PREP What Are Your Oddest Preps And Why Do You Have Them?
- Thread starter day late
- Start date
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
We have several around our property, along with a cloud of raccoons. We have no real plantings to worry and they keep all the little creepy crawlies away as well as the snakes and rodents. The possums amuse me with their live and let live ways, right up to the point one of the young raccoons tries to horn in on something it is eating, then they wonder where the white fur covered alligator came from when the head hinges in half and the hiss starts.
dstraito
TB Fanatic
There's one of those adoption places here, I have a site on it.
The horses come up to the fence, the goose barks at them.
They run off about 20 yds, then come back.
This will go on the whole time I'm there, or until the horses get bored with pimping the dog.
Martinhouse
Deceased
For those of you who are stocked up on regular lead pencils.....I've found that over time the erasers on them harden and are worthless. My solution was to buy the little packages of those pointy erasers that are slipped on the back end of the pencil. Store them in a good tight glass jar and they will stay soft a very long time. And usually those little erasers split long before they're used up, so I wrap a twist tie twice around it and twist it tight. This holds the little eraser on the pencil until it's used up enough that the top splits off
Rubber bands, erasers for mechanical pencils, art erasers, anything made of rubber, last far longer if stored in a glass jar. Usually, I wrap the items tightly in a small Ziploc bag before I put them in the jars, but I don't know how much that actually helps.
Oh! Just remembered.....doing this same thing really helps keep electrical tape in decent shape, too. The adhesive stays on the proper side of the tape strip.
Rubber bands, erasers for mechanical pencils, art erasers, anything made of rubber, last far longer if stored in a glass jar. Usually, I wrap the items tightly in a small Ziploc bag before I put them in the jars, but I don't know how much that actually helps.
Oh! Just remembered.....doing this same thing really helps keep electrical tape in decent shape, too. The adhesive stays on the proper side of the tape strip.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
If a golf cart is EMP proof, would the same not apply to a standard lawn tractor?
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
I didn't mention goats because they aren't really strange, but any goat can be used for packing. Some can carry more than others, but even a small doe in milk can carry something, if necessary. Or you can put together a harness and a cart and they can pull more than they can carry if you are going to use a path or road fit for a wheeled vehicle. I've got Kinder goats (medium sized) and two Nubian does and would use any or all of them for packing if need be. Pack saddles are very easy to make, just be sure they are well padded and secured.
Tame goats are usually very easy to 'train' for packing. Just put the pack saddle on them, work with them with gradually increasing loads for a week or two, and off you go. You really want goats that were bottle raised and bonded to humans so you can walk with them off lead, but if all you have are dam-raised animals that are not bonded to you, just keep them on a lead all the time so they don't run off. Small does like I have shouldn't carry more than 25-30 lbs. A big wether (Saanen or Alpine or similar) can carry as much as 90 lbs. all day over rough terrain. Nubians aren't generally considered the best for pack animals as many of them object to carrying stuff on their backs, and will lay down in the trail rather than go when they are tired. But some people do use them, or their crosses, for packing, and I've seen quite a few used for pulling a cart or a wagon.
Kathleen
Tame goats are usually very easy to 'train' for packing. Just put the pack saddle on them, work with them with gradually increasing loads for a week or two, and off you go. You really want goats that were bottle raised and bonded to humans so you can walk with them off lead, but if all you have are dam-raised animals that are not bonded to you, just keep them on a lead all the time so they don't run off. Small does like I have shouldn't carry more than 25-30 lbs. A big wether (Saanen or Alpine or similar) can carry as much as 90 lbs. all day over rough terrain. Nubians aren't generally considered the best for pack animals as many of them object to carrying stuff on their backs, and will lay down in the trail rather than go when they are tired. But some people do use them, or their crosses, for packing, and I've seen quite a few used for pulling a cart or a wagon.
Kathleen
hiwall
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I don't require erasers on my pencils because those are needed only if you make mistakes.
day late
money? whats that?
In all honesty, THIS is what I was hoping for. We all prep for what we see coming, but nobody knows it all. Sharing is a good idea we were all taught as children.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
This is what we do. We save all our cat and dog food bags. We use them as paper trash bags, since we burn all paper trash. When one gets full, we take it to our burn pit, dump the contents, and set it on fire. Unless the bags are worn out, we reuse them over and over for this purpose. Burning our paper trash sure saves money on those large plastic garbage bags we use for garbage pick up day.
Blue 5
Veteran Member
When my dad passed I inherited a few unusual items. Among them a pair of field phones (wind up kind), with a mile long spool of line, and an old handheld geiger counter (appears to have been an old civil defense issued unit). I figure that since I work on a military base I'm not gonna be around to use the latter if nukes start flying, but it's neat to have.
Giblin
Veteran Member
For all of you piano people, make sure you get a piano tuning kit. They run about $20+and get extra string. Our piano tuner got sick and taught hubby to tune 50 years ago. He is a nerd and OCD and the stings need to be in tune. My friends named his piano "Betsy" as he had an affair with her every night, saddly we left her in CT and got an electric Yamaha P-125 for SC, her name is "Belle" LOL. My kids all had piano lessons and the ones with real pianos have tuning hammers and the basic tuning kit.
I have a number of field phones, miles of commo wire and even a surplus switch board. Figure they will make a decent community comms setup plus they are fun to play with. I collect a lot of old hand operated farm equipment. I find the way some work fascinating and any labor saving device is a plus in an emergency.
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
They sure as hell attack chickens, bite their heads off and leave the bodies, they are vicious, you may have had a different experience but we kill them at every opportunity, nasty animals with very sharp teeth. One day DH found 18 baby chickens with their heads bitten off.
God is good all the time
Judy
Sounds more like the work of a raccoon as they will go after multiple chickens in one night and bite the heads off and drink the blood and at times run off with a head and I have no idea why they take a head with them. Opossums will kill one and walk off with the whole grown chicken and that's enough for them to live off of for three days, chicks the same an opossum only takes one at a time.
Possums, coons, armadillos, coyotes...
All fair game.
All fair game.
Martinhouse
Deceased
Not precisely true. Sometimes erasers are needed to make changes or revisions, which are not mistakes!I don't require erasers on my pencils because those are needed only if you make mistakes.
Teeja
On the Beach
A couple of these:
4-Way Sillcock Key
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sillcock+Key
PURPOSE: securing clean water during bug-out. A sillcock key is used to open outside sillcock water faucet valves that are used on commercial, agricultural & other buildings. Without these, you'll have trouble opening this type of water valve.
4-Way Sillcock Key
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sillcock+Key
PURPOSE: securing clean water during bug-out. A sillcock key is used to open outside sillcock water faucet valves that are used on commercial, agricultural & other buildings. Without these, you'll have trouble opening this type of water valve.
Last edited:
Remember, push comes to shove, things like this are also weapons...I like shiny, pointy things too...lol.
Think: Toothache Plant in place of novacaine. Cheaper than liquor and just add more plant every year to make it stronger. Works like novacaine. Works great on babies teething when diluted.
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
Traps for fur. Since it looks like I'll be here thru this winter, at least I'll have a chance to run a trap-line with my brother to assist me. I'm working beaver and moosehide right now to make a couple of pairs of mittens - but this time of year that kind of stuff is on hold.
Hidey-hole with an inflatable raft. There is one road north out of Anchorage and if you can't get across the rivers in your car any time of year, what are your options? (My sons and I wanted to build more stashes in the mountains above Anchorage, understanding that may have been our best route out of town when we were all there - but they moved out and it didn't get completed.) Other stashes closer by may or may not have happened in the interim.
Bolt-hole. Here - and in a major event if I have to relocate to the pre-determined secure location I can do it on foot if need be.
The usual gardening, hunting, preserving, maintenance, defense...and mind-set. Way more tools than I'll ever need, I just wish that the over-head hoist (for butchering) hadn't grown legs and walked off.... Working on learning more skills (med/herbals/tracking, etc) and physical strength daily. But always it falls to reliance on my Lord and His guidance.
Hidey-hole with an inflatable raft. There is one road north out of Anchorage and if you can't get across the rivers in your car any time of year, what are your options? (My sons and I wanted to build more stashes in the mountains above Anchorage, understanding that may have been our best route out of town when we were all there - but they moved out and it didn't get completed.) Other stashes closer by may or may not have happened in the interim.
Bolt-hole. Here - and in a major event if I have to relocate to the pre-determined secure location I can do it on foot if need be.
The usual gardening, hunting, preserving, maintenance, defense...and mind-set. Way more tools than I'll ever need, I just wish that the over-head hoist (for butchering) hadn't grown legs and walked off.... Working on learning more skills (med/herbals/tracking, etc) and physical strength daily. But always it falls to reliance on my Lord and His guidance.
NoDandy
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I have shot 30-06 from WWII on enbloc clips. Worked just fine. If kept in a cool / dry location, ammo will last a loooong time.
Guitar strings would be much easier to acquire !! Just make a handle on each end.
NoDandy
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I do the same. Keep dog food & cat food bags, for the same reasons. Have not used yet, but with our critters, the supply is growing. DW does not like them, but I keep them consolidated & out of the way
Last edited:
NoDandy
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Also need good storage space, and a system so you can find everything !!
Lack of a good system helps boost inventory.
"I know I have one, but don't know where. Well crap, it's faster to get another and maybe a spare than to dig for the one I have."
During the summer the jars can be set out side for a few days and it will liquefy.
West
Senior
Naighbors grow over 20 acres in two different varieties of turnips, red ones and white ones, just for the wildlife.
Well, remember that scene in "Gone with the Wind"...
Wash and slice your turnips as you do when you pan fry potatoes. Season likewise.