Investing in preps

mom1 wrote: I am a new member but have been a lurker for a long time.    Does anyone out there feel that they are done and are only just cycling thru their stores?

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welcome mom1!! =)

hmmmm,,i am not sure you ever feel "done." i am to the point where i don't feel i have to buy more quantities unless i see an awesome deal on something. the great thing about adopting prepping as a lifestyle is now i only shop the sales every week. i have so much of everything that i just buy what i would normally use,,but only when it is on sale. i have saved so much money on my grocery bills over the past two years doing this.
also,,over the summer,,i got lazy about shopping so i dug into some of my preps,,so i am now replenishing those.
but when things start to really happen,,i have a last minute to do list that will keep me busy.   fill the water drums with the hose, that kind of stuff.

mom1 wrote: Summer was when I learned what my kids do not like and will not eat from my preps. For example, they're not big fans of Velveeta Shells and Cheese or Hamburger Helper. My husband reminds me that during a pandemic or any ememrgency they WILL eat it whether or not they like it. However, I have read repeatedly to only store what the family likes as it will help with the stress of an already stressful situation. Over summer everyone discovered my preps and I also need to replenish. I, myself, can't help grabbing that bottle of spaghetti sauce when I run out. I'm guessing $500 at Costco will go pretty quickly. Not to mention we still don't have a generator.

    
Hi mom1, welcome to the chatboard. I'm fairly new myself but can help you with preps a bit.

First off, I'm a CNA (certified nursing assistant) and so have medical training. I know the medclinician I think is a doctor so I defer to his/her judgement completely. So while others here tell you about food/water, I want to talk to you about medical supplies.

Don't be afraid to buy a couple of ten dollar first aid kits at the store. However, be aware that even the 30 dollar ones only have one pair of gloves and limited supplies of medicine. So what I do is buy separately, cuz once those primary resources are exhausted all that's left is a bandaid case. Buying separately could save you hundreds, and you don't really need 70 dollars to get started. A box of gloves 100count costs about five bucks. Box of alcohol swabs another 4 dollars for 100 count. Not just bandaids, but gauze and the larger bandaids for severe and long cuts. Antibiotic ointment like neosporin. Also, hydrogen peroxide sterilizes and it's painless (blood and pus justs boils away leaving a clean wound for antibiotic ointment). Extra isoprophyl alcohol.

So make your emergency backpack and buy med supplies separately, you'll end up with a lot more supplies for less amountt (lots less) of money.

There are two types of emergencies - the kind where you're forced from home (fire, earthquake) in which case you need emergency backpack(s) (each person in your household should have a pack or duffel bag too) and the kind of emergency where you can stay at home and use your regular supplies (plague, disease, maybe others). So you need to prepare for both kinds of emergencies.

    I keep my emergency duffel bag in the livingroom next to my computer. I got the bag for xmas last year when my friends knew i'd be going to school, and after school was done converted the schoolbag into a total emergency supply bag. I have my medical equipment in there, so could actually do vital signs if necessary. I need more food and water and cigarettes.

I started prepping maybe five months ago when the local health authority started playing ads on TV about BF. I have a lot of stuff, but realistically it's still nowhere near as much as I'd need. I've been buying canned food (corn, peas, mixed veg, various beans, etc) as well as rice, flour, pasta. I'm hoping to finally bag the dried bulk stuff this weekend (mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and 5 gallon buckets all at the ready). I'm going to get flour and a tortilla press so I can make burritos etc, and I've been buying the small packets of yeast with a view to buying a camp oven that'll work with a portable stove. I'm stocking up on propane (the small camping cannisters) for some lanterns I have, but now I'm starting to get together a collection of Coleman dual fuel lanterns and stoves because of their low running costs - a gallon of gas costs less than a couple of propane cannisters and lasts a lot longer. I need to sort out a water filter of some kind. I was thinking of investing in a Katadyn unit or making one using a couple of Berkey filters (someone posted a way of making one cheap in the water thread - page 16 I think). Somebody here also kindly pointed me in the direction of some websites that detailed how to make solar stills, and that's something I might explore - fresh water from salt water would come in handy here. A generator is still on the wish list, as are solar panels. My medical supplies are just about where I want them. I do worry about self defense, and I've been looking into the best weapon to buy (it'll probably be a shotgun). I hate to think it might be necessary, but I think in reality the chances of dying from BF will a minor concern compared to the way society will break down in the face of food/water shortages. The trouble is, the more I prep, the more things I realize I need.

    Ok, we have all heard about coffee makers and the usage of their filters to boil (purify) water and filter out impurities, but who here has actually done this and can tell us how it works and whether it works well enough to bother with? I don't drink coffee but the percolators (sp) are only 12 bucks.

I am not sure exactly how much money we have invested with preps. I just usually buy extra stuff every time I go to the store. At first (about 2 years ago) I was very organized and was buying cases of items at a time. Then when things started to pile up everywhere, I wasn't able to find certain things etc. So about a year ago I changed my "buying" method and started buying by meals for the family (2 cans of Ravioli, a can of veggies, can of fruit) then storing it together by meal instead of by case. We try not to eat our preps, but we did use alot this summer and I am in the process of replacing items that we have used. We have about a years supply of food and medical supplies, soaps/shampoos that type thing. Still trying to focus on pet foods and TP this month.

Alcohol and lots of it  any kind drinkable and none
COSCO $13 for a 50 pounds of rice
good strong garbage bags
I would keep all the old computers and other stuff
because you never know what happens when money will lose its value
we will be in the barter economy so keep you junk if you can
maybe it will be forth more than you think

"I don't think that a taco shell maker is the right idea. Just find food with a pull date of a couple years. Flour usually has a pull date too, so it's pointless."

I'm trying to come up with as many variations as I can for meals (I have a kid so I have to make sure I come up with things he'll eat). I noticed tortilla flour is cheap if you buy it in bulk, and with an inexpensive press I can make tortillas in minutes from scratch. From what I've read, flour has a shelf life of between three and five years which is about the same as most of the canned and dried goods I have anyway. It'll be sealed in mylar with an oxygen absorber too so I'm expecting it to last as long as my other preps. Just looking for a little variety in our diet, and it occured to me that if poorer and third world countries get by every day on less than we have, maybe we should look to them for tips on how to survive times of hardship.
Just got back from Walmart and picked up some plastic storage containers with lids (Sterilite?). I'm going to start switching out my cardboard boxes as these are a lot tougher, stackable and obviously waterproof. Not that big of a deal in Southern California, but after watching a couple of programs lately on tsunamis I thought it might be prudent as we're only a little way above sea level here, and close to the water and we've had a couple of small earthquakes out in the ocean in the past few weeks. Obviously waterproof containers wouldn't stand up to a big one - they'd end up two miles inland - but a small one would get things plenty wet. They come in different colors too so I can use that to organize things into sections, and at less than $4 each they're cheap insurance.
Picked up a couple of good can openers too. I'd hate to be stuck with a bunch of food and no way to get into it (for anyone contemplating a cheap Dollartree can opener - they die after half a dozen uses. Not worth the savings.)
Total so far? Maybe $1000-1500 with a long way to go.

jacksdad wrote: "I don't think that a taco shell maker is the right idea. Just find food with a pull date of a couple years. Flour usually has a pull date too, so it's pointless." I'm trying to come up with as many variations as I can for meals (I have a kid so I have to make sure I come up with things he'll eat). I noticed tortilla flour is cheap if you buy it in bulk, and with an inexpensive press I can make tortillas in minutes from scratch. From what I've read, flour has a shelf life of between three and five years which is about the same as most of the canned and dried goods I have anyway. It'll be sealed in mylar with an oxygen absorber too so I'm expecting it to last as long as my other preps. Just looking for a little variety in our diet, and it occured to me that if poorer and third world countries get by every day on less than we have, maybe we should look to them for tips on how to survive times of hardship. Just got back from Walmart and picked up some plastic storage containers with lids (Sterilite?). I'm going to start switching out my cardboard boxes as these are a lot tougher, stackable and obviously waterproof. Not that big of a deal in Southern California, but after watching a couple of programs lately on tsunamis I thought it might be prudent as we're only a little way above sea level here, and close to the water and we've had a couple of small earthquakes out in the ocean in the past few weeks. Obviously waterproof containers wouldn't stand up to a big one - they'd end up two miles inland - but a small one would get things plenty wet. They come in different colors too so I can use that to organize things into sections, and at less than $4 each they're cheap insurance. Picked up a couple of good can openers too. I'd hate to be stuck with a bunch of food and no way to get into it (for anyone contemplating a cheap Dollartree can opener - they die after half a dozen uses. Not worth the savings.) Total so far? Maybe $1000-1500 with a long way to go.

    
You have a family to support, I'm by myself. Like I told Penham, most food has a pull date so you should eat your preps and put the new food you have into storage.

mom24kids wrote: johngardner1 wrote:       The hydrogen peroxide is only a buck for a fairly good sized bottle. Plus it's painless and cleans more thoroughly in my opinion than alcohol. It just boils away, including dried up blood as well as the pus.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ john,,thanks for the reminder,i do need more hydrogen peroxide,,do you know how long it will "keep"? since it's not something we go through a lot on a regular basis,,if it expires pretty rapidly,,i want to be judicious how i buy it. i do remember my older kids did like how it NEVER stings, burns, etc on cuts, etc

    
Not immediately, examine the pull date

    The problem I have with water purifiers is that the filters are so expensive it costs basically as much as bottled water from the store. Unless you know where to get a cheap one?

    I brought the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter. It uses a ceramic, silver impegnated filter cartridge and will last up to 13,000 gallons, output 1 qt. per minute, it is small about the size of a "to go coffee mug". It costs in the range of 175$, I will get another filter element in case of breakage or overuse. It's the one big item I brought myself for my birthday. Dry type foods will need water to cook in and you need a few gallons a day for personal use. They make bigger units, but I think one will suit my needs. I will also run the water through a Brita type filter for drinking.
   The Katadyn will turn pond water into "wine". I plan to collect rain water so this should work quite well. It's quite small so it won't take up any valuable space. *** I do not hold stock in the company, But I'm a fan...

When using heat to purify water you must boil it for at least five minutes. If the coffee maker does not bring the water to a boil and give you the ability to keep it there for five minutes...don't trust it. Use a camp stove or treat the water with bleach.

I must have spend at least 2K and have still not completed the preps. Have tried to watch shelf life dates and cycle my stuff. Trouble is, I ran out of room to store. I think the next thing is to convert a large closet. Still have to learn how to use my greenhouse. My pond and hot tub could supply non-potable water, used the delivery service to amass 5-gal water of drinkable. I actually moved mentally away from prepping to marry my daughter in Hawaii last month, then a reception at home. Must now refocus and prep some more. The biggest thing I've done is to establish a fabulous relationship with my neighbors, demonstrated it during power outages and snow storms. We can come together and probably will. All good posts with great ideas. D

mom1 wrote: Thanks so much for the replies to this topic. When I approached the topic of prepping with my husband, I laid out my plan to stock food, medicine, and water. I was surprised at his "take" on prepping. He concentrated on power and protection. How would we heat our home should the avian flu strike in winter? How would we protect our provisions in a suburban living environment. To make a long story, short, we bought another house out in the country. This was a big investment, but now we feel secure in our ability to defend ourselves. (We were going to buy a vacation home anyway, but chose one that was more rural than originally planned). This home can be heated by a wood stove and has a stream running through the property. I've only spent about $1000 on preps of food and medicine and am cycling through. My husband has purchased a house, a gun, a gas syphon (sp?), enough wood for 6 months, and is researching generators. God Bless the nurturing spouse of an earnest prepper.

    
Medical supplies could be crucial in an emergency. Go ahead and buy a 20 dollar kit if you can afford it, but go buy a duffel bag (not a backpack, duffels hold more) and make it your doctor's bag. Box of gloves 100 ct cost about 5 dollars. 100 ct of alcohol swabs, another 5. Buy a medium sized bottle of tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen and you might try excedrin. We used excedrin growing up and it has double the power of aspirin. I'm fortunate that I have some medical training (I'm a CNA), so I actually know how to do blood pressure.

Remember, once you use the primary resources of your med kit it's only a bandaid case. SO buying separately will save you hundreds.

The above statement depends on whether you have an adequate supply of water to filter to begin with. Living in the suburbs is often a far different water reality then living in the sticks and the filtration methods must be tailored to suit the water you have access to.

Using a MSR or Katadyn ceramic filter is fine and dandy for most rural moving waters but you'd want to use reverse osmosis or distillation on suburban moving or standing waters. There are too many contaminants in suburban waters.

Katadyn makes the Survivor Series of Desalinators which will pump out about 5 litres of potable water from most any source, but they'll cost you a pretty penny.

 

Distillation requires plenty of fuel.

Solar stills require a large piece of land (to supply a family's needs) and pre construction of the still, unless you're using plastic sheeting which isn't ideal for long term water demands.

Having the means to filter doesn't mean squat if your supply is capped from the get go. Hence why filtration should take a slight back seat to storage in a failing infrastructure , unless you're along a seaside community or great lake.

Invest in sturdy water storage containers and a few bottles of rotated chlorine before you start forking out the big bucks for expedition gear.

Last night on both the ABC and CNN news, I heard, as many of you, the report on "cyber terror" and how someone could tap in an potentially shut down electrical grids and whatever else to cause discomfot to the peoples of the US.  With an outbreak of something like the avian flu or even a hurricane, we will have time to prepare.  With something like this, none.

mom1 wrote: Summer was when I learned what my kids do not like and will not eat from my preps. For example, they're not big fans of Velveeta Shells and Cheese or Hamburger Helper. My husband reminds me that during a pandemic or any ememrgency they WILL eat it whether or not they like it. However, I have read repeatedly to only store what the family likes as it will help with the stress of an already stressful situation. Over summer everyone discovered my preps and I also need to replenish. I, myself, can't help grabbing that bottle of spaghetti sauce when I run out. I'm guessing $500 at Costco will go pretty quickly. Not to mention we still don't have a generator.

    
Mom1, you bring up the idea of a generator. I can't have one myself cuz I'd choke on the carbon monoxide in my apartment. So let's focus on other supplies of light - candles. I think the best candles are the ones that come in a jar. Nice and stable so that if it tips over it won't start a house fire. We don't want to be on the streets during a pandemic. So candles are on my prep list

    Login to the "Bird Flu Blog' and you'll get to read a story after pandemic set in the future in Australia, I think the author's name is Darryl Mason. Maybe boondocker's heard of him since he's also from australia.

Boondocker wrote: johngardner1 wrote:     Login to the "Bird Flu Blog' and you'll get to read a story after pandemic set in the future in Australia, I think the author's name is Darryl Mason. Maybe boondocker's heard of him since he's also from australia.   Maybe I think popular American fiction and your own leanings are full of delusional ****.     Don't try to lead the masses... They can reasonably lead themselves.   Bird flu will shut down EVERYTHING, given the chance. The chance rests in complacency, and that eternal restlessness which resides in humanity.   Blow out your need to sow dissention right up your royal freckled raisin. I'll have none it.

    
Boondocker, you're too smart and yet not smart enough for your own good. If you can't reasonably get along with other people in something as basic as a chat board I really don't know what to tell you. From now on, you enjoy my pity, not my sympathy

johngardner1 wrote: Boondocker wrote: johngardner1 wrote:     Login to the "Bird Flu Blog' and you'll get to read a story after pandemic set in the future in Australia, I think the author's name is Darryl Mason. Maybe boondocker's heard of him since he's also from australia.   Maybe I think popular American fiction and your own leanings are full of delusional ****.     Don't try to lead the masses... They can reasonably lead themselves.   Bird flu will shut down EVERYTHING, given the chance. The chance rests in complacency, and that eternal restlessness which resides in humanity.   Blow out your need to sow dissention right up your royal freckled raisin. I'll have none it.              Boondocker, you're too smart and yet not smart enough for your own good. If you can't reasonably get along with other people in something as basic as a chat board I really don't know what to tell you. From now on, you enjoy my pity, not my sympathy

Your pity is tinged with the taint of need towards lulling a readership at a foregone conclusion in spark of a most convvincing and pressing need although false. You could easily be a carpet bagger from forlorn days, but you're here online playing every angle and I'm watching it in disbelief.

    Excellent, I'm up to chapter 7 of the online Aussie novel I mentioned in another post from the "Bird Flu Blog' you can google to get to it. It shows life not for a lone survivor but over 90 'active' surviviors, aside from those who took some mental damage from the loss of everything (about 300 living people). They're locked, or think they are, by robotic drones that continue to impose quarantine months after "EB" day. Groups leave only for the survivors to hear gunshots and nobody ever comes back.

Some of the things I think they're lucky to have. A lot of talk about rooftop (on buildings) with botanical gardens and somesuch, things that don't exist here in Seattle, maybe in you're part of the world it does. They have solar generators and bicycle generators. The hero uses them for his laptop. People got nicknames once they're accepted into the group, like "Matron" for the lady who helps survivors bedridden in the local hospital, "Bossbloke" I think for the fellow who runs the local council. SO this brings up the topic of rebuilding from the ashes.