Prepping; food for thought.

[Zhurh]

My biggest worry is fuel. I have a thousand gal tank but that would only last maybe a year. We have been growing most our own food, what we need to survive on for many years. Last year we got 3 moose, and bunch of caribou, still have meat canned & froze from last year and got a moose already this season. Got salmon this year too. We heat with wood, pretty self sufficient. Living out in the sticks wakes one up to what it all entails, as we have no store or walmart option anyway. It's just tougher than most urban people imagine; everybody should try living off the land for a few weeks, it would scare them more than anything. It's easy to plan and build up supplies, try to implement a survival scenario where you actually live off what you can do and what you have put away, no utilities, no vehicles, no things we all take for granted. Reality of what we may face down the road.

[Caneman]

^^^ are you on a generator? what type of internet connection do you have?

[Zhurh]

WE have a generator and lived off it for 2 months 3 years back when the Yukon washed everything away at ice out. I'm on slow dial up, but could have a sat internet but too expensive for all I need the net. Ya know the internet is that last thing you'll need if everything goes to hell anyway. A generator is a luxury too, you won't have enough fuel to live with all the comforts you are now accustomed to. I have good friends that live downriver 50 miles from their nearest neighbor, man they have it tough too.

[Caneman]

i agree with you, i was just curious how you were accessing TFF now... but when SHTF the internet will not be available and we will be back to shortwave and ham radio...

[gun runner]

Knives, Guns,plenty of ammunition, laptop computer, radio, big screen tv, plenty of alcohol, gasoline, diesel, matches, canned food, ant bait, deck of cards, cell phones and house phones, freezer with a large supply of meat, also soaps, toilet paper, towels, nail clippers, scissors, hand tools, shovels, axes, razors, air compressor, bible, ash tray, pots, pans, bowls, cups, microwave, dish washer, flashlights, cat food, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, air freshner, couches, beds, toothpicks, forks, spoons, salt, pepper, plenty of clean clothes to wear, binoculars. A big Lincoln Electric or Miller Welder/Generator.

Those are some of the things that me and the family would have to have.

[ozo]

Originally Posted by hunter29180

fish hooks, fishing line (20-30 lb test) good for snares as well as fishing, salt (man cannot survive very well without it!), mesquio netting and iodine.(wounds and water purification)

Hmmm, didn't think about that.....Silly me,
I thought we already would have that...
Some things, we just take for granted.....
whereas it could be a
HUGE help to someone else......good that you
mentioned it.

[Curtis R]

ok another Q. what about bottled water...how long should it be good if kept out of the sun in a coolish place?

[carver]

I really don't know about water, but if unopened, and stored at a reasonably cool temperature, it should last for several years. I don't think the water will go bad, I'm more concerned with the plastic that it's stored in. You can make a simple filter out of sand, gravel, and charcoal, that will remove all the ugly stuff that you can see in any kind of water, even stock pond water. This filtration system will not remove germs, bacteria, or viruses form the water. To do that you must boil the water for a few minutes. Let it cool and it's good to drink. No storage required.

[Curtis R]

yep i need to find some good schematics for water filtration

[carver]

Originally Posted by Curtis R

yep i need to find some good schematics for water filtration

Here is a good way to make a water filter with nothing but trash you have picked up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btg7z...eature=related

And then there is this: http://www.basspro.com/Sawyer-4-Way-...SELL_THUMBNAIL

[ozo]

You can also collect dew by making a 'trough' from
sheet plastic or similar and having a catch cup....
at least enough for hydration.

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by ozo

You can also collect dew by making a 'trough' from
sheet plastic or similar and having a catch cup....
at least enough for hydration.

That's what will make someone survive.

[Curtis R]

I have gotten my wife thinking about this with me but she wants to adopt all the naboughers. I dont know that i can feed 12 or so people!lol but really thats going to be tough, figuring out where to draw the line on who to help and who you just cant.

also we are starting to look into military T-rats. any thoughts?

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by Curtis R

I have gotten my wife thinking about this with me but she wants to adopt all the naboughers. I dont know that i can feed 12 or so people!lol but really thats going to be tough, figuring out where to draw the line on who to help and who you just cant.

also we are starting to look into military T-rats. any thoughts?

Hey, and if you get lucky you can help a welfare junkie.

[carver]

Originally Posted by Curtis R

I have gotten my wife thinking about this with me but she wants to adopt all the naboughers. I dont know that i can feed 12 or so people!lol but really thats going to be tough, figuring out where to draw the line on who to help and who you just cant.

also we are starting to look into military T-rats. any thoughts?

Curtis, have a meeting with your neighbors, show them some of the preping you are doing. Never let anyone else know what cards you are holding! Show them just a small portion of what, and how, you are preparing for whatever disaster. Get them involved if you can, have a meal made form stored food. Find out what they think. Do they think like you do? Are they willing to prepare, and stock up on food, and such? If so then they need to stock their own food, and resources. It's not your responsibility to provide for them. Even family, who have not prepared, will come knocking when the SHTF. Now you have to ask yourself if you are going to feed them or not? Your decision, but if you haven't provided for the extra mouths, then you might be killing your onw family by feeding them! I have two sons, neither is preping. I've already told them that if they show up, I will feed them, but I am prepared to do so. In exchange for that food, they will work, and work hard. They will earn every bite they eat. Between tilling the ground, planting, harvesting, choping wood, hauling water, pulling long hours of guard duty, and other things, I will get my investment back!

[ozo]

When storing water, we first use filtered water [Double Dome KDF/GAC/Flouride]
and put in washed juice bottles[1gal] and add 1oz bleach.
Chlorine dissipates fast, so even if you have a strong chlorine smell
when you open it, just let it sit for a little while.
We put the jugs in cardboard boxes and keep them in a cool, dark place.
You don't want the plastic bottles sitting directly on concrete.
The plastic will break down before the water goes bad. Use food grade bottles
as there should be less leaching of the chemicals from the plastic, and the cooler you can store them, the longer life they will have.
Some people I know that are anal about health keep a case of bottled water in their car.
The ones that you never see without a bottle of water in their hand.......preaching to you about drinking coke.....well, they defeat the purpose that they preach because the plastic bottles are always under heat stress sitting in their hot vehicle....and the plastic is breaking down for them to ingest ...even polycarbonates will.

[Zhurh]

I think people are better served staying low profile, not too involved with the neighbors unless they are family. We live pretty far out and the neighbors around here might be more of a threat than asset. Once you get downriver where the neighbors are several miles apart on homesteads along the Yukon, it's even worse. They actually steal off each other if they think they won't be caught; same with the goldminers too.

The Indians share everything from wives to booze to whatever they have to eat, kinda different bunch; but actually they are better than most the local Whites, no joke.

I keep my distance from all of them; just my family and all the security I believe I need. Maybe some of your neighbors can be trusted, but not most of mine, ha ha.

[aa1911]

Food rations will go exponentially quicker when additional bodies show up hungry! Lots of folks think storing food and preparations is paranoia, they've obviously never been truly hungry. if SHTF, like a natural disaster or whatever, suddenly you will be their best friend. Everyone should always have at least a month's worth of food on hand at any time, when grocery store shelves are empty, whatcha gonna do? Think you're gonna hunt and fish? so is everyone else, wild game can become extremely scarce very fast, something else to consider.

I've lived off of bottled water on every deployment and storage of it that way will last as long as the containers will last but like you said Carver, it's the crap leeching into the water from the plastic that makes it harmful. Not sure if there's any good way to remove it but I'd rather have BPA water than no water. BPA will kill you over years, no water will kill you in a few days.

[therewolf]

Here's an asset:

The common sense to duck and cover.

In 30-45 days, the aftermath of the spur event

which created the SHTF scenario may be past,

and while we may enter a "wooden ships" phase of

new life, the population surge which created and fed

the situation may have largely destroyed itself.

Resist the urge to "bug out", retreat, or leave, unless

you have a feasible predetermined location in mind.

Hundreds of thousands of mobbing baboons, everywhere

you turn, aren't going to speed or assist your expedition...

[carver]

Originally Posted by Zhurh

I think people are better served staying low profile, not too involved with the neighbors unless they are family. We live pretty far out and the neighbors around here might be more of a threat than asset. Once you get downriver where the neighbors are several miles apart on homesteads along the Yukon, it's even worse. They actually steal off each other if they think they won't be caught; same with the goldminers too.

The Indians share everything from wives to booze to whatever they have to eat, kinda different bunch; but actually they are better than most the local Whites, no joke.

I keep my distance from all of them; just my family and all the security I believe I need. Maybe some of your neighbors can be trusted, but not most of mine, ha ha.

I don't trust anyone! Including my neighbors. But, if I lived in a close nit neightborhood, I think that have a few on your side is the best way to go. Be real sure that they have enough food, and water, or they will be banging on your door! To keep what you have for your family, you just might have to shoot a few of them, and that goes for family as well! Are you going to feed your dumb brother-in-law who hasn't done anything to prepare? You know he won't work, so do you give him the food that you have put up for your daughter, or son?

[armedandsafe]

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Pops

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by armedandsafe

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Pops

Amen Pops.

[carver]

I think we all know that if a man won't work for his food, and no one will give him any, then he will try to take it from someone else! Even a lazy man likes to eat, be warm in the winter, and cool in the summer!

[Curtis R]

i have been doing some figuring and thinking about how to get things done to survive.
i live in apartments on the second floor. was pondering a rain barrel but 55gal of water wieghs 458.7 lbs wich might buckle my deck. but still think its a good idea for non pottable water for bathing and such.

[armedandsafe]

A 55 gallon drum of water:
458.7 lbs
24+ inch diameter bearing surface (standing on end.)
1.015- pounds per square inch.

A human foot (flat soled shoe) is approximatly 60 square inches. At 150 lbs, that is 2.5 pounds per square inch (standing on one foot.) A 150 pound woman standing on one high heel is about 150 pounds per square inch. (That might leave a dimple in the flooring.)

You still have to take into account the weight capacity of your deck. Assume that it will hold 6 people at 150 lbs each; that is 900 lbs. Four people would be 600 lbs.

I've seen many a 55 gallon drum of water supported on four 2x4 boards on end, each at a slant. (Think "X" supports.)

Pops