What have you done recently to prepare? Please include How-To's also

[Infinite Jester]

The wife is just finishing up her RN degree, and went thru a course section on disaster nursing. Surprisingly the instructors all recommend a minimum of one months supplies. She's looking into putting together a pretty significant med bag.

 

[FrugalFannie]

The wife is just finishing up her RN degree, and went thru a course section on disaster nursing. Surprisingly the instructors all recommend a minimum of one months supplies. She's looking into putting together a pretty significant med bag.

The argument the 'feds' made in court against White Bear was that anyone with more than 7 days food was a potential terrorist. So I have eaten all my extra food and shot all my ammo except enough for 1 magazine for my carry gun.

 

[Bill Katt]

The argument the 'feds' made in court against White Bear was that anyone with more than 7 days food was a potential terrorist. So I have eaten all my extra food and shot all my ammo except enough for 1 magazine for my carry gun.

That's pretty eff'd up. Especially since the 'all knowing' CDC recommends storing at least 2 weeks worth of food and water.

 

[Prepper]

This is embarrassing, but I haven't started my Honda EU2000i generator after moving to NH over two years ago. I had removed the gas for moving back then since the movers required it. Then I left in the garage since then.

So yesterday I was like oh right I better make sure it works. No amount of pulling would start it. I removed the spark plug, squirted starter fluid in there, and put spark plug back in. Still no start for another few minutes.... I never had starter fluid fail to start something before. I gave it one more pull and finally it came to life.

I will now test this thing on the first of every month. I put a recurring event into google calendar so I don't forget.

 

[Infinite Jester]

The argument the 'feds' made in court against White Bear was that anyone with more than 7 days food was a potential terrorist. So I have eaten all my extra food and shot all my ammo except enough for 1 magazine for my carry gun.

Good plan (wink wink). Seriously though, everyone should have some rudimentary training in first aid and wound care. Another good thing to have in your stores, is a book on medicinal herbs/plants. When access to medicine is minimal, nature can provide solutions.

 

[pinballguy]

I use my generator twice a year when my shrubs need to be trimmed. I run the cutter from the generator so that the brushes and motor get a work out. That way I am confident it will fire up if needed in the winter

 

[RickH]

I use my generator twice a year when my shrubs need to be trimmed. I run the cutter from the generator so that the brushes and motor get a work out. That way I am confident it will fire up if needed in the winter

Great idea!
I stealing that one

Thanks

 

[Prepper]

I use my generator twice a year when my shrubs need to be trimmed. I run the cutter from the generator so that the brushes and motor get a work out. That way I am confident it will fire up if needed in the winter

That is a good use for it. When I bought it, I was originally expecting to use it to run power tools to work on the bugout cabin, and to pump water from a brook. That cabin isn't there yet and thus doesn't need water pumped to it, so no generator exercise yet. Hopefully in a year or two.

 

[Yazz]

I use my generator twice a year when my shrubs need to be trimmed. I run the cutter from the generator so that the brushes and motor get a work out. That way I am confident it will fire up if needed in the winter

For the last four years my power has gone out at least for two days. S it gets used.

 

[JayMcB]

Changed oil and adjusted valves in the home genset. Load tested the auto-start battery. Got the propane topped off.

 

[FrugalFannie]

Cooked pasta Al Dente (or maybe a little less cooked than that) and am now dehydrating it. 12 oz of Penne = 4 cups dry and = 6 cups al dente. Planning on using this for my own dehydrated meals for backpacking. The penne needs at least 4 more hours, perhaps 8. Then I will dehydrate some meat and red sauce and eventually assemble into a meal and then cook on my backpacking stove. If it passes the test (flavor, easy, fulfillment) it will become a staple when backpacking.

 

[Prepper]

Changed oil and adjusted valves in the home genset. Load tested the auto-start battery. Got the propane topped off.

I was reading my generator manual last night and noticed the 200 hour maintenance said to adjust valves. Never having worked on an actual engine, this sounds awful. Is it? Should I bring it to a shop (sounds expensive)? Note that I am almost 200 hours from needing to do this; I am just planning ahead. That 200 hours can come quickly if we have a major outage.

 

[Duxprep]

Bought three books today to better learn how to cook with long storage pantry foods

Apocalypse Chow
The Prepper's Cookbook
100 Day Pantry - 100 quick and easy gourmet meals

- - - Updated - - -

I also went do my (Almost) monthly generator start up last weekend and found the gas pouring out of the carburetor and unable to start...And this is why we test things

 

[Palladin]

packed up 24 lbs of elbow pasta in mylar, O2 eaters, vacuumed sealed.

 

[xtry51]

Nice.

I buy pasta on sale throughout the year and at the end of each I pack up everything extra in mylar.

I also pack one of the boxes on top of the mylar in the bucket so anyone besides me knows how to cook it and what it is.

 

[Terrys]

Finished my generator shed, topped off a couple of propane cylinders and had a plumber install a natural gas connection. Still have to get a hose to run the gen on natural gas, but the propane will do for now.

 

[GM-GUY]

Nothing fancy, but damn simple, and everyone can do this one:

Went through the coupon book (from BJ's but papers and flyers - same thing) and cut out EVERYTHING I used, could use, or may use and bought the whole pile.

Ziplock bags, papertowels, pasta, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, meds

If there was a coupon for it, it went in the cart, I didn't buy other stuff that I could use if no coupon - I'll wait for the coupon or until I pull one from the pantry and replace then.


I saved over $70 using the coupons

 

[cockpitbob]

I just put together a couple get home bags for my car and the wife's. Just the basics:

* 1qt of water + purfication tablets
* Esbit tablet stove, small pot, food.
* 100' of mason's string: I really like this stuff. It's thin, light but will hold over 100lbs.
* 2mil drop cloth, small roll of duct tape.
* 2-person space blanket sleeping bag. Something else I really like.
* Multi-tool, lighter, compas, flashlight.
* sleeping bag in winter.

 

[lancecolonel]

winter's coming. going to make sure batteries are freshly charged for flashlights, radios etc.

 

[JayMcB]

I was reading my generator manual last night and noticed the 200 hour maintenance said to adjust valves. Never having worked on an actual engine, this sounds awful. Is it? Should I bring it to a shop (sounds expensive)? Note that I am almost 200 hours from needing to do this; I am just planning ahead. That 200 hours can come quickly if we have a major outage.

as a former ASE master tech specializing in honda, I can do valve adjustments in my sleep. It was a PITA, but not hard (for me). If you don't get the 'feel' of feeler guages, or know TDC from a hole in the ground, it can run like shit and you can burn a valve with a bad adjustment.

Ex-wrench tip: Hondabond RTV used for valve cover gasket corners, etc seals better than any other commercial RTV I have ever found.

 

[ACfarmer]

I (along with two other dads) just got done installing a small solar system in/on my son's scout troop's equipment trailer. Work donated a 12V 100 W panel with charge controller, another had a 800W inverter donated along with some aluminum angle, and we bought the batteries (2 reconditioned marine from Interstate)....misc other parts scrounged as needed. Also bought a few LED lights (2 outside and 1 inside) - works very nice. fun project

 

[mikelawtown]

Generator is Ready, OZARK TRAIL Lantern (walmart 15.00) works great. Trucks Cobra 1575 WATT Inverter checked out ok. Bought a few Gas Cans. Thinking about a spare (used) Generator also.

 

[JayMcB]

Howe's and seafoam in the tractor for the winter, topped off fluids, pumped up tires, greased all the zirc fittings, load tested the battery, sprayed neverwet on the upholstery.

Ordered chains for the rear tractor tires..... stored 20 extra gallons of stabilized diesel in 5 gallon Jerry cans (last stored 20 gallons went into the oil tank). Took 1/4 ton of biobricks to the NH place for 'just in case' inside storage if the outside wood gets wet or snow covered (or worse, stolen).

Pulled out about a cord of deadfall from higher up on the ridge. It's cut to length, but needs to be split

As I calculate, the defiant we have up there would burn through over a ton/month of biobricks. The good thing is that the biobricks are very stable, and will help less seasoned wood burn overnight if mixed in. They burn hotter and longer than all but the most seasoned hardwood splits

In NH, had the burner serviced, found out that there was a sensor shot in it that made the burner run 2x as much as needed, looking forward to the smaller oil bill this year. Also put a switched lockout on the domestic hot water zone. There's no need to keep water heated for when we're not at the house.

 

[Mr. Gold]

Installing a wood stove. Flex liner is down the flue and is waiting for its counterpart to arrive. ~2 weeks from now.
Boy, I'll be happy when it's finally running. The (sort of) downside of this is, that I live in MA, and I don't plan to grow old here (looking for land in NH), but, for this winter, we are here, so might as well have a good heating option and start using all the firewood I've been cutting for the last year.

 

[ToddDubya]

I guess I didn't count it as prepping, but I refilled all of the gas cans and added Stabil. I tried my hand at canning, which seems to have worked. I'm pretty slow at it, so I need to figure out a better order of operations to speed it up. I also scored a largish package of meat that I broke up into smaller packages, vacuum sealed and popped in the freezer. Last but not least I finished some movies on Netflix so I can get those out of my queue.

 

[Cowgirlup]

Started my shopping list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday for all of my prepping/camping type go to sites.

 

[ridleyman]

bought 6 more cans of Spam, expiration date sometime in the year 3045!

 

[ToddDubya]

bought 6 more cans of Spam, expiration date sometime in the year 3045!

I hope you got a deal on that old stock.

 

[xtry51]

Black Friday is a good prepper shopping day. Lots of camping gear out there at low prices as well as things like generators.

 

[FrugalFannie]

I guess I didn't count it as prepping, but I refilled all of the gas cans and added Stabil. I tried my hand at canning, which seems to have worked. I'm pretty slow at it, so I need to figure out a better order of operations to speed it up. I also scored a largish package of meat that I broke up into smaller packages, vacuum sealed and popped in the freezer. Last but not least I finished some movies on Netflix so I can get those out of my queue.

what did you can? perhaps we can offer some tips to 'speed up' the process of getting ready. obviously you cannot speed up the actual canning times other than canning in pints instead of quarts.

ETA: there are 16 ounces in a pint, 32 oz in a quart. If I can pints I can process 19 jars at one time or 304oz. If I use quarts my small canner can only hold 7 quarts or 224 oz. So I can process more ounces of food at 1 time by using pints in this particular canner (presto 23qt?). Which for a lot of foods is the size I want to can as thats what I need at 1 time. a pint holds 1 pound of meat approx. and also is the perfect serving size for soups/stews/etc for an individual. If I want to can enough soup/stew for my family, I use quart jars. I can also process 14qts in my All American though I preferably need my husband home as that baby is HEAVY when empty and even more so with 14 quarts in it!