Weekly Prepper's Thread

9/28/12

[Old Sarge]

As part of our ongoing efforts, The Bride and I raided Sam's Club a few weekends ago, and as we were headed for the checkout, Sarge's eyes bugged out at this:

You're looking at the ReadyFreddy Survival Kit - a pre-packed, pre-supplied Bug-Out Bag. The bag itself is a ballistic nylon backpack, with velcro pads inside for the contents. The contents, as you see, are divided into five components, which detail as follows:

The tan Tools/Supply/Food/Water bag includes a 12-function Gerber knockoff; work gloves, duct tape, and rope; a tool that allows you to shut off a gas line; and pre-packaged food rations and water for one person for three days.

The black Personal bag is almost empty, but includes pen/paper, a poker deck, and a 7-day pill box. You can obviously add to this one.

The blue Protection bag has a four-function whistle, two space blankets, two ponchos, two trash bags, and five dust masks.

The red bag, First Aid, was the one The Bride tore apart first (she being a retired USAF medic). It's a 90-piece starter first-aid kit, with bandages of several types, latex gloves, alcohol preps, sponge dressings, butterfly closures, tape, and a first-aid primer pamphlet. The Bride could be heard muttering her approval.

What caught Sarge's eye, though, was the green bag; Light/Power/Comms. A box of waterproof wood matches, a 6-pack of candles, a shaker-charge flashlight, and the biggie: a crank-powered and solar-powered AM/FM radio with a flashlight, and a 12-volt car adapter for charging cel phones or other gadgets. No batteries are required for either of the gadgets.

Along with the bugout bag comes a copy of FEMA's disaster prep manual, as well. The website claims the rations are shelf-life up to 5 years. The whole pack weighs in at 13 pounds. You can order at the website for additional ration packs, gadgets and supplies, or use the contents as a baseline for expansion for incorporation into your own preps.

The whole bag is available at the website for $150. We paid $125 at Sam's Club. After doing some math, there's a major savings with the purchase, as opposed to accumulating all the components separately. It's a good way for a beginner prepper to start . All in all, Sarge and The Bride just got her G.O.O.D bag for her SUV!

You can inspect the pack here...

[Indy Pendance]

I did 36.5 quarts of tomatoes, tomorrow, I’ll get another 1/2 bu of apples. I’ll do a bushel of apples this weekend. I’m also planning a trip to the dented can place.

We’re pretty much set. I’d like to get a 1/2 pig, but freezer space is limited since our 1/4 beef purchase (the pig will be purchased within the next couple months). Now it’s only dairy, eggs and fresh veggie purchases. We’re almost set for the season.

I’ll say this, if you don’t buy bulk, you’re an idiot.

[Indy Pendance]

You’ll LOVE it! Congratulations! Good luck!

[Indy Pendance]

I find all my canning jars, except lids and rings, at rummage sales. Sorry, old granny types give away this stuff. I got 2 dozen quart jars from my son-in-law’s grandma.

[4everontheRight]

I have a prepper issue I am hoping someone on the prepper thread can help me with....I honestly do not know where to go on this one...I want to buy land...you know, away from the loitering masses. I am thinking about using mutual funds to buy it....you know dump them before Obombo gets his hands on them. Anyone done this? What is the best way to avoid a mass tax on such?

[mountainlion]

There was a woman that was touring the states several decades ago that wanted to stop in Colorado to try the grasses. I remember some hippies eating cattail roots. Backwoods home magazine had an article on “Guerrilla Gardening” a few years ago where a person would cut the limbs off the south side of a pine tree up to about 7 feet and plant potatoes.

[bgill]

Add a little water and melt them down. Add herbs, ground coffee or whatever to fancy them up. Pour into plastic candy molds or paper lined muffin tins. After they harden enough turn them out and let dry more on cookie racks. The little candy molds make fun shapes for gifts. This is a great project for kids or grandkids.

Use the same idea for salvaging broken crayons.

Also, save used candles. Melt and remold them. You’ll need new wicks or just use broken or warped tapers by pouring melted old candles around them in the mold. Frozen juice cans and cream cartons make good molds as you just peel off the container when hardened.

[bgill]

My county already has a drone. Was among the first counties to get one. What is the sheriff doing with it? I don’t know.

Say what?!? In Texas no less. Those libs moving in our ruining our great state. Is your county rural or urban? When one of those things crashes into someone's house or playground, I hope he gets his butt kicked out of office.

[bgill]

Looks like she has a lot of useful vids. Well now I know what I’m going to be doing this weekend.

[bgill]

Check at Dollar General or Family Dollar for jars.

[DuncanWaring]

I take the leftover sliver from a bar of soap and just stick it to the next bar after the next bar has gotten wet and the outside is softened.

[Marcella]

I'm in Montgomery County, north of Houston. About 400,000 people. It's a large county and does have rural areas, smaller towns, and Conroe is the largest city. County is about 95% or more, Republican.

This drone can navigate to see through windows. Cameras or weapons can be attached to this drone. Drones in this country are Big Brother.

[WakeUpAndVote]

I think a better way would be to low temp melt them and remold into bigger bars. A metal loaf pan would be perfect. Pour it in and when partially solidified cut into bars
___

Low temp melt and plastic ice cube trays. Let them harden up and plastic wrap each one.

[WakeUpAndVote]

Gander Mountain has bulk .22 boxes. I shoot the Federal blue box. 525 rounds for about averaging $20. (.04 per round) This ammo shoots very well with semi auto and slam stock mods. Only 3 or four duds per box. There is a local shop that alerts customers online to sales. It will drop to $16 a box of 525 then.

[Iron Munro]

I would like a meat grinder.

Have you looked on Craigslist?

Our local Craigslist usually has quite a few listed - both hand and power operated.

I also see them on eBay at reasonable prices but the shipping cost can kill the deal, especially on the lower price hand models.

[Iron Munro]

"what I really want is a commercial grade juicer...the type where you can throw whole tomatoes in"

We have one called "Squeezo".
For a hand powered device it works pretty good.

They have been sold for many years under various brand names, Garden Way, etc.
So there are a lot of used ones available as well as btand new ones.
Some models are all metal and solidly built, other models are part plastic.
Different augers are available to do pumpkin, etc.

You can usually find nice used ones on eBay at reasonable prices.

We got ours for less than $50 on eBay and it looked like it had hardly been used.

Here's what it looks like:

[Ladysmith]

I made one this past spring and it’s still a hit with family and friends. One brother has the art of cooking Jiffy Pop popcorn over it down to a science.

[Iron Munro]

Where do you get your canning jars? I am having trouble finding them at Wal-Mart in my area.

We got about half our canning jars for free - or nearly free.

Many people are not aware that Classico brand pasta sauce comes in regular mason jars with screw on tops.
Not all sizes, but the 28 ounce red sauces are sold in regular canning jars.
Sometimes you will also find the small jars with pesto or bruschetta (like 1/2 pints) that are also mason style jars.

We bought a few jars of this sauce to try out when the local market had Classico on a buy-one-get-one sale. They have this sale twice a year usually around Feb and Oct. Sometimes we also find coupons for Classico on the net, in the newspapers etc.

Most of our jars we got from family and friends who bought the sauce and saved the jars for us.
We just asked everyone we could to try Classico and save the jars for us.
For a jar sauce it isn't bad and some people decided they liked it and saved the jars for us.
We have even talked to people we see buying the sauce in the store and a few of them saved jars for us!

All of our local grocery stores sell tons of Classico sauce so there are literally thousands of jars out there.
All you have to do is get your hands on them!

We have canned with these jars for years and never had a failure or broken jar.

[Ladysmith]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZMbmvB62Hw

Wow, there it is! Both the electric and manual ones are impressive! wondermill Jr deluxe grinder

[Ladysmith]

I have that setup ready here for temporary emergency use. IIRC, once you start using it, it’s only good for six months. So I haven’t tested it (limited funds).