brand plumbing fittings, quick to install sure, but expensive.  I'd only used them once before, and in an area where the plumbing was easily accessible, didn't see any advantage over sweating the copper the old fashioned way.  In this case however I had to cut the leaking valve out, inside an interior wall, so not much room to work and with a sweated "T" a few inches below the cut, and a plastic enclosure a few inches above that would have been difficult to remove.  Probably child's work for an experienced plumber, but I didn't have much confidence that I could sweat the new fitting in while not weakening the solder on the "T" below, or melting the plastic enclosure above.  Couldn't have went much smoother using the SharkBite though; cut pipe, 'push-until-it-clicks' the SharkBite on, screw new valve into other side of fitting, and tighten. Now I'm thinking about getting a few more of these fittings to throw into the plumbing supplies. 

Picked up a USB powered  POWXS Universal Lithium 18650 Battery Charger for 3.7V Li-ion 18650 AA AAA C batteries (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KVTNL28?th=1), tried it for the first time last night and seems to work very well when powered from a power bank.  Auto-senses the battery type/voltage automatically so no worry about having to modify the settings manually for charging different battery types, or having to carry / read the manual each use since this'll end up in the BOV and likely not get used much.  Also starting to play with a  USB step up/down regulator and charger (http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Portable-Fast-Charge-Regulator-Voltage/dp/B09MYD639G) I bought last year, with inspiration taken from Moab's BOB power thread.  First test might be if it'll trickle charge a car battery from a USB power bank.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on April 03, 2022, 10:29:58 AM
- Finished off the following on the ALICE ruck: ranger/count beads, water bladder hook up

- Restored primary axe (Hultafor on the horizon)

- Purchased new hiking boots. Did my research and thought I was going with higher end Columbia, went slightly cheaper with Sketcher brand with Goodyear treads. Much better.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on April 03, 2022, 10:42:38 AM
Tested trickle charging a 12v battery using a USB power bank with that  USB step up/down regulator/charger (http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Portable-Fast-Charge-Regulator-Voltage/dp/B09MYD639G), it works:

(https://i.postimg.cc/RC3v77gK/IMG-0392.jpg)

Might be hard to see in the pic, but it's showing 13.67 volts out and 10.02 watts.  But can only adjust the current up to about 0.8 amps, or about 10 watts out instead of the 2A/15W max indicated in the specs.  Much more than 10 watts and something trips internally, it stops producing any output current and requires a reset after reducing the amperage to start operating again.  Could be me not having set it up correctly though, the manual on this thing is terrible.  Thankfully the trips/resets didn't appear to damage it with my repeated attempts to get it to 15W out.

The point of having this wasn't really for charging batteries but for powering small non-USB electronics from USB port power, I just decided to test it with a large-ish battery that wouldn't be harmed while I got over the learning curve of how the thing works.  I have a number of older devices that run on voltages ranging from 4.5V to ~12V automotive power so I wanted an adjustable adapter to power them from 5V USB power similar to the way this adapter (http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CPUDC1U2000-Universal-Adapter-2000mA/dp/B00ELGA23E/) works for powering them from a 12V system.   The item with the biggest power demand I might use this with only requires about 7 watts for short periods, so this USB up/down converter should work fine.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on April 13, 2022, 04:10:59 PM
Added 8 more pounds of pasta to the shelf.

Also, built a new reloading room that will now secure everything and keep it out of the prying eyes of any service persons that we may have in our home.  Sold off some extra/unused supplies and hardware too, as sometimes that helps organize you more for being prepared.


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on April 14, 2022, 07:24:20 AM
2 new mags for my Mossberg 595 shotgun on the way.

Going back to it being my primary hunting shotgun. Later today picking up a picatinny rail for the scope. Basically swapped my better optic I had on my Remington Gamemaster 760 that I had installed in place of the original optics.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on April 20, 2022, 01:10:26 PM
Got said mags for the 595. Pricey but worth it. I was in a gun store and a guy (a customer) saw the 595 and offered me $500 on the spot. I politely declined.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on April 20, 2022, 03:07:53 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on April 02, 2022, 10:30:37 AMThe NRG-5 Emergency Food Rations (https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-NRG-5-Emergency-Food-Ration/dp/B099SD7LM3/) ordered last week are a bust as survival food on-the-go imo.  Very dry and bland, turns almost to a powder in your mouth so better have plenty of liquid to wash them down with.  Our dogs wouldn't touch them either, and the one is very non-fussy about eating most anything.  Instructions mention "crumble and mix into previously boiled drinking water to prepare a porridge suitable as infant food", so I tried that this morning adding boiling hot water and some brown sugar for taste.  It's more palatable this way, cream of wheat type texture, but still very 'blah' tasting.  Non-fussy dog still wouldn't even taste it after a quick sniff.  Suppose it might have some value if pulverized and used to thicken soups or stews, not for taste but just for the added nutrional value, but near useless for my intended BOV use. 

Fixed a minor plumbing problem, hot water valve to the clothes washer sprung a leak.  Only mention it because I previously was not much of a fan of the SharkBite brand plumbing fittings, quick to install sure, but expensive.  I'd only used them once before, and in an area where the plumbing was easily accessible, didn't see any advantage over sweating the copper the old fashioned way.  In this case however I had to cut the leaking valve out, inside an interior wall, so not much room to work and with a sweated "T" a few inches below the cut, and a plastic enclosure a few inches above that would have been difficult to remove.  Probably child's work for an experienced plumber, but I didn't have much confidence that I could sweat the new fitting in while not weakening the solder on the "T" below, or melting the plastic enclosure above.  Couldn't have went much smoother using the SharkBite though; cut pipe, 'push-until-it-clicks' the SharkBite on, screw new valve into other side of fitting, and tighten. Now I'm thinking about getting a few more of these fittings to throw into the plumbing supplies. 

Picked up a USB powered POWXS Universal Lithium 18650 Battery Charger for 3.7V Li-ion 18650 AA AAA C batteries (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KVTNL28?th=1), tried it for the first time last night and seems to work very well when powered from a power bank.  Auto-senses the battery type/voltage automatically so no worry about having to modify the settings manually for charging different battery types, or having to carry / read the manual each use since this'll end up in the BOV and likely not get used much.  Also starting to play with a USB step up/down regulator and charger (http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Portable-Fast-Charge-Regulator-Voltage/dp/B09MYD639G) I bought last year, with inspiration taken from Moab's BOB power thread.  First test might be if it'll trickle charge a car battery from a USB power bank.
I have some emergency rations with the yellow packaging. Forget the brand. The apple n cinnamon are good. I bought them like 15 yrs ago. 

But what I've since learned is that emergency rations like this are for lifeboats. Meaning something to keep you alive in a lifeboat. Not moving. Not hiking. Not expending any energy. Namely they will constipate you badly. And leave you with that cheap carbs feeling with no energy. Like if you only ate cheap bread for days on end.

They are also very heavy. Your better off getting carb heavy mountain house. Or other starch heavy dehydrated meals. There are many dehydrated meals comoanies tho. Do a google search. You'll be surprised at the selection. Some aren't to expensive. 

The more I read tho the more I see the simple food dehydrator as the answer to cheap and good quality survival food. The machines arent that expensive. And there are many many great recioes for things you wouldnt imagine could be made that way.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on April 20, 2022, 03:28:47 PM
I spent a good portion of yesterday getting the last of the garbage and cardboard out of the garage. Week prior i went thru every box and bag and tote. And moved everything into sections. Garbage, keep, yard sale and things my wife and son still need to go thru.

I'm in the process of turning this back into a workout room. After going thru our collected stuff after 15 years and 4 moves. I got alot of yard sale, garbage and keep things separated.

I've always tried to use this litmus test for all the crap we save.

"If I haven't used it in 6 months. It's because I couldnt find it. So it needs to go.".

But after so many moves we had taped up boxes thrown together that I had not looked inside for years. I got rid of alot of shop supplies and equipment. That you figure oh ill use that some day. But that day never comes.

Now all we have left is to have a yard sale. And get rid of as much as we can. And throw the rest out. I ordered an extra garbage can for 3 months. Only cost 11.90 a month extra. 

Now that I have the garage completely organized my son wants to buy a pool table. Lol. I have to admit i love the idea. But workout space has to be our number one priority. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lodewijk on April 21, 2022, 01:29:24 PM
Been looking for a dedicated go bag knife for a while... picked up a couple of Ka-Bar variants to try (Mark I and a D2 Extreme). 

Between those, a Varusteleka puukko, my normie USMC Ka-Bar from Civil Air Patrol when I was a kid, and a handful of bushcrafty carbon steel blanks in various stages of completion... we should be covered.

Wouldn't mind a coating or something rust resistant but I can see this being the puukko for a while. Done enough batonny chop shit with it to be comfortable that it isn't going to break. Rat tangs will get you killed in the street or whatever but the D2 supposedly handles heavier uses well enough... still should prove that out.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on April 22, 2022, 06:26:30 PM
While I have plenty of methods of making fire today I finished my first batch of homemade Scout firestarters:

- cardboard egg carton
- saw dust
- wax
- melted crayons
- dryer lint

Currently drying. Made enough for thirty.
https://diyprojects.com/make-fire-starter-egg-carton-dryer-lint/

Simple as could be.

Also have a number of these complete as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uevKyuP4eZc
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on April 23, 2022, 01:52:28 PM
Closed another gap in the preps. I got my son a medium ALICE Pack and will be modding it similar to mine*. The best part is the frame is a brand spanking new aftermarket one in perfect condition along with a surplus ALICE ruck in really good shape. I won't have to modify the straps as much as I did with mine but the snaps for it on the way to swap out all the metal with parachute quick connect ones. Back pad is brand new, while not a MOLLE II its will work for his teenage self perfectly.

Best part Supported a semi local business and got the first responder discount, who says only the military should benefit !@ :)

* = I've had bags for the whole family for years (evening getting one ready for the dog!) but I've been trying to get commonality across all four bags. Makes sense for my son and I who will be carrying the heavier loads. For my wide and daughter I had considered the after market small ALICE packs but they were too small.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: EBuff75 on April 23, 2022, 07:07:21 PM
Finally installed the awning and a solar panel on my SUV.  I'm actually planning to use it for some camping this summer, but it would serve well for a bugout too.  Still need to install the LED strip lighting on the awning.  Hopefully I'll get that done this weekend.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on April 24, 2022, 09:37:07 AM
Added a few more plants to the garden, and got preliminary permission from SWMBO to add some more perennial edible plants...
Garden now has
Tomatoes
Peppers
Cabbage (kohlrabi)
Potatoes (doing the pail method)
Walking onion
Watermelon
Cucumbers
Basil
Mint
Lemon Balm
Chamomile

We have a Loquat tree and are beginning to start some blackberries/raspberries. 
I'm about to plant a raised bed with asparagus.
I've surrounded the garden with Marigolds and Nasturtiums as edible pest deterrents.
I've got loofah and dipper gourds growing. 

Sometime this week, I'll pull the genny out of storage and warm her up / make sure she's running ok for hurricane season. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on May 01, 2022, 02:26:02 PM
- Field stripped the MREs for my Bug out Bag; getting the rest of the families bags to the same
- Tested out my ultra light ground mat, a Klymet 4 season, expensive but worth. Temps got cold this weekend while camping, didn't even notice the cold.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Lettuce Pray on May 18, 2022, 04:52:22 PM
Today was a big day for me. We (the wife and I) bought the 13.5 acres that are around my house. Added that to the 5.2 that we already own gives us almost 19. Only 1.5 or so is the house with yard. The rest is woods. I don't have any current plans to hunt it but that may change. I could definitely see me doing some ethical trapping in the coming years.  
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on May 19, 2022, 09:23:03 AM
That is awesome!   :smiley_clap:

That gives you a bit more "buffer space" and opportunities for additional resources all in one.  I might be a little bit jealous.   :greenguy:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on May 19, 2022, 02:59:41 PM
Quote from: SCBrian on April 24, 2022, 09:37:07 AMAdded a few more plants to the garden, and got preliminary permission from SWMBO to add some more perennial edible plants...
Garden now has
Tomatoes
Peppers
Cabbage (kohlrabi)
Potatoes (doing the pail method)
Walking onion
Watermelon
Cucumbers
Basil
Mint
Lemon Balm
Chamomile

We have a Loquat tree and are beginning to start some blackberries/raspberries. 
I'm about to plant a raised bed with asparagus.
I've surrounded the garden with Marigolds and Nasturtiums as edible pest deterrents.
I've got loofah and dipper gourds growing. 

Sometime this week, I'll pull the genny out of storage and warm her up / make sure she's running ok for hurricane season. 


Basil, Asparagus and Basil are all great companions for tomatoes.  As well as French Marigold and Nasturtiums.    :slide:


But keep the Kohlrabi away.


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: tirls on May 19, 2022, 04:00:57 PM
Sticky catchfly is also great and helps against tomato blight. Be careful where you plant it though, it´s a neophyte in the US.

I finally got my refill of tortoisegear fire starters. My SAK is now it´s own little survival tool all in one again (admittedly more often used for camping and barbecue):panic:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: majorhavoc on May 19, 2022, 08:42:10 PM
Got my knee replaced today. The other knee gets done hopefully this fall. So I can, you know, outrun the zombies. 
#rule1cardio
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on May 19, 2022, 09:23:22 PM
Quote from: Lettuce Pray on May 18, 2022, 04:52:22 PMToday was a big day for me. We (the wife and I) bought the 13.5 acres that are around my house. Added that to the 5.2 that we already own gives us almost 19. Only 1.5 or so is the house with yard. The rest is woods. I don't have any current plans to hunt it but that may change. I could definitely see me doing some ethical trapping in the coming years. 
Thats awesome. Do u mind saying what state or area?
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on May 30, 2022, 02:20:04 PM
Last week or so:

Finally put the water distiller in the attic, not that the wife was nagging me about having to sweep around it for the last 3 months or anything, along with 4 empty 1-gallon plastic jugs which is enough to hold one 'batch' from the distiller.  Thought about some attic re-organization, but changed my mind with it being 95 degrees up there today.

3 battery shell cases (http://www.amazon.com/Zer-one-Battery-Two-Way-VEV-3288S/dp/B07WFH1VTS) for our aging Puxing 777 and UV9R model HT radios.  These are for emergency spares, and require 6 AAA batteries (not included).  Don't really plan to use them normally but the regular Li-ion battery packs are getting harder to find so I didn't want to be left with otherwise working radios we couldn't get batteries for.  I need to upgrade at some point but I do like these radios, we have 3 of the 777's (VHF only) we've been using for almost 8 years and 2 of the newer UV9R models (dual band, with crossband repeat) for about 5 years and they've stood up to some punishment and still work. 

The two additional 1-gallon Garden Sprayers/SHTF showers/fire extinguishers (https://www.amazon.com/Chapin-International-20000-1-Gallon-Translucent/dp/B000E28UQU) arrived. 

A Gorilla Cart (https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Carts-GOR6PS-Heavy-Duty-Convertible/dp/B01BECQF6K) for yard work, the wife actually requested this after using a friends.  We upgraded to this model that can be towed behind the lawn tractor.  Not sure this qualifies as a prep, but when my wife asks for yard tools I don't argue :)

A tactical pen (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E28UQU) from one of Moab's bargain posts.  The diameter of it isn't comfortable yet for writing, but it works better than the cheap  dollar store pens I'd been using.  It'll be added to the business mini-bob for travel though.

Took down a couple medium-sized dead oaks from the yard, victims of the gypsy moth (sorry,  "Spongy moth"  (https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/12/us/gypsy-moth-name-change-scn-trnd/index.html) ) infestation last year.  We'll be getting out to cut more wood on federal land later this week too, we went crazy during the first summer of covid getting wood but not sure we'd make it through the next winter on what we have left.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on June 01, 2022, 04:31:56 PM
Quote from: Crosscut on May 30, 2022, 02:20:04 PMLast week or so:

Finally put the water distiller in the attic, not that the wife was nagging me about having to sweep around it for the last 3 months or anything, along with 4 empty 1-gallon plastic jugs which is enough to hold one 'batch' from the distiller.  Thought about some attic re-organization, but changed my mind with it being 95 degrees up there today.

3 battery shell cases (http://www.amazon.com/Zer-one-Battery-Two-Way-VEV-3288S/dp/B07WFH1VTS) for our aging Puxing 777 and UV9R model HT radios.  These are for emergency spares, and require 6 AAA batteries (not included).  Don't really plan to use them normally but the regular Li-ion battery packs are getting harder to find so I didn't want to be left with otherwise working radios we couldn't get batteries for.  I need to upgrade at some point but I do like these radios, we have 3 of the 777's (VHF only) we've been using for almost 8 years and 2 of the newer UV9R models (dual band, with crossband repeat) for about 5 years and they've stood up to some punishment and still work. 

The two additional 1-gallon Garden Sprayers/SHTF showers/fire extinguishers (https://www.amazon.com/Chapin-International-20000-1-Gallon-Translucent/dp/B000E28UQU) arrived. 

A Gorilla Cart (https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Carts-GOR6PS-Heavy-Duty-Convertible/dp/B01BECQF6K) for yard work, the wife actually requested this after using a friends.  We upgraded to this model that can be towed behind the lawn tractor.  Not sure this qualifies as a prep, but when my wife asks for yard tools I don't argue :)

A tactical pen (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E28UQU) from one of Moab's bargain posts.  The diameter of it isn't comfortable yet for writing, but it works better than the cheap  dollar store pens I'd been using.  It'll be added to the business mini-bob for travel though.

Took down a couple medium-sized dead oaks from the yard, victims of the gypsy moth (sorry, "Spongy moth"  (https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/12/us/gypsy-moth-name-change-scn-trnd/index.html)) infestation last year.  We'll be getting out to cut more wood on federal land later this week too, we went crazy during the first summer of covid getting wood but not sure we'd make it through the next winter on what we have left.

Thats how I used that pen too. I had cheap ballpoints. So I threw that tactical one in my bob. With a couple of the refill cartridges. It is a bit big. But way better than a Bic. Lol. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on June 02, 2022, 12:36:49 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/KztKN2zb/wood.jpg)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 04, 2022, 06:49:43 AM
Went skeet shooting on Saturday with a couple buddies, burned through two boxes of shotshells and a personal hit rate of about 75%.  About the same as I shot last year, which was the first time I'd been out in 10 years or more.  More practice needed for sure, many of the hits weren't well centered and only clipped/winged the clay.  It was only the second time skeet shooting for one of guys, and he enjoyed it so we're going to try getting out more often.  BTW NT2C, he said to say Thank You for the weather radio :)

Also traded some med supplies with him too, he came away with some IV 0.9 saline bags and I got an expired EpiPen.  Expiration date is July 2014 :gonk: , but the solution is still clear with no particulates visible in the viewing window so I'll hang on to it for now.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10808186/

Chart from the study above:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Mp0mVBZn/epipen-past-expiry-chart.jpg)

It'll go into the home FAK, much more stable temperature inside the house than leaving it in one of the truck FAKs even though it'd probably make more sense to have it in the truck.  Once discolored I'll disassemble it before discarding it as described here (https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(13)00094-X/fulltext) so at least I'll have some experience with the process in the event that was ever needed.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Rednex on July 04, 2022, 08:38:41 AM
Not really " today" but im on vacation

Bought a 10K lbs equipment trailer can haul anything the family has vehicle wise, plus lumber or put a shed on it as a camper/ bugout shelter.

Checked a few new closer to home fishing spots. One is good for food ,the other seems more for fun.

Got all the parts to tune up all the vehicles , got 1 of the 3 done so far.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: SCBrian on July 04, 2022, 11:01:58 AM
Along Rednex post, not just today, more of a 'lately'...
Cleaned/cycled the generator (I do it monthly). Let it run for 10 minutes or so, under load depending on what I'm doing at the time. 

Tune up on Wifes and daughters car.  Truck next. 

Beginning to setup a rain barrel for water harvesting for the garden. 

Setting up an asparagus bed.  Trying to setup more perennial plants and trees.  I'm a big fan of the '1 and done' school of thought  :awesome:

Been picking up shifts at local restaurants. I earn ~150$ a night from picking up a shift. My skill set allows me to do a lot more in the kitchen than normal folks, but I really only pick up dishwashing/line cook shifts because "Not my monkeys, not my circus"  :clownshoes:
- If anyone needs to hustle for quick money - I REALLY recommend looking into the local F&B scene.  I use an app called "GigPro" that has rolled out to a number of the larger southeastern cities, and I can get paid almost immediately (for 3% charge) or credited to my debit card in 2-3 days.  Even without this app, your local F&B place is likely looking for solid people to work. 
Post for an example:
(https://i.imgur.com/GhKvHXD.jpg)

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on July 06, 2022, 11:47:07 AM
- M1 Garrand finally on its way
- door reinforcers arrived, attaching this weekend (basically metal brackets that allow for putting 2x4s as bars)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on July 07, 2022, 08:05:14 AM
8 fresnel lenses for BOBs and GH bags ordered.

10 parachute buckles arriving in mail today for upgrade on the next ALICE pack.

Once this is complete only one more pack to upgrade to the same standard. Sounds stupid, but I'm making sure they all go the same direction to in terms of which buckle is orientated up or down as it were. EDIT: 1.5 packs that is, one needs everything (MOLLE kidney pad, shoulder straps and buckles; one just needs shoulder straps.)

Also got some 4x7 tarps for lightweight tents. Plan for the sleep system is: bag, ground pad, tarp, bivy; mine as the prototype just needs the bivy).
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Mr. E. Monkey on July 07, 2022, 08:57:45 AM
That doesn't sound stupid at all, to me.  I think that having them oriented differently is a great way to add stress and a potential failure to what would likely already be a high-stress situation.

Peace of mind is a great prepping tool.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on July 07, 2022, 04:03:50 PM
Added a couple packages of AA batts to the power box, because for the life of me, I can not understand where the other packages have gone.  I know I got some not long ago, but they are not in the power box where they should be...  and we don't use them for much of anything on a regular basis.  No way we went through a couple packages of 24/each already.

Siigghhh...  it's hell getting old.


Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: echo83 on July 07, 2022, 06:56:16 PM
Ran through my first ever barrel drill at my local gun club. It was awesome. My three run average was 13/15 targets hit, 44 seconds. Five second penalty for each target missed. 

Shooting, moving and communicating is next-level rewarding compared to punching paper. 

Took third place using a S&W Shield 9 mm with 8 round mags. I'm hooked. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on July 08, 2022, 06:21:48 PM
What did I do to today?
I got my (ordered 10 months ago) M1 Garand! Woohoo!
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on July 23, 2022, 04:26:14 AM
Work and weather haven't been cooperating recently but finally got out wood cutting yesterday, almost a face cord on the splitting pile for winter 2023-2024 and some smaller branches/rounds to continue topping off the wood shed for burning this year.  Heading out in a couple hours for another trailer load, they're calling for temps in the low-90's today so I'd like to be done before noon.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: KentuckyCarbine on July 23, 2022, 04:59:04 PM
Met with a fellow prepper (and cousin) that lives about a mile away and decided that we need to work congruently on some of our long term preps and to try where possible to make sure we are thinking things through clearly.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 04, 2022, 05:58:38 AM
Amoxicillin, 500mg, 100 count (https://fishmoxfishflex.com/collections/amoxicillin-fish-antibiotics/products/fish-mox-forte-equivalent-aqua-amoxicillin-plus-500-mg-100-count)

Rechargable lantern and 18650 charger (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=981)

Massage gun (https://www.amazon.com/Percussion-Athletes-Portable-Electric-Y8/dp/B09LQNGBGH/).  Never tried one of these, but the wife will sometimes get sciatica after yard work or wood hauling so will see if this helps.  Might be helpful, or at least less tiring for the caregiver, for chest physical therapy (https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/chest-physical-therapy) to help break up mucus in the lungs from lower respiratory infections too.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 06, 2022, 01:17:10 PM
Wife cut my hair this AM, she's been doing this since the start of Covid and does a good job so we stuck with it (plus saves us about $80-100 bucks a year).  Was hoping to get out wood cutting today since they're calling for rain tomorrow, but decided against it when it was already 80 degrees at 10 am and going up to 93 today.  The weather is not cooperating at all for wood cutting this year.  Still need to clean out the chimney too, but not standing on an asphalt shingled roof on a sunny day in this heat either.

Went to town to get gasoline and a 20# BBQ tank refilled instead, the grill was sputtering doing the burgers last night.  Refilled six empty 1 lb camping sized tanks from it before putting it back on the grill.  $11.50 including tax for the tank refill, so about 60 cents of propane to refill the little tanks.  Beats the $4-5 for a new one.  Have 16 of the 1 pounders full now (after dropping off 2 cases with my cousin for ice fishing last winter), and about as many empty ones waiting to be filled.  Swung by the feed store to get a new tarp for covering the wood pile, normally we get a 16x20 one but they were out - so it was a 12x16 for $27 or a 20x30 for $80.  Ugh.  Picked up the 12x16, if we don't use it for the wood pile it'll get used somewhere else.  The dogs did get 10 pounds of their favorite biscuits for rotating into the dog food pantry, and a pig's ear each as a peace offering because they were upset I didn't take them.

LED lantern arrived and is charged now, just need to find a good spot to hang it under the stairs where the wife can still reach it but I'm not banging my head on it constantly :)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 13, 2022, 12:50:51 PM
68 and overcast, wood day!

(https://i.postimg.cc/7ZCtbC8r/IMG-1126.jpg)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 14, 2022, 02:57:59 PM
Not as easy a day today, this tree didn't fall in the direction I wanted even with a good notch cut out of it.  I'm usually pretty good at judging where its weight will want to take it, but curving trucks with long heavy branches at the top growing in the opposite direction still confound me sometimes.  Anyway, after falling nearly opposite where I wanted it to go (into the woods instead of out on the trail), when it landed both main braches at the top broke off leaving them lying in the tall underbrush that was full of picker bushes.

Had to chain the trunk up first and drag it out to the trail using the truck, then twice again to drag out the 2 main (~6") branches.

(https://i.postimg.cc/fTcj516n/wood.jpg)

Saw a younger couple in their truck with their bear hunting dogs pull up and watch us for a few minutes.  Think we met them a couple years ago, both of us waved but too far away to be sure.  Wife and I were joking on the way home about the meeting and what they might have said to each other, "Isn't that the elderly couple we met a couple years ago in the woods, that's kinda sweet they still cut wood together at their age."  :)

And faithful dog #2 showing us the way home while faithful dog #1 was napping in the back seat.

(https://i.postimg.cc/fW0tZFj3/wood2.jpg)

Ibuprofen and another beer after the unloading is done.  It's 5 o'clock somewhere :)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 26, 2022, 10:39:16 AM
3 new chainsaw chains, and got the ones already on the two (working) saws sharpened professionally.  All ready for cutting and looks like the weather might cooperate this weekend too.

And a biggie purchase, but it probably won't be here for ~6 months.  2023 Ford Ranger ordered, the wife's new vehicle (and BOV #2) to replace her 2004 Ranger that is rusting out badly. The 2004 'only' has 102k miles, it'll be a gift for a nephew once the new one arrives and hopefully it remains as reliable for him as it has been for us.  BOV features on the new one: 4WD, off road, and trailer towing packages.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: EBuff75 on August 26, 2022, 11:01:46 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on August 26, 2022, 10:39:16 AMThe 2004 'only' has 102k miles, it'll be a gift for a nephew once the new one arrives and hopefully it remains as reliable for him as it has been for us.  BOV features on the new one: 4WD, off road, and trailer towing packages.
My grandfather bought a 2wd manual ranger back when it was new in the market (around 1983-1984 IIRC).  Last I knew, my uncle has it and has continued to use it for hauling logs and general around-the-house work.  It had a hard life (my grandfather heated his house with wood and that thing was used to drive into the woods and haul out full loads for around 20 years) and was still kicking the last I knew! 

Quick story on Ford trucks:  Years ago I spent a summer doing some scut work (cleaning, organizing, painting, etc.) at a manufacturing facility and one day our boss decided to have us repaint all the lines in the parking lot.  It was a secured site (razor wire fences and manned security entrances) and they requested that everyone leave their vehicles unlocked with the keys in them so that they could be moved quickly if there was an emergency (fire, chemical release, etc.).  Probably 90% of the employees did so, which meant that all we had to do was move a batch of vehicles out of the way, paint the lines, move them back (the paint dried in just a couple of minutes), and move the next batch.  For those few vehicles which were locked, we'd just go inside and find the owner to either get the keys or have them come out to move the vehicle.

So I get to this old truck (1968, which made it about 26 years old at the time), a Ford F-250, 4x4, crew-cab, long-bed that one of the guys drove.  True old-school truck (manual trans, manual choke, manual steering, etc., etc.), but it fired up right away and I was able to move it, paint the lines, and move the truck back.  The facility was pretty small, so we all knew each other and afterwards I ran into the guy and asked him about the truck.  It was showing 88,000 on the odometer and he said that it had rolled over 2x already, so the true reading was 288,000 miles.  He was a bit surprised that I'd been able to start it as he told me that it's pretty finicky and that even he has trouble sometimes.  He said that it had been used for hauling wood, towing, and all that other truck stuff ever since he'd owned it (which I believe was from new).  For all I know, he might still be driving it today.  Probably got about 8mpg, but what a beast of a truck! I'd love to have something like that, if I had anywhere to store it!
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 26, 2022, 12:20:14 PM
Quote from: EBuff75 on August 26, 2022, 11:01:46 AM
Quote from: Crosscut on August 26, 2022, 10:39:16 AMThe 2004 'only' has 102k miles, it'll be a gift for a nephew once the new one arrives and hopefully it remains as reliable for him as it has been for us.  BOV features on the new one: 4WD, off road, and trailer towing packages.
My grandfather bought a 2wd manual ranger back when it was new in the market (around 1983-1984 IIRC).  Last I knew, my uncle has it and has continued to use it for hauling logs and general around-the-house work.  It had a hard life (my grandfather heated his house with wood and that thing was used to drive into the woods and haul out full loads for around 20 years) and was still kicking the last I knew! 

Quick story on Ford trucks:  Years ago I spent a summer doing some scut work (cleaning, organizing, painting, etc.) at a manufacturing facility and one day our boss decided to have us repaint all the lines in the parking lot.  It was a secured site (razor wire fences and manned security entrances) and they requested that everyone leave their vehicles unlocked with the keys in them so that they could be moved quickly if there was an emergency (fire, chemical release, etc.).  Probably 90% of the employees did so, which meant that all we had to do was move a batch of vehicles out of the way, paint the lines, move them back (the paint dried in just a couple of minutes), and move the next batch.  For those few vehicles which were locked, we'd just go inside and find the owner to either get the keys or have them come out to move the vehicle.

So I get to this old truck (1968, which made it about 26 years old at the time), a Ford F-250, 4x4, crew-cab, long-bed that one of the guys drove.  True old-school truck (manual trans, manual choke, manual steering, etc., etc.), but it fired up right away and I was able to move it, paint the lines, and move the truck back.  The facility was pretty small, so we all knew each other and afterwards I ran into the guy and asked him about the truck.  It was showing 88,000 on the odometer and he said that it had rolled over 2x already, so the true reading was 288,000 miles.  He was a bit surprised that I'd been able to start it as he told me that it's pretty finicky and that even he has trouble sometimes.  He said that it had been used for hauling wood, towing, and all that other truck stuff ever since he'd owned it (which I believe was from new).  For all I know, he might still be driving it today.  Probably got about 8mpg, but what a beast of a truck! I'd love to have something like that, if I had anywhere to store it!
We have Ford employees/retirees in the family so we've always bought Ford for the family plan discount.  This will be our 3rd Ranger, our 1991 was given away in 2004 to a family member who was going through hard times.  It had about 150k when we gave it to her, she drove it for at least 5 more years before selling it and it was still running then.  Step-father had a 1990 Ranger (manual) that went over 200k, he only sold it because he got tired of the manual (and no cruise control) on long trips. Guess we'll find out if the new ones are as reliable as the older ones were. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on August 26, 2022, 03:00:34 PM
I had an '89 and '93 Ranger, back when they were Rangers.  Not a fan of the new ones, if I were in the market for a new truck (and had any money), I'd be inclined to get an F150 for the larger hauling capacity.

The Ranger would probably be a better Urban crawler being a bit smaller than the F150 though.

Good luck with it!


.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on August 27, 2022, 01:01:18 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on August 26, 2022, 03:00:34 PMI had an '89 and '93 Ranger, back when they were Rangers.  Not a fan of the new ones, if I were in the market for a new truck (and had any money), I'd be inclined to get an F150 for the larger hauling capacity.

The Ranger would probably be a better Urban crawler being a bit smaller than the F150 though.

Good luck with it!


.
Thanks.  This is the wife's truck, she doesn't like driving the F150, too big she says but she drives it well enough in the open country/rural highways, but hates it in town or on the expressway. 

Wood today, and probably getting more tomorrow.  Splitting pile for winter 2023-2024 is starting to get fuller.  Not pleased with my 'professionally' sharpened chain, got 3/4 through cutting a single tree and the thing is dull.  Sharpened at the wrong pitch maybe, I took two chains in for sharpening with different pitches so maybe he got confused.  We're a long time customer so I'm fairly sure they'll make it right when I take it back in.  Had to finish up with the smaller saw though, and added one of the new chains just purchased into the wood cutting toolbox so I can swap them out in the woods if needed.

And two packages of Domeboro (Burow's Solution) (https://www.amazon.com/Domeboro-Medicated-Relief-Powder-Packets/dp/B000GCKCCS) on order, dog #1 has an oozing sore on her cheek that I think is just a hot spot from scratching but it may be infected as well.  Started her on Keflex this morning and cleaned the sore with antibacterial soap and diluted Betadine twice already.  She seems more bothered by having to take the pills and the face washes than the sore itself, so pretty confident it's nothing serious.  If the Domeboro helps I'll probably order some more, and that it's a powder might mean a longer shelf life. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on August 28, 2022, 02:27:12 PM
Created a paracord sling for the hatfield 20 gauge, break action single shot. Thing weights next to nothing and with inserts to fire other rounds could be very handy in SHTF.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on September 05, 2022, 10:06:51 AM
Two more full loads of wood on Saturday and Sunday, have about 70-80% of our winter 2023-2024 needs on the splitting pile now.  The tree branches that were small and seasoned enough to burn as rounds have almost filled our woodshed to capacity for use this winter.  The wife spotted a rock yesterday (about a foot in diameter) that she wants for her flower garden where we'd been cutting but it wouldn't fit on the trailer so heading back again today to grab that and probably another small load of wood from some nearby fallen branches. 

Dog #1's hot spot had a small cut that I missed initially in all the matted hair and was the source of the oozing/weeping, probably from her own toenail while scratching.  I knew it was infected by the smell.  In addition to the Keflex I've been washing it daily, first with a diluted Betadine solution and antibacterial soap, and lately with just soap as the wound is closed now.  The oozing had stopped by the time the Domeboro arrived from Amazon, but I mixed up a single batch and after confirming no stinging on a small scratch on my own arm, used it with a washcloth as a warm compress that she didn't seem to mind much.  Tonight's dose of Keflex will be her last as it was all but healed when I cleaned it yesterday, two capsules twice daily for 8 days total, so ordered more yesterday from Chewy.  I may order some more of the powdered Domeboro  (https://www.amazon.com/Domeboro-Medicated-Relief-Powder-Packets/dp/B000GCKCCS)for the first-aid supplies too, we have many creams and ointments for moisturizing skin but not really any good options for drying oozing/weeping cuts and sores that wouldn't be painful to apply (like alcohol).  These have an expiration date of 11/2024, but kept in their individual packets I suspect they'd be good for much longer.

And ordered a pair of under shelf drawers (https://www.amazon.com/mDesign-Organizer-Organizing-Cabinets-Cupboards/dp/B08PNXT183) for the bathroom closet as the first part of a plan to reorganize it for more efficient use of the available space.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: echo83 on September 05, 2022, 10:39:55 AM
Took the kids outside for some backyard camping this weekend. It gave me an excuse to restock some Mountain House meals on sale at my local REI. 

I showed them how to set up the Swiss Volcano Stove, load it with Esbit and boil some water. After that was going, served up the meals in some vintage Polish mess kits. Mac and cheese, and spaghetti with meat sauce for the kids, beef stew for me. 

We all badgered Mrs. echo83 into trying some of our meals, which was a nice little proof of concept; everyone thought the meals were pretty good. 

After a little headlamp-assisted reading in the tent, we turned in for the night. 

They were both asleep in under five minutes. 

I was absolutely stunned, because they both usually come downstairs a couple times apiece after we've put them to bed. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on September 10, 2022, 03:48:02 PM
Window washing day in our passive solar home, almost 300 sq ft of south facing glazing - doubled when having to wash both sides of course.  I cheat using the garden hose and commercial soap sprayer on the outside but my arms feel like rubber after doing the inside with Windex and paper towels and I'm not even done yet.  The sun it getting low enough in the sky now that it's shining in about 3' on to the floor at midday, by late December it'll be flooding the entire interior on the south side.  Each Sept/Oct on hot days (like today) I curse myself for not extending the roof overhang further to keep the sun out, and each cold March/April day the same for not reducing it to let more sun in.  Best guess is it does provide about 30-40% of our heating needs seasonally tho.  The roof overhang was the cheapest part of the solution, zero cost basically, we just had the builder shift the pre-made roof trusses to overhang more on southern side to the 'right' length based on our latitude.  We built the house in 2006, in part to reduce our reliance on rising food and fuel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000s_commodities_boom) prices that I anticipated would continue to rise - although obviously they didn't until just recently.  After over a decade of being wrong with commodity prices falling back down and remaining low it's finally starting to look like it might have been wise decision again, until it's not again anyway.

But meanwhile the wife is finishing the weekly laundry with the towels and jeans drying on the clothesline, and we have enough sun today that the batteries are in good shape and the generator didn't need to run to power the water pump and clothes washer - in fact it hasn't run since laundry day last weekend, and we're still using the original solar panels and batteries installed in 2006.  She does prefer the (propane) clothes dryer for the undergarments as they're less scratchy then when line drying, and I don't disagree.  In the winter months with the wood stove going I'll hang the heavier clothes near the fire to dry overnight which also adds some humidity to the air to counter the dry heat from the stove, a win-win which saves some power on the shortened winter days when we need it most. 

Forgive the blatant bragging, I've just been wrong for so long it feels good to think maybe I wasn't wrong afterall but just way too early.  Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket!  :)
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on September 10, 2022, 05:01:30 PM
If you have some on hand. Newspaper is cheaper and it doesn't streak. Have you tried a window squeegee? Would make quick work of that 300 sq ft without the sore wax on wax off arms
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Crosscut on September 11, 2022, 07:10:58 AM
Quote from: flybynight on September 10, 2022, 05:01:30 PMIf you have some on hand. Newspaper is cheaper and it doesn't streak. Have you tried a window squeegee? Would make quick work of that 300 sq ft without the sore wax on wax off arms
Newspaper is the best, but we don't purchase them often enough now to build up a supply.  I used to use a squeegee on the outside but i've been cheating with the hose and soap sprayer in the past few years, not as good but it's a LOT faster.  We get kamikaze bird strikes on the windows almost daily.  I do use a squeegee for the garage and patio room windows since they have plastic frames, but hard to keep the water/windex from dripping on the wood frames inside.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on October 14, 2022, 01:59:29 PM
Picked up a bipod for my Remington .308; next up 10 round mags.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: superduder on October 23, 2022, 05:17:39 PM
Talked my "gun guy"/best friend, into buying the property next to mine,
so we'll have the same b.o.l. without him relying on me for one.
I'm still gonna have to help him get his cabin set up, but I'm willing to help.
He is after all my "dude".
Starting to get my group together :smiley_shakeit:
J
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on November 05, 2022, 08:27:07 AM
Loaded up on more of the prepper essential foods, in this case ramen and turkey spam. "Don't knock it, its got its own key."
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on November 06, 2022, 11:23:54 PM
After talking about it for years, finally ordered a plate carrier and plates. 

Also tried on my concealable pistol rated armor for the first time in a while and found it fits much better than it did last time. 

Spent part of today cleaning up and putting away the cider press. I took some sections apart to clean up some rust and oil it.

Yesterday I did laps at the climbing wall. Did over 1000 ft of climbing with significant portions of it with an overhang. Which might be part of why the concealable armor fits better. 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 07, 2022, 04:44:30 PM
Saturday I made and canned 4 pints of Apple Butter.  Need moarrrrr.
.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 07, 2022, 05:08:42 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on November 07, 2022, 04:44:30 PMSaturday I made and canned 4 pints of Apple Butter.  Need moarrrrr.
.

I've lived for 37 years and I've never tried apple butter.

I've tried cashew butter, but I found it was a bit saltier than I'd expected. Might have to try some apple butter at some point.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 08, 2022, 03:03:56 PM
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 07, 2022, 05:08:42 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on November 07, 2022, 04:44:30 PMSaturday I made and canned 4 pints of Apple Butter.  Need moarrrrr.
.

I've lived for 37 years and I've never tried apple butter.

I've tried cashew butter, but I found it was a bit saltier than I'd expected. Might have to try some apple butter at some point.

Well truth be told, I wasn't real happy with how this batch turned out.  It got a slight scorched flavor, because I was distracted for a bit while it was cooking and the sugar carmelized hard on the bottom of the pot.  Still edible, but not quite what I normally make.
.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on November 11, 2022, 07:48:20 AM
Secured last parts for Bug out bags. More commentary in thread about "carrying stuff"
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on November 17, 2022, 01:58:15 AM
Walked into REI tonight to return a pair of climbing shoes that were outrageously sized wrong, and walked out with a new day pack, scepter water can, and two headlamps.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on November 22, 2022, 08:45:40 AM
Bought a new garage door opener.  Yeah, I can hear you thinking, "How is that prep related?"  The answer is that I bought one with a battery backup in case the power goes out.

Our current Chamberlain belt drive model works fine and I have no complaints about it but it worried me that if there's a power failure while we can use the emergency release to open the door (and it's a big, heavy 14' insulated door), we can't secure it closed again from the outside.  There is a door near it we could come inside through and manually lock the door but there's stuff stored in front of it, so the only other option is the front door of the house to come in and lock the garage, then repeat the process to come home.

This new door, made by Genie, was on sale at Home Depot for $98 today and includes a battery backup for the door that will open and close it up to 50 times in case of a power failure.  Evidently, this is required in parts of California now and Genie decided to just include it on some of the regular models.  Now, once I get it installed I won't have to deal with getting out of the garage and back in if the power is out.  I could probably also devise a way to charge that battery with a spare 100 watt solar panel I have in the garage.   :greenguy:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NapalmMan67 on November 22, 2022, 03:03:47 PM
Quote from: NT2C on November 22, 2022, 08:45:40 AMBought a new garage door opener.  Yeah, I can hear you thinking, "How is that prep related?"  The answer is that I bought one with a battery backup in case the power goes out.

Our current Chamberlain belt drive model works fine and I have no complaints about it but it worried me that if there's a power failure while we can use the emergency release to open the door (and it's a big, heavy 14' insulated door), we can't secure it closed again from the outside.  There is a door near it we could come inside through and manually lock the door but there's stuff stored in front of it, so the only other option is the front door of the house to come in and lock the garage, then repeat the process to come home.

This new door, made by Genie, was on sale at Home Depot for $98 today and includes a battery backup for the door that will open and close it up to 50 times in case of a power failure.  Evidently, this is required in parts of California now and Genie decided to just include it on some of the regular models.  Now, once I get it installed I won't have to deal with getting out of the garage and back in if the power is out.  I could probably also devise a way to charge that battery with a spare 100 watt solar panel I have in the garage.  :greenguy:

30 years living in our house, never have had a power garage door opener.  Manual labor baby, FTW!  Of course, ours is a detached unit also, so I'm not worried baout getting in/out of the  house through it either...
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: EBuff75 on November 22, 2022, 03:33:54 PM
The Chamberlain B1381T (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H4BGWXX) that I had installed earlier this year has a battery backup as well, but I haven't needed to use it yet.  I also had the rollers upgraded while he was there, since they were original and approximately 30 years old.  The belt-drive mechanism is much quieter, but it's probably 2-3x slower than my old chain drive was.  He did comment that the 2" thick, 2-car wide door that I have is a very good / desirable door that is better than most of them which are currently on the market.

My grandparents had a manual open garage door for many years, but finally upgraded the door and installed an opener in the early 90s, IIRC.  The original door was somewhat unique (at least to me) in that it was a translucent plastic, sort like corrugated roof material.  It let light into the garage and it was very, very lightweight.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: RoneKiln on November 23, 2022, 02:06:34 AM
Ordered stuff for a few trauma kits last weekend and today nearly everything I ordered went on sale for 25% off.  :tickedoff:

So I ordered a ton more stuff tonight, including stuff that will become stocking stuffers for family.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: tirls on December 28, 2022, 03:09:33 PM
Not so much to prepare and more in terms of general living things. Also not today but the last 6 months or so:
We're absolutely knackered but it finally feels more like a house and less like camping.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: EBuff75 on December 28, 2022, 04:01:21 PM
I just ordered some winter vehicle items to better organize my truck.  While I've already got a prepared winter bag for my car, I'd just been tossing a bunch of stuff into my truck each year, rather than having a pre-set bag.  So, I've ordered a duffel for storage and went ahead and ordered some hats, a blanket, and balaclavas as dedicated items, rather than needing to pull from stuff that I have around the house.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Halfapint on January 11, 2023, 07:58:12 AM
Purchased 2 275gal IBC totes, black covers for them, and plywood to build rain collection tops for them. Need to buy the plumbing for the rain catchment. Here in WA we get enough rain in the winter to fill the tote just by putting a catch on top of the tote.

I bohhht 2 15' hoop house greenhouses. I plan to get them set up in the area I just cleared for food production.

I straightened out the bent bracket for the wind turbine. I hope to have it up and running by spring as a test for a larger system.

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on January 23, 2023, 01:40:46 AM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 11, 2023, 07:58:12 AMPurchased 2 275gal IBC totes, black covers for them, and plywood to build rain collection tops for them. Need to buy the plumbing for the rain catchment. Here in WA we get enough rain in the winter to fill the tote just by putting a catch on top of the tote.

I bohhht 2 15' hoop house greenhouses. I plan to get them set up in the area I just cleared for food production.

I straightened out the bent bracket for the wind turbine. I hope to have it up and running by spring as a test for a larger system.


Are those the ones with the aluminum cage around them? 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Halfapint on January 23, 2023, 06:58:05 AM
Quote from: Moab on January 23, 2023, 01:40:46 AM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 11, 2023, 07:58:12 AMPurchased 2 275gal IBC totes, black covers for them, and plywood to build rain collection tops for them. Need to buy the plumbing for the rain catchment. Here in WA we get enough rain in the winter to fill the tote just by putting a catch on top of the tote.

I bohhht 2 15' hoop house greenhouses. I plan to get them set up in the area I just cleared for food production.

I straightened out the bent bracket for the wind turbine. I hope to have it up and running by spring as a test for a larger system.


Are those the ones with the aluminum cage around them?

Correct! Nice heavy duty things. Unless a tree falls on them. Ask me how I know
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Moab on January 23, 2023, 12:16:49 PM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 23, 2023, 06:58:05 AM
Quote from: Moab on January 23, 2023, 01:40:46 AM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 11, 2023, 07:58:12 AMPurchased 2 275gal IBC totes, black covers for them, and plywood to build rain collection tops for them. Need to buy the plumbing for the rain catchment. Here in WA we get enough rain in the winter to fill the tote just by putting a catch on top of the tote.

I bohhht 2 15' hoop house greenhouses. I plan to get them set up in the area I just cleared for food production.

I straightened out the bent bracket for the wind turbine. I hope to have it up and running by spring as a test for a larger system.


Are those the ones with the aluminum cage around them?

Correct! Nice heavy duty things. Unless a tree falls on them. Ask me how I know
How much are they? Used or new? 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on January 24, 2023, 09:38:56 AM
Prepping wise? Somewhat related; paid off outstanding loans. Now it's down to normal everyday loans (house, truck). Credit card is minimal. Basically I started last year around this time and ratcheted the budget down and paid off a lot of stuff; just finished a few weeks ago.

Amazing the feeling of financial freedom. Building up the savings account. Wife and I had to dip into it a fair amount over the last few years; now we are replenishing it.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: majorhavoc on January 24, 2023, 10:24:00 AM
+1.  Paying off household debt so it's not hanging over your head in times of a financial disaster (personal or otherwise) is definitely prepping related. At least in my book.

And as you say, it's an amazingly liberating feeling.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on January 25, 2023, 08:03:37 AM
Multiple things completed or underway, yesterday and today.

Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: NT2C on January 25, 2023, 03:07:08 PM
Swapped out all my carry ammo for fresh.  The stuff that got swapped out will be expended on my next range trip.  I'd been testing Barnes VOR-TX in my 9mm weapons with good results so took the plunge and swapped out the Hydra-Shok Deep ammo in my .45 for the Barnes VOR-TX, and swapped out the Federal HST ammo in my .380 for the Barnes TAC-XPD 80gr low recoil.  Those Barnes solid copper XPD hollowpoints have some really impressive terminal ballistics.  In every test I've seen with them they get perfect depth and full expansion.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on January 27, 2023, 05:48:34 PM
Charged up some mags, added mag pouch to the mini 14. Also added paracord sling to it. The cord is fine and attaches as expected, but I'm likely going to modify and shorten one part of it. 

Also added lens flip caps for two other rifles.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Halfapint on February 06, 2023, 11:15:07 PM
Quote from: Moab on January 23, 2023, 12:16:49 PM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 23, 2023, 06:58:05 AM
Quote from: Moab on January 23, 2023, 01:40:46 AM
Quote from: Halfapint on January 11, 2023, 07:58:12 AMPurchased 2 275gal IBC totes, black covers for them, and plywood to build rain collection tops for them. Need to buy the plumbing for the rain catchment. Here in WA we get enough rain in the winter to fill the tote just by putting a catch on top of the tote.

I bohhht 2 15' hoop house greenhouses. I plan to get them set up in the area I just cleared for food production.

I straightened out the bent bracket for the wind turbine. I hope to have it up and running by spring as a test for a larger system.


Are those the ones with the aluminum cage around them?

Correct! Nice heavy duty things. Unless a tree falls on them. Ask me how I know
How much are they? Used or new?

Sorry late reply. Paid 100$ watch for them. Used but used by a vodka maker. The first one was used to hold sanitizer during the pandemic. Apparently they were making MORE money making sanitizer bh the city/state than vodka. It had over 100 gallons of sanitizer they dumped our and there peobably about 20gallons left?

The other was used to transport vodka once (sadly none left in it). The guy who sells them will contact me can time they have 2 I said I am good to purchase up to ten if them.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Halfapint on February 06, 2023, 11:16:30 PM
Quote from: Ghost on January 24, 2023, 09:38:56 AMPrepping wise? Somewhat related; paid off outstanding loans. Now it's down to normal everyday loans (house, truck). Credit card is minimal. Basically I started last year around this time and ratcheted the budget down and paid off a lot of stuff; just finished a few weeks ago.

Amazing the feeling of financial freedom. Building up the savings account. Wife and I had to dip into it a fair amount over the last few years; now we are replenishing it.

In any REAL prepping community paying off debt is 100% the first thing you'll be told to do. Obviously house and other manageable debt is fine (hell NEEDED) in modern society.

So congrats on that!
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Halfapint on February 18, 2023, 01:54:40 AM
Not today, but this week we decided it was a good time to just say eff it. We dipped into our savings and paid off our trailer . 22k and it's done. That was our only debt, it hurts, but we still have some savings but now what we were paying for the trailer just goes into savings. Both cars are in good working order. The truck is fine. Now we save to remodel the house when it comes time for the grandparents to do what they want. No pressure on them. We want their last years to be as good as they can be. If living in the house they built means they can be happy then 100% I'll support that.

Bur debt being paid off and all extra money going tk savings... such a relief.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Ghost on February 20, 2023, 07:50:05 AM
Got a new field jacket. Normally not a fan of Rothco but this one works well.

Rothco Special Ops Soft Shell Jacket Tactical Jacket Military Jacket https://a.co/d/apcIom7

A few things I don't like but overall? Good. I'm really warm even in winter, so this plus a pull over fleece underneath and I'm warm (I wear shorts in winter type of guy).

My thoughts are wear this as needed and stash as needed in or on the BOB.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: flybynight on March 10, 2023, 07:35:46 PM
Bought a pair of snowshoes . Heavy snow on the west coast and across the country has me spooked . If they seem ok will order another set  for wife and probably Son . 
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: tirls on March 11, 2023, 01:29:05 AM
I'VE GOT SHROOMS (culinary)!
To be precise, I've got un indiscernible slightly stinky mass that proclaims it will produce shrooms if you coddle and care for it. Will report back.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: majorhavoc on March 11, 2023, 07:20:14 AM
Quote from: tirls on March 11, 2023, 01:29:05 AMI'VE GOT SHROOMS (culinary)!
To be precise, I've got un indiscernible slightly stinky mass that proclaims it will produce shrooms if you coddle and care for it. Will report back.
What kind?  Shiitake?  If we don't hear back we'll assume you were growing Cordeceps and turned into a clicker ...  :icon_crazy:
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: tirls on March 11, 2023, 09:00:06 AM
Quote from: majorhavoc on March 11, 2023, 07:20:14 AM
Quote from: tirls on March 11, 2023, 01:29:05 AMI'VE GOT SHROOMS (culinary)!
To be precise, I've got un indiscernible stinky mass that proclaims it will produce shrooms if you coddle and care for it. Will report back.
What kind?  Shiitake?  If we don't hear back we'll assume you were growing Cordeceps and turned into a clicker ...  :icon_crazy:
Kräuterseitling, no idea what it's called in English. Pleurotus something.

When I specified culinary I thought more along the lines of the herbal remedies fraction not zombie ants. :eek1:

Cordyceps is now ophiocordyceps as it's quite a distant relative of the actual species. I think the chinese medicine worm like thingies are still under that genus.
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Kathy in FL on March 15, 2023, 10:41:16 PM
Putting a new floor in our BOL.  Bedrooms remain carpeted as does the upstairs bonus spaces.  However all other living spaces getting new flooring after twenty years.  Waterproof Aquaguard product from Floor and Decor.

Finishing the exterior extensions to the front and back porch area.
Projects completed over the last twelve months ... 40x40 barn, 42x30 carport, 25x25 fire ring, built green house, built screened in gazebo, installed gutter system for water collection.

Still in progress building two walls/gates onto the BOL property.  One is 30' wide.  The other gate/wall is 60' wide.  Gates are 16', metal, and manual.  They are getting powder coated this week.

Two bathrooms are being renovated as well so that they are safe for my elderly parents to use.

Primary location:
We purchased a freeze dryer six months ago and keep it running nearly every day.

We are boogie-woogie'ing along.



Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: MacWa77ace on October 19, 2023, 04:05:49 PM
Just ordered a 100lb propane tank [empty] from HomeDepot. Amazingly the 100lb costs less than the 60 and only $22 more than the 40lb. Weird pricing.  :smiley_shrug: $159 with tax and free shipping.

Propane weighs 4lbs per gallon and you fill the tank to 80% so thats about 20 gallons 80lbs plus the weight of the tank which is 70 lbs. I may not have thought this thru  :eek1: at 150lbs, luckily I have a hand truck.

also just ordered from amazon

4" 5200lb climbing carabiners x4
pak of 10 gun oil pillow paks
#10 can of powdered milk.
2Pack 3.5Ah Replacement for Craftsman 19.2 Volt Battery C3 19.2V Lithium Ion Battery
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: EBuff75 on October 19, 2023, 05:03:51 PM
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 19, 2023, 04:05:49 PMJust ordered a 100lb propane tank [empty] from HomeDepot. Amazingly the 100lb costs less than the 60 and only $22 more than the 40lb. Weird pricing.  :smiley_shrug: $159 with tax and free shipping.

Propane weighs 4lbs per gallon and you fill the tank to 80% so thats about 20 gallons 80lbs plus the weight of the tank which is 70 lbs. I may not have thought this thru  :eek1: at 150lbs, luckily I have a hand truck.
Yeah, I helped some friends wrestle a couple of those out of a truck and into position at their cabin one time.  Fortunately, we were able to back the truck up to nearly where they go, so we didn't have that far to carry them.  Hopefully you have someone else to help you, since two people make it a lot easier to carry!
Title: Re: What did you do today to prepare?
Post by: Uomo Senza Nome on October 19, 2023, 07:48:42 PM
I purchased a used Champion 3650W spare generator from a neighbor who is moving to a new home with a whole house BU generator. It is practically new and starts up on the first pull without issues. For $200 I  figured it would be hard to go wrong. 3650W is roughly 30Amps So all I can run are the shunt loads. This should be sufficient for my needs.

My old gennie is a 5K Homelite but it getting long in the tooth. I tried to take it into the shop for a full service and the shop said they don't work on ones that old (16YO) because it is too hard to find parts. It is also quite a bit heavier and can be difficult to move even with a wheel kit. The Champion is only 60lbs and not difficult to carry around.