PREP Are You Prepared?

[L.A.B.]

I am disgusted hearing about the ALL THE ISRAELI citizens killed in their locked "SAFE ROOMS" THAT WERE NOT SAFE! They apparantly unlocked easily.
What is the builders' explanation?
People were even shot through the DOORS of their "safe" rooms!

What are your thoughts on this?

Even an exceptionally strong wall, door, and lock, are still subject to fire, or extended sledgehammer attack.

At 45, I once took on a 60 year old 8” concrete slab with rebar and 3” x 3” mesh wire after my four long cuts on the perimeter with just a 10 IIRC or 15 pound sledgehammer.

Safe rooms are just a concept unless they are actually described and certified in manners of attack.

Eg: There is no safe room if the bulldozer has fuel, or if the guy who works in mines decides he wants in.

There is no safe room if the perp grabs your inert CO2 tank for the restaurant, and decides to drop a hose under the door, or bore a hole 3/4” hole with the Milwaukee 18 v lithium powered drill you leave unattended in the garage.

A real safe room would resist fire-fire-power-mechanical attacks-and provide an egress unknown to attackers, with a 2nd locked door deterrent, able to give you at least an hour head start before the perp discovered your final egress point.

Tilt-up Concrete Star forts on the cheap, and a half dozen teens on the farm might work if you’re a proponent of stand and deliver. That might buy some time as opposed to the crawl-hide-run, crawl some more and evade or snipe.

Too many scenario’s based upon too many variables. Yet, a safe-room, even a homeowner design and build should factor in an eventual abandoning egress route, with options of tunnels or hidden corridors between rooms where you can remain or exit armed.

Being an old carpenter door-hanger and lock installer type, I can slow you down, but your still getting in.

Even the best Medico-Deadbolt can be simply cut around with the new breed of saws and drills.

Safe for a time. And then you have to bring your best performance. The animated contest is animated. It’s not fair.

 

[Babs]

I've started thinking about bulk salt.
I want to cure meat.
No idea how much I might want.
25, 50 or 100 lbs?

Anyone have a suggestion for a source?

And some kind of battery for storage.
I have 4 unused 100 W panels but nothing to store the juice.

Having something to run a pump is a weakness in my preps.
I have others

Yes! You need salt for so many things! You can buy bulk salt from Azure Standard. I'm sure there are other places, but that is where I get mine. I would store a couple of hundred lbs.

 

[Babs]

I always plan on having enough empty canning jars to allow me to can what's in my freezer should it become necessary. Freezer is convenient today, but food safely canned on the shelf is convenient for years.

I'm canning up a good portion of my freezer meat now. Been working on it for a couple of weeks. If the lights go out, I don't want to be scrambling to to can hundreds of lbs of meat, while trying to keep it fresh long enough to get it all canned.

 

[Babs]

A real safe room would resist fire-fire-power-mechanical attacks-and provide an egress unknown to attackers, with a 2nd locked door deterrent, able to give you at least an hour head start before the perp discovered your final egress point.

Too many scenario’s based upon too many variables. Yet, a safe-room, even a homeowner design and build should factor in an eventual abandoning egress route, with options of tunnels or hidden corridors between rooms where you can remain or exit armed.

We are currently building a new home and this is something that I've given a great deal of thought to, for several years. We are planning on incorporating something with this in mind.

 

[Mark D]

"Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man."

Sans covert exit, if you don't have a group coming to save you (quickly), a Safe Room is just an expensive tomb.

 

[Profit of Doom]

I have the makings for a forge but no coal, and if propane to run the forge becomes inaccessible then what? Stock up on those odd parts!

I hear there’s coal available, just pick it up. Might not be close, though.

 

[Profit of Doom]

I have a lot of meat on the hoof all around me. I just store some potatoes so I can have a complete and balanced meal.

 

[The Cub]

Yes, prepped.

I am also keeping my bills (liabilities) at or near zero.......when the banking system goes down, they will bail in their "assets" i.e. our deposits, but leave the liabilities for us to pay.

 

[Samuel Adams]

No Osage in my part of Iowa. I can weld, no problem.

I was referring to forge welding.

Have you had the pleasure ?

 

[BH]

I've started thinking about bulk salt.
I want to cure meat.
No idea how much I might want.
25, 50 or 100 lbs?

Anyone have a suggestion for a source?

And some kind of battery for storage.
I have 4 unused 100 W panels but nothing to store the juice.

Having something to run a pump is a weakness in my preps.
I have others

I bought salt (25lb bags) several years back. The order got messed up and a couple of hundred pounds turned into a large number of bags, which I did not have enough truck to haul. I only took what I originally wanted and left the guy I got it from with the rest.

He did say when we picked it up that a purchase as large as the messed up quantity was supposed to be reported to the government, but he didn't report me. Seems there is a type of explosive that uses salt in its manufacture. I did not know that.

 

[West]

My safe room is a vary large area. Mostly thickets of thorns, stickers, snakes, poisonous plants with deep crooked creeks and rough thick terrain.

What ever happens don't push me into my back yard, it's a living hell. I would surly die from the exposure.

 

[BH]

I discovered our water heater is leaking a couple of weeks ago. I had a guy come out to discuss options. I think I am going to go with a propane fired outside on demand whole house unit. Pricey, about twice the cost of a traditional, tanked heater, but it runs off a 15 amp 110v circuit. We already cook with propane, so basic infrastructure is in place.

My recent goal has been to cover power for refrigeration (freezer and fridge), water (220 volt well) and basic entertainment (home network). I am in the process of addressing those power requirements with an EcoFlow system (to supply the basic power needs, including the well). The on demand hot water will be easy to include, so we can have our fridges, running hot water and limited other power. I ordered the rest of the EcoFlow stuff yesterday along with a 2nd solar array. Also just bought a quiet generator (electric start, I am getting old) to assist with charging the EcoFLow stuff when the solar comes up short.

Also talking with an electrical guy about a replacement service panel (ours is 1995 vintage and replacement breakers are difficult, at best, to find). Looking at moving a couple of circuits from the outside panel to the inside panel and including a transfer switch. Hope to have the hot water and power changes in place within the next couple of weeks.

We are pretty set on food and the ability to cook. The aux power will allow the igniter in our propane stove to work without grid power, so another plus. We have limited capability to heat with a fireplace and just had a very large oak taken down and am in the process of getting it all split. Personally, I have lost 50 pounds, started a decent exercise program and feel better than I have felt in decades.

I guess the comment earlier in this thread about converting paper assets to tangible assets is what I have been doing.

 

[Samuel Adams]

My safe room is a vary large area. Mostly thickets of thorns, stickers, snakes, poisonous plants with deep crooked creeks and rough thick terrain.

What ever happens don't push me into my back yard, it's a living hell. I would surly die from the exposure.

Just stop it, already.

 

[Troke]

If you are not prepared for years without electrical power, you are not prepared.

 

[Dozdoats]

What are your thoughts on this?

Libtard Israeli politicians. And citizens. Just like ours ....

 

[Thinwater]

This was several months ago. I have been adding a lot more recently and am running out of room in the fallout shelter for people. I will be finishing another building to move a lot of the food to this month, if we don't run out of time.

This is taken from the middle of the shelter the other way is just as full of food. Note the 1950's era fallout shelter hand operated air pump on the right wall. Mini split AC unit keeps the shelter dry and 69 degrees year around. Genny back up plus solar.

 

[Raggedyman]

Prepped as possible. Off grid, solar well, solar everything (two of everything), new tractor/ backhoe, welding machines, tools out the kazoo, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, pew pews and ammo,
You name it, we got it.

HOWEVER, time has marched on and we have too many chores we would like to do but can't do anymore.
I'm thinking of selling off what goats we don't butcher, same with pigs. Downsize most of the chickens to freezer camp.
What we are seriously lacking is younger people to help out, and then take over.
I just offered it to a nephew, if he would come out and live here, do the harder work, he could inherit it. Nope.
Wish there was a younger couple that wanted to live off grid, but they are rare as hens teeth these days...

Know EXACTLY what you’re saying . . . Offered this place to kids - too busy making a good living in the city. Best we can hope for is that they will wake up and get here before it all goes boom. Good for them AND good for us - but right now they are where we were at that age-knocking it out of the park.

Talked about it many many times with vestige back in the day . . . Truth told its the only reason I have kept this HUGHE place. We’re like bb’s in a tin can here

 

[rob0126]

I have maybe a hundred cans of Progresso soup, several hundred pounds of rice and beans. I may add 6 cans of basic protein to that.

Might I suggest along with beans, to store up some organic hulled barley and organic wheat berries?

The nutritional value of them is quite high, especially when eaten with beans and lentils.

A local natural food coop should be able to supply you with such. Organic hard red wheat berries here run about 1.29/lb. The Organic Hulled Barley is 3.00/lb,

Maybe throw in some organic chia seeds as they are a nutritional powerhouse by themselves. (4.xx /lb)

Add: Organic Sunflower seeds for Vitamin E.

 

[Raggedyman]

American Farrier's Assoc.
They're not hard to find if you know where to look

And there’re close enough to you to be useful in a SFTF scenario . . . There were TWO within a mile of me here - one VERY MUCH more accomplished than the other. He left and moved to the Lake Lure area about 90 min away by car . . . unfortunately the other passed this summer.

 

[rob0126]

As an American you have no excuse to be hiding unarmed in a safe room.... or cowering under a table like the wounded female soldiers that were anchor shot.

Understand that you will be shown no quarter... take a few with you! Being cut down in a gun fight is far more palatable than being butchered with a dull blade!

My blade is sharp. Machete's are potent weapons when a firearm is absent.

 

[Profit of Doom]

They were meant to be bomb shelters, not protection from home invasion...

Summerthyme

Panic rooms they weren’t.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I have maybe a hundred cans of Progresso soup, several hundred pounds of rice and beans. I may add 6 cans of basic protein to that.

I would recommend a variety of spices to make the rice and beans more appealing.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

I would recommend a variety of spices to make the rice and beans more appealing.

Proteins, too. Consider also tomato sauce and beef gravy. Though if you've got Progresso soup, rice goes a long way toward thickening it into a meal. I don't care WHAT people say. Protein isn't the key to satiety. CARBS are.

 

[summerthyme]

Proteins, too. Consider also tomato sauce and beef gravy. Though if you've got Progresso soup, rice goes a long way toward thickening it into a meal. I don't care WHAT people say. Protein isn't the key to satiety. CARBS are.

Actually, FATS are the key to satiety. High fiber carbs (beans, whole grains) are better than refined carbs (white rice, white flour, white sugar), as they dont cause blood sugar to spike and crash as quickly. And if you work HARD daily, you can handle more carbs without developing the modern American physique... an extra 20#-50# around the middle (and fat surrounding every organ internally)

Young, hard working men can consume 5,000 to 7,000 calories daily and maintain ideal weight. It's very difficult to get that many calories with animal protein alone, although if you can also procure animal fats, it's possible (but expensive)

But for prepping, the priority is storing sufficient calories with adequate protein to maintain life and health...

Only after that's covered can most think about more specialized preps to continue their ideal diets.

Summerthyme

 

[Kathy in WV]

I'm so thankful we got onboard 27+ years ago. We've never had an excess of money in our marriage but we've managed and managed well. Being prepared has saved our butts many times over the marriage. A couple of job losses, 2 medical emergencies, a NICU baby, surgeries with long recovery times. Extended weather event of 30 days. For our income we've done everything that is possible.

Judging by our track record I believe we'd be ok. We have had lots of experience living backwoods on the farm. It's always been set up for subsistence living. The kids would all come to the farm. Oldest boy is going to build a one room camp there for his little family. If that doesn't work I guess they'd move into the cellar house awhile. The hardest part will be young people and Karen's freaking out over their new level of lifestyle. You have to learn to replace entertainment with work. Definitely a change for many.

We're getting older now, I know we can't do the work we did before. But one thing is certain, as long as I have kids and grandkids I'd die trying my best.

 

[Kathy in WV]

Afterthought...
Bad growing years are why our grandparents canned and preserved everything they could each year. They knew every year was a potential feast or famine situation. Apples or corn or whatever, canning meant it was available for the next year's failure. Grandma never let food go bad. If she had the empty jars she canned it.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I was referring to forge welding.

Have you had the pleasure ?

Yes, it’s been about thirty years though, and it was not fun and a lot of work! Those who are jonesing for a total reset haven’t a clue as to how good life is right now.

 

[wab54]

Do you have a big metal garbage can for a burn barrel for when it's too dangerous to collect garbage and your local service quits picking it up?

Using an open top 55gal barrel with holes knocked in around the bottom sides would be best.

WAB

 

[Wyominglarry]

How much time do you think we have before Israel nukes Iran?

 

[Profit of Doom]

I have a lot of meat on the hoof all around me. I just store some potatoes so I can have a complete and balanced meal.

Some of those Martian potatoes?

 

[Profit of Doom]

I was referring to forge welding.

Have you had the pleasure ?

Have the neighbors?

 

[Profit of Doom]

My safe room is a vary large area. Mostly thickets of thorns, stickers, snakes, poisonous plants with deep crooked creeks and rough thick terrain.

What ever happens don't push me into my back yard, it's a living hell. I would surly die from the exposure.

Please don’t throw me into that briar patch!

 

[Tennessee gal]

Afterthought...
Bad growing years are why our grandparents canned and preserved everything they could each year. They knew every year was a potential feast or famine situation. Apples or corn or whatever, canning meant it was available for the next year's failure. Grandma never let food go bad. If she had the empty jars she canned it.

Reminds me of one of my mother’s sayings “ Waste not, want not”.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Have the neighbors?

My nearest is a mile away…..through considerable forest and terrain.





Life is good.

 

[Samuel Adams]

How much time do you think we have before Israel nukes Iran?

Nukes served their purpose.


Mass fear.

Manipulation.

Mind control.


They never need be “used”, again.

 

[marsh]

With war on 2 fronts involving oil producing nations and Biden removing approvals for development at home, I would predict that there is a real risk of a diesel (read trucking/train) shortage soon through the duration of the wars. If you can, I would stock up on anything you need to have delivered.

Global Diesel Shortage Looms

Refineries worldwide are facing challenges in meeting the rising demand for diesel, exacerbated by disruptions in global oil flows caused by OPEC+ output reductions and the conflict in Ukraine.

www.agweb.com

Global Diesel Shortage Looms

By PRO FARMER EDITORS October 13, 2023

Refineries worldwide are facing challenges in meeting the rising demand for diesel, exacerbated by disruptions in global oil flows caused by OPEC+ output reductions and the conflict in Ukraine. According to Wood Mackenzie Ltd., the proportion of diesel in global refinery production is expected to decrease by 1.5% during this quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. This reduction equates to approximately 1.2 million barrels per day, a quantity roughly equivalent to the combined diesel output of Germany and the United Kingdom. A shortage of diesel could pose significant challenges as demand increases in preparation for the upcoming northern winter.

Perspective: Distillate inventories in the U.S., Europe and Singapore have increased month-on-month in September, although the U.S. is 21 million barrels below the seasonal average and Europe is 25 million barrels below the seasonal average as diesel cracks outperform all other products.

_______________

 

[cupid's romance]

Redmond……by the 50# bag.

Been using it for everything, for going on 3 decades.

It’s a little coarse, but it works just fine…cooking, preserving or flavoring.

Is that the Redmond I get from the feed store? I thought that was just feed grade?

 

[summerthyme]

Is that the Redmond I get from the feed store? I thought that was just feed grade?

Feed grade salt is perfectly pure and safe for human consumption. It doesn't contain iodine, which is often the only source people get, but it's safe.

I've used it exclusively for years... it's worked well for canning, pickling and general kitchen use. And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than supermarket prices!

Summerthyme

 

[cupid's romance]

Feed grade salt is perfectly pure and safe for human consumption. It doesn't contain iodine, which is often the only source people get, but it's safe.

I've used it exclusively for years... it's worked well for canning, pickling and general kitchen use. And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than supermarket prices!

Summerthyme

Awesome! I have to go to the feed store tomorrow so I'm going to pick up extra. I learn such great useful information from everyone here. Thank you

 

[Samuel Adams]

See Redmond salt mineral analysis:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0031/8606/5475/files/Real-Salt-Typical-Analysis-October-2021.pdf?v=1635480756