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Situational awareness (digital, near real time?)

This is equal parts suggestion, question, and brainstorming – I’m looking for ideas for gathering [near real time] situational awareness.

As I’ve read this site and others I get the impression that different parts of the country are experiencing things in very different ways.  I see people sharing images of empty shelves in a store on the other side of the country but down the street things seem “normal.”  I realize a lot of online content is more anecdote and less data but I also figure that with a lot of anecdotes you might be able to tease out some data/trends.

One idea (not my favorite) is twitter, there are some interesting advanced searches.  

For instance if I want to see tweets within 50 miles of Washington DC, this search term seems to work:

near:”38.901862736383556,-77.0102291245727″ within:50.07mi

https://twitter.com/search?q=near%3A%2238.901862736383556%2C-77.0102291245727%22%20within%3A50.07mi&src=typed_query

likewise if I want to search for recent tweets about “groceries” or “grocery store” this seems to work (and would perhaps work through the end of the year?) this search string appears to work:

(groceries OR grocery store) until:2020-12-31 since:2020-11-15 -filter:replies

https://twitter.com/search?q=(groceries%20OR%20grocery%20store)%20until%3A2020-12-31%20since%3A2020-11-15%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query

It seems I can combine these manually, too:

(groceries OR grocery store) until:2020-12-31 since:2020-11-15 -filter:replies near:”38.901862736383556,-77.0102291245727″ within:50.07mi

https://twitter.com/search?q=(groceries%20OR%20grocery%20store)%20until%3A2020-12-31%20since%3A2020-11-15%20-filter%3Areplies%20near%3A%2238.901862736383556%2C-77.0102291245727%22%20within%3A50.07mi&src=typed_query

I feel like with a few saved search strings you could search your area for recent activity at various distances.  You still have to sift through random people on twitter but maybe there are more filters/tips I’m not aware of that others could share.

My only other thoughts on “real time awareness” are things like crime maps, however these often lack context (trends over time, comparisons, etc) so its hard to know what a “normal” amount of crime looks like.  These also tend to be specific to certain areas and each area may have different reporting parameters making it hard to gauge changes between jurisdictions.

https://www.crimemapping.com

Not sure how many tech/code savvy people are on here, but this was inspired by a surge in ‘bots’ to scrape retail websites for available stock of PC video cards.  I thought it would be neat to scrape data from retailers by store for stock of things like toilet paper or other “in demand” items to get a sense of where demand was spiking, but thats probably a bit niche and beyond my coding skills.

Any other ideas, either different resources or tips for refining twitter searches?

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 Black Friday – Cyber Monday deals 2020

This forum thread is going to be updated throughout the next week with various Black Friday and other holiday deals related to prepping. Keep checking it out often and share it with others to get the best deals on your preps.

ThePrepared.com’s Water Essentials Course – 50% off if you preorder.

Olight – Free i1R 2 EOS flashlight, Free $5 credit, and ability to earn more free store credit. Up to 45% off all but one flashlight on their website. 

HUGE deals on Berkey Water Filters – Here and Here (our review on best home water filter)

Legacy Food Storage – Starts now. Use code BLACKFRIDAY to get 20% off your order. (our review of best food buckets)

Valley Food Storage – 15% off. (our review of best food buckets)

Emergency Essentials – Up to 50% off site wide. (our review of best food buckets)

Thrive Food Storage – Up to 40% off. (our review of best food buckets)

Harvestright – Save up to $400 and free shipping on home freeze dryers.

myfoodstorage.com – 20% off

Battlbox subscription box – Free tent with every new subscription on Cyber Monday with coupon code: cybertent

Survival Frog – Up to 75% off. If you spend +$150, you get a free electric hand warmer.

Solostove.com – Over 30% off fire pits

Darn Tough Socks – 25% off through November 30, 2020

Mymedic.com – 30% off sitewide. No code necessary. Orders over $49 will get a free neck gaiter and cold & flue medpack.

Rapid Medical – 30% off sitewide

Traeger Smokers and Grills – various discounts

32 Degrees clothing – 70-75% off site wide

Lowe’s Giftcard – $100 gift card for $90

Apple Products – Various apple gift cards with purchase

Rush 72 packs -dropped in price from $180 to $100

SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2 – $100 off

Amazon:

Sawyer Mini Water Filter – Price dropped 28% from $25 to $18. (our review of best portable water filters)

Lifestraw Water Filter – Price dropped 35% from $20 to $13. (our review of best portable water filters)

Ka-Bar Tactical Spork and Knife – Price dropped 25% from $9 to $7. (our review of best spork)

FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine – Price dropped 35% from $200 to $130.

Augason Farms Variety 4-Gallon Pail – Price dropped 29% from $85 to $60 (our review of best food buckets)

12X Magnification Binoculars – Price dropped 58% from $60 to $25.50

Craftsman 20V Cordless drill driver – Price dropped 32% from $87 to $60

64 Drawer Plastic Parts Storage Cabinet –  Price dropped 34% from $42 to $28

Ring Video Doorbell 3 + Echo Show 5 – Price dropped from $290 to $150 – (our review of best Home Security Cameras)

Ring Video Doorbell Pro – Price dropped from $250 to $170 (our review of best Home Security Cameras)

SimpliSafe 9 Piece Wireless Home Security System – Price dropped from $300 to $210 (our review of best Home Security Cameras)

Blink Outdoor wireless weather resistant HD security camera – Price dropped from $250 to $150 (our review of best Home Security Cameras)

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet 32GB – Price dropped from $150 to $80 (forum post about E-Readers for use in a survival situation) 

Amazon Kindle w/ Front Light – Price dropped from $90 to $60 (forum post about E-Readers for use in a survival situation) 

Samsung Cube Smart Air Purifier – Price dropped from $700 to $600.

Molekule Air Purifiers – up to 20% off

Instant Pot Ultras – up to 33% off – (our blog post about using an instant pot to cook dried beans)

Masterbuilt Electric Smoker – up to 17% off 

Samsung EVO microSD cards for your trail camera, security camera, phone, and more – various discounts

Coleman Outdoor Gear – Up to 40% off

LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottles – Up to 30% off

Walker’s Ear Muffs – Up to 50% off

9-Hour Emergency Candles – Price dropped from $30 to $20 – 33% discount 

Enbrighten LED camping lantern – Up to 20% off

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Prepping for civil unrest

Anyone here anticipating/prepping for civil unrest? 

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Toilet paper vs. a bidet

With toilet paper in short supply, many people are switching over to bidets that you can attach to the side of your toilet. I know bidets are very popular and common place in countries other than the US, but it is something I’m not too familiar with. 

Do any of you have one? What was installation like? What are the steps to using one? Do you recommend it to others?

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Shout-out for arugula!

My wife and I experimented with some cool-weather crops this fall, our first time doing so since recently relocating to northeastern Washington state (zone 6).  We planted spinach, kale, and arugula from seed in late September, but then winter came early and we had 2 hard freezes (when the temperature drops below 27 degrees f), 10+ frosts, and 3 snowfalls totaling about seven inches, all before the middle of November.  I all but gave up on the crops, but as the snow melted off we were pleasantly surprised that things were still alive, and the arugula was nearly ready to harvest.  Granted, the growth was rather stunted, but after spending a week covered in snow I was amazed we had anything.  The spinach and kale produced enough to garnish a salad, but the arugula stole the show.

Note the frost in this picture!

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IMG-0216

Non ham radio choices

Which non Ham radios format do you recommend, FRS, GMRS or MURS? And second to that which hand radio do you recommend that would also allow for listening to NOAA, emergency radio, FM, AM, etc?

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Mini flashlight recommendations?

Hello!  Has anyone found a mini flashlight that they love?  By “mini flashlight” I mean a flashlight about the size of your index finger.  A single AA battery type, or rechargeable, but something that could easily fit in a pocket. 

Thanks!

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Silica gel packets – keeping your preps safe from moisture

The disaster is here! But you aren’t worried, because you are prepared. You have food, tools, ammo, and more. Only to open up your preps to find that moisture has destroyed them! Tools have rusted closed, food has spoiled, and you don’t dare shoot that ammo for fear of exploding in your face. If only there was something you could have done… There is my friends! 

Enter the Silica Gel Packets! Remember those little bean bags that you got with your new TV that says “DO NOT EAT”? That’s them.

I bought a package of 50 reusable food safe silica gel packets on Amazon back in 2018 . These had the included feature of having a clear window on the little packet and color changing beads inside so you could visually tell when they had absorbed their limit and needed recharged. The packets that I got are a bright orange color when they are dry and unused, but will change to a green color when they are saturated with moisture.

I used these silica gel packets in with my electronics, photo albums, tool boxes, ammo, gun storage, and anything I could think of that I didn’t want moisture buildup. And when I got into that item again and saw that it had changed to a dark green color, I replaced it with a new bright orange pack. Now that I have used up all my packets, it is time to test reactivating, and see if paying extra for this reuseability really was worth it.

There are two ways you can reactivate. Putting it in the microwave for 7-12 minutes on Defrost, or baking it in the oven for 30 minutes – 2 hours. 

I started out trying the microwave method. I placed them on a piece of cardboard because I didn’t know exactly what would happen. I didn’t want to have melted plastic all over my wife’s nice dishes.

BEFORE:

After one minute in on the defrost setting, I noticed that the packets were expanding like they were about to explode! 

All the moisture in the silica gel was escaping from the beads and was trapped inside of the packet and was visible on the clear plastic window.

There are little perforation holes in the packets though, and this is how they are designed to be recharged, so I decided to keep them going, but watched them a bit more closely. I didn’t need exploded plastic all over my microwave.

After the recommend minimum time of seven minutes, they still had moisture buildup on the inside of the packet so I kept them going in the microwave at two minute increments until the maximum recommended time of 12 minutes. At 12 minutes, they no longer had any visible moisture on the inside of the packet and were no longer a dark green color but now were a dark orange. Still not the bright vibrant orange color like a brand new packet though.

Maybe the oven would fair better. Again, I didn’t want my wife to kill me when I melted plastic on her nice cookie sheets, so I lined it with aluminum foil.

After 30 minutes at 200 degrees, the packets looked a brighter orange than the 12 minute defrost from the microwave and I did not see any moisture on the inside. 

But some of the packets still were not that original bright orange color.

I contacted the manufacturer and asked what I could do to get the silica gel packets back to the bright orange color that they originally were at. Their recommendation was to bake them in the oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours, and that should get the silica gel packets back to almost bright orange. The manufacturer also said that they wanted to send me out a package of their newest silica gel packet for free. My email wasn’t complaining or anything, but they just wanted to do something nice for me. A+ customer service.

In hopes to get the packets back to a bright orange color, I put all of them from the oven and microwave test onto the cookie sheet and threw it back in the oven. In my impatience, I turned on the convection setting on my oven, which just blew warm air around the oven during the normal bake setting, thinking this would dry them out faster.

This was a mistake… 

In summary, I highly recommend silica gel packets as part of everyone’s preps. Keeping your gear dry and protected is important to increasing it’s life and function when you need it most. If you get the reusable kind, follow the instructions and use the oven over the microwave.

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New vs Used labelled

Any options for cooking indoors when the power is down?

I’m helping a friend with some prepping stuff. She lives in a townhouse in an area which has often been affected by bad air from wildfires and where our local power company has also been shutting down the electricity for days at a time, in an attempt to prevent said wildfires (which they haven’t prevented anyway). One problem the friend has is cooking or heating food because she has an electric stove. I would recommend a small propane stove, but her area is really dry and last year the fire department pleaded with people to not create any sparks outside. I realize that these small butane stoves don’t produce much in the way of sparks, but she just really felt like she didn’t want to risk it.

So, I’m wondering what her options are for cooking or heating at least minimally, if she has to cook inside and rely on power from a backup solar generator or other rechargeable source of some sort. Regular hot plates and toaster ovens are massively expensive in terms of electrical use. What else can she do?

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Garden experiments with hard soil

I had a pretty good garden last spring, but my hard, rocky clay required a lot of mechanical intervention to be workable. I decided to take the fall to experiment with making fixed beds with handtools like my broadfork and pointed hoe.

My goal was to make the nice borderless raised beds you see in books by Steve Solomon and John Jeavons. That just doesn’t seem to be possible with this soil. I’m experimenting with heavily amended narrow strips, which are easier to dig out. I’ve made a video showing some of what I’ve tried.

David the Good has posted a video from a friend of his with a similar soil profile to mine, who tried the lasagna gardening method. She piled on straw and woodchips and let it rot for a couple of years. In theory, this builds a new soil layer and softens the soil underneath. While she got that nice upper layer, the soil underneath is still hard as bricks and limits the size of her vegetables. She’s now trying to break that layer up with a broadfork.

I’d be curious to hear if anyone has had success gardening with hard soil. If my strip plan doesn’t work, it looks like I either need to buy a tractor or construct raised beds.

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What is the best eReaders for field use ?

Hello,

I ordered an eReader recently, as a convenient way to read technical books and pdfs without having to bother cluttering my bookshelf with the physical items (my phone is quite harsh on my eyes). It made me wonder how useful an eReader would be in a survival situation, to store survival information and entertainment in a compact, light format that can be recharged with solar panels and a power bank.

Is it a good idea at all, and is there an eReader that could be sturdy enough for lengthy field use, both in terms of physical resilience (and waterproofing, etc.), battery life, the ability to access and replace said battery as well as a guarantee this device will not be bricked if the company’s servers ever go under ?

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What to say to kids instead of “be careful!”

Thought this was worth sharing with any parents. I like the spirit behind this idea – get their brains configured the right way early on! You can see how small differences in wording make the difference between being average and having an aware/prepper mindset.

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Ham radio recommendations?

I recently earned both my Technician and General Class licenses, and I’m pondering about radios to buy. Of course, I have a number of BaoFengs, but they don’t get great reception where I am. A lot of hams recommend the Icom 7300, sort of the gold standard of HF radios, but it’s expensive and very large. I’ve considered the mobile Icom 7100, because it’d be a bit easier to work in my space and it also does VHF/UHF, though it’s not as “fancy” as the 7300. Then you have the Elecraft K3, which is small and can run off batteries, but is very expensive and has low transmit power.

For the hams in the forum: what radios do you like? I’m also open to suggestions about antennas, power supplies, and all the other necessary accouterments.

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Packing a first aid kit, IFAK discussion

After reading the First Aid Kit Article, my first thought was, “How the heck does that all fit in there?”

IFAK first aid kit list

There are a few comments beneath the article asking the same question. Rather than wait on a guide, I figured I’d throw a kit together to see how it turned out. Most of this kit was purchased and assembled in September and October of 2019. The pictures I took last week. The kit is not finished, I’m still missing a few things, and I’m likely to make more changes as time goes on.

Full Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. There are people here with a lifetime more experience than me. Comments and criticism on the components and layout are welcome.

The bag itself was purchased from Amazon, it is an Orca Tactical MOLLE Rip-Away pouch. Nominal bag dimensions are 8″x6″x3.5″. Different bags will pack differently, but I wanted something roughly this size as my own proof of concept for a level 3ish kit.

I may have screwed up the embedded images below, but it’s late, I’m tired, and all the links should be there regardless.

Full post: https://imgur.com/a/oP3vZkv

Full kit laid out: https://imgur.com/7vpFMH4

IFAK packed, open: https://imgur.com/MRyyxRU

Left side, packed: https://imgur.com/r19DIcr

Left side, large items: Shears, Tourniquet, Elastic Compression Wrap, Rolled Gauze: https://imgur.com/NCtnz3Y

Packed flat in the large pocket in the back of the bag. From top to bottom: Emergency blanket, Moleskin, Abdominal Pad (x2), Gauze Sponge (x2), Chest Seal, Steri-strips: https://imgur.com/rlQgiuR

Middle section, on top: Gloves (x2), Coban, Medical Tape, Silk Tape, Z-Fold Gauze. Bottom: Pressure Dressing: https://imgur.com/a4H97ne

Middle section, packed below: Hydrocortisone cream, Petroleum Jelly, Cravat: https://imgur.com/ikPqEct

Right pouch: Tweezers, Syringe w/ 18ga tip, Band-aids (x10), Butterfly Bandages, Alcohol Prep Pads, Non-Stick Pad, Nasopharyngeal airway: https://imgur.com/jOzjDCz

Inner mesh bag: Immodium, Pepto-Bismol, Advil, Benadryl, Tylenol: https://imgur.com/UUe7WuJ

I was surprised that everything so far ended up fitting. The bag is still closing easily. I’m unsure of the long term quality of the bag, but I haven’t noticed any splitting, or stitching coming undone around the zipper. The current weight is about 2.4lbs. (I have a terrible scale, and I’m not sure how accurate that number is.) Everything has stayed strapped in place, but I haven’t tried punting the bag down the stairs yet to test just how secure things are.

IFAK Measurements: https://i.imgur.com/xwaYs34

Here’s the breakdown of items from the level 1, 2 and 3 first aid kits in the IFAK guide, along with what I’m missing.

Level 1

Tourniquet Pressure Dressing Z-Fold Gauze Coban Roll Trauma Shears Acetomihophen Ibuprofen Benadryl Imodium Band-Aids Chest Seals

Level 2

Tweezers Irrigation Syringe Petroleum Jelly Needle and Thread in Alcohol – MISSING Silk Medical Tape Moleskin Rolled Gauze Gauze Pads Plastic Cling Wrap – MISSING Cravat Butterfly Bandages Safety Pins – MISSING Elastic Wrap / ACE Aluminum Splint – MISSING

Level 3

Emergency Blanket Gloves Saline Eye Drops – MISSING Abdominal Pad Nasopharyngeal Airway Aspirin – MISSING Pepto-Bismol Caffeine – MISSING Hydrocortisone Miconazole – MISSING Doxycycline – MISSING

 

With regards to the missing items

Needle and Thread in Alcohol: I haven’t found a small bottle I like that I also don’t need to order two dozen of that I also trust to seal tightly. I realize this is a pretty dumb reason not to have this item sorted out, since I do have needle, thread and alcohol on hand. Plastic Cling Wrap – I don’t have a lot of first aid training, so I’m not sure when it would be appropriate to MacGyver something out of cling wrap. This is easy enough to add, it’s in my kitchen now. Safety Pins – Dumb oversight I’m realizing now. Aluminum Splint – I threw this in my car bag rather than the FAK. I might try bending it differently to get it to fit, especially if I move the tourniquet and shears to the outside of the bag. Saline Eye Drops – I was looking at some sterile single use ampoules. Otherwise the smallest bottle I found was 4oz. I also don’t recognize all of the brands for this stuff, which makes me a bit hesitant to squirt it in my eyes. I also have concerns on these freezing if left in my car during the winter. Aspirin – I need to buy some pill pouches for these since I don’t have any of the single dose packets. Caffeine – I bought some NoDoz recently that I could throw in a pill pouch, but I don’t think I’ll ever use them. I’ve only tried a caffeine pill once, years ago, and I hated it. I can drink a litre of coffee without issue, but one pill got me all kinds of jacked up. Miconazole – Still need to buy this. Not a high priority for me, though it does have other uses. Doxycycline – I still need to talk with my doctor about this. I’ve done some travelling in South America in the past, and got prescribed Cipro as a “just-in-case” antibiotic. I want a better understanding of side effects and stuff before adding this or really any broad spectrum antibiotic.

Other comments

The bag strikes me as a little “Tacticool” which I’m not a big fan of. I also bought some of those black Talon gloves, and snark aside, they do feel pretty good and I like how they come packaged. The tourniquet could be attached to the outside for easier and faster access, while freeing up room inside. Same goes for the shears. I was unsure of how to do this securely using rubber bands or elastics. I left this kit in my car over most of the winter, so it was below freezing for days or weeks at a time. On returning to room temperature, I couldn’t find any issue with the petroleum jelly or the hydrocortisone cream. They also didn’t burst or leak in the bag, which was nice. Immodium – My general rule while traveling is take double the amount any reasonable person would bring with them, especially if in a group. Someone always forgets it, and someone always needs it. This is morale insurance too. No one has ever been upset they brought too little with them. I think I’m going to add more to my kit. I should have labeled the images with numbers next to each item, corresponding them to the level 1, 2 or 3 lists for reference. I might go back and do this. I’ve thrown in some things that aren’t on the “official” list, but I have some extra and I’ve found them useful in the past. Steri-strips, non-stick pads, woven gauze and alcohol prep pads.

So there it is. I’m still figuring this out. I’m planning on making level 1 and level 2 kits at some point as well, but I’m looking for the right bags or pouches.

Cheers

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Preparing for CLO induced bank failures?

This article makes a compelling case that a 2008-style financial meltdown has already begun:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/coronavirus-banks-collapse/612247/

I’m wondering about good ways to prepare for this.  An obvious way is to get liquid assets “out of the system” by moving money into gold, silver, and Bitcoin.  Would it also make sense to move cash out of banks and into local credit unions?  Perhaps they have less exposure to CLOs?  What else can we do?  Perhaps open bank accounts in foreign countries?

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Adapting BOBs for family use

I’ve noticed that most BOB guides (including the very good one here) seem to focus on equipment for one person, with only a bit of lip service paid to larger groups.  How does everyone handle kits for, let’s say, a family of four?  A few considerations:

– Which items scale and which don’t?  Obviously you probably wouldn’t need four Level 3 first aid kits and four radios, but you would need four sleeping bags and four sleeping bag pads.

– Shelter – increase the size of the tarp for level 1?  For level 3, one large tent or two 2/3-person tents?

– What do the kids carry (we’re talking grade school kids here, not teenagers who I would treat like adults), other than let’s say a backpack with a sleeping bag, water, etc.?

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Basswood Tree (American Linden) – great tree for survival

One of my favorite trees is the Basswood, or American Linden.  It is a large stately tree that is loved by bees at it puts out huge quantities of blooms that bees love & does so later in the year when the bees are hunting nectar & pollen.  For that reason it is also called the bee tree.  Basswood honey is considered some of the best in the world.  My son has a few large basswoods at his house & they can be just loaded with bees.  I have planted two on my property.

What many folks don’t realize though is that the leaves and young buds are edible… and quite tasty.  They can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked down.  The native Americans also used the bark.  The Indians soaked the bark for two to four weeks to loosen long fibers. They used the fibers for many of their needs: Bags, baskets, belts, fishnets, house mats, snowshoe netting, ropes, sewing thread and even suturing wounds. 

IMO, this is a tree preppers should need to recognize, as there is a lot of leaves on a mature tree.  It is also a great tree for our bees, which we need to protect & nuture.

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basswood150

Caching a tent and sleeping bag – Should I do it?

I was browsing through Reddit and saw a post titled: “Advice whether to cache tent and sleeping bag?”

At first glance, this seems like a wonderful idea! Tents are heavy, sleeping bags are bulky. I’m just thinking about how compact and light my BOB will be if I don’t have to carry these two items.

I’m not quite sure how I would create a cache though that would be durable and waterproof. 

What are your thoughts? Is this something you can see yourself doing?

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Heating your home (without electricity)

We’re heading into winter. If something goes down and the power gets shut off, staying warm is suuuuuuper important.

I’m a renter, and our home has central air (electrical) and no fireplace. Anyone have experience to share with the rest of us? 

In the beginner’s checklist is a link to a few propane-fueled heaters; I would love to hear about those, in addition to any other ideas.

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AR-15 Maintenance Schedules and Guidelines

An AR-15 rifle purchased from a reputable manufacturer is extremely reliable, though it does need periodic maintenance to function correctly. Basic maintenance schedules discussed below.

Some key points about the AR-15 rifle.

The AR-15 firearm was designed to shoot 1 round every 2 seconds (Sustained rate of fire). If you shoot faster than that, you will drastically heat the rifle, and reduce the barrel’s life. Consider the Ar-15 a mini precision rifle. Yes, it can shoot fast, but the weapon, with the right optics, is best used with deliberate, aimed fire. Magazines can be a source of malfunctions. If you have a bad magazine, throw it in the garbage or mark it for “training purposes only.” A 5.56/.223 mil-spec/military-grade rifle can run at least 15,000 rounds before the barrel needs to be replaced. Some higher-end barrels can go 20,000 rounds + before they need to be replaced. An indicator that the barrel is worn out is the rounds key-holeing (hitting the target sideways) or an extreme loss in accuracy at 100 yards. The bolt carrier group is one of the most critical components of the rifle. On a hobby rifle, shoot your gun until a lug cracks on the bolt, then replace the bolt. If your life depends on your rifle, replace the bolt carrier group every 10,000 rounds. If you can afford it, carry a spare bolt carrier group with you. If your rifle fails during training, there is a good chance it is a component in the bolt carrier group. Simply swapping the bolt carrier group can get you back in action. If you cannot afford a training rifle or another bolt carrier group, at a minimum, carry a spare bolt with you. Before you train, swap out your “SHTF” bolt with a training bolt. Every time you clean your bolt carrier group, check for cracks. Cracks form around the cam pin and the lugs on the bolt. If you are missing a lug on your bolt, it is time to replace the bolt. While checking the bolt carrier group, check your gas rings, extractor, and ejector. A great way to check gas rings is to extend the bolt, then stand the bolt carrier group upright with the weight balanced on the bolt. If the bolt carrier collapses on the bolt, replace the gas rings. This method only works on a “Mil-Spec” bolt carrier group. You can check your extractor by removing it from your bolt and looking at the lip that holds the bullet case. If there is still a lip and the metal is not worn down, it’s probably okay. Check the ejector by taking a shell casing, seat it in your bolt, and let it go. If the shell is flung 5 to 6 feet away, the ejector/ejector spring are probably okay. Firing pins last a long time, but it is not a bad idea to keep a spare. Modern, well maintained AR-15’s do not need as much cleaning as people think. Wiping down the bolt carrier group with a carbon remover like M Pro7 is more than adequate. You can also use a bore snake and clean the carbon out of your barrel. After you clean your chamber and bolt carrier group, make sure to lubricate your bolt carrier group. Don’t fret about copper in your barrel, only carbon. Carbon pits barrels. Once a year, or every 2,500 rounds, give your rifle a very detailed cleaning (carbon removal) and check all surfaces for cracks.

On a training or hobby gun, you can keep track of firing schedules and diligently replace parts, or shoot the rifle until it stops working and then start replacing parts. If you carry a gun for a living, take firing schedules and parts replacement seriously.

Basic Maintenance Schedule for a 5.56/.223 duty rifle with a 14.7 or 16 inch barrel/Carbine or Mid length gas system. 

Please note, this is preventative maintenance. AR-15’s have been documented to run for 10,000 rounds + with no maintenance, save for lubrication. If you want to swap parts every 5,000 rounds, you will probably be okay.

At 2,500 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, and gas rings. At 5,000 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, ejector, ejector spring, and gas rings. Check every surface for cracks, especially the bolt lugs and the cam pin area. You will need the bolt ejector tool, hammer, and punch to swap out the ejector and ejector spring. At 7,500 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, and gas rings. At 10,000 rounds, replace the bolt carrier group, and buffer spring. Attach a precision rifle scope and shoot a few 3-round groups for accuracy. At 12,500 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, and gas rings. At 15,000 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, ejector, ejector spring, and gas rings and once again check accuracy. You will need the bolt ejector tool, hammer, and punch to swap out the ejector and ejector spring. At 17,500 rounds, replace the extractor, extractor spring, and gas rings. At 20,000 rounds, replace the bolt carrier group, buffer spring, and barrel. Have a certified armorer check out the system as a whole. Read More
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First gun for prepping in California

If you were to buy only a single gun for prepping in California (which has the strictest gun laws in the US [0]), what would it be? I’ve been researching what my first gun purchase should be, and it looks like the options at a high level are:

A handgun A shotgun A featureless AR-15, meaning it lacks certain features like a pistol grip or vertical foregrip [1] A maglock AR-15, meaning the top and bottom halves of the rifle have to separate for reloading [2] A “traditional” rifle (for lack of a better term), meaning something that’s not an AR-15, like an M1A [3]

I think the ideal would be to not have to choose, and instead have a rifle + a handgun. But that still leads to the question of which type of rifle to have.

My primary worry is worsening civil unrest as the election approaches, but in keeping with the Sane Prepper Mantra [4], it would ideally be a generally useful firearm: home defense, self-defense while bugging out, even hunting. I plan to take multiple classes with whatever I end up getting.

(And if you’re new to guns altogether like me, I highly recommend The Prepared’s guide for basic background knowledge: https://theprepared.com/self-defense/guides/beginners-guide-to-guns/)

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/CAguns/comments/h03tti/faq_of_california_gun_laws_last_updated_692020/ is a good overview

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/CAguns/comments/9nibj7/here_are_my_california_adultlegos_for_featureless/

[2] https://www.80percentarms.com/blog/the-best-maglock-options-for-california/

[3] https://www.springfield-armory.com/m1a-series-rifles/

[4] https://theprepared.com/prepping-basics/guides/sane-prepper-mantra-common-sense-rules/

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Trapping

I didn’t see anything on trapping, but it’s smart to have some on hand in a SHTF situation.  Trapping is a silent way to hunt and much easier than trying to find and shoot game.  I have 5 small game traps and 5 fish traps.  As a test, I put one out last week (I live in a small suburb in S.C.).  Within a few days, I caught a possum, two squirrels, and a feral cat.  Released them all, but I know it works.  

A few on my garage wall.

Below is my next trap. A hog trap from Tractor Supply.  I checked it out; it’s very well made.  I hope to get one sometime in the near future.  

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Good Storage for Prepping with limited space

I have a one bedroom ~600 sq ft apartment and my kitchen has limited space. I need some more storage space and was thinking good shelving unit – something like this or this . I was wondering what other folks had done and if they had any set ups they reccomended that were reliable, didn’t need to be pinned to the wall and not a pain to set up. 

Leaning strongly to get this, which is pricey but looks nicer than some of the others.

Ideally 36 in or less in width as well if that as an option. 

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The beginnings of a food forest…

I have a big empty hill behind my house. It’s too much of a pain to go up there every day, but I wanted to use the land for something.  I decided to start starting a food forest.

The concept is pretty simple: you plant food-bearing trees together to create a forest and then put low-maintenance crops in between them. So you might have a large nut tree surrounded by apple and pear trees, with strawberry plants in between them. (Amaranth would also be a good addition).

It’s what Nassim Taleb would call an “anti-fragile” system. A traditional garden has to be cultivated, weeded, and watered regularly, but once a food forest is established, it can be left to its own devices. The book Gaia’s Garden is a good reference for starting a food forest.

Yesterday, I received the two one-year-old Dunstan Chestnut trees I ordered over the summer. The chestnut tree is a great resource of both wood and food and was once a key resource to Appalachia. Unfortunately, the American Chestnut was wiped out in the early 20th century by a fungal blight. If you try to plant one now, it’ll die from blight within a few years. However, a single blight-resistant American Chestnut was found and piece of it were grafted onto blight-resistant Chinese chestnut trees, creating the Dunstan Chestnut tree.

I already had my tools and other gear in my truck ready to go. I started by using my scythe to make a clearing in the tall grass and weeds and then used a string trimmer to eliminate as much grass as possible in a large circle.

I then used my Root Slayer shovel to dig a hole for the tree. I love this shovel. The saw teeth on the sides make it easy to dig into the hard ground here. I really needed it yesterday, because some sort of tree has started to root in my field. I cut through the roots and ripped out all the tree roots I could find.

I put the tree in the hole, covered it up, and then slid a tree tube over the top, which acts as a miniature greenhouse and protects the tree from deer. I fixed it in place by zip-tying it to a piece of bamboo.

Finally, I watered the tree in with liquid compost, put some compost around the tree as mulch, and then dumped some saved kitchen scraps around the tree. They’ll also serve as mulch and will feed the tree as they break down over time.

Next, I’m set to receive three mulberry trees. They’re cheap and should start producing berries within a year. I’m also going to put in some apple trees this fall.

Hopefully, within a couple of years, I will have a steady supply of food that will require no work other than just walking up and taking it.

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Thinking about school in the fall

Curious how everyone here is thinking about school/childcare in the fall. Have started to see what different districts are planning (mid-size Midwest city).

The biggest district is doing a 2/3 day split, alternating which students get Wednesday each week.
Two more districts have announced that their current plan is 100% in the classroom, though they have numerous contingencies around distance learning and the like, so that plan could certainly change.

Obvious given forum rules I don’t want to make this a political discussion (though if you take politics out of it entirely I still find it a fascinating balance of tradeoffs…) – I’m more curious about how other preppers are thinking about handling schools if they reopen/childcare if they don’t/impact on their children.

Our only child right now is not yet a toddler, so they are not personally impacted by schools, but my wife is a teacher, and thus obviously is. From everything I’ve seen on mortality the statistical risk to any of us given our age/health is roughly equivalent to that of driving 10,000 miles. The morbidity risk is still pretty unknown – as Mr. Stokes often brings up. From what I’ve seen my thoughts on that risk *to us* is trending in the optimistic direction -recent reports around T-Cell impact and potential cross-immunity from common cold strains (see: wife = teacher for analysis of past cold prevalence in our household) are driving much of that.

However, obviously our risk of transmitting it to grandparents and others is high if we are in school/daycare situations, which makes decision making a bit trickier.

I see several options (I work remotely, for context below.):
Wife quits job, takes care of kid at home (best for exposure/safely seeing grandparents – bad for wife’s career)
Wife works at school, but wears mask and hopes to not be overly exposed, in-home childcare for kiddo (made trickier due to wife’s potential exposure)
Wife works at school, kiddo goes to daycare, avoid grandparents (outside of very socially distanced settings) until we get it and are over with it.

That’s what our rough decision matrix seems to look like. Curious what those of you with school-aged kids and no teacher spouses are thinking.

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