What did you do today to prep?

[notazombie]

Lost link

 

[Heyjoe]

More concrete.

Looks like your in the thick of this nasty inversion!
Here's a pic from yesterday on bogus basin, I had to get some sunshine!

 

[notazombie]

That's more like it. It's been soupy for a few days but getting better. Today wasn't too bad. Supposed to clear up tomorrow.

 

[CountryGent]

• Started the earthquake book that came in this last week (Full-Rip 9.0, by science writer Sandi Doughton).
• Got some practice in with the stainless Walther PPK/S (.380 ACP) and stainless Rossi 972 (.357 Magnum) on the home range. I'm really liking the PPK/S thus far. The Rossi has been solid for some years.
• I found the one and only magazine that malfunctions in the Walther is the one with the fingerrest. I marked it and ordered a replacement. The rest, both factory Walther and Mec-Gar, run like a top.
• Reviewed an emergency management degree course with Clackamas Community College that my father-in-law emailed over. It looks pretty interesting, though I doubt I would have time to do so.
• Loading up some magazines and doing other maintenance. Watching the old Combat† show (starring Vic Morrow, Rick Jason, et al.) whilst doing so.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

The blade and my helper

 

[CountryGent]

• Ordered a handheld 2m/70cm rig for the EMP box. After a discussion with @TeacherSmurf, I'm back on that project.
• Finished two Kindle preparedness ebooks. Both were unmitigated crap; one did nothing more than state the obvious, the other was pure drivel.
• Picked up some hardware for weekend projects.
• Talked to a supplier of solar panel equipment for a project that has been in the works for while. I had let it fall through the cracks, but his call today reminded me to get on it.
• Picked up an old gun book. It isn't really preparedness-related, but may be interesting in general. It is Suicide Specials, by Donald B. Webster, that covers those spur hammer revolvers produced in the late 19th and early 20th century, that ranged in quality from surprisingly good to dangerously bad.

 

[Camelfilter]

• Ordered a handheld 2m/70cm rig for the EMP box. After a discussion with @TeacherSmurf, I'm back on that project.
• Finished two Kindle preparedness ebooks. Both were unmitigated crap; one did nothing more than state the obvious, the other was pure drivel.
• Picked up some hardware for weekend projects.
• Talked to a supplier of solar panel equipment for a project that has been in the works for while. I had let it fall through the cracks, but his call today reminded me to get on it.
• Picked up an old gun book. It isn't really preparedness-related, but may be interesting in general. It is Suicide Specials, by Donald B. Webster, that covers those spur hammer revolvers produced in the late 19th and early 20th century, that ranged in quality from surprisingly good to dangerously bad.

Too bad your ebooks were drivel. Hate wasting time.

Fir some reasonable entertainment & wildly fanciful preparedness ideas give a look at books by Jerry D Young. Many are along the ideas "if you had all the money in the world, and could prepare...".

Most are quick reads. I particularly enjoyed his "survival fiction library" series. About 10 books if I recall correctly, and all amazon prime (if you prime).

-Also of note: Mr Young is a prolific writer, and list maker. He's over on "survivalistboards.com" a bit. If you have a want for a list of some type, I'd wager dollars to donuts he has one available you'd find more useful than not.

(a general caution to any and all on that "survivalistboards". That sight has that aweful adware which @Joe Link thankfully cleaned up from here. Expect to be rerouted multiple times per visit there, unless you turn Java "off"—apple products.)

 

[CountryGent]

I've had the pleasure of corresponding with Mr. Young in years past. He's a gentleman and a scholar. Alas, it has been some years since I've heard from him.

 

[The Heretic]

Started replacing the fluorescents in the shop with LED tubes.

I have picked up several LED fixtures at Costco over the last year or so whenever they are on sale. About a month or so ago I picked up just a pair of the replacement tubes. I already have about half a dozen two tube fixtures in my shop that currently use fluorescents. Most of them are dim and in the winter flicker, and never come on quickly.

Today I replaced two of the fluorescents with the LED tubes.

The difference was striking. Besides being instant on (which is nice when it is cold and dark out - my shop is almost a hundred yards from my house and it is very dark out there as I live on a mountain out in the boonies) there is 2 to 3 times the amount of illumination and brightness. Next time I am in Costco I am going to get enough LED tubes to replace all the fluorescents currently in the shop. I need to get the other fixtures hung - that will be a bit harder.

Each of the tubes is only 14 watts, so drain on a generator would be minimal even with 30 of the tubes running. The freezer only takes about 100 to 200 watts, so I could power the whole shop with a little 2KW suitcase inverter genset and have enough left over for small power tools.

I also have a sensor switch to install so I don't need to fumble for the light switch when it is dark.

I need to have an electrician setup a generator switch for the shop so if (when) power goes out, the lighting and freezer out there will still work. I anticipate that in a SHTF the shop will be important for repairs to things and lighting will be important for that.

I also need the electrician to add several 220VAC outlets for tools and a welding setup. That would require a larger genset, which I have.

 

[The Heretic]

I finally filled up the 55 gallon drum to the top. Been occasionally getting two 5 gallon fuel cans filled when I get gas. I have put Pri-G in the drum and it is sealed. I have a hand pump to pump the gas out. I will fill the cans again so that I have at least 65 gallons of gasoline besides what is in my vehicles, genset and other gas powered machinery.

I need to get tabs for the big truck as it is running low on diesel. Last time I filled it (37 gallons) was before I moved here from Seattle about 7 years ago. I've only ever used it on the property - except once or twice when I drove it into town - and IIRC it had about half a tank when I drove it up here. I have some diesel fuel cans too and a 275 gallon fuel tank that I need to clean out - PO used it for waste oil to make diesel from.

 

[Camelfilter]

I finally filled up the 55 gallon drum to the top. Been occasionally getting two 5 gallon fuel cans filled when I get gas. I have put Pri-G in the drum and it is sealed. I have a hand pump to pump the gas out. I will fill the cans again so that I have at least 65 gallons of gasoline besides what is in my vehicles, genset and other gas powered machinery.

I need to get tabs for the big truck as it is running low on diesel. Last time I filled it (37 gallons) was before I moved here from Seattle about 7 years ago. I've only ever used it on the property - except once or twice when I drove it into town - and IIRC it had about half a tank when I drove it up here. I have some diesel fuel cans too and a 275 gallon fuel tank that I need to clean out - PO used it for waste oil to make diesel from.

Wow that's nice to here the diesel held out all rite, particularly up a bit chillier.

I think pri-g has a liquid for diesel as well. Dunno on if it's worthwhile or not.

 

[The Heretic]

Wow that's nice to here the diesel held out all rite, particularly up a bit chillier.

I think pri-g has a liquid for diesel as well. Dunno on if it's worthwhile or not.

I have never had trouble with gas or diesel going bad over time - that I know of. The truck has some problems with power that seems to come and go, it's been that way since I bought it, so that may be fuel related. I've only filled it up about half a dozen times - mostly when I drove it up to Seattle then when I moved back here I drove it down.

I have Pri-D too. I have a gallon each of Pri-G and Pri-D - enough to treat 2000 gallons each. Should last me a lifetime as I will only put it in fuel that I intend to store and most of that will be diesel.

Diesel does not gel until it gets below freezing. I must have #2 diesel (winter mix) in the tank because I once started it when it was below 20*F one winter just to see if it would start without giving the grid heater time to warm up the intake (it would, I just had to baby it and it would not idle until it warmed up).

I keep the big truck on a battery tender because it has a parasitic drain in the electrical system so the batteries are always charged fully. When I retire I fix everything wrong with the truck and convert it to an RV - it has a 8x12' flatbed and is a 4x4 so it will be good for what I want to do.

 

[The Heretic]

Cut and split some more firewood. Boy that maple is hard stuff! I saw sparks flying off one piece I was cutting. I suppose may there was a rock or something embedded int the wood.



Finally getting most of that fallen maple cut up and split that I hauled out to the road with the dozer (the rest of it I hauled down by the shop - not the shop in the pic, that is my neighbor). I want to get all of it out of the ditch before it snows so no one will hit the stump/etc. if they slide off the road. I am expecting it to snow this winter like last winter.

 

[The Heretic]

Just had brown truck drive up and deliver Silva lensatic compass - better than I thought it would be (under $30 IIRC). Luminous markings - but not tritium. I have a CMMG tritium lensatic milspec compass coming soon. I will probably give the Silva to my kids for their GHBs - get another one so they each have one. I want to get one first to look at it to make sure it was ok.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I have never had trouble with gas or diesel going bad over time

Ya know, Heretic, me either! Kerosene too. I have kero that's more than 20 years old and it's still clear and burns great when I use my 8,000 BTU kero heater in the garage!
On the other hand gas and diesel are an investment these days and I don't mind adding a little more cash to stabilize them!

 

[Siglvr]

The PRI-G is for gas, they say that after you crack it open, us it within 2 years. PRI_D is for diesel. I've been looking for reliable honest testing of that stuff to see if it works as well as they say. As part of my preps I have 10 gallons of non-ethonol gas in 2 locations, and I use the PRI-G, but I try and rotate it @ every 6 months. It's a pain in the bubblegum, but someday it may be one of those priceless valuable things.....

 

[Angie]

Ya know, Heretic, me either! Kerosene too. I have kero that's more than 20 years old and it's still clear and burns great when I use my 8,000 BTU kero heater in the garage!

That's good to know as I keep a stash of kerosene for lanterns if SHTF and we never really use it. Good to hear it doesn't go bad.

 

[The Heretic]

That's good to know as I keep a stash of kerosene for lanterns if SHTF and we never really use it. Good to hear it doesn't go bad.

Kerosene and diesel can certainly go bad, especially if you store it in a fashion that allows it to be contaminated. If you have kerosene in containers that are sealed at purchase, preferably in metal container, then you are good for quite a while. The major problems with kerosene and diesel and everything in between, is bacteria that grows on the interface between the fuel and water, and any other contamination. Keep clean diesel fuel sealed and it will last a long time with minimal degradation.

Fortunately, you can get kerosene off the shelf in sealed metal containers. I would NOT unseal those containers to put stabilizer in them. It is more important that the fuel not be contaminated.

Diesel not so easily, but you can take steps to acquire clean diesel fuel, run it thru a water separator, treat it with a biocide and a stabilizer, and put that fuel into a clean sealed container and you are good to go.

Also, any machine that uses liquid fuel of any kind should have a good filter between the fuel source and the machine.

 

[IronMonster]

I went to work, so I can keep eating and sleeping in a warm bed.... That counts as prepping right?

 

[The Heretic]

I went to work, so I can keep eating and sleeping in a warm bed.... That counts as prepping right?

It does