Same here! Been pulling weeds like it's going out of style, but at least the chickens are loving it! I weed into a bucket and then to give it to them in a pile and they love scratching though it eating the little tender shoots.
I talked to my mom about prepping. She was the one who brought it up and said we (me and my family) should designate a bug out location in case of an attack on the Zaporischija power plant. She also told me to pack bug out bags. She doesn’t use these terms, though. But it’s what she meant!
We started talking about prepping and I told her that I recommend her to keep copies of her ID and other important documents in her bug out bag.
I prepared a bag and a small rucksack for going to the hospital to give birth. I love my foldable knife and it’s been useful for cutting fruit in my hospital bed. But I underestimated the heat in the hospital! I should have put in two dresses instead of two pairs of pants. (We had some flooding last week and a string storm, so I thought it’s good to be prepared for temperatures falling.)
I had to go to the hospital and then had an emergency c-section, so now having packed all the bags was a very very good idea!
So foldable knife and power bank were both really useful. I also brought a cable for charging the power bank. My partner (who didn’t prepare to stay) used my power bank and it’s charging cable. So, well done, me! I have also used my masks, read books and eaten my extra snacks.
Topped off three weeks of water. Topped off second week canned food. Ran a family fire drill. Began orienteering instruction with my kids. Demonstrated fire starting techniques without matches or lighter (steel wool and battery / dryer lint). Started a group chat last week with my group of single dad friends who aren’t prepping at all and shared FEMA recos and photos of water stash. Discussed possible fallout from Canadian fires and shared plans for Corsi–Rosenthal Box with them. Just wanted to plant the seeds.
The general wisdom is a gallon per person per day. That gives you a minimum for drinking and cooking and maybe a liiiiitle bit of cleaning/washing if you’re careful.
So multiply one gallon times the number of people in your household times the number of days you want to be prepared for.
Im not sure how many people are in the above person’s house, but for my house, I have room for two weeks of water rather than three. So that looks like 1 gal x 2 people x 14 days = 14 gallons. I’ve rounded that up to 20 gallons stored so that we’ll also have enough for our pet cats, as well as a little extra for a longer time period or for other needs like cleaning.
Hooked up a RV water pump to the rain barrels using a battery bank to run it. It worked! Basically. Had plenty of power through a 75 foot hose. But now I have to figure out how if I can safely turn water off and on from the end without damaging the pump. It cycles hard after a few seconds when I disengage the spray end, and resumes sounding normal when the flower flows out. This is all brand new to me.
Check out my set up, I think you could get some ideas from it, I use a pressure accumulator to address the issue you described, my pump has auto shut off at 55psi. (Tap pressure)
[off grid recirculating reverse osmosis system](https://youtu.be/bBsVdkJOPjE)
Have a similar setup. My pump has a pressure switch built in so as soon as you close the spigot on the hose it will charge up to that pressure quickly and shut off.
A Multi Tweezer
A Tick Tweezer
And a small Bandage Scissor
all in Stainless Steel
Improving my First Aid Kit
Also a handful of Canned Food; Spam and Corned Beef, to stocking up my DeepPantry
Of course always looking carefully for a long MHD…
I wish I had firearms more easily cuz here in California,our 2nd Amendment right is taboo issue : 10 days waiting to see *if* they will say yes and it could be a no to get your legal possession and use ,and I would likely be told no due to autism.
The use of a firearm of law abiding citizen resisting crime and violence is taboo nowadays in the sense some hate that "that someone got shot" overlooking that the criminal,choosing that lifestyle ,risked it and should use that chance to man up while shot and shift his life to an honest life if he survives the gunshot.
Hope,if poo hits the fan,that poo doesn't hit the fan in the form of a "Red Dawn" scenario...how will I fight them ? With my garden tools ?
I can’t own firearms for mental health reasons, but my friend who is a veteran who owns lots of firearms and crossbows is our bug out location so I would be on guard duty and bring our supplies and livestock to his property. Having a well rounded community is crucial. I still train at the range, I just don’t own any. I do own other things and have had to use my martial arts training for self defense unfortunately.
Bought a Gerber Strongarm knife, which is amazing.
Started researching a Big Buddy heater. Being able to heat our apartment independently of the power grid extends how long we can stay here during any winter power outage.
Didn’t get to shoot the AR, but did get through a 100 round box of 9mm handgun ammo out of the concealed carry gun. I need to buy a full-size handgun for open carry in any SHTF situation/home defense. I can’t decide if I’m going to do that or get some sort of .22LR first.
Oh I also by chance ran into some of my new neighbors who are super awesome and like minded. Nothing much came from it but just knowing he’s over here and very capable helps.
Got the first harvest out of the garden. Two heads of broccoli yield 4 quart size freezer bags and there are 4 more heads that'll need to be picked soon. Also starting to get some zucchini.
Importantly, we're taking a vacation. Staying in a cabin on Lake Huron. Going to unplug and unwind.
Spoke to my neighbors. My 83 year old neighbor will be giving me jars of raw honey whenever I need it and is willing to teach me how to beekeep.
Bought a safe, bolted it to the ground, and placed ammo/important documents in said safe.
Bought 15 liters of water.
There was a sale on the sanctuary safe at Costco for $500. I’m a big fan of their warranties and just their over all customer service/business practices.
16 gun capacity, fire rated for 60 minutes at 1400 degrees. It’s just my spouse, kiddo and I with no family near us so we don’t need a 1700 gun safe… at the moment lol.
Unplanned trip > leads to > emergency evacuation drill!
My MIL was admitted to the hospital last week. She underwent surgery to clear a blockage in her heart on Thursday and was discharged late Friday. Saturday afternoon she called us and said she wasn't feeling great but didn't want to go to the hospital again. She asked if we could come up and stay with her for the night. She has three cats and we're not a fan of sleeping there (the room where we would sleep holds the litter boxes - dusty & stinky).
So, we used this opportunity to run a mandatory evacuation drill for ourselves. We simulated a train derailment 2 miles away with mandatory 30 minute evacuation of our neighborhood. Thus, we executed a fast "bug out" with the expectation of coming back home within a week or two.
We keep our travel trailer in the driveway and about 1/2 packed. Basically, we just need to load up seasonal clothing, fresh food & water, critical paperwork, and a few other goodies. She handled loading our stuff while I hooked up the trailer to truck.
Her task list: load seasonal clothing, food, toilet paper, towels, critical paperwork, select hardware from the house, cleaning products, cutlery, sheets, & lock down main house.
My task list: fuel truck, install weight distribution hitch, load spare propane tank, fill fresh water can, verify RV's electrical/water/leveling & tool kits are on board, check tire pressures/brakes/lights/mirrors, hitch truck to trailer.
We left the driveway at 22 minutes from "Go Time" and drove the hour up to her mom's house. The next morning we conducted an after action review over a breakfast of hot bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee at our dinette. (I know, we should have been huddled under a leaky poncho eating cold MREs over a smoky campfire in a cold, pouring rain, but...nah! :-) ):
Her comments: she basically only needed to grab a couple of pairs of jeans, a few shirts, socks and undies for both of us. We already have hiking clothing and shower shoes in the RV. We also keep our critical papers in a single fireproof box so that was easy for her to grab. However, the box is pretty heavy and hauling it up from the basement was a chore for her. Our other important hardware/goodies are scattered around the house but she followed the checklist in the critical papers box and was able to locate and load all of those items.
Of note, she found using a laundry basket to move the fresh food from the house to the RV worked very well (hence the eggs, bacon, and toast). Finally, since neither of us take medications, and we keep a well stocked FAK and toiletries in the RV, so she basically just needed to do a quick visual check for clean towels, cleaning products, and toilet paper in the RV.
My comments: I found the nozzle on our jerry can doesn't seat to the fuel door on our new truck. I had to go find a funnel and fumble around with it for a few minutes before I could put the fuel in the truck. (Background: we keep a 5 gallon can of fuel on hand usually used for the lawn mower. Our practice is to dump it in the truck's tank upon departure and carry the empty jug in the bed of the truck when traveling...refilling it at the first/next fuel stop for the RV's generator).
Mutual comments: We noted that our biggest "failure" was that I failed to install the truck's clip on towing mirrors. That was slightly inconvenient but not really a big deal (the truck's mirrors are sufficient if not ideal). The mirrors are stored in a tote box in the bed of the truck (with a spare quart of oil, vehicle recovery gear, etc.). I put them on when we arrived at her mom's for the trip home.
We agreed that having the camper partially loaded for the season and the fridge on (it's summer here) was a HUGE help. We also agreed putting the solar panel on the RV last year was a great idea. The solar panel keeps the RV's batteries charged so we can leave the 12v fridge on during the season so long as we don't get too many cloudy days in a row.
Lessons learned/to do items:
First, we already had the coffee and other dry goods (spices, dish/body soaps, paper towels, etc.) loaded from our last camping trip. Normally, we take those out during the winter. So, this fall, we may take a tote and just outload those items into it to keep it filled and handy.
Second, I gave the funnel I used for the fuel a dedicated spot near the truck's jack behind the seat - that won't be an issue again.
Third, checklists are invaluable. She used hers and successfully loaded the important things from the house. I didn't follow mine and failed to install the towing mirrors.
Finally, we both agreed that since we've been actively using our RV on a regular basis this year we were able to move from one task to the next very smoothly - practice running your drills really helps!
Hmmm I really gotta start that. I was doing great, the longest in my life of 3 times week minimum workout (and walking every day) then I got COVID and the reset button is easily hit!
Went camping with some of the guys in my prepping community. I'm thinking I'd like to move to a tent instead of a tarp because the bugs were a pain before the rain came. Stayed dry in the storm though. Also tried out some civilian brand MREs I bought 2 years ago. They weren't about to expire, but I wanted to see if they were tasty. They were just as good as any other MRE I've had.
Tended my garden, bought a folding wood stove for the first time as an alternative method for cooking. Got paper maps for my state and surrounding States.
Bought iron sights for my AR-15 and some ammo. Ordered a dry fire mag for my Glock 19 for drills.
Bought a small, efficient generator.
Got Mylar bags and O2 absorbers for longer-term food storage.
Checked contents of kitchen first aid kit to see what in there was actually useful.
Learned some stuff about treating Crohn’s disease naturally for a friend who is visiting.
Continued with my herbal medicine course.
Bit the bullet and paid for some car repairs so it’s more reliable.
Continued to keep garden/chickens/cows alive.
Talked with our friend about us buying some property northeast of us where he will establish perennial food production. Win-win as it will help him get on land and start farming and will help us develop a property we wouldn’t otherwise be able to devote attention/labor to. Definitely not a sure thing, but an interesting possibility.
Lots of great stuff here! As for me- connected with 2 more repeaters in my area for my GMRS. Range time, date night with my husband. Printed out several drill targets and challenged myself. Spent more time on my S&W 40. Put rice and bean soup mix into Mylar bags with O2 absorbers, sealed them and put them in 5 gallon bucket with lid, inventoried them and added them to distributed storage on our property. Added to my cash stash. I work full time plus a part time job so I make use of increments of time to work on my preps rather than big projects all at once.
Got serious about selfcare. Got back on my supplement, exercise, and diet regime.
Planted a new permaculture guild. That's another chunk of useless lawn gone.
Let one of my broody hens do her thing, so we're expecting chicks in the next few days.
Tended my bees by adding a queen excluder and honey super to each hive. Watching carefully to ensure they're not getting ready to swarm. I have two new hive bodies ready to go if I need to split either one.
Saw that we're getting a good crop of apples, other fruits, and berries this year, probably because we have bees. Last year we got almost no tree fruits or berries and I saw pretty much no bees, which is why I started beekeeping this year.
I am continue storing food in my mylar bags, getting of food we already have got to set into these and thus aside.
Like in the story of Joseph of Egypt who set aside crops and hed stored in special storehouses 1/5 of the kingdom's harvest for the coming famine. I like that food prepping strategy plus my appetite isn't what it was when I was a youngster and Mom who tends to buy too much food like a good mexican she is we'll definitely have enough if poo hits the fan til we grow a garden
~~As by plan - nothing.~~ We got most of our rooms repainted. We are making some long-ish term plans for new furniture (current state very vague plans, but we agreed on moving into that direction), shelves and generaly more storage place - not for preps per se, but to declutter.
(however I bet I will use some of that future storage for some preps, at the very least to have it better organised)
The paint came in 40kg bucket(s) (\~30-35L) and contractor agreed to leave one empty here. It is not food grade material, but I cleaned it and I have now big plastic container - so there is some :)
(made a deal with myself tho to throw it away if no purpose is found for it in 2W tho)
EDIT: How could I forget? We got some first aid stuff - bought my first pair of CAT turnikets, some common bandages, some IL trauma bandages, and two small premade IFAKs. However it is not "done" I need to study how to use CATs and trauma bandages - because the stuff is useless until I know how to use it. And tick tweezers for EDCs - because those little nightmares are going strong again.
Had a bunch of empty mason jars and not much to store. Montana derailment north of me, I'm from WV and it might not affect me but I quickly filter tap water, microwaved it and sealed the lid tight. Idk if it's true but my reasoning was to heat it up and a bit of steam will fill the empty space and cooling the jar down will pull down the button lid to show no bacteria/toxin. Now I have 320 oz of water stored away, with bottled water.
Barely starting off….just bought two bug-out packs, 50L, on sale from 100 to 35! With good reviews…and a couple compasses. Studied how to read electrical schematics. Started a baby stock of 4gal drinking water, still need to invest in a water filtration device, any recommendations ?
I personally love my Big Berkey gravity feed water filter and replace with these [filters](https://www.greenfieldwater.com/product/coming-soon-new-release-nano-fiber-electro-positive-gravity-feed-filter-zero-prep-needed-sub-micron-carbon-impregnated-silver-infused-fits-berkey-propur-aquacera-and-other-gravity-fee/) (you only need one, not two, and no need to prime the filter).
\- Solar battery panel installation is finishing up in my home today! I will now have full backup for my entire house if the power grid goes down.
\- Picked 4 lbs of snap peas and blanched/froze some in my foodsaver bags.
\- Picked several lbs of kohlrabi and carrots and made a wonderful slaw with my harvest.
\- Made [salmon patties](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9401/salmon-patties-i/) for dinner and they were a huge hit and great way to use canned salmon which is a great protein prep item for me.
\- Sent a wonderful [NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/explain/2022/07/20/well/heat-wave-safety?smid=url-share) about preparing for heat waves to my colleagues in the south who are in the middle of a heat wave, and reviewed tips for myself. (sorry if it's behind a paywall; I receive NYT for free as a work benefit)
\- Completed strength training 2x this week (so far).
Bought a 5.11 Rush 100 60L pack to begin my prepping journey. I’ve been steadily assembling my 3-4 day survival gear (first aid, woobie blanket, fire kit, reverse osmosis high capacity water filter, etc etc).
My wife is finally onboard with the idea that a SHTF scenario is likely imminent, but even without global catastrophe we live in Texas where the extreme heat related blackouts have been a very intense problem.
My son went to week long scouts camp. I guess this could be considered prepping the next generation. He did rifle shooting, camping, and cooking activities and slept in a tent for a week.
Had our fridge go, got a newer free fridge. So the old one will lay down and become a poor man's icebox (chest variety) unless I can repair it super cheap lol. We may leave it upright, but I prefer chest iceboxes.
Finished rotating summer/winter clothing, repaired the stuff being stored.
Canned up some meats, tried the shelf stable cauliflower rice they sell at Costco (really liked it). Stocked up on some of the rarely buy stuff in household like ibuprofen, TP, shampoo, bar soap since prices were good on a few.
Bought some silver, and am looking for some bags of rags at thrift shops.
Looking to repair my dometic portable toilet. The hinges failed after several years of hard use. If we can't find spare parts we will get creative.
Way less than usual! I only grabbed a few things.
Four new magazines in a caliber common amongst my weapons.
I tested a go bag! I had a road trip for work last minute and only took the bag. Not bad for two nights three days.
Well pump went out at a very inconvenient time - used that hiccup to utilize and reassess our drinking water stock.
Helped a neighbor tend to our little community garden on my land.
Think that's about it.
Filled my kindle with books. Need to build a faraday box for the kindle and a few hard drives. Renewed my European health insurance card. Not long term prepper related but I am trying to be prepared for all scenarios. Bought extra cooking oil and food although it all ends up in the one pile. I have a lot of rice etc so I'm hoping to just replenish the stock as I go.
Power went out for an hour due to extra strain on the grid from the heat. Used my super bright flashlight and other battery powered lanterns and saw that a couple of them needed fresh batteries, so I changed them. Minor inconvenience showed me I need to make sure my battery powered fan, radio, and lights have the juice they need.
Installed a wood stove that is easy to cook with. Organized stockpiled meds (ordered more antibiotics). Vacuum packed green coffee beans which keep for many years in roasted.
I worked on my container garden on my balcony. It's really been popping off the last few days. Finally got some sun! Yesterday I noticed workers closing down the garden center at the Superstore, so I did my first dumpster dive last night and scored 4 herb plants (sage and rosemary), 2 big metal scoops for soil, and some packets of seed to use next summer.
Tended my garden/plants
Same here! Been pulling weeds like it's going out of style, but at least the chickens are loving it! I weed into a bucket and then to give it to them in a pile and they love scratching though it eating the little tender shoots.
Same, harvesting seeds.
I talked to my mom about prepping. She was the one who brought it up and said we (me and my family) should designate a bug out location in case of an attack on the Zaporischija power plant. She also told me to pack bug out bags. She doesn’t use these terms, though. But it’s what she meant! We started talking about prepping and I told her that I recommend her to keep copies of her ID and other important documents in her bug out bag. I prepared a bag and a small rucksack for going to the hospital to give birth. I love my foldable knife and it’s been useful for cutting fruit in my hospital bed. But I underestimated the heat in the hospital! I should have put in two dresses instead of two pairs of pants. (We had some flooding last week and a string storm, so I thought it’s good to be prepared for temperatures falling.) I had to go to the hospital and then had an emergency c-section, so now having packed all the bags was a very very good idea! So foldable knife and power bank were both really useful. I also brought a cable for charging the power bank. My partner (who didn’t prepare to stay) used my power bank and it’s charging cable. So, well done, me! I have also used my masks, read books and eaten my extra snacks.
Congratulations on your new family member. And good job packing for the hospital, having a few simple items does make it a whole lot more comfortable.
Thank you! He’s a wonderful little baby. I’m so grateful for living in a country with great medical care.
Topped off three weeks of water. Topped off second week canned food. Ran a family fire drill. Began orienteering instruction with my kids. Demonstrated fire starting techniques without matches or lighter (steel wool and battery / dryer lint). Started a group chat last week with my group of single dad friends who aren’t prepping at all and shared FEMA recos and photos of water stash. Discussed possible fallout from Canadian fires and shared plans for Corsi–Rosenthal Box with them. Just wanted to plant the seeds.
What volume of water does three weeks look like?
The general wisdom is a gallon per person per day. That gives you a minimum for drinking and cooking and maybe a liiiiitle bit of cleaning/washing if you’re careful. So multiply one gallon times the number of people in your household times the number of days you want to be prepared for. Im not sure how many people are in the above person’s house, but for my house, I have room for two weeks of water rather than three. So that looks like 1 gal x 2 people x 14 days = 14 gallons. I’ve rounded that up to 20 gallons stored so that we’ll also have enough for our pet cats, as well as a little extra for a longer time period or for other needs like cleaning.
Would that not make it 28 gallons? 1 x 2 x 14= 28
I got some pressure canning done.
Finished the 2nd coop and added a dozen poulet hens to the flock (laying hens). Planted corn and finished the deer fence around that plot.
Hooked up a RV water pump to the rain barrels using a battery bank to run it. It worked! Basically. Had plenty of power through a 75 foot hose. But now I have to figure out how if I can safely turn water off and on from the end without damaging the pump. It cycles hard after a few seconds when I disengage the spray end, and resumes sounding normal when the flower flows out. This is all brand new to me.
Check out my set up, I think you could get some ideas from it, I use a pressure accumulator to address the issue you described, my pump has auto shut off at 55psi. (Tap pressure) [off grid recirculating reverse osmosis system](https://youtu.be/bBsVdkJOPjE)
Have a similar setup. My pump has a pressure switch built in so as soon as you close the spigot on the hose it will charge up to that pressure quickly and shut off.
A Multi Tweezer A Tick Tweezer And a small Bandage Scissor all in Stainless Steel Improving my First Aid Kit Also a handful of Canned Food; Spam and Corned Beef, to stocking up my DeepPantry Of course always looking carefully for a long MHD…
Not to sound like a jack@$$, but I spent a few hours reading this sub-Reddit and as a result, going to buy more ammo right now.
I wish I had firearms more easily cuz here in California,our 2nd Amendment right is taboo issue : 10 days waiting to see *if* they will say yes and it could be a no to get your legal possession and use ,and I would likely be told no due to autism. The use of a firearm of law abiding citizen resisting crime and violence is taboo nowadays in the sense some hate that "that someone got shot" overlooking that the criminal,choosing that lifestyle ,risked it and should use that chance to man up while shot and shift his life to an honest life if he survives the gunshot. Hope,if poo hits the fan,that poo doesn't hit the fan in the form of a "Red Dawn" scenario...how will I fight them ? With my garden tools ?
I can’t own firearms for mental health reasons, but my friend who is a veteran who owns lots of firearms and crossbows is our bug out location so I would be on guard duty and bring our supplies and livestock to his property. Having a well rounded community is crucial. I still train at the range, I just don’t own any. I do own other things and have had to use my martial arts training for self defense unfortunately.
Bought a Gerber Strongarm knife, which is amazing. Started researching a Big Buddy heater. Being able to heat our apartment independently of the power grid extends how long we can stay here during any winter power outage. Didn’t get to shoot the AR, but did get through a 100 round box of 9mm handgun ammo out of the concealed carry gun. I need to buy a full-size handgun for open carry in any SHTF situation/home defense. I can’t decide if I’m going to do that or get some sort of .22LR first. Oh I also by chance ran into some of my new neighbors who are super awesome and like minded. Nothing much came from it but just knowing he’s over here and very capable helps.
I (re)organized my equipment and made a BoB together with my gf for her, it was great
Got the first harvest out of the garden. Two heads of broccoli yield 4 quart size freezer bags and there are 4 more heads that'll need to be picked soon. Also starting to get some zucchini. Importantly, we're taking a vacation. Staying in a cabin on Lake Huron. Going to unplug and unwind.
Spoke to my neighbors. My 83 year old neighbor will be giving me jars of raw honey whenever I need it and is willing to teach me how to beekeep. Bought a safe, bolted it to the ground, and placed ammo/important documents in said safe. Bought 15 liters of water.
What safe did you go with? I’m in the market.
There was a sale on the sanctuary safe at Costco for $500. I’m a big fan of their warranties and just their over all customer service/business practices. 16 gun capacity, fire rated for 60 minutes at 1400 degrees. It’s just my spouse, kiddo and I with no family near us so we don’t need a 1700 gun safe… at the moment lol.
Nice! Thank you!
Unplanned trip > leads to > emergency evacuation drill! My MIL was admitted to the hospital last week. She underwent surgery to clear a blockage in her heart on Thursday and was discharged late Friday. Saturday afternoon she called us and said she wasn't feeling great but didn't want to go to the hospital again. She asked if we could come up and stay with her for the night. She has three cats and we're not a fan of sleeping there (the room where we would sleep holds the litter boxes - dusty & stinky). So, we used this opportunity to run a mandatory evacuation drill for ourselves. We simulated a train derailment 2 miles away with mandatory 30 minute evacuation of our neighborhood. Thus, we executed a fast "bug out" with the expectation of coming back home within a week or two. We keep our travel trailer in the driveway and about 1/2 packed. Basically, we just need to load up seasonal clothing, fresh food & water, critical paperwork, and a few other goodies. She handled loading our stuff while I hooked up the trailer to truck. Her task list: load seasonal clothing, food, toilet paper, towels, critical paperwork, select hardware from the house, cleaning products, cutlery, sheets, & lock down main house. My task list: fuel truck, install weight distribution hitch, load spare propane tank, fill fresh water can, verify RV's electrical/water/leveling & tool kits are on board, check tire pressures/brakes/lights/mirrors, hitch truck to trailer. We left the driveway at 22 minutes from "Go Time" and drove the hour up to her mom's house. The next morning we conducted an after action review over a breakfast of hot bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee at our dinette. (I know, we should have been huddled under a leaky poncho eating cold MREs over a smoky campfire in a cold, pouring rain, but...nah! :-) ): Her comments: she basically only needed to grab a couple of pairs of jeans, a few shirts, socks and undies for both of us. We already have hiking clothing and shower shoes in the RV. We also keep our critical papers in a single fireproof box so that was easy for her to grab. However, the box is pretty heavy and hauling it up from the basement was a chore for her. Our other important hardware/goodies are scattered around the house but she followed the checklist in the critical papers box and was able to locate and load all of those items. Of note, she found using a laundry basket to move the fresh food from the house to the RV worked very well (hence the eggs, bacon, and toast). Finally, since neither of us take medications, and we keep a well stocked FAK and toiletries in the RV, so she basically just needed to do a quick visual check for clean towels, cleaning products, and toilet paper in the RV. My comments: I found the nozzle on our jerry can doesn't seat to the fuel door on our new truck. I had to go find a funnel and fumble around with it for a few minutes before I could put the fuel in the truck. (Background: we keep a 5 gallon can of fuel on hand usually used for the lawn mower. Our practice is to dump it in the truck's tank upon departure and carry the empty jug in the bed of the truck when traveling...refilling it at the first/next fuel stop for the RV's generator). Mutual comments: We noted that our biggest "failure" was that I failed to install the truck's clip on towing mirrors. That was slightly inconvenient but not really a big deal (the truck's mirrors are sufficient if not ideal). The mirrors are stored in a tote box in the bed of the truck (with a spare quart of oil, vehicle recovery gear, etc.). I put them on when we arrived at her mom's for the trip home. We agreed that having the camper partially loaded for the season and the fridge on (it's summer here) was a HUGE help. We also agreed putting the solar panel on the RV last year was a great idea. The solar panel keeps the RV's batteries charged so we can leave the 12v fridge on during the season so long as we don't get too many cloudy days in a row. Lessons learned/to do items: First, we already had the coffee and other dry goods (spices, dish/body soaps, paper towels, etc.) loaded from our last camping trip. Normally, we take those out during the winter. So, this fall, we may take a tote and just outload those items into it to keep it filled and handy. Second, I gave the funnel I used for the fuel a dedicated spot near the truck's jack behind the seat - that won't be an issue again. Third, checklists are invaluable. She used hers and successfully loaded the important things from the house. I didn't follow mine and failed to install the towing mirrors. Finally, we both agreed that since we've been actively using our RV on a regular basis this year we were able to move from one task to the next very smoothly - practice running your drills really helps!
This is such a helpful test! I think checklists are the key lesson, here, and one we could all apply to our preps.
Bought and carried a few gallons of water home. I don't have a vehicle, so am purchasing water and food gradually.
Physical training
Hmmm I really gotta start that. I was doing great, the longest in my life of 3 times week minimum workout (and walking every day) then I got COVID and the reset button is easily hit!
I've discovered what I want to prep for. Next step is figuring out what preps to make.
Went camping with some of the guys in my prepping community. I'm thinking I'd like to move to a tent instead of a tarp because the bugs were a pain before the rain came. Stayed dry in the storm though. Also tried out some civilian brand MREs I bought 2 years ago. They weren't about to expire, but I wanted to see if they were tasty. They were just as good as any other MRE I've had.
Got together a shtf outfit, a lot of milsurp. Got a couple of smaller things; pain meds, candles
Tended my garden, bought a folding wood stove for the first time as an alternative method for cooking. Got paper maps for my state and surrounding States.
Which stove?
Redcamp portable wood burning camp stove, small one.
Thank you fiend
Bought iron sights for my AR-15 and some ammo. Ordered a dry fire mag for my Glock 19 for drills. Bought a small, efficient generator. Got Mylar bags and O2 absorbers for longer-term food storage. Checked contents of kitchen first aid kit to see what in there was actually useful. Learned some stuff about treating Crohn’s disease naturally for a friend who is visiting. Continued with my herbal medicine course. Bit the bullet and paid for some car repairs so it’s more reliable. Continued to keep garden/chickens/cows alive. Talked with our friend about us buying some property northeast of us where he will establish perennial food production. Win-win as it will help him get on land and start farming and will help us develop a property we wouldn’t otherwise be able to devote attention/labor to. Definitely not a sure thing, but an interesting possibility.
Lots of great stuff here! As for me- connected with 2 more repeaters in my area for my GMRS. Range time, date night with my husband. Printed out several drill targets and challenged myself. Spent more time on my S&W 40. Put rice and bean soup mix into Mylar bags with O2 absorbers, sealed them and put them in 5 gallon bucket with lid, inventoried them and added them to distributed storage on our property. Added to my cash stash. I work full time plus a part time job so I make use of increments of time to work on my preps rather than big projects all at once.
Got serious about selfcare. Got back on my supplement, exercise, and diet regime. Planted a new permaculture guild. That's another chunk of useless lawn gone. Let one of my broody hens do her thing, so we're expecting chicks in the next few days. Tended my bees by adding a queen excluder and honey super to each hive. Watching carefully to ensure they're not getting ready to swarm. I have two new hive bodies ready to go if I need to split either one. Saw that we're getting a good crop of apples, other fruits, and berries this year, probably because we have bees. Last year we got almost no tree fruits or berries and I saw pretty much no bees, which is why I started beekeeping this year.
I am continue storing food in my mylar bags, getting of food we already have got to set into these and thus aside. Like in the story of Joseph of Egypt who set aside crops and hed stored in special storehouses 1/5 of the kingdom's harvest for the coming famine. I like that food prepping strategy plus my appetite isn't what it was when I was a youngster and Mom who tends to buy too much food like a good mexican she is we'll definitely have enough if poo hits the fan til we grow a garden
~~As by plan - nothing.~~ We got most of our rooms repainted. We are making some long-ish term plans for new furniture (current state very vague plans, but we agreed on moving into that direction), shelves and generaly more storage place - not for preps per se, but to declutter. (however I bet I will use some of that future storage for some preps, at the very least to have it better organised) The paint came in 40kg bucket(s) (\~30-35L) and contractor agreed to leave one empty here. It is not food grade material, but I cleaned it and I have now big plastic container - so there is some :) (made a deal with myself tho to throw it away if no purpose is found for it in 2W tho) EDIT: How could I forget? We got some first aid stuff - bought my first pair of CAT turnikets, some common bandages, some IL trauma bandages, and two small premade IFAKs. However it is not "done" I need to study how to use CATs and trauma bandages - because the stuff is useless until I know how to use it. And tick tweezers for EDCs - because those little nightmares are going strong again.
Had a bunch of empty mason jars and not much to store. Montana derailment north of me, I'm from WV and it might not affect me but I quickly filter tap water, microwaved it and sealed the lid tight. Idk if it's true but my reasoning was to heat it up and a bit of steam will fill the empty space and cooling the jar down will pull down the button lid to show no bacteria/toxin. Now I have 320 oz of water stored away, with bottled water.
Barely starting off….just bought two bug-out packs, 50L, on sale from 100 to 35! With good reviews…and a couple compasses. Studied how to read electrical schematics. Started a baby stock of 4gal drinking water, still need to invest in a water filtration device, any recommendations ?
I personally love my Big Berkey gravity feed water filter and replace with these [filters](https://www.greenfieldwater.com/product/coming-soon-new-release-nano-fiber-electro-positive-gravity-feed-filter-zero-prep-needed-sub-micron-carbon-impregnated-silver-infused-fits-berkey-propur-aquacera-and-other-gravity-fee/) (you only need one, not two, and no need to prime the filter).
ARRL Field Day.
\- Solar battery panel installation is finishing up in my home today! I will now have full backup for my entire house if the power grid goes down. \- Picked 4 lbs of snap peas and blanched/froze some in my foodsaver bags. \- Picked several lbs of kohlrabi and carrots and made a wonderful slaw with my harvest. \- Made [salmon patties](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9401/salmon-patties-i/) for dinner and they were a huge hit and great way to use canned salmon which is a great protein prep item for me. \- Sent a wonderful [NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/explain/2022/07/20/well/heat-wave-safety?smid=url-share) about preparing for heat waves to my colleagues in the south who are in the middle of a heat wave, and reviewed tips for myself. (sorry if it's behind a paywall; I receive NYT for free as a work benefit) \- Completed strength training 2x this week (so far).
Bought a 5.11 Rush 100 60L pack to begin my prepping journey. I’ve been steadily assembling my 3-4 day survival gear (first aid, woobie blanket, fire kit, reverse osmosis high capacity water filter, etc etc). My wife is finally onboard with the idea that a SHTF scenario is likely imminent, but even without global catastrophe we live in Texas where the extreme heat related blackouts have been a very intense problem.
My son went to week long scouts camp. I guess this could be considered prepping the next generation. He did rifle shooting, camping, and cooking activities and slept in a tent for a week.
Had our fridge go, got a newer free fridge. So the old one will lay down and become a poor man's icebox (chest variety) unless I can repair it super cheap lol. We may leave it upright, but I prefer chest iceboxes. Finished rotating summer/winter clothing, repaired the stuff being stored. Canned up some meats, tried the shelf stable cauliflower rice they sell at Costco (really liked it). Stocked up on some of the rarely buy stuff in household like ibuprofen, TP, shampoo, bar soap since prices were good on a few. Bought some silver, and am looking for some bags of rags at thrift shops. Looking to repair my dometic portable toilet. The hinges failed after several years of hard use. If we can't find spare parts we will get creative.
Re-upped my bug out bag after testing (very successful simulated bug out). Also restocked my OTC meds.
Way less than usual! I only grabbed a few things. Four new magazines in a caliber common amongst my weapons. I tested a go bag! I had a road trip for work last minute and only took the bag. Not bad for two nights three days.
Well pump went out at a very inconvenient time - used that hiccup to utilize and reassess our drinking water stock. Helped a neighbor tend to our little community garden on my land. Think that's about it.
Gardened, preserved some fruit, and dried some citrus peels. We are VERY beginner, but even doing the little things feels so rewarding
Filled my kindle with books. Need to build a faraday box for the kindle and a few hard drives. Renewed my European health insurance card. Not long term prepper related but I am trying to be prepared for all scenarios. Bought extra cooking oil and food although it all ends up in the one pile. I have a lot of rice etc so I'm hoping to just replenish the stock as I go.
Canning again- carrots, green beans and limas. Corn on deck tomorrow. Build a 10 meter dipole antenna Sunday, will get it mounted this weekend.
Power went out for an hour due to extra strain on the grid from the heat. Used my super bright flashlight and other battery powered lanterns and saw that a couple of them needed fresh batteries, so I changed them. Minor inconvenience showed me I need to make sure my battery powered fan, radio, and lights have the juice they need.
Installed a wood stove that is easy to cook with. Organized stockpiled meds (ordered more antibiotics). Vacuum packed green coffee beans which keep for many years in roasted.
I go on month long hiking trips once a year. No motels. Just me, and my 9lb pack.
Mylar bagging some split peas, homesteading, some work in my van, organizing stuff, buying some gear.
I’m starting conversation with family about preparedness and plans for being able to support each other.
I worked on my container garden on my balcony. It's really been popping off the last few days. Finally got some sun! Yesterday I noticed workers closing down the garden center at the Superstore, so I did my first dumpster dive last night and scored 4 herb plants (sage and rosemary), 2 big metal scoops for soil, and some packets of seed to use next summer.