What did you do today to prep?

[ATCclears]

I've been reviewing and refreshing the family's get-home bags in the past few days. Valuable, but time consuming.

 

[The Heretic]

Forgot to mention, while the power was out I was reading Plato's "Republic" and "Appletons' Cyclopædia Of Applied Mechanics: A Dictionary Of Mechanical Engineering And The Mechanical Arts". The latter has some useful info; it is basically how machines of its era (1880 and earlier) worked.

I read the section on agricultural machines - some of which I already knew having grown up on a farm and being a farm mech/tech - but all of these machines had no electronics or ICEs powering them - they were made to be pulled by horses/mules or steam powered tractors. Useful info if you want to rebuild civilization from pre-ICE/electronic technology - you would still need iron/steel/etc.

You can download this and other books various places, but here is where I got a good version (another I got was B&W but the pages were skewed and not scanned very well): https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/appletonscyclopa01benj

 

[The Heretic]

Ordered (subscribed for every 6 months) 8 pounds of Bob's Red Mill rolled oats from Amazon for $15

[Amazon] 4-Pack Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, 32 oz. - $14.36 (was $20.76)

Jan 14, 2023

www.preppingdeals.net

Comes in sealed bags so I will put them in 5 gal buckets, the freeze them in then put them for a week, then store them.

We'll see if the subscription price holds - I can always cancel the subscription if not.

I do eat oatmeal mixed with farina at least once a week and it is a good filler for baking and meat loaf.

Checked the prices at Winco - what I got is less expensive than off the shelf.

 

[The Heretic]

The Amazon buckets were $3.83 ea. and the HD lids a $1.40, for a total of $5.23 per bucket/lid, delivered to my doorstep. Not bad and I don't have to burn gas to go pick them up.

The lids came today. Surprise! They were not the cheap "easy on/off" lids, but rather the standard more positive lock more durable lids! The kind that is tough to get off without a tool (which I bought some months ago).

Either somebody made a mistake in shipping or in labeling or in the website. I won't complain.

 

[The Heretic]

I love how Amazon lowers and raises prices on stuff (like 5 gal buckets), from day to day.

I found that Home Depot has decent prices on buckets and their prices are stable.

I am starting to put stuff in buckets so I can move it to the shop where there is a lot more room to store stuff.

 

[Angie]

Ordered (subscribed for every 6 months) 8 pounds of Bob's Red Mill rolled oats from Amazon for $15

[Amazon] 4-Pack Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, 32 oz. - $14.36 (was $20.76)

Jan 14, 2023

www.preppingdeals.net

Comes in sealed bags so I will put them in 5 gal buckets, the freeze them in then put them for a week, then store them.

We'll see if the subscription price holds - I can always cancel the subscription if not.

I do eat oatmeal mixed with farina at least once a week and it is a good filler for baking and meat loaf.

That is the best oatmeal. Texture is perfect. I love it. That's a fantastic price also!

 

[The Heretic]

That is the best oatmeal. Texture is perfect. I love it. That's a fantastic price also!

Yup - won't be delivered until Feb, but I have read that it is very superior to Quaker Oats. I will set aside some to try and the rest I will store until I run out of Quaker Oats. I have it on a subscription (one order every 6 months).

At least once a week I mix oats with farina/etc. (including corn grits, Malt-O-Meal and cream of rice) and some granola (for crunchiness). It is less expensive than cold cereal, takes less milk and is a lot more filling. Granola is good too - I can eat it on the go, it stores well and does not require cooking.

 

[Barfly]

I love Bob's Red Mill oatmeal! I eat it every work day for breakfast. I especially like the Blueberry & Hazelnut flavor. Good stuff in there!

 

[OrPackrat]

Added to my contacts list, a person met through work who is a prepper with, well, a food supply to put an army to shame... Will be a good person to share ideas with...


Looking into battery backup systems, given all that is out there, I think I will look into building my own Battery banks. Likely using lifepo4 battery cells... Probably build one initially for my car to run all my accessories with an independent charger like a 100w solar panel and at most, connect a 10a charger from the prius 12v battery to charge the auxiliary battery. As the prius does not have an alternator, it uses a dc-dc converter to provide 12v back and the current it limited...

As such, all the light bars, power inverters, and additional gear I want to install on the prius, needs an auxiliary battery and for optimum fuel efficiency, the lighter the better...

Probably something at least 100ah.

Freeze dried a gallon of milk, made some new bottles of Skittles Flavored Vodka with freeze dried skittles, after the success of the green apple vodka...

 

[Angie]

You guys may remember that a few months ago, I purchased a new to me backpack to use as my GHB. It was a gently used Walmart special. It ended up being way too big for me and has an irritating piece of material joining the shoulder straps across the neck—very poor design.

Living in the motorhome full-time right now, it is understandably a challenge for people to purchase gifts for us, so my parents gave us $$ for Christmas. We decided to use it to purchase two new backpacks from Bass Pro. They are only 1800s. Mine is at 16# right now. Mostly full. I think my hubs will eventually want a larger one, but there wasn't one available outside of buying the frame and pack separately. If he does, we can use it for some other purpose.

Anyway, mine is packed now and we will pack up his today. I'm going to take mine on my regular 4 mile walk today and see how it goes.

 

[The Heretic]

Actually, yesterday I split some firewood and moved it inside the house to prepare for the high winds we might get today & tomorrow.

Then today I moved the LiFePO4 batteries into my office onto a shelf by the desk, so I can connect them to the replacement power station which should get here by the weekend. I also received the 250 Federal 12 ga Truball Tactical slug ammo - carried that in from the mailbox. So now my back and leg are hurting.

 

[The Heretic]

Saw this and bought three (one for each of us) - for our GHBs:

[Amazon] AmazonCommercial Hard Hat w/ 4-Point Ratchet Nylon Suspension (Various Colors) - $3.82 (was $7.65)

Jan 25, 2023

www.preppingdeals.net

If there is a Cascadian Subduction Zone earthquake then having a hard hat, sturdy work gloves and steel shank or insoles, would be good to have to protect you head, hands and feet. A face shield or at least goggles would be good for disasters and weather too.

I have a hard hat with face shield and hearing protection for use with chainsaw/etc., but I don't keep it in my GHB supplies. Having spares for neighbors would be good too (I am sure each of my neighbors has at least one hard hat with hearing protection/etc. for chainsaw/etc. use - I see them using them - but I doubt they have one for each family member).

 

[sobo]

Saw this and bought three (one for each of us) - for our GHBs:

[Amazon] AmazonCommercial Hard Hat w/ 4-Point Ratchet Nylon Suspension (Various Colors) - $3.82 (was $7.65)

Jan 25, 2023

www.preppingdeals.net

If there is a Cascadian Subduction Zone earthquake then having a hard hat, sturdy work gloves and steel shank or insoles, would be good to have to protect you head, hands and feet. A face shield or at least goggles would be good for disasters and weather too.

I have a hard hat with face shield and hearing protection for use with chainsaw/etc., but I don't keep it in my GHB supplies. Having spares for neighbors would be good too (I am sure each of my neighbors has at least one hard hat with hearing protection/etc. for chainsaw/etc. use - I see them using them - but I doubt they have one for each family member).

I keep a hard hat, leather gloves, a couple N-95 masks, a first aid kit, and ANSI-rated safety glasses in the trunks of 2 of my 3 vehicles (but not the Fiat Spider cuz it's just for fun) for when I visit job sites. Those items are considered mandatory equipment by my company (the helmet and glasses at a minimum) to be within grabbing distance for any visits I make to construction sites. It never occurred to me they could double as GHB gear, but I guess I woulda figured that out if it actually came to that. Thanks for pointing that out - that's additional info for me...

 

[The Heretic]

I keep a hard hat, leather gloves, a couple N-95 masks, a first aid kit, and ANSI-rated safety glasses in the trunks of 2 of my 3 vehicles (but not the Fiat Spider cuz it's just for fun) for when I visit job sites. Those items are considered mandatory equipment by my company (the helmet and glasses at a minimum) to be within grabbing distance for any visits I make to construction sites. It never occurred to me they could double as GHB gear, but I guess I woulda figured that out if it actually came to that. Thanks for pointing that out - that's additional info for me...

Yeah, if you look at the photos of rescue workers at disaster sites, almost all of them have hard hats and gloves at the very least. I forgot about masks - I already have those in my GHB.

I have some insulated waterproof high top (above ankle - 8") steel toe work boots and I bought some steel insoles for them too. The idea is to have boots that I don't need to worry (too much) about walking where there may be sharp objects (like nails) sticking up.

I just got some Aramid leather palm gloves I ordered - they are for protection against flame/heat. They are too small though so I am going to order some larger ones. I would like to get some that are fire/flame resistant and puncture/cut resistant at the same time. I have some heat resistant sleeves made for working on hot equipment - I need to put those in my GHB also.

I got a Aramid balaclava too:

German Military Surplus Arctic Aramid Balaclava, Like New

Sportsman's Guide carries top-quality discount Outdoor and Hunting Gear, Guns, Ammo, Fishing Supplies and more - all at great low prices!

www.sportsmansguide.com

It is pretty tight on my head, but will be useful for when I am burning slash/debris piles; I have more than once been burnt (a little) by embers/etc. falling on me from above.

 

[The Heretic]

I have some insulated waterproof high top (above ankle - 8") steel toe work boots and I bought some steel insoles for them too. The idea is to have boots that I don't need to worry (too much) about walking where there may be sharp objects (like nails) sticking up.

That said, those boots are not what I have in my daily driver/GHB supplies. They are not good for walking any real distance; they are heavy, require heavy boot socks (boots are a bit oversize), are stiff and heavily insulated. I use them where I need the extra protection for my feet; cutting/splitting/stacking firewood, power equipment use/etc.

Now that I am retired I usually wear lightweight waterproof Keen boots that I hardly notice I have on, and I have a pair of Vasque waterproof boots stashed in my daily driver.

 

[The Heretic]

I got the .50 ammo cans from Sportsman's Guide - most were ok, one wasn't; was rusty and moist inside. Moved those and some misc ammo out to the shop.

I also moved a bucket of oats from the freezer to the shelf and put bucket of flour/baking mix into the freezer.

I should get about 9 more buckets tomorrow from Amazon and I will start putting shelf stable dry goods into those buckets to store in the shop.

 

[The Heretic]

Ordered some electrical fault testers (ground fault/etc., and a power detector) after seeing a vid that showed a power station unit had the wrong grounding setup, and a few other vids on fault testing and one guy who got electrocuted by a faulty outlet connected to his refrigerator (he had one hand on the back of the fridge and another hand on an outlet box - the back panel of the fridge had 120VAC on it). I want to test outlets and power units (yes I know you can do that with a VOM, but it is easier and faster to use the tester).

I also ordered some Rustoleum spray paint and I need to measure my truck/pickup batteries; they need hold downs, which I will order after I make sure I am getting the right hold downs. Going to test using the Rustoleum on the battery trays, but I will probably also get a plastic battery tray to go on top of the metal ones in the vehicles (would like to somehow use a larger battery in the pickup - same size as the truck - but I don't think that is possible without significant modification).

 

[Andesite]

I bought another 5 gallon gas can at Bi-Mart. That brings my strategic reserve capacity up to (a paltry) 25 gallons, plus whatever I have in the full truck tank. I should do the math and figure out how much gas it takes to get to...I don't know...Idaho?

 

[sobo]

I should do the math and figure out how much gas it takes to get to...I don't know...Idaho?

Whaddaya drive?

 

[The Heretic]

I bought another 5 gallon gas can at Bi-Mart. That brings my strategic reserve capacity up to (a paltry) 25 gallons, plus whatever I have in the full truck tank. I should do the math and figure out how much gas it takes to get to...I don't know...Idaho?

Take the general miles of a popular route and double it - detours/etc. due to issues on the route (traffic, accidents, floods, landslides, bridges/etc. out due to earthquake/etc.). You may have to double or triple the distance traveled.

Take your average fuel mileage and halve it - expect detours to have worse hills, more curvy roads, and anywhere to have issues where you may have to wait in long lines of traffic. Also, having to go off-road, and/or deal with mud/snow/ice/gravel

Take the results (amount of fuel needed) and double it to have a safety factor.

Theoretically, my "one ton" diesel 4x4 truck that weighs 10K#, should get between 15-20 MPG (interestingly, my gas powered Toyota 1/2 ton pickup that weighs 4K# gets about the same mileage). I have a 37 gal tank on the truck, so that alone should be about 500-700 mile range in perfect conditions (relatively flat direct roads, no traffic, no detours) - enough to get me to norther Idaho. But it wouldn't get me there if I had to detour, and/or go off-road/etc.

I have two 5 gallon diesel dedicated fuel cans, I also have six 20L euro design "Jerry" cans. That and the the stock 37 gallons == 77 gallons. That would get me 1100-1500 miles best case, but if there was a moderate SHTF where I could still drive there but would have to take detours, drive off-road, etc. - I might get there even so, but I would probably be running on fumes once I got there, and if I had to keep going (say to friends in Montana instead - an additional 100 miles best case), I couldn't make it. No safety factor.

I have an additional 106 gallon aux fuel tank I bought last year. Add that in for a total of 180+ gallons (assuming I already have that fuel, i.e., I wouldn't have to go fill all of the tanks/cans - cut down a few gallons of fuel for usable capacity) and I have a best case range of 3600 miles, but more likely 2700 miles best case. Detours/etc., halve that for 1300 miles and I still have a 2X safety factor and can make it to Montana (probably better to be there than ID IMO and I know people there).

This isn't counting for towing anything, and/or having a camper on the flatbed.

My plan for when I convert the truck to an RV is to have propane fumigation and at least two 100# propane tanks, mount the 106 gallon aux tank, and I am thinking I can add two 50 gallon side tanks on the outside of the frame, under the flatbed - one on either side. Total 200 gallons of diesel (allowing some left in a tank as total capacity is not always usable, and it is best to not run a tank dry - not good for the lift pumps and definitely not good for the injection pumps). Maybe more if I count the stock 37 gallon tank - but lets just round it off at 200 gallons for 2000 mile range at 10 MPG (accounting for snow/ice/mountains/etc.), and half that if I need to go off-road.

Propane fumigation gives me more power, and/or if I take it easy, better mileage - conservative estimate of 20 gallons per 100# tank (propane stations will not fill them completely full to allow for expansion - they fill them 80% full). Two 100# tanks would give me about 400 more road miles, 200 more off-road miles. Worst case, if I don't use any propane for heating/cooking/etc. - 1200 mile range.