PREP Staying Ahead Of The Shortages: What To Stock Up On For The Coming Year

[CaryC]

I need some modest blouses and light women's trousers for work, neither of which last all that long, given today's thin fabrics. I might be able to get by with black jeans, per your suggestion. I'm not that good at sewing blouses, but maybe I'll make some dressy pull-overs. In any case, I have enough jeans and tee shirts for wearing at home. Then again, if the economy goes into free fall and I'm still commuting to work, I don't think anyone will care, as long as I'm not wearing tank tops and hot pants (which I wouldn't!) . . . I lost weight, so I'm in the process of taking in several skirts, which I'll save for work and special occasions.

Sure I get that, and we all do, or should do, what we can. It's even better when things can do double duty, or even triple.

Don't know about feral hogs this time of year, they, like coyotes, are travelers, and not so much patternable, like whitetails. Speaking of whitetails, it's a rare sight to see one this time of year in the wild. Semi-domesticated ones sure, it's not only possible, but probable. BUT pull the trigger on one, and it's bye, bye. Meaning: once they know that they are being hunted in an area, it's scarce city, full on stealth mode.

FYI even with the colder temp's this weekend, son and DIL caught 30 Crappie Sat. Bream may come in near the end of the month, need a little bit of warmer water, especially to birth young. Make sure you have a license, and sun screen, enjoy.

 

[Publius]

I had a rumford fireplace that had a crane in my old house and so I experimented cooking in it, even baking bread. Just make sure you have either cast iron or stoneware pots. Earthenware will not hold up to the direct fire heat or banking it in coals, nor will some of the regular kinds of pots you put on your stove.

There are cast Iron Dutch Ovens available and We have a dedicated thread on the subject in the on your own section called "The Dutch Oven Thread". If you can get a fire going your just about there for a hot meal. Walmart has them in stock in the camping department and the 12" inch is pretty much the standard you can do a lot with it.

 

[lonestar09]

There are 2 items that should be added to first 100 things to disappear list according to Dennis.
101. Bread machines
102. Freezers

 

[mecoastie]

I had a rumford fireplace that had a crane in my old house and so I experimented cooking in it, even baking bread. Just make sure you have either cast iron or stoneware pots. Earthenware will not hold up to the direct fire heat or banking it in coals, nor will some of the regular kinds of pots you put on your stove.

House I grew up in was built in the 1780s. Still has all the fireplaces including the kitchen one with the beehive oven. We would cook in it a couple times a year just for fun. I cant imagine doing it every day. My parents have done it a couple times with the kids as well.

 

[mecoastie]

Couple other things I thought of: spare saw blades, new batteries for your battery powered tools, tarps and rope. Spare carb or engine for your most important equipment.

 

[bluelady]

Attached or not...."Charlotte" was pretty tasty....but you're right, there is no savings in raising yer own.....though if you had yer own cold room & mad knife skillz......well then YOU could be THE BUTCHER !!

Actually, Charlotte was the spider....

 

[mecoastie]

Just wanted to thank you for noticing.

BTW people who don't own homesteads don't generally raise hogs. But the point was it is, and always has been, cheaper to raise your own. If you have the room for it. A lot of folks don't. I happen to know that.

A potential for folks that don't have the space is to either buy in to a portion of an animal or do something like a "pig club" as they did in WW2. A few people get together and all provide their family scraps and leftovers and split any cost associated with raising the animal. When it is slaughtered they all get a share. We don't raise hogs. I buy a half each year from a local 4Her. It is way easier. In a pinch we could put a couple in the woodlot but I don't really have the cleared land to raise their food.

"Homestead snobs" Envy much Dennis? I prefer to think of it as different life choices.

 

[CaryC]

If things get really bad it's to late for many to get into this as there just to much to be done. For many here that already have a stock built up your just reenforcing your preps or filling the holes as it were.

The heating of home and cooking of food that has been brought up a few times here the K-1 and Propane well work for a limited time as the amount of these fuels it takes to heat a home for say a year may come as a shock to many and cannot store that much.
Heating with a fireplace or wood stove gets into a good deal of work and a fire place will use a cord of firewood every week, whereas a wood stove a cord should last close to a month. Using a fireplace for cooking is not that big a deal but you will have to split and cut a lot of wood into smaller bits to work with say ten to six inch long and inch and half wide and your using the embers to cook with.

Now for cooking with propane 200 pounds with a two burner camping stove it should last way more than a year and probably close to two years unless your using it to do a lot of canning.

Using K-1 for lighting with common flat wick lamps I'm guessing 10 gallons a year and your wanting K-1 that is clear or water white and if it look dark it close to the color of N0#2 heating oil pass on it and keep looking for better fuel.

I can go on and on here.

Not arguing the point on firewood consumption, just making a notation for those interested:

There are all kinds of variations in fireplaces, wood heaters, and wood stoves. Even living in the same house, using the same wood.

What Publius mentioned concerning a cord a week, might be in fact true in northern regions, meaning very cold, and using Ponderosa Pine, which burns very fast when dry, and don't use when not.

However, in North MS, burning oak, pecan, birch, white ash, essentially hard dense wood, in a "wood heater", and an average winter, we burn about 3 cords A YEAR. A couple of years ago we had a very light winter and only used a half a cord.

If we were using wood to heat AND cook, it would be a lot more. And you would be using it all year long.

So there are a lot of variants like I said. Where you live, and what you use being among them.

When we first converted to wood heat (and wood heat is awesome) I didn't know how much wood we would use over winter. I cut, split, and stacked 9 cords. Only using 3 cords, gave me a really good head start.

I recommend wood heat for my area. You probably have most of what you would need, but even if you don't and have to buy it, right now, it's still cheaper than propane. Or was until the oil glut, I'm sure.

 

[20Gauge]

There are 2 items that should be added to first 100 things to disappear list according to Dennis.
101. Bread machines
102. Freezers

Wouldn't it be easier just to say anything Dennis may want or need is added to the list. LOL

 

[20Gauge]

Couple other things I thought of: spare saw blades, new batteries for your battery powered tools, tarps and rope. Spare carb or engine for your most important equipment.

Too late on that spare carb. Needed one for my weedeater. Used to be $12. Now up to $80. Better to buy a new unit to last another 15 years.

 

[20Gauge]

Not arguing the point on firewood consumption, just making a notation for those interested:

There are all kinds of variations in fireplaces, wood heaters, and wood stoves. Even living in the same house, using the same wood.

What Publius mentioned concerning a cord a week, might be in fact true in northern regions, meaning very cold, and using Ponderosa Pine, which burns very fast when dry, and don't use when not.

However, in North MS, burning oak, pecan, birch, white ash, essentially hard dense wood, in a "wood heater", and an average winter, we burn about 3 cords A YEAR. A couple of years ago we had a very light winter and only used a half a cord.

If we were using wood to heat AND cook, it would be a lot more. And you would be using it all year long.

So there are a lot of variants like I said. Where you live, and what you use being among them.

When we first converted to wood heat (and wood heat is awesome) I didn't know how much wood we would use over winter. I cut, split, and stacked 9 cords. Only using 3 cords, gave me a really good head start.

I recommend wood heat for my area. You probably have most of what you would need, but even if you don't and have to buy it, right now, it's still cheaper than propane. Or was until the oil glut, I'm sure.

Imagine 350 million people trying to use wood as a fuel source.......

 

[rafter]

Imagine 350 million people trying to use wood as a fuel source.......

Don't worry that would never happen. Too much work. They would expect Uncle nannystate to come do it for them. And there aren't enough wood burners out there.

 

[CaryC]

A potential for folks that don't have the space is to either buy in to a portion of an animal or do something like a "pig club" as they did in WW2. A few people get together and all provide their family scraps and leftovers and split any cost associated with raising the animal. When it is slaughtered they all get a share. We don't raise hogs. I buy a half each year from a local 4Her. It is way easier. In a pinch we could put a couple in the woodlot but I don't really have the cleared land to raise their food.

"Homestead snobs" Envy much Dennis? I prefer to think of it as different life choices.

Yeah was widely practiced. Thanks. As a side note: Our MS State AG Sec. has set up a program where farmers let you purchase a percentage of a cow, or hog. The farmer does all the work, and takes the animal to butcher, and you go pick it up.

Not saying it's the cheapest route to go, but it will get you meat, and it will get the farmer a sale of stock.

And people just need to do what they need, and can do. It would be rough on me and SB to have a hog pen. Have space for it, and using the entire yard, could grow enough corn, butchering it no problem as we do deer. However due to age and other medical problems probably couldn't do it. But we do know how to do it, and that is a key component. If the children want to come over/move in and do it, that's a different story.

We do a little collecting of old stuff. So we even have SB's grandfather's old sausage grinder. My great, great grandmothers old spinning wheel, the big kind. Talk about back breaking. Doing every thing for that thing, and then getting something usable, would make my eyeballs turn outward. I'd rather cut wood.

 

[20Gauge]

Don't worry that would never happen. Too much work. They would expect Uncle nannystate to come do it for them. And there aren't enough wood burners out there.

They will start a "fire in the bedroom". Sorry to say, they will.

 

[CaryC]

They will start a "fire in the bedroom". Sorry to say, they will.

On the 9th floor.

 

[20Gauge]

On the 9th floor.

yep!

 

[CaryC]

A couple of thoughts concerning the list of 100 things (from page 2):

Yeah if you can go ahead and work those thing into your budget. That would be great.

However, really look that list over good. There are some things on there that have work arounds, if you don't have it, and others where there is no work around and you just got to have. Budget those in first.

And it will depend on where you live. For apartment living on the 9th floor, you may want to make "portable toilets" a priority, whereas someone in the country homestead, not so much.

 

[20Gauge]

A couple of thoughts concerning the list of 100 things (from page 2):

Yeah if you can go ahead and work those thing into your budget. That would be great.

However, really look that list over good. There are some things on there that have work arounds, if you don't have it, and others where there is no work around and you just got to have. Budget those in first.

And it will depend on where you live. For apartment living on the 9th floor, you may want to make "portable toilets" a priority, whereas someone in the country homestead, not so much.

Good point, but a source of water may be a bigger factor. The ability to catch and store it also. From the 9th, gravity will work for the toilet, except for that fire bug......lol

Actually a portable toilet is good to have anywhere or whatever floor you are on.

 

[CaryC]

Good point, but a source of water may be a bigger factor. The ability to catch and store it also. From the 9th, gravity will work for the toilet, except for that fire bug......lol

Actually a portable toilet is good to have anywhere or whatever floor you are on.

Yeah we got one of those. The legs give out quick though. We call it going in the woods. LOL

 

[Marseydoats]

They will start a "fire in the bedroom". Sorry to say, they will.

Last year some people died after they dragged a chiminea in the house and started a fire.
I've actually seen some chiminea's that were MADE out of wood. I assume they're for decoration, but most city people are too stupid to know the difference.

 

[20Gauge]

Last year some people died after they dragged a chiminea in the house and started a fire.
I've actually seen some chiminea's that were MADE out of wood. I assume they're for decoration, but most city people are too stupid to know the difference.

and there is your answer.

 

[CaryC]

Last year some people died after they dragged a chiminea in the house and started a fire.
I've actually seen some chiminea's that were MADE out of wood. I assume they're for decoration, but most city people are too stupid to know the difference.

Yeah those things are nice DECORATIONS. Nice to have on the deck on a cool evening. PERIOD.

 

[mecoastie]

As I said earlier I grew up in an old house that still has all 6 of the original fireplaces. It was estimated that it took 50-60 cords a year to heat and cook. That heat isn't mid 60s either. It was more like 30s and 40s unless you were right next to it. Think about the logistics of harvesting that much wood by hand!! We use about 4 cords a year with a modern efficient woodstove and a house that is designed around it. Admittedly we keep it in the 70s as that is where my wife likes it. I collect old tools particularly hand operated farm tools and logging stuff. To fell buck and split by hand is exhausting. My last gallon of gasoline will go into my chainsaw.

 

[hiwall]

A couple of thoughts concerning the list of 100 things (from page 2):

Yeah if you can go ahead and work those thing into your budget. That would be great.

However, really look that list over good. There are some things on there that have work arounds, if you don't have it, and others where there is no work around and you just got to have. Budget those in first.

And it will depend on where you live. For apartment living on the 9th floor, you may want to make "portable toilets" a priority, whereas someone in the country homestead, not so much.

When I posted that list I never even read it. Us, like most on this site, are old time preppers. We know what we have and what we need. We don't need a stinking list to tell us.

 

[jed turtle]

Hawkgirl, fish antibiotics are fine and effective for people. I mainly get Aqua Mox Forte which is 500 mg amoxicillin.

Aqua Mox Forte | Antibiotics for Fish Infection - Lambert Vet Supply | Dog, Cat, Horse, Kennel, & Vet Supplies

<h2>Aqua-Mox Forte</h2> <p>Aqua-Mox Forte is a broad spectrum antibiotic used to control common bacterial infection in fish. It exerts a bactericidal action on gram positive and some gram negative bacteria. It is useful for the control of bacterial diseases of fish, which include Aeromonas and...

www.lambertvetsupply.com

I had a sever allergic reaction once to amoxicillin. Just a reminder that antibiotics are serious stuff, and allergic reactions to them can become a life-threatening emergency, not to mention that antibiotics are going to mess up your gastro-intestinal probiotics, which are crucial for your general immune system.

 

[Profit of Doom]

And it will depend on where you live. For apartment living on the 9th floor, you may want to make "portable toilets" a priority, whereas someone in the country homestead, not so much.

Bucket, meet window.

 

[hiwall]

I had a sever allergic reaction once to amoxicillin. Just a reminder that antibiotics are serious stuff, and allergic reactions to them can become a life-threatening emergency, not to mention that antibiotics are going to mess up your gastro-intestinal probiotics, which are crucial for your general immune system.

Amoxicillion put me in the hospital for 4 days one time. +1 on using extreme caution with antibiotics.

 

[Meemur]

I like looking over lists: they give me ideas. I'm finally getting around to starting a comprehensive spread sheet of non-food items I buy regularly. I had an incomplete one of office supplies, but I'm trying to get more organized without getting totally OCD about it.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I had a sever allergic reaction once to amoxicillin. Just a reminder that antibiotics are serious stuff, and allergic reactions to them can become a life-threatening emergency, not to mention that antibiotics are going to mess up your gastro-intestinal probiotics, which are crucial for your general immune system.

CaryC came down with a UTI a couple of years ago. Went to see his doc, and was prescribed a certain antibiotic. Had a severe allergic reaction to it. He went through 4 different antibiotics, before the doctor found one that he wasn't allergic to.

 

[CaryC]

As I said earlier I grew up in an old house that still has all 6 of the original fireplaces. It was estimated that it took 50-60 cords a year to heat and cook. That heat isn't mid 60s either. It was more like 30s and 40s unless you were right next to it. Think about the logistics of harvesting that much wood by hand!! We use about 4 cords a year with a modern efficient woodstove and a house that is designed around it. Admittedly we keep it in the 70s as that is where my wife likes it. I collect old tools particularly hand operated farm tools and logging stuff. To fell buck and split by hand is exhausting. My last gallon of gasoline will go into my chainsaw.

Those old houses are really great. I would love to have one - not. They are beautiful, but down here.....they were made to weather summers and not winters. Big old 10-12 foot ceilings, all the heat was way up there.

Fireplaces are also lovely, but the pits for heat. You'd have to be a rotisserie, slowly turning to keep warm as close as you could get, and God help anyone if they came between you and the fire. You'd grow icicles on your 'tash by the time they walked by. LOL BTDT.

I think I would use my last gallon of gas on the log splitter. LOL

Even us poor folk living in those old dog trot houses, freeze to death in the winter. Great homes for the summer, though. My aunt told me she'd have so many quilts on the bed it'd make her toes turn under. Wake up and have to shake the snow off her blankets. Then have to run across the breeze way to get in the room with the fireplace. I'm going to have to go put a jacket on just thinking about it.

But sitting in that breeze way shelling peas, in July, in that ladder back chair with it leaning back against the wall, you could sure shell some peas, and be comfortable at the same time.

 

[mecoastie]

Those old houses are really great. I would love to have one - not. They are beautiful, but down here.....they were made to weather summers and not winters. Big old 10-12 foot ceilings, all the heat was way up there.

Fireplaces are also lovely, but the pits for heat. You'd have to be a rotisserie, slowly turning to keep warm as close as you could get, and God help anyone if they came between you and the fire. You'd grow icicles on your 'tash by the time they walked by. LOL BTDT.

I think I would use my last gallon of gas on the log splitter. LOL

Even us poor folk living in those old dog trot houses, freeze to death in the winter. Great homes for the summer, though. My aunt told me she'd have so many quilts on the bed it'd make her toes turn under. Wake up and have to shake the snow off her blankets. Then have to run across the breeze way to get in the room with the fireplace. I'm going to have to go put a jacket on just thinking about it.

But sitting in that breeze way shelling peas, in July, in that ladder back chair with it leaning back against the wall, you could sure shell some peas, and be comfortable at the same time.

Our ceilings were 7 ft I think. The doors are all 6'3-1/2". I say that because I am 6'4". Growing up I was used to it and instinctively ducked going through the door. Once I moved out I lost that. Now every time I visit I hit my head once. We didn't have central heat on the 2nd floor until I was in high school. I remember a water glass next to my bed had a bit of ice on it. Comforters, wool blankets and flannel sheets were standard.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

Hawkgirl, fish antibiotics are fine and effective for people. I mainly get Aqua Mox Forte which is 500 mg amoxicillin.

Aqua Mox Forte | Antibiotics for Fish Infection - Lambert Vet Supply | Dog, Cat, Horse, Kennel, & Vet Supplies

<h2>Aqua-Mox Forte</h2> <p>Aqua-Mox Forte is a broad spectrum antibiotic used to control common bacterial infection in fish. It exerts a bactericidal action on gram positive and some gram negative bacteria. It is useful for the control of bacterial diseases of fish, which include Aeromonas and...

www.lambertvetsupply.com

I am currently treating my cat for an abcess with fish mox forte. He got an abcess from a cat fight, I squeezed it hard to get as much crud out as possible. He's healing up fine. I have given it to the chickens also for infections from bites. I have taken it for sinus Infections. I just wish I could find the stuff for this virus. The animal drugs are made in the same factories that's for humans. ( Its NOT fun pilling a cat, after wrapping them in a towel, and they sound like a hive of bees and struggle very aggressively)

 

[WanderLore]

Largest Hitzer coal and wind stove, next to it is the wood and coal Home Comfort cooking stove with oven. Took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get here. And it's still some work at times even after all of that.

 

[bluelady]

I am currently treating my cat for an abcess with fish mox forte. He got an abcess from a cat fight, I squeezed it hard to get as much crud out as possible. He's healing up fine. I have given it to the chickens also for infections from bites. I have taken it for sinus Infections. I just wish I could find the stuff for this virus. The animal drugs are made in the same factories that's for humans. ( Its NOT fun pilling a cat, after wrapping them in a towel, and they sound like a hive of bees and struggle very aggressively)

When I found our cat's abcess it had already drained (she has super long hair). After Googling I syringed it out occasionally with watered down Betadine, and sprayed it frequently with colloidal silver. Healed quickly and perfectly. That was my introduction to CS and now I use it for all kinds of things!

 

[beDplorable]

I had a chuckle today. Zero Hedge had an article (for millennials I suppose) on how to 'become' a prepper. They didn't mention that their audience is way too far behind the curve, but is good for a laugh if you are so inclined.

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[Ractivist]

"But for every prepper who is certain that the New World Order is trying to take over and every event is a false flag, there are preppers who are extremely logical and scientific."

That line is embedded in the article on how to become a prepper. I'm offended by that attack, as if the facts, the evidence, the logic and the science don't support such concerns? At least we know this writers position.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Ant poison we’re over run with the bastards already this year.

 

[parsonswife]

Tents. We lost heat one winter and did t want to ware propane so We setup a small backpacker tent in the living room. With no heat you can still sleep
Comfortable with the right bag and tent, think of the My Everest climbers in snow. Letting our dogs in with us also kept us warm.

 

[AlaskaSue]

Well, I've been sitting here (okay, actually working really hard) up in northwest sleepy Wasilla...feeling good about our local meat supply - and doing okay otherwise, storage-wise, etc. But just got a wake-up notice from my local favorite that they won't have 1/4 or 1/2 beef again until FALL and that earliest for pork is June - with a follow on for at least 60 days.

Looking forward to fishing and moose season.....

Aside from that I'm disappointed (though not surprised) that the addict in the house sold almost all of my MANY 5-gallon containers of kerosene I use for emergency heat (it can get chilly up here, lol). We don't have it available at gas stations up here, so have to see if I can find a local supplier and keep it under better lock and key than I *thought* I had

Garden work continues apace

 

[jazzy]

1) pistachios. you need pistachios. trust me. not possible to have too much.

2) solar lights. these are the best weve found and weve tried many. not fancy looking but they last for at good 8 hrs on a full charge. great solar panel or usb charge. get em while you can

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