What I'm doing to prepare right now

[nomifyle]

Cooked some gluten free pancakes for lunch, not that I'm GF but have some pancake mix and gave it a try. Taste is okay, lots of butter helps anything. Living in a camper I have little space for anything so my sofa gets piled up so I'm working on that and cleaning out my tiny closet space of lite colored warm weather clothes. Got some cheap hanging bags from Dollar Tree to store them in and then onto the hanger thing I have in my school bus for winter storage. I'm making my shopping list to get more pet food and dog biscuits. No real place to store dog food, so it stays on the backseat of my truck, it seems safe there. When I make my shopping run I'll fill up my empty propane tanks and gas cans. Would have gone today but it has been raining since Sunday, finally not right now though. I'm don't go out much in the rain because one of my precious dogs, that refuses to be contained, chases my truck, so I just don't deal with that in the rain. Funny how he is terrified of other vehicles but chases mine. Just never have been able to break him of it.

Right now, more than anything else, I'm glued to the teevee and computer. Blah. I'll get past it tho and get off my behind.

In an effort to economize on gas I don't get away from the house much, but when I do I top off my tank. It's 30 miles to the nearest gas station so I make the most of my trips.

Very, very few like minded people around here so when I stay home I'm with a 100% prepper.

Judy

[shinerbock]

Took care of our needs with some purchases last week 223 and a new tool for our peace of mind.. LOL.. Sounds like you have a great networking opportunity good going.. We are so far out in the sticks only have 3 neighbors with in several miles and 20 miles to any town.. We are very fortunate in the group around us as they are of the same mind set and we are pretty close knit..

You are one resourceful and sharp person. Your family is blessed to have your guidance and you're blessed to have such a son.

[Ronman2002]

have the wife tying up some financial ends and picking up meds. I am topping of the portable gas tanks (100% gas with stabil) and printing off some online info that I may need as references in the event it becomes no longer available due to various reasons.

[shinerbock]

Have a month's worth of goods to put up/conceal. Am good to go with H20 [sounds like a bumper sticker or a football cheer

Dennis, I thought I was the only guy compelled to clean before TSHTF. DW doesn't get it but why not get off to a good start when not knowing how long one will be without water for bathing, cleaning etc. and power for vacuum etc. Just because the world is in chaos doesn't mean I want the living quarters to be. Anybody else out there with a similar compulsion?

Am running air purifier every day, keeping laundry and dishes up to date, the oven is clean, the ceiling fans and table fans are clean and thus more efficient as long as the power frid is up, fumigated three weeks ago, inflated HD queen mattress pad before power is gone - every time I sit down, I think of something else and I'm getting tired.

Busy is good @ this point. I'd rather be ready when it hits then scrambling around trying to do things that will be difficult or impossible to do then.

[peekaboo]

Deleated

[diamonds]

I bought buttermilk so I can make buttermilk pancakes for breakfast tomorrow... Does that count? J/K

I think I am well stocked... I am doing other things though to keep supplies replenished.. I did get rabbit and rabbit hutches last week... I have a chicken tractor coming on Friday and my cousin is bringing me 6 young layers and a batch of new chicks on Saturday... Plus composter is filled and the greenhouse should be here within the next day or two..

[Flippper]

Thanks for your reply Ambereyes, how do you do your pork? I was told pork is a bugger to dehydrate properly, but that is merely a challenge to me, I just know it can be done, and it sounds like you have found a way.

I wish I could make my dehydrator work faster, I feel like opening the door and blowing on it!

[ohiohippie]

I am getting more protein shake mix!

[Meemur]

Laundry here, too. I'm in the process of swapping summer clothing for winter, plus rotating the summer car preps for the winter ones.

Yesterday, I checked the contents of the BoBs and rotated the water, food, and batteries.

[Penguin Zen]

Thanks for your reply Ambereyes, how do you do your pork? I was told pork is a bugger to dehydrate properly, but that is merely a challenge to me, I just know it can be done, and it sounds like you have found a way.

I wish I could make my dehydrator work faster, I feel like opening the door and blowing on it!

I was reading here the other day ..
http://www.ehow.com/how_4964887_dehy...food-oven.html

[Wise Owl]

Dh and I tore the house apart cleaning today and putting down more DE. (diatomaceous earth)
We were so lucky to have one of the neighborhood visiting dogs bring up fleas this summer. Been battling around a month now on those buggers. Dh did the yard yesterday with an eco friendly bug killer to get the ones that may be out there.
Tomorrow is more canning to do. Green beans have been prolific this year. Such a blessing. Then I have tomatoes to can again. Good year for those also.

Brother and sis in law coming this weekend so also need to get ready for them if things don't go to heck before they can get up here. Sigh. Too much for a crippled up granny, that's for sure but we are getting it done.

Praying to God for some extra money for stuff that really needs to be gotten in before it falls apart, if it does. If not, well it's a long winter up here and any less I have to get out to get is a good thing.

[shinerbock]

Am preparing a double recipe of spaghetti and meatballs to freeze for possible "panic meal". My thinking is low level of work when that time comes, thus we'll be able to enjoy the meal while we surf the media accounts; just cook the pasta, throw a salad together and kazzam!

[Ranger]

As senior in my immediate & extended family locally,
I'm calling for a family meeting to discuss current affairs
and family strategies for coping with identified potentialities.
- communications
- water purification
- first aid prep & training

Ranger

[fairbanksb]

I went to Publix and Big Lots today to try to stock up. All I can say is OMG. If it cost this much now I pity everybody if and when hyperinflation starts. Now it's finding places to put everything.

[Amberglass]

I went to Publix and Big Lots today to try to stock up. All I can say is OMG. If it cost this much now I pity everybody if and when hyperinflation starts. Now it's finding places to put everything.

I did the same thing at our No Frill's today. Now,it's just getting the time to get into the big pantry to rotate it all. I have piles upon piles of bags full of cans outside the pantry door...they just need to be organized. I stocked up on flour, it was on sale. I'm in pretty good shape. Prices are crazy!

I have no time for canning this year. I do have quite a stock left over from last year, jams, pickles, beets, corn relish,salsa, dilly green beans etc. anything else I need, it has to be bought. I am currently doing the work of two people and October is absolutely crazy for me. At least I have the work....I'm not complaining.

[Siskiyoumom]

Going to work each day and praying for my kiddos and their families.

Had a weird incident on the rez.

We have a lot of loose dogs, ie. no collar, no control, no idea who they actually belong to.

Our school has had a calm, mellow, unneutered black lab hanging around school.

On Friday it was shot.

It crawled onto campus and laid by the area where the buses pick up the kids.

A teacher took it into the vet.

Long story short, a local tribal p d dispatcher claimed it attacked him and he shot it with a 44.

Five times.

Blew out it's jaw and tongue.

Bullet throught the hip and out the other hip.

Three additional graze wounds.

Being a sovereign nation the officer cannot be charged with animal cruelty.

So....teachers who care about dogs are pissed.

Those who don't could not give a flying fig about the situation.

Donations are being begged for to pay the vet bill.

The county pound will not take rez dogs because there is no "memorandum of understanding" between the tribe and the county.

This dog is a sweetie.

The guy who shot it is known for being a bit sketchy.

In the mean time I am trying to talk with folks who are receptive of the need to prepare.

And keep calm and doing my best as a teacher.

Ach...I want to be home and working on preps.

Yet I have little kiddos who need me each day to be calm and with it for them.

So.... I trust in the Lord God to lead and guide me.

And my dear hubby is busy cutting fire wood, doing the home chores and being the awesome supportive man he is.

I am so thankful for the life I have been given.

And for each of my students. And their families, not matter how messed up they are.

My s h t f is every day when faced with the horrors my students face with their families.

Too many folks put down public education.

We teachers are here for the kids who do not have folks who give a flying fig about their child's needs.

Rant on. You bet. I go to work every day ready to teach and end up dealing with the saddness of my students lives.

My prep right now is prayer and thanksgiving for the life I am gifted with.

[TxGal]

Praying, thanking the good Lord for the great rain we just had (pastures needed it badly and saves us hay), reading the news probably more than I should, and shopping the sales at HEB/CVS as we can afford to....planning a Costco run. Also reminding DD to PLEASE not let her car get below half a tank of gas...the amount it would take her to get to the family's safer country place. Wishing we'd gotten a rooster when we got the 6 pullets, and working that issue now. DH just picked up a few more pecan and apple trees, and while typing this I just remembered I need to work up an order for Stark Bros fruit trees. Hoping we have enough time to get all received, planted, and established before stuff hits the fan in a large way.

[cheyenneplateau]

Went to Sams club yesterday. Paid too much money and bought too much stuff, but somehow I feel better now!

[cheyenneplateau]

oh, also we bought 2 of the Water BoBs /www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;jsessionid=74BD72D043A69DDBD1C0C87E92B2 D117
It is a large tub shaped water containment system (food grade plastic) that holds up to 100 gal. of water in your tub. A siphon pump is included.
Takes about 20 min to fill it up. The cost is 29.95 plus s&H. Not a sales person for them, but I love this item.

[Giblin]

I'm not sure if my floor would hold the weight of 100 gal of water!

100 gal. of water in your tub

[cheyenneplateau]

Maybe you could drain the water from your water heater?

[Dennis Olson]

Just spent another two grueling hours in the RV. This time it was scrubbing the kitchen area floor, scrubbing the cabinet doors, cleaning the inside of the forward cabin windows, cleaning the inside of the entry door and screen door frame (gag), and.... I cleaned the entire front of the coach, in the driver and passenger area (double gag). So disgustingly filthy that I used 2/3 bottle of 409 and an entire roll of paper towels. Dash area, steering column (triple gag), and the inside of the windshield. The dash/sill area in the very front is almost impossible to clean. I must have spent an hour just on that section.

Now all that remains in the front area is to pick up everything off the floor (cords, papers, etc), and vacuum the entire section thoroughly. Once that's complete, I can move to the bedroom area and start on that. But the really nasty parts are done. I might go out and spend another hour later today if I can recover from this morning's session. My hands and arms are shaking from the effort. My shirt is soaked from sweat. I probably have about 5 hours left on the initial clean of the cabin. Once the cabin is complete, I need to address the lower storage areas, and get them reorganized and repacked. At that point, I'll head back into the cabin for a "fine cleaning." once that's completed, all that's left is going thru the dry and canned goods inside, and tossing what I don't want, and reorganizing what I decide to keep. Then I just do a quick reprovision, load it back up with what I'll take with me, and I can bail at a moments notice. Hoping I can have everything done in about another week. I can only stand to do this a little bit at a time. It's physically exhausting.

[JoshInReno]

Dennis: I found one of these at WalMart or Walgreens or someplace common and it works wonders for inside windshield cleaning. It was like $10.

[Mushroom]

MORE ANTIBIOTICS !!!!

With that said I really did not want to start a new thread.. so I am saying it here.. During all this upheaval I have experienced something for the first time ...HELL in my BODY.. Diverticulitis I managed to stay up on current events among this HELL. I will spare you with not divulging too much info .. but finally after a treatment of Cipro I am human ..I was weak and useless. The world really could have ended and I would have been praying for a bullet with my name . I am not joking. This is from a woman who went through 48 hrs of labor end up with a C-section ....I broke my thumb playing softball we were in our finales I was a catcher and finished playing ..I CAN DO PAIN so what I am saying those antibiotics were a miracle for me. ..and like I said I had never had this happen to me before so how could I have prepped for it .. other than have the Cipro on hand like I did .

My husband has this problem and I have learned to treat it at home with colloidal silver and kefir. I make the kefir for him and make sure he had 2 cups a day when he's feeling bad and 1 cup a day when he's better. The colloidal silver I also make myself and he takes a shotglassful every 3 or 4 hours depending on how bad he feels. So far it has kept him out of the hospital. It is usually resolved in about 2 days in this manner. Hope this helps.

Mushroom

[Dennis Olson]

Josh, the issue is the distance from the seating areas to the windshield. In my RV, that distance is roughly 2-3 feet. And each panel of windshield is 3' by 4'. The thing you found looks great for a car, but it won't work for the RV, unfortunately.

[cheyenneplateau]

Dennis: I found one of these at WalMart or Walgreens or someplace common and it works wonders for inside windshield cleaning. It was like $10.

I Like that, I'll have to look for it next time Im in wally world.

[JoshInReno]

Josh, the issue is the distance from the seating areas to the windshield. In my RV, that distance is roughly 2-3 feet. And each panel of windshield is 3' by 4'. The thing you found looks great for a car, but it won't work for the RV, unfortunately.

Darn.

Dennis, have you considered a solar system for your RV? They are no too expensive, not hard to install and can really extend your time away from a power source.

I started my system with a 100 watt panel for less than $300 (panel, wiring and charge controller) and it is REALLY nice to know it covers the basic electrical requirements for my 5th wheel.

[Hoss75]

Cutting more firewood and adding to food. Otherwise better than 99.9999999% That's all anyone could hope for.

[Dennis Olson]

Darn.

Dennis, have you considered a solar system for your RV? They are no too expensive, not hard to install and can really extend your time away from a power source.

I started my system with a 100 watt panel for less than $300 (panel, wiring and charge controller) and it is REALLY nice to know it covers the basic electrical requirements for my 5th wheel.

Actually, in a motorhome, they ARE expensive. I have a power multiplexer that allows me to run off battery, shore power or on-board genset. Any solar system has to be connected to that multiplexer. A decent solar system that would allow me to cold-camp costs about $1500 installed. Additionally, if I wanted to run one or both a/c units, that gets REALLY expensive. And now we're also talking about 500+ lbs of additional batteries.

No, solar is not for me, unfortunately. I have performed due diligence in this regard before I ever left home.

[Dennis Olson]

Just spent another hour in the front area pulling all the cords out and vacuuming 4" of dog hard out from under the chairs. Getting closer. The forward area is not ALMOST habitable again. I have a huge pounding headache from crawling around on the floor. I'm done for the day. Tomorrow, I'll start on the sleeping quarters and bathroom. I hope to be able to complete both in a single session, or at least the initial cleaning.

I still have a lot to do, but the horrible front end is essentially complete.



I hate this...

[Hfcomms]

One thing I've learned living small is it's a lot easier to keep up with on a day to day basis then letting it go. A dirty living space also effects your own psychology and that is probably part of the reason the MH was driving you nuts before you got the house. Heck, I vacuum my rug at least 2 times a day with a shark navigator to keep the dog hair off the floor because I can't stand to live with the fur all over.

[Dennis Olson]

I know. But I lived there with both dogs inside and no slides. Very tight, and very hard to clean with them present. And no place to put them while I clean.

[fairbanksb]

Spending time reorganizing and trying to make more room somewhere. We've been lazy when we put groceries away. Once I started putting like items together I have a better sense of just how much or how few of things I have. I said in a previous thread that I don't have much in the way of barter items. I lied. How did I get so much pancake syrup. LOL. Got soups coming out my ears. Can probably turn loose of some spices too. I got an email yesterday. I won a $100 gift certificate from a Kansas City Steak Company Sweepstakes. That will certainly come in handy for stocking the freezer. Still jotting down a list of things I still need to get. Will look at the finances and try to eliminate at least some of the list tomorrow.

[Shirley/PA]

I'm as set as I can be. Not a lot of funds to do much but keep the gas tank full at this point.

One thing I did splurge on was a bag of 24 daffodill bulbs. Planted them today. Figure by this coming Spring I'm gonna want to see their beautiful color right outside my kitchen door. One way or the other the Spring will come again.

[rmomaha]

I'm filling the car up every day. Need to buy more 5.56MM ammo. Hard to sleep, there is so much coming down the pike.

[Mister W]

With my money so tight and low, I would have to wait until tomorrow to fill up my gas tanks and make food runs. I have ramen noodle on my list. HEB has a 36 count for $4 (I think). I have 5 rain barrels full of water. I just need a filtration system for it. Just gotta write my priorities and projects down and go down the list. Only if I had $5000, I would be set for years. Wishful thinking.

[libertylover]

Gonna check this weekend for sales. If I can just get a little time off work. I feel bad even saying that with so many out of a job.

[Wise Owl]

With my money so tight and low, I would have to wait until tomorrow to fill up my gas tanks and make food runs. I have ramen noodle on my list. HEB has a 36 count for $4 (I think). I have 5 rain barrels full of water. I just need a filtration system for it. Just gotta write my priorities and projects down and go down the list. Only if I had $5000, I would be set for years. Wishful thinking.

Ha, I would be happy with $500, $5000 would keep us good for a VERY long time....lol.

[Marthanoir]

charged all the rechargeable batteries, dug out all the spare radios and checked they still worked ok, bought more lantern fuel, chopped wood & kindling for the range & the fireplace, stacked turf, baked some soda bread for the kids school lunch tomorrow, i have it down to a fine art now, i can go from taking the ingredients out of the cupboard to taking a fresh baked loaf out of the oven in one hour, from flour to hot bread in one hour, can't be bad
and now i'm listening to CCR.. that counts as prepping for shtf don't it

[Dennis Olson]

Just got back in from washing (scrubbing) the outside of the RV windshield. It had dirt tracks all down it from how long it's been. Now, no matter what, I can jump in and drive it. I've gotten it cleaned enough so that I can see to drive, as well as the forward living area and kitchen are complete. So I do feel better. More cleaning tomorrow. I won't be happy until the entire living area is completely clean and organized. Then, if I have to move out of this house, I can do that easily.