What did you do today to prep?

[Mac_Fan]

Mountain House meal packs are 20% off at Bi-Mart. I've been adding to the disaster stash.

 

[OrPackrat]

Mountain House meal packs are 20% off at Bi-Mart. I've been adding to the disaster stash.

What is the average cost per entree on sale?

 

[OrPackrat]

Been slowly stocking up on aluminum foil, press and seal, cortisone cream, allergy pills, speciality bars of soap, candy for the freeze dryer, boxed meal kits, foil packaged rice meal sides, etc.

Got 4 more costco chickens prepped to freeze dry.

 

[The Heretic]

Got the Sno Seal I ordered. I now have about 2# of it for my "tin cloth" projects.

 

[Burt Gummer]

As a former complete maniac on motorcycles in my youth I've avoided them for over 20 years. Now I see the practicality of having something on hand that can go around traffic and get 50+ mpg.

Friends badgering me "don't do that" - well I do as I please. Just no more superbikes. Thinking adventure bike or a smaller dual purpose bike. A 300cc or so bike would be easy for me to transport in my van. Not decided yet. Used to love Kawasaki so I am sniffing around a bit. These are in the $7-$8k range. Would rather have a physical asset than money in the bank.

 

[The Heretic]

As a former complete maniac on motorcycles in my youth I've avoided them for over 20 years. Now I see the practicality of having something on hand that can go around traffic and get 50+ mpg.

Friends badgering me "don't do that" - well I do as I please. Just no more superbikes. Thinking adventure bike or a smaller dual purpose bike. A 300cc or so bike would be easy for me to transport in my van. Not decided yet. Used to love Kawasaki so I am sniffing around a bit. These are in the $7-$8k range. Would rather have a physical asset than money in the bank.

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I have two dirt bikes sitting in my shop that I have not ridden since I moved to Oregon (2011). I really need to get off my bubblegum and either ride them or sell them. I am thinking I would like to get an AWD dirt bike (two stroke) or an electric AWD bicycle or maybe an electric off-road bicycle with two front wheels.

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Despite the limited range of electric bicycles, they are quiet, lightweight (comparatively) and most are capable.

 

[AshWilliams]

As a former complete maniac on motorcycles in my youth I've avoided them for over 20 years. Now I see the practicality of having something on hand that can go around traffic and get 50+ mpg.

Friends badgering me "don't do that" - well I do as I please. Just no more superbikes. Thinking adventure bike or a smaller dual purpose bike. A 300cc or so bike would be easy for me to transport in my van. Not decided yet. Used to love Kawasaki so I am sniffing around a bit. These are in the $7-$8k range. Would rather have a physical asset than money in the bank.

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That's funny dude. I used to ride a 92 FXR Superglide in my mid 20s hardcore: winter, rain, you name it. I sold it for college tuition and ended up regretting my decision.

I just got a new bike a couple of months ago!

 

[Pete F]

I ride a 1978 Harley Superglide, but working in California, I didn't take it with me. The parking at San Onofre was so bad that I decided to buy a dirt bike to commute. I found a Honda XR 500 from a company that raced them. It seemed to be in good shape and price, so I hopped on , kick started it and let out the clutch - the bike almost left me and I have been riding since I was 11.

I think the salesman was giggling, but I kept it upright and motored on down the road. It was severely modified and a slight turn of the throttle would bring the front wheel up.

I sold it when I got back home to a freind that was a crazy bike rider. I would have hurt myself eventually. He popped a wheelie on the side of a hill and rode it out for several hundred yards.

That would have made a good SHTF bike.

 

[ATCclears]

While doing more research and making notes on a next place to live, I came across this and thought I'd share it.

Remember the Halloween Principle. On Halloween kids tend to go to the houses closest together since this increases candy received in a given period of time while minimizing the walking effort and distance. The exception is big houses in rich neighborhoods where the payout is worth the distance between houses.

 

[P7M13]

Found a fully outfitted Shopsmith, with a factory manual, in VGC for $150. Many of the accessory parts were still in their factory boxes, untouched. Loaded it into the truck minutes later.

 

[P7M13]

While doing more research and making notes on a next place to live, I came across this and thought I'd share it.

Remember the Halloween Principle. On Halloween kids tend to go to the houses closest together since this increases candy received in a given period of time while minimizing the walking effort and distance. The exception is big houses in rich neighborhoods where the payout is worth the distance between houses.

Is the implicit thinking, move to rural area, anyone approaching the house on Halloween *must* be Michael Meyers and should be shot on site?
[Edit] when I consider an area to move into, I call my insurance agent of 30 years and ask her for her company's statistics on crime in that area. Very telling stuff....

 

[NobullSKS]

Been slowly stocking up on aluminum foil, press and seal, cortisone cream, allergy pills, speciality bars of soap, candy for the freeze dryer, boxed meal kits, foil packaged rice meal sides, etc.

Got 4 more costco chickens prepped to freeze dry.

There you go…. Candy.
What candy is ideal for freeze drying?

 

[NobullSKS]

Found a fully outfitted Shopsmith, with a factory manual, in VGC for $150. Many of the accessory parts were still in their factory boxes, untouched. Loaded it into the truck minutes later.

Sweet… but had to google. Not what I remember at trade shows 20 yrs ago. There was a gimmicky shop "do all" type stationary machine but I can't find it on the webs.
Norm sponsored it for a quick minute but…… IDK
Quite taller and more vertical stance. More modern and did a number of wood processes.
Table saw, dowels, drum sander, jointer….ect.
Thought they called it a shop smith

 

[The Heretic]

While doing more research and making notes on a next place to live, I came across this and thought I'd share it.

Remember the Halloween Principle. On Halloween kids tend to go to the houses closest together since this increases candy received in a given period of time while minimizing the walking effort and distance. The exception is big houses in rich neighborhoods where the payout is worth the distance between houses.

Also, visibility.

During the summer you can only see my house from certain angles and within 100 yards, on the private road, and then not very well. During the winter it is about twice as visible. From the public road you can't see it at all. My exterior lights only turn on with motion and interior lights are not any more visible than the house itself (except two porch lights, which I rarely turn on).

This was one of the reasons I chose this property; I wanted a house that wasn't visible from anywhere except close up, and have privacy/solitude. A lot of the other houses on the mountain are visible from a distance - some can even be seen from 10 miles away at night or when the sun reflects on their windows. I do not have a "view"; my house is surrounded by tall (100'+) conifer trees.

The public road here is a backroad, gravel/mud, inclined enough to prevent 2WD when it snows or is icy, and it goes nowhere; it doesn't go to any town or community, it starts and ends at no destination and isn't labeled as taking someone somewhere. Lots of backroads like that here on the mountain.

Also, since it is a mountain, it is relatively steep (more effort to walk/bicycle up), there are ravines/gullies, and other obstacles that would discourage traversing it. Not a lot of houses thanks to Oregon's growth boundaries. It would take a normal healthy person 2-3 days to hike here from downtown Portland on a good day with backpack, a marathon walker could do it in a day or two if they didn't have a backpack load. Once out here, they would need to know where they were going - i.e., have a destination.

Someone driving here would probably get lost too unless they had been here before.

Also, I am not on/off a main road to any real destination - only one small city and the "highway"(two lane paved backroad) is a tertiary third choice to get there - it is the worst paved road to get to/from that city, especially in the winter.

All of this adds up to a much lower chance of "raiders" or refugees and there are other houses/farms/etc. between the population centers and my house.

 

[NobullSKS]

Just a happy post.

Second job task today….
Going to pick up materials for tomorrow and the battery light on dash came on….

Homedepot parking lot check of running volts 12.5 (should be 14.5)
Stop at auto zone and ask for electrical check…. Just wanted confirmation
-65% battery life but good condition
- ****their machine couldn't check charging with low battery…..**** junk.
JUNK****
Thankfully home was close..

Thought this would be pain in rear because it's a van with smaller hood and removable center console…. I was relieved that all I had remove was air cleaner box and belt.
Made it home and by the time I had the old alternator out…. My wife made it home with new one…. Great team … better half.

Had a backup (new) serpentine belt (probably the hardest part) on truck….so replaced it too, with alternator.

Anyway working on cars kinda gives me anxiety nowadays so I don't, unless I have to.

Success…. Praise report….3 hours later it's full charge and running right now. Feeeewww

Lesson….. if your power across battery terminals isn't more than 12v while running…. (Easy DCV check) You're not charging and once the battery is drained you'll be stuck. Those portable power stations can give you some mileage while driving with it under the hood……. Maybe a quick test of voltage can get someone to where they need to be for a repair and not stuck on road. I probably drove 25 miles on battery alone….. lucky was a fairly decent battery.
THX for reading…..

 

[The Heretic]

Lesson….. if your power across battery terminals isn't more than 12v while running…. (Easy DCV check) You're not charging and once the battery is drained you'll be stuck.

Yup - All cars should (but often do not) have a voltmeter in them.

Anything less than 13 volts while at fast idle and no load (headlights/etc.), should be a warning. Anything less than 12.8 volts, is an issue. Anything more than 15 volts may be an issue with voltage regulator and may boil the battery. At about 2K RPM, if the headlights bring your voltage down below 12.8 volts, your charging system has issues. If all of those voltages are fine while the vehicle is running, but your battery voltage is below 12.4 volts the next morning or in a few days, either you battery isn't holding a charge, and/or you have a parasitic draw (my SUV battery voltage often drops because I drive it about twice a month and it has a computer and alarm system).

If your car doesn't have a voltmeter, get one. You can buy one for $15 that plugs into your cig lighter.

 

[NobullSKS]

oops double post

 

[NobullSKS]

Yup - All cars should (but often do not) have a voltmeter in them.

Anything less than 13 volts while at fast idle and no load (headlights/etc.), should be a warning. Anything less than 12.8 volts, is an issue. Anything more than 15 volts may be an issue with voltage regulator and may boil the battery. At about 2K RPM, if the headlights bring your voltage down below 12.8 volts, your charging system has issues. If all of those voltages are fine while the vehicle is running, but your battery voltage is below 12.4 volts the next morning or in a few days, either you battery isn't holding a charge, and/or you have a parasitic draw (my SUV battery voltage often drops because I drive it about twice a month and it has a computer and alarm system).

If your car doesn't have a voltmeter, get one. You can buy one for $15 that plugs into your cig lighter.

Geeze thx…. That was the whole point of posting….got swept away in the relief.

Point was that I had all tools I needed in/on truck. Even the belt tension wrench….1/2" drive ratchet will do the same.

 

[OrPackrat]

Lesson….. if your power across battery terminals isn't more than 12v while running…. (Easy DCV check) You're not charging and once the battery is drained you'll be stuck. Those portable power stations can give you some mileage while driving with it under the hood……. Maybe a quick test of voltage can get someone to where they need to be for a repair and not stuck on road. I probably drove 25 miles on battery alone….. lucky was a fairly decent battery.
THX for reading…..

Won't work on my geo metro, running or not during the day, my voltage is usually about 14.5v lol.

It has enough power I could probably remove the alternator.

Oversized starting battery, 128ah worth of SLA battery tied in, and 100w solar panel on the roof.

One of these days, I'll get around to rigging a auxiliary battery in the other car and another solar panel...

Helps run auxiliary equipment and self charges, even takes care of small battery drains, self fixes.



Rigging up a 35-55ah SLA battery in a vehicle with a smart isolator and a high amperage relay back to the starting battery, with the flip of a switch you could jump your own starter battery.

A solar panel would give extra range, I like glass and aluminum framed 100w panels.

 

[NobullSKS]

Won't work on my geo metro, running or not during the day, my voltage is usually about 14.5v lol.

It has enough power I could probably remove the alternator.

Oversized starting battery, 128ah worth of SLA battery tied in, and 100w solar panel on the roof.

One of these days, I'll get around to rigging a auxiliary battery in the other car and another solar panel...

Helps run auxiliary equipment and self charges, even takes care of small battery drains, self fixes.



Rigging up a 35-55ah SLA battery in a vehicle with a smart isolator and a high amperage relay back to the starting battery, with the flip of a switch you could jump your own starter battery.

A solar panel would give extra range, I like glass and aluminum framed 100w panels.

Sounds friggin RAD…. Though it's over my head. On a Metro?… sweet. Is this a Zombie vehicle?