Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card What media sources do you consult? Whatevs - August 20, 2020 Besides this website, what media sources do you consult for preparedness? Looking to cast a wide net. Read More 12 17 Advice What are you doing with your stimulus check? JB - August 10, 2020 Finally got mine. Are you guys spending some of yours on more preps, especially in this window before we might have more lockdowns? If so, on what? A lot is sold out, so I was thinking about getting some workout stuff but I haven’t decided. Not being able to go to the gym is really effecting me, and I think fitness is a part of prepping. Read More 20 20 Advice What did you learn from the experience from COVID-19? FPV California - August 10, 2020 Did you learn something fundamental? Were you rocked to your core? Or did you learn something little that you just want to share with the world? For me it was the realization that 2 weeks of prep just won’t cut it. I was prepping with a big earthquake in California in mind. But with toilet paper disappearing for a month it finally dawned on me how desperate the whole state will be after an earthquake. With so many people in need there’s no way there will be enough logistics to feed everyone or supply water for weeks or months. I’m going to have to rethink things. One small thing I learned is you can chop up green onion and it keeps in the freezer. I like to dress up my Top Ramen with more ingredients and green onion is one of my favorites. In the past I would just use fresh from the store, but in order to reduce my trips to the store I tried freezing it and it worked out great. Read More 20 25 Advice When to bug out… and where? Runcible - August 8, 2020 Hi y’all, I’ve been trying to manage my fight/flight impulses recently, but I find my fear at a constant idle of anxiety. We have the food, defense, and energy preps we might need to shelter in place in our home for a few months, I think. We have good relationships with our neighbors. But home maybe doesn’t feel like the safest place? I live in a town recently mentioned as a potential target for Federal Troops coming to quell civil unrest, in a seismicly active area, a town with great wealth disparities and a large population of folks living pretty marginally. As times get worse, crimes of desperation will surely increase. We’re trying to decide, in this very uncertain and potentially pre-cataclysmic economic time, when the best time to bug out is. Certainly, if we were to try to sell our house and investments it would be prudent to make those moves before housing and stock markets falter. That’s super hard to predict. Advice sought: what triggering event/events would you use as economic indicators/triggers to make you pack it all up and move it on out? Further: where would we go? If we can keep our jobs and schooling running remotely, what are the best options? Should we stay within driving distance of our work HQ and friends, or should we try to immigrate to another country? Hunker in the woods or near a Costco or on a tropical island? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these matters. It’s OK to call me overwrought, or to say you’ve had similar thoughts, or hear about your bug out locations and triggers. I seek a variety of opinions. Read More 15 15 Advice Dealing with food allergies/sensitivities and prepping Alicia - August 7, 2020 I’ve been gluten free for years and just prior to this pandemic my husband developed a serious gastro-intestinal issue that reduced his diet to literally 5 items (and growing, thankfully). This definitely has put additional challenges on prepping, especially for BOBs. I’m glad to find that companies have started offering and labeling GF freeze dried food options. What I’ve not been successful at finding is emergency rations. I can find protein bars, but their shelf life is months, not even a year. Has anyone had success in finding (or making) very long shelf life rations for restricted diets? And I know my situation is fortunate, I can’t imagine emergency scenarios with life threatening allergies. Read More 15 23 Advice Preps with a newborn hbic - August 2, 2020 I’m 8 1/2 months pregnant just as hurricane season starts. Skipping past the birth part (c’mon, Saharan dust, hold strong), what are good things to keep handy for disaster scenarios with a newborn? I’m thinking lots of formula + diapers, and then … 🤷🏻‍♀️ Read More 17 13 Advice Non-respirator masks COVID_Actuary - July 30, 2020 Is there any consensus around the best masks options if you can’t get access to respirators? Ideally in stock within about 6 weeks (when school would begin…) I see lots of rankings based on comfort/style, but not as much analysis around “this is actually going to do a good job filtering out particles” EDIT: oh hey, looks like the GoRuck masks are back in stock. Maskit also looks promising. Read More 14 9 AdviceGear Talking to young adult daughter about being prepared inteliprep - July 30, 2020 So my brothers and I have embraced being prepared, as this year has convinced us of the plausibilty of events or chains of events occuring that could lead to scenarios that would require hunkering down and/or bugging out. We have enjoyed talking about how we will respond to different things, what we’ve purchased, stuff we already have that we’ll share at our vacation home, I mean, bug out location…. My question is have any of you men or women talked with your young adult daughters about being prepared and what were some tips you would provide? I’m pretty ok with talking about the basics of being prepared with her as I’ve already talked about financial preparedness and currently addressing having her vehicle “prepared” since she just bought her first used car, ie, the fix a flat, first aid kit, etc, etc. So I’m wanting to go the next level. How will we meet up, where, why are we even talking about that (she lives 40-50min from me and closer to urban)… “Here daughter, here’s your go bag…. ummm, why do I need this…” Now she isn’t stupid or completely helpless, and I think she’d be open to the next level, but she is a thinker and may or may not see the need. I’m just looking for thoughts from people (guys and women) who have had this converstation with their young adult daughters. Read More 15 7 Advice Increasing your readiness when driving near protests Paul Martin - July 28, 2020 I wrote this on Sunday, relying in part on the work of others who have researched this. I thought I would share this in case someone was looking for some guidance on dealing with these events. https://paultmartin.com/blog/f/project-increasing-your-readiness-when-driving-near-protests Read More 14 5 Advice “Sane Prepping” Car/vehicle selection criteria Rich DCContributor - July 27, 2020 I realize there is A LOT of room for debate and preferences on this topic and everyone might be optimizing for slightly different scenarios, but I was curious if there were any top well balanced contenders, or even semi-universal criteria for selection of automotive transportation with an eye towards prepping? Going with the theme of this site (“sane prepping”) I’m lobbying for criteria biased towards a combination of every day use but also some specialized use, also something that doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb (I am NOT interested in hummers, tactical/mad-max ready vehicles, or even cloth-covered Jeeps with snorkels). I don’t want/need more than one car so a multitasker is ideal, though I’m open to upgrades like non-stock tires, non-obvious skid-plates, and removable roof cages, etc. The criteria I’m thinking of so far include a lot of “normal” considerations: Reliability/durability Fuel economy (conceptually open to electric but feel like its still too specialized?) Serviceability Inconspicuousness/affordability Safety/survivability Cargo capacity (probably more than a sub-compact sedan, but nothing crazy big before it eats into fuel economy?) The “Prepper” related extra considerations: All wheel drive? Higher () than average) ground clearance? upgradability/the availability of upgrades (I imagine some car markets have more options than others?)? at least light off-road capabilities (should be able to go over a curb/through light mud with confidence, maybe over small logs, but not planning on fording a river or scaling a boulder). Anything obvious I miss? Anything non-obvious that might be worth thinking about? Also interested in “upgrade” suggestions that I haven’t covered that might be generally applicable to any/most choices. So far my limited research is making me wonder if a Subaru Outback might be worth looking into seriously? I imagine the Jeep brand is popular, but I’m less sure about that for myself (but open to hearing more if you’re a fan). Read More 16 7 AdviceGear Portable solar and power banks best practices? Jonnie PekelnyContributor - July 24, 2020 I admit, I’m starting this thread to highlight a comment I made here (hoping to get it noticed and get answers.) https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/portable-solar-chargers/ I wound up getting the Big Blue but for my home, to charge small devices. I have a few questions on this topic. 1) If we’re not supposed to fry our phone battery by putting it in direct sunlight, why is it okay to fry the battery pack? 2) Is it a viable strategy to try to shield the gadget or battery pack from the sun by putting it, for example, under the solar panel or otherwise in the shade? 3) What happens if you plug more than one device into the solar panel? for example, what if you plug in two battery packs. Do they each get charged at half the rate? I’m sure it’s not that neatly broken out, but I’m trying to get the general idea. 4) I am a little bit confused about how to figure out what “perpendicular to the sun” means because the sun is a ball not a plane, to be simplistic about it. Could you explain? Also, what are best practices for propping portable panels up so that they are at the correct angle? . Read More 17 10 AdviceGear Handheld ultraviolet light sanitizers Fen Hedrick - July 24, 2020 I recently read a review on these sanitizers and I was curious if anyone knows if these are any good for cleaning bacteria and Protozoa from water? Read More 12 4 Advice If you have checklists, do you have triggers for using them? Paul Martin - July 23, 2020 I’m a huge proponent of checklists. As the Texas coast may experience some tropical weather later this week, I pulled out mine and made sure I was comfortable with my pre-set trigger for the Level A checks in the list. Do you use pre-determined triggers for your checklists? https://paultmartin.com/blog/f/project-setting-triggers-for-your-checklist-tasks Read More 12 1 Advice What the media didn’t understand about toilet paper hoarding Jay ValenciaContributor - July 12, 2020 Not only was it aggravating that some media referred to the people panic buying as “preppers”… but they all seem baffled by why people were stocking up on toilet paper. Here’s my theory. I poop in my home less often than I poop at my work or other places. So does my wife and our kids mostly do their business at school. I did not yet have a stock of toilet paper in my preps. So when this all started going down, I knew I wanted to go stock up… but I honestly had no idea just how much my family would use when we are all at home 24/7 for weeks. Are there any good rules of thumb in prepping about how much TP a person uses? Or some other formula to use? Read More 17 12 Advice Masking little kids nosname - July 12, 2020 Will your smallest children wear masks? Have you found particular products (either masks or faceshields) that work best for little kids? How about motivational techniques to help kids want to wear masks? In many places, mask mandates apply to kids over age 2. When schools try to reopen in the fall, they are also likely to require masks, but it’s unclear which products are best for kids or how to get them to comply. Read More 14 4 AdviceGear How to help normalize general preparedness? Rich DCContributor - July 4, 2020 I find myself circling around the topic of “what can I do” to help educate and/or convert others as this global pandemic is a sort of a near perfect case study in why it’s not “crazy” to prepare at least a little. To share my personal time-line: I started paying attention to the “new virus” around January 17 when it showed up on The Prepared on a couple of blog entries. On January 27 I started modestly stocking up on some supplies like hand sanitizer, wipes, etc. As February unfolded I started shoring up non-perishable foods and other shelf-stable consumables. But, and I’m not proud of this, I didn’t start prodding my nearby family with “do you have everything you need” hints and “hey, I noticed all the lysol wipes were gone at the grocery store” hints until March 3. I didn’t suggest to a subset of my facebook friends they might want to start paying attention until March 5. March 12 was when my employer granted more liberal telework, and then people started swarming the grocery stores near here on March 13 (that was a weird weekend…). By then I was plenty prepared… but i was also wishing I had “warned” more people a little louder and a little sooner. I didn’t do more because I didn’t want to come off as an alarmist, I was unsure of the urgency/impact, and I was perhaps slightly worried about being judged harshly by some peers (I shouldn’t care but I’m human). As luck would have it most in my circles are largely fine but if things had turned out worse i’d be kicking myself that “I didn’t do more.” So, along the lines of the blog post here ( https://theprepared.com/blog/warm-not-smug/ ) about welcoming newcomers, any thoughts on how best to spread the word without being too heavy handed? Even silly stuff like the 2-weeks of food and water [FEMA guidelines?] that i bet 70%+ of the population completely ignores. Things like having a decent roadside emergency kit in your car. I feel like that’s the kind of stuff parents tell their kids to do and hearing it from adult peers risks coming off as condescending if you do it wrong? Have you found good ways to bring up this topic without getting ridiculed or dismissed, even in measured ways? Read More 16 10 Advice Advice/suggestions on tents? NewbiePrepper - July 3, 2020 Hi everyone, I am about to start researching tents for a camping trip. I would like it to be dual purpose so I can include it as part of my “prep supplies”. Anyone have any advice on specific brands, what I should consider as I look at tents, etc? Thanks in advance!!! Read More 11 13 Advice If you just started gardening or raising chickens/rabbits, how has it gone? Mike Hill - June 22, 2020 It’s been on my prepper wish list for a long time, but I haven’t done it yet. I saw the news stories about how covid caused a lot of people to suddenly jump into growing or raising their own food. I’m guessing it’s not as easy as people might have thought when they rushed into it in a panic. So I’m curious… if this was you, how is it going? Read More 16 19 Advice Hobby farm or homestead? squidvicious - June 22, 2020 My wife and I have been talking about “doing something else” for a couple years (she quit her job, mine seems to be reaching a natural point of exit). The time seems to be ripe for actually following-through! I have convinced her we should add hobby farm/homestead to the mix. Assumptions… 1. Want to move north. Like, New England. Would consider upstate NY part of the acceptable geography. 2. One of us will continue to work for income, benefits, etc. 3. We have a 6 year old. No homeschooling. So, proximity to town/schools, etc. is still going to be important. (i.e. not too remote) 4. I enjoy, but have no allusions about adopting, the mythology displayed on all those Alaska shows (I’m pretty grounded as to the reality of small farm operations) Questions… 1. Any tips on finding a property? Anything specific to look for (or not) up north? 2. We aren’t young… I mean, we’re young enough to have a 6 year old but we’re not 20 or 30 somethings. Does our age matter in terms of actual labor required? In terms of finding a property that is “turnkey” vs “needs work”? 3. Any key indicators to look for? Anything you wish you’d known before? Or that you would do differently? 4 How ridiculous an idea is it? Dick Proenneke is good inspiration, for the challenge he took on as a middle-aged person. But to be clear, we are definitely not going all remote-cabin-in-the-woods. Read More 16 12 AdviceSkills Services to help you prep? David Krueger - June 21, 2020 Are there any existing companies that exist to help people prep? Read More 7 2 AdviceMeta New guy here. Dan Rose - June 12, 2020 Hi people I am a new guy here my name is Dan. I live in a small apartment with my mom and cat no kids. I live in a rural area of NE Indiana. I am into prepping but only can do so much since I live in an apartment. I have building some preps. I want to setup some defense. My mom is against firearms and my apartment rules are to. I do have my Indiana CCW permit. I am stuck on what to do next for setups. Read More 13 3 Advice Avoiding freezer burn when storing meat Jay ValenciaContributor - June 10, 2020 My smart wife grabbed a chest freezer a few months ago before they all sold out. So we’re starting to store meat for the long term, which I’ve never really done before. The few times I did, the meat would get freezer burn not long after. Maybe a few weeks. Not all of it would be ruined but enough that I didn’t make long term storage a habit. But I get the sense that I’ve been doing something wrong if so many preppers are keeping meat for months. What do you recommend to avoid this? Read More 11 12 Advice Phone apps to save power in a crunch? Liz Klein - May 26, 2020 I have a newish Samsung and was wondering if anyone knows of a good app to increase the battery life? In an emergency situation where I would need to use it for longer, I would love to be able to squeeze more out of the battery. I’ve looked up a few and I think there are built in settings but does anyone know of a good one that I should try? Read More 14 9 Advice < Prev 1 2 3 … 13 14 15 Recently Active Chickens for preppers: Important considerations - 1 week agoHam Radio Protocol - 2 months agoWhat is the best place to buy mylar bags? - January 15, 2024Personal first aid kits for families - December 13, 2023Recommendation for bugging in or out in Taiwan - November 25, 2023 RULES This forum is heavily moderated to keep things valuable to as many people as possible. Full community policies are here. The basics: 1. Be nice to each other. 2. Stay focused on prepping. 3. Avoid politics, religion, and other arguments. 4. No unfounded conspiracies, fake news, etc. 5. Debate ideas, not people. FILTER Show all Advice Gear Meta News Scenarios Skills

What media sources do you consult?

Whatevs - August 20, 2020

Besides this website, what media sources do you consult for preparedness? Looking to cast a wide net.

Read More

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17

Advice

What are you doing with your stimulus check?

JB - August 10, 2020

Finally got mine. Are you guys spending some of yours on more preps, especially in this window before we might have more lockdowns? If so, on what?

A lot is sold out, so I was thinking about getting some workout stuff but I haven’t decided. Not being able to go to the gym is really effecting me, and I think fitness is a part of prepping.

Read More

20

20

Advice

What did you learn from the experience from COVID-19?

FPV California - August 10, 2020

Did you learn something fundamental? Were you rocked to your core? Or did you learn something little that you just want to share with the world?

For me it was the realization that 2 weeks of prep just won’t cut it. I was prepping with a big earthquake in California in mind. But with toilet paper disappearing for a month it finally dawned on me how desperate the whole state will be after an earthquake. With so many people in need there’s no way there will be enough logistics to feed everyone or supply water for weeks or months. I’m going to have to rethink things.

One small thing I learned is you can chop up green onion and it keeps in the freezer. I like to dress up my Top Ramen with more ingredients and green onion is one of my favorites. In the past I would just use fresh from the store, but in order to reduce my trips to the store I tried freezing it and it worked out great.

Read More

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25

Advice

When to bug out… and where?

Runcible - August 8, 2020

Hi y’all,

I’ve been trying to manage my fight/flight impulses recently, but I find my fear at a constant idle of anxiety. We have the food, defense, and energy preps we might need to shelter in place in our home for a few months, I think. We have good relationships with our neighbors. But home maybe doesn’t feel like the safest place?

I live in a town recently mentioned as a potential target for Federal Troops coming to quell civil unrest, in a seismicly active area, a town with great wealth disparities and a large population of folks living pretty marginally. As times get worse, crimes of desperation will surely increase.

We’re trying to decide, in this very uncertain and potentially pre-cataclysmic economic time, when the best time to bug out is. Certainly, if we were to try to sell our house and investments it would be prudent to make those moves before housing and stock markets falter. That’s super hard to predict.

Advice sought: what triggering event/events would you use as economic indicators/triggers to make you pack it all up and move it on out? 

Further: where would we go? If we can keep our jobs and schooling running remotely, what are the best options? Should we stay within driving distance of our work HQ and friends, or should we try to immigrate to another country? Hunker in the woods or near a Costco or on a tropical island?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these matters. It’s OK to call me overwrought, or to say you’ve had similar thoughts, or hear about your bug out locations and triggers. I seek a variety of opinions.

Read More

15

15

Advice

Dealing with food allergies/sensitivities and prepping

Alicia - August 7, 2020

I’ve been gluten free for years and just prior to this pandemic my husband developed a serious gastro-intestinal issue that reduced his diet to literally 5 items (and growing, thankfully).  This definitely has put additional challenges on prepping, especially for BOBs.  I’m glad to find that companies have started offering and labeling GF freeze dried food options.  What I’ve not been successful at finding is emergency rations.  I can find protein bars, but their shelf life is months, not even a year.   Has anyone had success in finding (or making) very long shelf life rations for restricted diets?   And I know my situation is fortunate, I can’t imagine emergency scenarios with life threatening allergies.

Read More

15

23

Advice

Preps with a newborn

hbic - August 2, 2020

I’m 8 1/2 months pregnant just as hurricane season starts. Skipping past the birth part (c’mon, Saharan dust, hold strong), what are good things to keep handy for disaster scenarios with a newborn? I’m thinking lots of formula + diapers, and then … 🤷🏻‍♀️

Read More

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13

Advice

Non-respirator masks

COVID_Actuary - July 30, 2020

Is there any consensus around the best masks options if you can’t get access to respirators? Ideally in stock within about 6 weeks (when school would begin…)

I see lots of rankings based on comfort/style, but not as much analysis around “this is actually going to do a good job filtering out particles”

EDIT: oh hey, looks like the GoRuck masks are back in stock. Maskit also looks promising.

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AdviceGear

Talking to young adult daughter about being prepared

inteliprep - July 30, 2020

So my brothers and I have embraced being prepared, as this year has convinced us of the plausibilty of events or chains of events occuring that could lead to scenarios that would require hunkering down and/or bugging out.  We have enjoyed talking about how we will respond to different things, what we’ve purchased, stuff we already have that we’ll share at our vacation home, I mean, bug out location….  

My question is have any of you men or women talked with your young adult daughters about being prepared and what were some tips you would provide?  I’m pretty ok with talking about the basics of being prepared with her as I’ve already talked about financial preparedness and currently addressing having her vehicle “prepared” since she just bought her first used car, ie, the fix a flat, first aid kit, etc, etc.  So I’m wanting to go the next level.  How will we meet up, where, why are we even talking about that (she lives 40-50min from me and closer to urban)… “Here daughter, here’s your go bag….  ummm, why do I need this…”  

Now she isn’t stupid or completely helpless, and I think she’d be open to the next level, but she is a thinker and may or may not see the need.  I’m just looking for thoughts from people (guys and women) who have had this converstation with their young adult daughters.

Read More

15

7

Advice

Increasing your readiness when driving near protests

Paul Martin - July 28, 2020

I wrote this on Sunday, relying in part on the work of others who have researched this.  I thought I would share this in case someone was looking for some guidance on dealing with these events.

https://paultmartin.com/blog/f/project-increasing-your-readiness-when-driving-near-protests

Read More

14

5

Advice

“Sane Prepping” Car/vehicle selection criteria

Rich DCContributor - July 27, 2020

I realize there is A LOT of room for debate and preferences on this topic and everyone might be optimizing for slightly different scenarios, but I was curious if there were any top well balanced contenders, or even semi-universal criteria for selection of automotive transportation with an eye towards prepping?  Going with the theme of this site (“sane prepping”) I’m lobbying for criteria biased towards a combination of every day use but also some specialized use, also something that doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb (I am NOT interested in hummers, tactical/mad-max ready vehicles, or even cloth-covered Jeeps with snorkels).  I don’t want/need more than one car so a multitasker is ideal, though I’m open to upgrades like non-stock tires, non-obvious skid-plates, and removable roof cages, etc.

The criteria I’m thinking of so far include a lot of “normal” considerations:

Reliability/durability Fuel economy (conceptually open to electric but feel like its still too specialized?) Serviceability Inconspicuousness/affordability Safety/survivability Cargo capacity (probably more than a sub-compact sedan, but nothing crazy big before it eats into fuel economy?)

The “Prepper” related extra considerations:

All wheel drive? Higher () than average) ground clearance? upgradability/the availability of upgrades (I imagine some car markets have more options than others?)? at least light off-road capabilities (should be able to go over a curb/through light mud with confidence, maybe over small logs, but not planning on fording a river or scaling a boulder).

Anything obvious I miss?  Anything non-obvious that might be worth thinking about?  Also interested in  “upgrade” suggestions that I haven’t covered that might be generally applicable to any/most choices.

So far my limited research is making me wonder if a Subaru Outback might be worth looking into seriously?  I imagine the Jeep brand is popular, but I’m less sure about that for myself (but open to hearing more if you’re a fan).

 

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AdviceGear

Portable solar and power banks best practices?

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - July 24, 2020

I admit, I’m starting this thread to highlight a comment I made here (hoping to get it noticed and get answers.)

https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/portable-solar-chargers/

I wound up getting the Big Blue but for my home, to charge small devices. I have a few questions on this topic.

1) If we’re not supposed to fry our phone battery by putting it in direct sunlight, why is it okay to fry the battery pack?

2) Is it a viable strategy to try to shield the gadget or battery pack from the sun by putting it, for example, under the solar panel or otherwise in the shade?

3) What happens if you plug more than one device into the solar panel? for example, what if you plug in two battery packs. Do they each get charged at half the rate? I’m sure it’s not that neatly broken out, but I’m trying to get the general idea.

4) I am a little bit confused about how to figure out what “perpendicular to the sun” means because the sun is a ball not a plane, to be simplistic about it. Could you explain? Also, what are best practices for propping portable panels up so that they are at the correct angle? .

Read More

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10

AdviceGear

Handheld ultraviolet light sanitizers

Fen Hedrick - July 24, 2020

I recently read a review on these sanitizers and I was curious if anyone knows if these are any good for cleaning bacteria and Protozoa from water?

Read More

12

4

Advice

If you have checklists, do you have triggers for using them?

Paul Martin - July 23, 2020

I’m a huge proponent of checklists.  As the Texas coast may experience some tropical weather later this week, I pulled out mine and made sure I was comfortable with my pre-set trigger for the Level A checks in the list.

Do you use pre-determined triggers for your checklists?

https://paultmartin.com/blog/f/project-setting-triggers-for-your-checklist-tasks

Read More

12

1

Advice

What the media didn’t understand about toilet paper hoarding

Jay ValenciaContributor - July 12, 2020

Not only was it aggravating that some media referred to the people panic buying as “preppers”… but they all seem baffled by why people were stocking up on toilet paper.

Here’s my theory. I poop in my home less often than I poop at my work or other places. So does my wife and our kids mostly do their business at school. I did not yet have a stock of toilet paper in my preps. So when this all started going down, I knew I wanted to go stock up… but I honestly had no idea just how much my family would use when we are all at home 24/7 for weeks.

Are there any good rules of thumb in prepping about how much TP a person uses? Or some other formula to use?

Read More

17

12

Advice

Masking little kids

nosname - July 12, 2020

Will your smallest children wear masks? Have you found particular products (either masks or faceshields) that work best for little kids? How about motivational techniques to help kids want to wear masks?

In many places, mask mandates apply to kids over age 2. When schools try to reopen in the fall, they are also likely to require masks, but it’s unclear which products are best for kids or how to get them to comply.

 

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14

4

AdviceGear

How to help normalize general preparedness?

Rich DCContributor - July 4, 2020

I find myself circling around the topic of “what can I do” to help educate and/or convert others as this global pandemic is a sort of a near perfect case study in why it’s not “crazy” to prepare at least a little.

To share my personal time-line:

I started paying attention to the “new virus” around January 17 when it showed up on The Prepared on a couple of blog entries.

On January 27 I started modestly stocking up on some supplies like hand sanitizer, wipes, etc.

As February unfolded I started shoring up non-perishable foods and other shelf-stable consumables.

But, and I’m not proud of this, I didn’t start prodding my nearby family with “do you have everything you need” hints and “hey, I noticed all the lysol wipes were gone at the grocery store” hints until March 3.  I didn’t suggest to a subset of my facebook friends they might want to start paying attention until March 5.  March 12 was when my employer granted more liberal telework, and then people started swarming the grocery stores near here on March 13 (that was a weird weekend…).

By then I was plenty prepared… but i was also wishing I had “warned” more people a little louder and a little sooner.  I didn’t do more because I didn’t want to come off as an alarmist, I was unsure of the urgency/impact, and I was perhaps slightly worried about being judged harshly by some peers (I shouldn’t care but I’m human).  As luck would have it most in my circles are largely fine but if things had turned out worse i’d be kicking myself that “I didn’t do more.”

So, along the lines of the blog post here ( https://theprepared.com/blog/warm-not-smug/ ) about welcoming newcomers, any thoughts on how best to spread the word without being too heavy handed? Even silly stuff like the 2-weeks of food and water [FEMA guidelines?] that i bet 70%+ of the population completely ignores.  Things like having a decent roadside emergency kit in your car.  I feel like that’s the kind of stuff parents tell their kids to do and hearing it from adult peers risks coming off as condescending if you do it wrong?  Have you found good ways to bring up this topic without getting ridiculed or dismissed, even in measured ways?

Read More

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10

Advice

Advice/suggestions on tents?

NewbiePrepper - July 3, 2020

Hi everyone,

I am about to start researching tents for a camping trip. I would like it to be dual purpose so I can include it as part of my “prep supplies”. Anyone have any advice on specific brands, what I should consider as I look at tents, etc?

Thanks in advance!!!

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Advice

If you just started gardening or raising chickens/rabbits, how has it gone?

Mike Hill - June 22, 2020

It’s been on my prepper wish list for a long time, but I haven’t done it yet. I saw the news stories about how covid caused a lot of people to suddenly jump into growing or raising their own food. I’m guessing it’s not as easy as people might have thought when they rushed into it in a panic.

So I’m curious… if this was you, how is it going?

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Advice

Hobby farm or homestead?

squidvicious - June 22, 2020

My wife and I have been talking about “doing something else” for a couple years (she quit her job, mine seems to be reaching a natural point of exit).  The time seems to be ripe for actually following-through!   I have convinced her we should add hobby farm/homestead to the mix.

Assumptions…

1. Want to move north.  Like, New England.  Would consider upstate NY part of the acceptable geography.

2. One of us will continue to work for income, benefits, etc.

3. We have a 6 year old.  No homeschooling. So, proximity to town/schools, etc. is still going to be important.  (i.e. not too remote)

4. I enjoy, but have no allusions about adopting, the mythology displayed on all those Alaska shows (I’m pretty grounded as to the reality of small farm operations)

Questions…

1. Any tips on finding a property?  Anything specific to look for (or not) up north?

2. We aren’t young… I mean, we’re young enough to have a 6 year old but we’re not 20 or 30 somethings.  Does our age matter in terms of actual labor required? In terms of finding a property that is “turnkey” vs “needs work”?

3. Any key indicators to look for?  Anything you wish you’d known before? Or that you would do differently?

4 How ridiculous an idea is it?  Dick Proenneke is good inspiration, for the challenge he took on as a middle-aged person.  But to be clear, we are definitely not going all remote-cabin-in-the-woods.

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AdviceSkills

Services to help you prep?

David Krueger - June 21, 2020

Are there any existing companies that exist to help people prep?

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AdviceMeta

New guy here.

Dan Rose - June 12, 2020

Hi people I am a new guy here my name is Dan. I live in a small apartment with my mom and cat no kids. I live in a rural area of NE Indiana. I am into prepping but only can do so much since I live in an apartment. I have building some preps. I want to setup some defense. My mom is against firearms and my apartment rules are to. I do have my Indiana CCW permit. I am stuck on what to do next for setups.

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Advice

Avoiding freezer burn when storing meat

Jay ValenciaContributor - June 10, 2020

My smart wife grabbed a chest freezer a few months ago before they all sold out. So we’re starting to store meat for the long term, which I’ve never really done before. The few times I did, the meat would get freezer burn not long after. Maybe a few weeks. Not all of it would be ruined but enough that I didn’t make long term storage a habit.

But I get the sense that I’ve been doing something wrong if so many preppers are keeping meat for months. What do you recommend to avoid this?

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Advice

Phone apps to save power in a crunch?

Liz Klein - May 26, 2020

I have a newish Samsung and was wondering if anyone knows of a good app to increase the battery life? In an emergency situation where I would need to use it for longer, I would love to be able to squeeze more out of the battery. I’ve looked up a few and I think there are built in settings but does anyone know of a good one that I should try?

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Advice