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Fine line between prepping and hoarding, regarding household capacity
CR - November 8, 2021 Let me start by stating I don’t mean panic buying etc. I’m a longtime Realtor, and have worked with a number of hoarder clients, prepper clients and a family member’s epic sized hoard. It’s a sad fact that many members of the Greatest Generation who lived through World Wars and the Great Depression are inundated with stuff & unable to let go, largely due to their past experiences of scarcity. A recent elderly client clung to his hoard so fiercely that he had a screaming match in my office with his daughter who had come from out of state to move him near her. She went home without him, declaring she was done. Sad and avoidable, a priceless relationship in tatters over stuff.
My topic aims to open a dialogue on how we all can deal healthily with hanging onto and adding to stuff in relation to its actual value in a potentially worsening scenario. We likely all have a ton of preps that we have collected and are certain will save the day when needed. Me too, I’ll state right now. However, often we hang onto other crap that has no realistic future use, and just clutters up our living and storage spaces.
I’ve had to deal with some bizarre stuff in my job, plus clearing relative’s homes. One prepper I worked with had buried 150 pounds of silver in his shop, after his son told him he shouldn’t leave it in the attic! One property I sold had 5 acres full of rusted junk, including 2 chicken barns a tornado had totaled. I had to argue with the buyer to retrieve my sign that he had already gleefully added to his newly purchased hoard and hidden in a shed.
I am really trying to downsize my own (and hubby’s!) useless junk so we have reasonable room for and can organize what will actually be useful if things go badly. My current strategy to help let things go, and what I advise clients is to ask yourself if you would buy that item again. In the case of sentimental things (tougher, certainly) it can often work to take some good pics to remember it, and pass the item along to someone who can make good use of it, or toss out as appropriate.
I’ve had so many clients that like their own homes much better after clearing & decluttering them to get ready to sell. Let’s try to do that ongoing, so we can enjoy and use our spaces efficiently now, instead of allowing stuff to crowd us out of our own homes, or trap us in them as I’ve also seen. Our kids will thank us someday too, instead of screaming in frustration like my recent client’s daughter.
Read MoreNew and looking for constructive criticism on my bug out plan
LaurenZ - November 7, 2021 Hey, some recent life situations have made me have to rethink my entire bug out plan and I just want you guys to poke as many holes in my plan as you can so I can make it as airtight as possible. Any help is incredibly appreciated.
Some background: We recently moved my husband’s ailing parents in with us and then I was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma. My family now consists of me, my husband, my toddler, and my in-laws. I am currently undergoing chemo; my father in law has dementia, mobility issues and parkinsons; my mother in law also has mobility issues and must be attached to an oxygen tank all day. Neither of them can get very far without a walker or motorized scooter. We are not going to be hiking miles to a destination and will most likely be sheltering at home. My home is ready for this and it is not what I’m worried about.
What I need help with: I like the tiered system that was discussed and have tweaked it to what I think may fit my needs. Level 1 bags will be what I need to get to a friend or relatives house. Each person’s bag will have a boo boo kit instead of a full FAK, a couple basic snacks, water, toothbrush, important documents, clothes, cash, charging cords and plugs, a multi tool, paracord, maps, personal medications/oxygen/dentures/diapers (for the toddler and in-laws), and will look more like a heavy EDC rather than a proper BOB. Level 2 will be for hotels and will include all level 1 plus a flat of water, security/defense items, some food, a real FAK, radio, can opener, eating utensils, paper plates and cups, and kid friendly distractions. Level 3 would be for shelters if we couldn’t get anywhere else and would be level 2 plus personal care and hygiene items, sleeping bags, power banks, ear plugs, eye masks, garbage bags and locks to keep our crap safe. These are not the full lists, as adding every tiny item would be really long, but it’s a decent representation.
I am aware that all of this requires a car to get to these destinations and that a car may experience situations that would make us have to abandon it. My car is ready with more food, water, ways to procure more water, ways to make that water potable, ways to make fire, ways to make shelter, ways to signal for help, ways to defend, kid distractions, and additional first aid supplies. The plan is that either my husband or I would use the car’s GHB to find help while the other sets up a camp and tends to the rest of the family. It’s not ideal, and would really suck, but we wouldn’t die. As I stated earlier, sheltering in place looks like my family’s best option and will most likely be what we do for as long as we safely can.
Please let me know what you think and if there is anything I should consider adding, removing, or if there is anything I hadn’t even thought of. If anyone has experience in bugging out with the elderly and disabled, I would appreciate any feedback or ideas you might have. I’m really not sure what to do to keep them safe if we were to have to go anywhere on foot. Should I keep a type of generator in my car so that we can power the portable oxygen tank? Should I bring their walkers or just craft a badass walking stick from zombie skulls and tears of the unicorns? I truly have no clue how to do this with them.
Thank you in advance for all your help!
Read MoreAlaska facing record 12 feet of snow in 48 hours
Bill Masen - November 7, 2021 https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/alaskans-brace-for-a-record-12-feet-of-snow-in-two-days
For those of us who experience true bad winters at times, this freak of nature could be worth watching and learning from as one POSSIBLE consequence of climate change
Read MoreHow do you stack your firewood? Bark up, or bark down?
Jay ValenciaContributor - November 7, 2021 The people of Norway are serious about their firewood. So much so that Solid Wood by Lars Mytting (title changed for English release) spent more than a year on the nonfiction best-seller list in Norway. The book even sparked a 12 hour long television program about wood in which 20% of the population tuned in. During this 12 hour show, people started texting in complaining about how the wood was stacked in the program.
What they found was that about 50 percent of people preferred to have the wood stacked with the bark facing up to protect the wood from rain and snow,
and the other 50 percent preferred the wood stacked with the bark facing down to protect the wood from moisture on the ground.
(best picture I could find of this)
This even turned into a joke on the Disney movie Frozen where two citizens argue about which way the wood should be facing, which is where I learned about all this while watching with my daughter.
Some people even turn wood stacking into an art form.
Think this is all absurd? Read this New York Times article about it https://archive.md/nfaFd
So what is the proper way to store firewood? Well, in my opinion, I think bark side up is correct. If stored outside it will act like shingles and keep the wood dry from rain, also if you had the bark facing down, the U shape of the bark would trap moisture and encourage decaying.
Having proper airflow and spaces in between your wood is the most important factor however to allow drying.
How do you store your firewood? Bark up, or bark down? Exposed to the sky and ground or lifted up off the ground and covered? Indoors or outdoors? Stored in a circle or tower? Facing north, east, south, or west? Does any of this even matter?
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Austin,Texas DHS plan worth studying
Bob - November 6, 2021 https://www.governing.com/community/report-identifies-issues-in-austins-disaster-preparedness
Good morning,
Austin, Texas developed a plan that addresses the deep freeze and lose of much infrastructure.
Austin’s DHS and a consultant (Why the need for a consulting firm ?!) made some recommendations well worth studying.
Note “no crew members … knew how to operate a gear switch”. Before a prepper buys anything, do think of the required support system: basic field expedient repairs (even if used at home and not in field), spare parts (consider the spares as “merely” a cost of the main gadget, eg generator, being purchased) and tools/lubercants/related.
Under section titled “Shelters”, note “staffing shortfalls and availability of volunteers”. I’m posting this link not to single out and focus on Austin, Texas … it’s about the same here for private citizens …
Note recommendation: “identity a list of medical shelters and general shelters with durable infrastructure”.
All wheel drive emergency vehicles are far from being economical for year-round use. This specific subject is really a “it takes a village”.
Where do the Austin, Texas taxes go to ? Please be reminded by me this this link if from “governing.org” !
Does not * Hagerty Consulting* firm serve as a huge flare indicating the problem ?!
……
Would never have guessed roads could become useless without support.
Read MoreA British prepper supply store
Bob - November 6, 2021 https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/gallery/meet-cornwalls-survivalist-prepping-nation-6093283
Good morning,
Above article is about a prepper store.
Article has link to this store named “Prepper Shop UK”, owned and managed by Lincoln Miles.
At the store link’s section titled “Urban Essentials”, I have a copy of the Field Manual “First Aid For Soldiers”. This FM is somewhat outdated. The best book IMO featured is prepper medical care is Dr William Forgery, M.D.’s “The Prepper Medical Handbook”. Might still have a copy here. Of course, regardless of my opinion, Dr Forgery’s book is also somewhat outdated when focused to the current US medical scene.
I take due note that the Brit’s 50 cal ammo cans feature the newer HAZMAT label with number. This replaces the older “class C” label for small arms ammo (In US the 50 cal is still “small arms”).
I do recommend Lincoln Miles get some fire extinguishers for his inventories.
The prices appear to be real good.
Read MoreRussia cuts gas to Europe and amasses military on western borders
Bill Masen - November 6, 2021 Russia cuts gas to Europe and amasses military on western borders (msn.com)
Russia deploying large military forces to its western borders and has cut essential natural gas supplies to Europe. Basically Putin holds all the aces and the knock on effects could be catastrophic for Europe this winter.
Russia cuts gas to Europe and amasses military on western borders (telegraph.co.uk)
Read MoreMiddle Kingdom making itself a prepper nation
Bob - November 5, 2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59133027
Good afternoon,
This short article tells of China wanting families to stockpile some foods.
Of course some Chinese have always been preppers.
Read MoreUK media focusing on pan US shortages in stores
Bill Masen - November 5, 2021 Please ignore anything political in the DM article and focus on the logistical issues.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10094485/Biden-ridiculed-online-EmptyShelvesJoe-frustrated-shoppers-complain-shortages.html
EG this sort of detail rather than the political sniping.
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Fear, scary movies, our evolution; values to a prepper
Bob - November 3, 2021 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/fear-can-be-fun-and-it-might-even-be-good-for-you
Good morning,
Had thought I posted this article several weeks ago. Apparently not. Redundancy better than neglect. Some forum member might need this info now.
Note: “When the fear subsides, … pleasure”.
Note: “stress hormones”.
Did not know about Oxytocin and hugging.
Note Dr Mendez’s “Risk takers … “.
Note: “., short-term fear can have psychological benefits … to practice controlling”.
Read MoreThe need for insecticides in your survival garden
RedneckContributor - November 1, 2021 I’m a long time gardener that has a small vegetable garden, that provides lots of great food for my wife & myself, plus we have a rather large orchard (over 150 trees). As a prepper, I plan for an extreme scenario, where possibly for a year or more, we might have to become self sufficient to survive. Obviously, to rapidly become self sufficient, the number one thing you need is lots of garden seed, so I keep several hundred pounds in cool storage and add approximately 50lbs per year. Most seed will become much less viable after 3-5 years, so it is important to add new seed to your stores each year.
Sounds great, but there is something many preppers don’t plan on… battling insects when you just might need every plant to survive. My many years of gardening has taught me one thing and that is, at least where I live, there is no such thing as organic growing for many foods. This year has been especially bad for critters wanting to eat up my garden. Beetles of all sorts have been especially bad from the tiny ones you can barely see to the big ones. Squash bugs will kill any squash (or similar) within a few weeks. Now we have army worms attacking the grass all around this whole area.
Picture this. We have a crisis & all good preppers pull out their hoes & seed & put in a nice, big garden. The plants start off great, but then your squash starts dying and most of your other plants’ leaves start looking like swiss cheese… full of holes. What good are those seeds & implements if you can’t control the bugs?
My solution is insecticides. Yes they have all sorts of bad connotations, but if you really want to protect you food, and possibly your life, you will need them. Some insecticides are much safer than others. Spinosad is my go to insecticide, as it is one of the safest & some folks consider it organic. If applied properly, around dusk when the pollinators have left, it will only kill insects that bite into the plant… the bad guys. Once dry, it doesn’t harm the other insects & pollinators… the good guys. I purchase a quart of Conserve SC, which has a very concentrated amount of Spinosad for under $200. 1 oz of that makes 10 gallons, so that single quart can make over 300 gallons of insecticide.
Another rather safe insecticide is Cypermethrin, is a very concentrated synthetic pyrethroid that kills insects on contact. It is considered very safe & safe around animals. That same chemical is used in my fly spray system in my horse barn. I’ll be spraying that tomorrow on my grass to kill the army worms. It only takes 3 oz per acre. Another contact killer I use in my garden is BioAdvanced Vegetable and Garden Insect Spray Concentrate. I use this as little as possible.
My point is not to push any specific insecticide. I too keep lots of insecticide soaps & oils, such as Neem oil. I’m just letting you know some of what I use. My point is to remind any prepper that plans on growing their own food, that they really need to have insecticides on hand… and a lot of it. Besides having it on hand, it would be nice if you have some experience using it prior to a crisis, where a mistake can mean you and yours going hungry. I’ve found soaps & oils can be effective but sometimes you need something a bit stronger, at least IMO.
Read MoreSpecialized prepper multitool for food preparation
Bob - November 1, 2021 This multi-tool is for preppers – food preppers that is
Good morning,
It’s about a gadget for food preparation when out in the field and this multitool is the de factor kitvhen drawer of gadgets.
It’s approximately configured like a Swiss Army Knife. It has a cheese grater, inter alia – amongst other things. Not familiar with “Zester”.
One thing I’m sure the gadget cannot do is open Brazil nuts. My method requires use of a crash ax and multitool with a vice grip.
Most definitely carry the needed cleaning products along with this field expedient kitchen tool(s). Otherwise the bugs / animals will follow.
Read MoreAvoiding a Halloween disaster
Jay ValenciaContributor - November 1, 2021 With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to share some of the safety tips that I have used over the years. Maybe it’s a bit overkill, but I haven’t lost a child to Halloween yet. There are tips that all can benefit from, those with children and those who will just stay home.
Take your children trick or treating to known houses of people you trust. Check the sex offender registry and avoid those houses when trick or treating. Download the NSOPW app from your app store to see a map of houses to avoid wherever you go. Go out early and go home early. As the night goes on, people get drunk, it gets darker, and the older kids are out and about pulling tricks. Tell people which routes you will be walking and when you will be home. Inspect candy for any that have been tampered with by squeezing the packaging. If there isn’t a little bubble of air, it might have been opened. Look for any candy that your child may have a food allergy. One of the biggest dangers during Halloween is cars. If your three year old is running around in a black gorilla suit, it will be hard for a car to see them. Make safety fun for them by buying glow in the dark paint, using reflective tape, create a costume with LED lights, or a cheap option is buying packs of glow stick bracelets and necklaces from the dollar store. Make your children as visible as possible. If possible, avoid wearing masks that can obscure your vision. Drive slow and have your lights on as you are going around the next few days. Charge up and bring a headlight or flashlight when going around with your children. Print off your contact information and pin it to the inside of your child’s treat bag and costume. If they get lost, they can show that to someone to help reunite you. Before going out, make sure your and your child’s cell phones are completely charged and you have settings like Find My iPhone turned on. Take pictures of your children with and without their costumes on right before they go out, this can be used to show people or the police a description of your child if they get lost. Don’t make it scary for them and tell them it’s in case they get lost, just mention how you want it as memory. Do the same for your teenagers, no matter how much they complain and whine. Things happen unfortunately. If you are handing out candy, have some pepper spray close by the door in case you have some drunk teenagers come by that try and cause trouble and enter your house. Again, things happen, be prepared. Pull the jack o lanterns in when you are done handing out candy for the night and you turn your porch light off. Unless you want to pick up pumpkin guts from teenagers going around pumpkin smashing. Make sure any security cameras and home alarm systems are armed are working properly a couple days before and after Halloween. Do an extra security sweep around your property and house. Make sure all windows, doors, and padlocks are secured. People are just out and about looking for trouble. Bring a small first aid kit with you when trick or treating, running around in the dark can lead to some injuries. Have it nearby as well when carving pumpkins. If you are sick or think you have COVID, please do not go out trick or treating or hand out candy. There will be many more holidays you can enjoy, take it easy and watch a scary movie at home. Read MoreBrit article on Brit preppers
Bob - November 1, 2021 Good morning,
Per title, article tells of more acceptance of prepping after BREXIT.
Article mentions Mathias, West Virginia. This place next to Virginia and just north of George Washington National Forest. Since the forest is Federal land, it can be readily packed with Fed LEOs. The mentioned 50 cal machine gun is something “frowned upon”.
Reminder to forum members of the American upstart colonies: “torch” means in American English “flashlight”.
Read MoreMassive Facebook, Instagram / internet outage
Bill Masen - November 1, 2021 Its global FB and many other mass user sites have been down since 5PM GMT, nearly 5 hours out of action.
Read MoreCurrent global problems could worsen because of diesel shortage in China
Bill Masen - November 1, 2021 Some news agencies are taking an ever more closer interest in the economic problems in China, In some cities truckers are limited to 200 litres a time, but when you leave the cities people are waiting up to a week to refuel. This is having a major impact in china being able to meet its export obligations and even driving up food prices as well. The cost of fuel has doubled in some areas and one of the knock on effects is that Vegetables in some areas are now more expensive than meat.
https://www.wionews.com/world/due-to-fuel-shortages-china-rations-diesel-424700
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1237632.shtml
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59059093
Read MorePreparing for evacuation to a public shelter
Nanb - October 30, 2021 I realize this is not what most folks here, including myself prepare for. But recent massive flooding in my area has me wondering- if I could not shelter in place, AND my vehicle was flooded (many people in my town lost their cars)or roads were closed, and I ended up in some sort of community shelter, what would I wish I had packed? Across the board from hygiene, to privacy and comfort but also personal security and preventing theft, etc?
Read MoreWashing machine broken, might want to try something non-electric
PrepPrepPrep - October 29, 2021 What would you use to wring out clothes, that *does not hurt your hands*? The washing machine just broke. Maybe I can get it fixed, maybe not, but it occurs to me to have something for backup. My hands can’t really do the wringing on their own at all any more, although I have done it in the past. I see some hand wringers (mangles) online, and would like to avoid something that is going to break.
Read MorePreserving meats with salt
Matt Black - October 29, 2021 This is kind of a splinter conversation based on the one started by Jay Valencia (Avoiding freezer burn when storing meat). I mean, prior to the advent of refrigeration, this was *the* method of preserving meat.
I’m wondering if anyone has any practical experience, advice, or tips for preserving meats with salt, in case refrigeration (and freezing) isn’t an option.
Read MoreHas anyone bought any “cheap but worth it” prepping supplies from Wish.com?
lsmith - October 28, 2021 I’ve found that there are many potential prepping supplies on wish.com for a very low price (+shipping from China) and was wondering if anyone has had luck finding worth it items to round out their preps there? I’ve seen molle first aid bags, ferro rods, solar items, and other such things there for very low cost. Of course, I’m aware that the quality of many of their items is questionable, but I was curious if anyone had found items that are worth it? Many items seem identical to what I find on amazon. Thanks!
Read MorePreparation for flying?
Hardened - October 28, 2021 I think this is the worst time to be flying and have no plans to fly. However, the other day a question arose in my mind, “What if I had to? How would I prepare?”
If you were to fly on an airplane, what would you bring with you?
My first thought was that I would want excellent respirator and eye protection. It would need to be comfortable for a long flight (which is inherently uncomfortable to begin with). I would need to feel confident that nothing would slip off of my face by accident. This line of thinking made me want a full mask [1].
Then I thought, what about drinking water? The Aerospace Medical Association recommends drinking 8 ounces of water each hour flying because the humidity in the cabin is low (20%) [2]. I would want to be able to drink without taking off my mask, so that steered me to a gas mask with a drinking tube such as the Avon C50 [1].
I know that wearing a N95 with an exhalation port is illegal in San Francisco, for example [3]. Does this apply to airplanes as well and do gas masks have exhalation ports?
What about the social impact? I usually try to keep a low profile while travelling, especially to other countries, to minimize being targeted for crime while I’m outside of my home environment. Wearing a gas mask would draw a LOT of attention to me.
I appreciate your thoughts.
[1] https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/best-gas-mask-respirator-survival/ [2] https://www.asma.org/asma/media/asma/Travel-Publications/HEALTH-TIPS-FOR-AIRLINE-TRAVEL-Trifold-2013.pdf [3] https://sf.gov/information/masks-and-face-coverings-coronavirus-pandemic Read MoreMy winter safety kit
rangerjohn - October 27, 2021 Greetings all,
I love the kit builder on this site. Having said that, I put together something I am calling My Winter Safety Kit.
Feedback, comments, questions?
Read MoreHas anyone made and used a snare or trap for small game?
Henry Tubbs - October 27, 2021 In various bushcraft books and even in the SAS Survival Handbook it talks about snares and traps as a method of passive hunting. Has anyone made and used one of these to catch something?
There are so many varieties like a spring snare, figure 4 palute deadfall, and more.
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