Northeast Preppers?

Knob Creek said:
My Parents always had a fair amount of canned and dry goods on hand having gone through the depression. I was just brought up with having food ahead. So my wife was use to seeing a fair amount in the pantry. I bought my wife a Grain Mill and 100 lbs of Wheat berries. Something she could use right away. It helped to get her thinking more about being prepared.
Explain it this way. Prepping is Insurance like homeowners. If nothing happens you still have the goods and if the food gets close to going out of date give it to a food bank that will use it up right away. If you have homeowners Insurance and your house does not burn down do you think you wasted your money?

Have her go to http://thesurvivalmom.com/
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Great way of looking at Prepping.
 
FYI on storing water: use blue food grade barrels (maple syrup barrels), and cycle the water regularly to keep it fresh. It's best if you can tie it into your water lines to cycle through...just make sure the connection can handle the water line pressure. This will keep it fresh.

Tip I brought with from living in the desert. Out there'd you tie in to your water sprinkler system. Fresh as the day that power goes out.
 
noddaduma said:
FYI on storing water: use blue food grade barrels (maple syrup barrels), and cycle the water regularly to keep it fresh. It's best if you can tie it into your water lines to cycle through...just make sure the connection can handle the water line pressure. This will keep it fresh.

Tip I brought with from living in the desert. Out there'd you tie in to your water sprinkler system. Fresh as the day that power goes out.
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This is a good tip if done in series with an outside spigot that can be periodically run. I would also turn off the pressure to it after refreshing it so the barrel didn't buldge. Some city lines have in excess of 110 psi.....not something I'd want pressurizing a blue barrel in my basement.
If this is done, remember to include valves and make the connections with "unions" so the barrel can be disconnected and pumped from.
 
noddaduma one drawback to your flow through system, occasionally something happens to the water supply making it undrinkable, [i.e. contamination, or work being done on the system] when the work on the water mains is done, all kinds of rust and crap that got disturbed, will run through the system. and a nice big blue water tank is a great place for it to settle out. one of the functions on storing water is to keep it isolated from the system and possible contamination. I flush and fill my barrels once a year and put in an additive to keep it fresh. when I purge I use the water in the garden etc. so nothing gets wasted. just a thought
 
smurf447 said:
noddaduma one drawback to your flow through system, occasionally something happens to the water supply making it undrinkable, [i.e. contamination, or work being done on the system] when the work on the water mains is done, all kinds of rust and crap that got disturbed, will run through the system. and a nice big blue water tank is a great place for it to settle out. one of the functions on storing water is to keep it isolated from the system and possible contamination. I flush and fill my barrels once a year and put in an additive to keep it fresh. when I purge I use the water in the garden etc. so nothing gets wasted. just a thought
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An inline filter ahead of them would prevent the majority of that. Also a bypass valve would allow them to be refreshed only when the source is running clean. That would save alot of handling of the barrels for draining ect.

Even in the event of a main break, unless its very local, any contamination would not show up that quickly. During the break in Weston in the recent past, I drank from the tap 5 miles away the next day with no ill effects. The water was still running and still clean and clear. People freaked out because a "boil order" was imposed, they expended huge efforts in time, gasoline and physical energy to get bottled water being handed out instea dof simply putting a pot/s on the stove with a few gallons for a day's drinking and cooking.

Valving the barrels off when not refreshing them would prevnet any possible backflow as well as relieving the constant pressure on them.
 
this is one area i need t improve on as of now i have been buying cases of botteled water as well i went out and got some water purification tablets for the B.O.B'S and home use if needed. Has anyone checked into or own the Big Berkey Water Filter, I was thinking of investing in one but a little pricey!!
 
This has been a very informative thread, with some good links to follow. I have been trying to build up the supplies also. I seem to lose track of using stuff up near the expiration date though and end up wasting it. I guess i'm just not smart enough to rotate the stock religiously (would have made a bad supermarket stock boy!)

I dont talk much about it in social circles to others.....the sheep will never learn.

atmay said:
It also worked out well that the tap water tastes like bigfoots dick anyway, so we drink bottled water anyway.
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but really, all these posts and no comments on this line.[laugh2] you guys are losing your edge![smile]
 
For water storage, I posted this in another thread, but here it is again: http://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;jsessionid=7EB91DC3333EBD1C08F678ABBD09BBD2

The website says it's backordered, but you can probably find one if you shop around. I also keep a dozen or so cases of poland spring on hand for daily drinking and storage. If kept in the basement, they easily last a couple years. I would also suggest that you get a good filter like this one: http://www.katadyn.com/usen/technical-support/filter-support/product-videos/katadyn-pocket/

A can of powdered pool shock or a few bottles of bleach are a good prep also for water purification. 1 teaspoon per gallon, shake well, let sit. Water is going to be your most valuable resource in an emergency, don't skimp on it. I also think it's overlooked as a possible barter item. Everyone is going to need clean water, but not everyone is going to have it or know how to make it.
 
In God We Trust said:
*snip*

A can of powdered pool shock or a few bottles of bleach are a good prep also for water purification. 1 teaspoon per gallon, shake well, let sit. Water is going to be your most valuable resource in an emergency, don't skimp on it. I also think it's overlooked as a possible barter item. Everyone is going to need clean water, but not everyone is going to have it or know how to make it.
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Bleach is crucial for a SHTF/Shelter in Place situation - not only for water purification, but also for disinfection purposes. Clean, clean, clean - your surroundings are going to change dramatically without running water to flush away waste and wash clothes/linens/dishes frequently and thoroughly like our washing machines and dishwashers do now. What could be an inconvenient bout of the squirts when you have doctors, bed rest, and all the water you can drink on hand can quickly turn into a funeral if your holed up someplace and rationing fluids.

You can never have too much bleach. [grin]
 
In God We Trust said:
For water storage, I posted this in another thread, but here it is again: http://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;jsessionid=7EB91DC3333EBD1C08F678ABBD09BBD2

The website says it's backordered, but you can probably find one if you shop around. I also keep a dozen or so cases of poland spring on hand for daily drinking and storage. If kept in the basement, they easily last a couple years. I would also suggest that you get a good filter like this one: http://www.katadyn.com/usen/technical-support/filter-support/product-videos/katadyn-pocket/

A can of powdered pool shock or a few bottles of bleach are a good prep also for water purification. 1 teaspoon per gallon, shake well, let sit. Water is going to be your most valuable resource in an emergency, don't skimp on it. I also think it's overlooked as a possible barter item. Everyone is going to need clean water, but not everyone is going to have it or know how to make it.
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Just to clarify your post, pool shock (calcium hypochlorite) is first made into a solution(which is basically a chlorine bleach) and then added to the water being purified.

The dry calcium hypochlorite IS NOT used directly into the water being purified.

Here's the recommendation from the EPA website.

GRANULAR CALCIUM HYPOCHLORITE.

Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately 1/4 ounce) for each two gallons of water. The mixture will produce a "stock chlorine" solution of approximately 500 mg/L, since the calcium hypochlorite has an available cchlorine equal to 70
percent of its weight. (THESE STOCK CHLORINE GALLONS ARE LIKE BLEACH GALLONS)

To disinfect water, add the clorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 0z.) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the water by allowing the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours
or by pouring it from one clean container to another several times.
As always if the water is colored or cloudy add more of the solution (EPA says for regular Chlorine Bleach to double the amount of chlorine used).
 
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RATTLESNAKE said:
Great channel.. I was on there earlier and came across a movie trailer that looks pretty cool. It is a Definate SHTF movie!! Here is the link to the movies home page if anyone is interested.http://www.remnants-movie.com/
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Oh yeah , I watched that trailer a while ago.. It's just awesome that these guys (southernprepper and Engineer775 and others) are sharing so much of what they are doing. I'm really glad to see more people wanting to share and work together..

as for water I have been using the Katadyn filters for years. I am looking into a large cistern for storing filtered ground water to supplement my town water consumption.
 
Most of the money for Remnants was raised via the Web. For a while if you donated $25 you would get a copy of the DVD when it came out. Last I heard was they are coming out end of Sept.
 
In the beginning of this thread, folks were wondering how to convince the women that prepping was a good idea.

Well, it's hurricane season. We haven't had a bad one in a while and I would say we are due.

Remember Hurricane Bob? I remember we had no power for a few days. Preppers lived just fine - others maybe did not. And that was only a few days.
http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrod...rricane-bob/9Vt6DfPJeQVIIJVJeNqGpM/index.html
 
i have a berkey system, works great, we use it for direct drinking, anything made with water, i.e. tea coffie etc. it takes the after taste out of the water, and i'm sure a bunch of crud we cant taste. i got it online from "the berkey guy"
 
gulfmp
i picked up from shelfreliance.com a can rotation system. you put the new cans in the top and the older stuff comes out the bottom. cost an arm and a leg but well worth it. plus it keeps the wife from grabbing the first can she comes across when making dinner
 
smurf447 said:
gulfmp
i picked up from shelfreliance.com a can rotation system. you put the new cans in the top and the older stuff comes out the bottom. cost an arm and a leg but well worth it. plus it keeps the wife from grabbing the first can she comes across when making dinner
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Those are nice, but too expensive for me. I bought a couple steel shelves from Home Depot during the black friday sale. I just pull the old stuff to the front when I get new cans. Most of the long term stuff I have is freeze dried in #10 cans or dry goods packed in buckets with mylar and 02 absorbers, so I don't worry about rotation too much.
 
In God We Trust said:
Those are nice, but too expensive for me. I bought a couple steel shelves from Home Depot during the black friday sale. I just pull the old stuff to the front when I get new cans. Most of the long term stuff I have is freeze dried in #10 cans or dry goods packed in buckets with mylar and 02 absorbers, so I don't worry about rotation too much.
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Those can holders/dispensers are also fairly easy enough to make with some scrap wood, I would think
 
In God We Trust said:
Those are nice, but too expensive for me. I bought a couple steel shelves from Home Depot during the black friday sale. I just pull the old stuff to the front when I get new cans. Most of the long term stuff I have is freeze dried in #10 cans or dry goods packed in buckets with mylar and 02 absorbers, so I don't worry about rotation too much.
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I use a sharpie and write the expiration on the front of the cans. I can then check expiration dates at a glance.
 
great ideas for food rotation.
I am in the process of creating some sort of storage unit for the basement. I am leery though because my basement can get awfully damp at times.
 
I have the dehumidifier running but sometimes in the spring it has a hard time keeping up. Hopefully the new one we just bought will do a better job it's a little bit more heavy duty than the old one and seems to be working well...
 
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Rancho said:
I have the dehumidifier running but sometimes in the spring it has a hard time keeping up. Hopefully the new one we just bought will do a better job it's a little bit more heavy duty than the old one and seems to be working well...
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I don't know how big your house is, but if you have a spare closet upstairs somewhere, that might be a better choice for food storage. My wife has 3 closets worth of clothes, but I could slowly throw away / donate half of them and she would never notice.
 
In God We Trust said:
I don't know how big your house is, but if you have a spare closet upstairs somewhere, that might be a better choice for food storage. My wife has 3 closets worth of clothes, but I could slowly throw away / donate half of them and she would never notice.
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the house is limited on closet space it's real small as for now I have my storable meals upstairs in an empty chest of drawers lol after we renovate we should be able to expand more.

jnyav8r said:
Do that and you may need your BOB early!!!
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haaa you got that right!!
 
yea i have the same problem with my basement, damn fieldstone foundation. i keep canned goods only down there, the good side is the cooler temperatures keeps the shelf life stable.
on another note we may be able to test some of our preps this weekend, the latest preditictions say hurricane irene is comin' this way. looking on the bright side these small events can highlight where our preps are weak.
 
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smurf447 said:
yea i have the same problem with my basement, damn fieldstone foundation. i keep canned goods only down there, the good side is the cooler temperatures keeps the shelf life stable.
on another note we may be able to test some of our preps this weekend, the latest preditictions say hurricane irene is comin' this way. looking on the bright side these small events can highlight where our preps are weak.
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you and I are thinking the same. As I was watching the weather last night I kept thinking "man I hope the power doesn't go out" then I thought Oh I am fairly well prepared for this.. lol..
 

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