What did you do today to prep?

[The Heretic]

Ordered a 2-pack of these:

[Amazon] 2-Pack INCX Solar Outdoor Motion-Sensor Lights - $11.99 (was $34.99)

Sep 06, 2024

www.preppingdeals.net

For $6 each light, even if they are not very good, not a bad deal. I already have something similar on my driveway. One gave up after about 5 years, but the others still work. I prefer the motion sensor to having lights on all the time (like many of my neighbors do). Also, the solar means I can mount them various places where I don't have electricity.

 

[Bacchus]

Ordered a 2-pack of these:

[Amazon] 2-Pack INCX Solar Outdoor Motion-Sensor Lights - $11.99 (was $34.99)

Sep 06, 2024

www.preppingdeals.net

For $6 each light, even if they are not very good, not a bad deal. I already have something similar on my driveway. One gave up after about 5 years, but the others still work. I prefer the motion sensor to having lights on all the time (like many of my neighbors do). Also, the solar means I can mount them various places where I don't have electricity.

I prefer motion sensor too, not just for electricity savings, but because it provides some illusion that you're watching from the house and switched on the lights.

 

[The Heretic]

I prefer motion sensor too, not just for electricity savings, but because it provides some illusion that you're watching from the house and switched on the lights.

That and if, like me, your house is not very visible from the road (especially in the summer), you are not advertising the existence of your house.

I live on a dead end private road that is off a back country gravel mountain road that goes nowhere. So very little traffic (even on the public road) - just 8 family residences, some of whom work from home, the occasional delivery or service truck - other than that, no reason for the sight seer/etc. to be driving by, especially not after dark. I chose this property for its seclusion.

The only reason my exterior lights come on are either delivery vehicles or animals - the latter are the usual case.

Anyway, neighbors for some reason think that lighting up their property like a baseball field all night long, makes them safer - obviously transplanted city folk. It makes them a target IMO.

 

[Lilhigbee]

Anyway, neighbors for some reason think that lighting up their property like a baseball field all night long, makes them safer - obviously transplanted city folk. It makes them a target IMO.

I never have understood people's fear of the dark. When your property is truly dark anyone with nefarious ideas will have to bring a light and that will make them fairly obvious. With your stadium lighting you not only provide light for them to work by, but shadows for them to hide in. Hardly an ideal situation.

 

[The Heretic]

I never have understood people's fear of the dark. When your property is truly dark anyone with nefarious ideas will have to bring a light and that will make them fairly obvious. With your stadium lighting you not only provide light for them to work by, but shadows for them to hide in. Hardly an ideal situation.

Plus IR/NV cams/etc. would allow the defender to see intruders, without letting them know they are seen, plus it makes it harder for them to hide - which they probably won't even try to do if there is no lighting.

Many of the houses on the mountain can be seen from the valley - lit up at night, large picture windows reflecting sunlight in the day so homeowners can have their "view". My house is hidden by tall trees all around it.

 

[michaels]

Great idea! What can you grow in winter? Thanks

Lots of stuff! Mostly brassicas. (Kale, cabbage, brocolli, etc..) I recommend Steve Solomons books, "growing vegetables west of the cascades" and "gardening when it counts" If you're going to get anything for this winter, now is kinda a last minute hail mary. You can also plant garlic in October for a june/July harvest.

 

[The Heretic]

Ordered a waterproof tarp

[Amazon] Gold Armour Camoflauge Hammock Rainfly Tarp (10' x 8') - $17.49 (was $34.99)

Sep 08, 2024

www.preppingdeals.net

 

[Angie]

I canned 3 qts of beets in my new electric canner. I had some siphoning, but nothing catastrophic. I will make some adjustments next time though. That will likely be tomorrow with some beans. BEANS! I harvested over 10# of string beans yesterday. Wholly beanpole, Batman! Red bush beans are nearly done. Plants are dying off. Bush green beans have another week or two, no new flowers. But the pole beans are going crazy! I have 4 of each plant and I got 3+ pounds of the green and 6 pounds of the purple. I already have 14 qts of beans in the pantry, and likely at least 10 more with just what I have picked so far. I don't think I will plant string beans next summer. I have some black-eyed peas and some kind of cherokee beans that I will plant instead.

I dried some seeds from the spinach about a month ago. I just planted some of those seeds to experiment with. If they work, I won't purchase spinach seeds next season.

I stained some of the lower part of the deck that really needed it before winter. We are seeing our final 80° days, so I was glad to get that buttoned up.

We also are very nearly finished to a closed up side of the greenhouse. We have the plastic end for the other side, and the kids have agreed to come and help us install that either this coming up weekend or the next. That will save the tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers for another six weeks or so.

I'm super happy with the results of our garden labors this spring. It's only at half capacity, but I fear if it was full, it would be a full-time job. I don't need two of those. But I think the electric canner will be helpful.

I also set up an appointment for the chimney sweep.

 

[Index75]

Set up a water catchment system (not the asphalt shingled roof). Instead I've run plastic gutters along the fence in the back yard and it collects in a 55 gallon rain barrel. Not sure yet how much I'll be able to collect so that'll be the test this Fall/Winter/Spring: find out how much I water I can reasonably collect when sheltering in place.

 

[HiFi Magnetics]

how you you make pumpkin spice hot chocolate instantly?
Thanks!
Edited: 9:41 am
Opps. I got one at Fred Meyers. Thanks,

 

[The Heretic]

I got up yesterday morning at 130AM to drive into PDX & catch a flight to Missoula. As I suspected, getting there 2 hours before the flight was not necessary; I was thru TSA (sniffing, scanned twice and patted down once) in 30 minutes, so then I sat waiting to board for an hour.

Bought a diesel pickup (Toyota HiLux) in Missoula & drove it home. Got home today.



While I was in Missoula I got a gallon of grain alcohol because MT does not charge tax on liquor. I don't drink, but it would be ok for bartering and medicinal uses.

 

[Camelfilter]

I got up yesterday morning at 130AM to drive into PDX & catch a flight to Missoula. As I suspected, getting there 2 hours before the flight was not necessary; I was thru TSA (sniffing, scanned twice and patted down once) in 30 minutes, so then I sat waiting to board for an hour.

Bought a diesel pickup (Toyota HiLux) in drove it home.

View attachment 1948379

While I was in Missoula I got a gallon of grain alcohol because MT does not charge tax on liquor. I don't drink, but it would be ok for bartering and medicinal uses.

Nice!

Can't tell from the pic, converted drive side, or right side? Looks like right side because of the little/extra left fender mirror.

 

[Malpasollc]

This is not meant as a discussion thread. Just what you did today to prep.

If you didn't do anything, please don't post, but feel free to read what others have done to prep.

I stole the thread idea from ARFCOM Survival section.

Post what you did, practiced, or bought.

If you have questions, feel free to start a tread here in the Survival Forum.

I added 10 - $5 bills to the cash stash along with 4 boxes of 9mil and 4 boxes of 308...

 

[The Heretic]

Nice!

Can't tell from the pic, converted drive side, or right side? Looks like right side because of the little/extra left fender mirror.

Right side, and it took me some getting used to, especially shifting with the left hand. For a while I was using the wipers instead of the turn signal. Then I went to get my BMW from the airport and I was doing it with the LHD - using the wipers because I was by then used to using the turn signal with my right hand - other than that I did fine switching back to LHD.

That little mirror is useless - at least on that pickup; it points down at the ground alongside the passenger door. I am going to take it off.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Rotating my meager 5x5 gal and misc smaller can storage into my vehicles. Even with Sta-Bil the best we get with stored fuel is about a year before it is considerably weaker.

It is always a pain because it isn't like I can just fill up a truck's tank. 5 gallons to top off a 30 gal or so tank which wouldn't be noticeable.

Don't have a lot of separate storage shed space for fuel, but do what I can to have a minor amount on hand. This time I'll locate some non-Ethanol gas because that is the element that goes bad first and gums up small engines. Might be able to push Premium non-Ethanol, treated gas two years. (Don't take my word on it, not a fuel expert).

 

[Angie]

Very nice @The Heretic I'm glad it all worked out with no issues.

 

[gomanual]

I refreshed all the supplies in my "walk home from work" bag. I keep a pack with about 24 hours worth of gear in the trunk of the car just in case I ever have to hoof it home. I try to check it over once a season, especially to keep the footwear relevant. Walking home in my daily driver office shoes does not seem like a plan for success

 

[Bacchus]

Rotating my meager 5x5 gal and misc smaller can storage into my vehicles. Even with Sta-Bil the best we get with stored fuel is about a year before it is considerably weaker.

It is always a pain because it isn't like I can just fill up a truck's tank. 5 gallons to top off a 30 gal or so tank which wouldn't be noticeable.

Don't have a lot of separate storage shed space for fuel, but do what I can to have a minor amount on hand. This time I'll locate some non-Ethanol gas because that is the element that goes bad first and gums up small engines. Might be able to push Premium non-Ethanol, treated gas two years. (Don't take my word on it, not a fuel expert).

I've posted this before, but in a different thread. It's "The list of ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada":

pure-gas.org

You click on your state and then it lists, by city within your state, gas stations that sell ethanol-free gas. Some of the places are marina fuel docks. I used it a year ago when I bought gas for my lawn mower gas. Still good a year later, although I also added preservative.

 

[The Heretic]

Very nice @The Heretic I'm glad it all worked out with no issues.

Oh, I had some drama with the hi-rise (5'+) canopy that came with it - kept getting pushed back by the wind at speed - had to fix that. And the canopy slowed the speed way down it is so tall.



The headlights - aftermarket LEDs - sucked in the dark. Those gotta go (FWIW- the reason the grill is off my older pickup is because I was trying to replace it's lights too, but could not due to the rusty screws).

I got lost in the Palouse several times - somewhat due to Google Maps and didn't get into Kennewick until well after dark - I am still very tired from that. Google turned me the wrong way again this morning, but I was on guard this time and caught it before I would up on the east coast.

But I did make it home without dying.

 

[The Heretic]

Walking home in my daily driver office shoes does not seem like a plan for success

I keep my supplies, including the backpack, in two MTM "ammo crates". This keeps the mice out the supplies, keeps them from getting wet, and keeps them altogether.

I keep an almost brand new pair of Vasque GTX hiking boots in those supplies too, and some spare pairs of socks. Those are the only boots I have that fit my feet almost perfectly without having to be broke in.