Bradical - Member - The Prepared

Reply to: Caching a tent and sleeping bag – Should I do it? Posted 3 weeks ago

I wouldn’t rely on your tent and sleeping bag cache as your only shelter and sleeping arrangement. Make them a backup at your location. Plans change, that route may be inaccessible, water might get into your cache, other people could find it, you may not have time to dig up your cache, so many ‘what-if’s’. Do not rely on your cache, but it could be a good backup. I would carry a sleeping bag and tarp in my BOB, and that can be a lighter weight shelter than a tent. And if you can get to your tent cache, then great! You can have an upgraded solution. Burying a tent and sleeping bag in a cache can be a creative way to be more prepared. But also be prepared for that preparation to not work out.

Reply to: Heating your home (without electricity) Posted 4 weeks ago

Conserving heat will be very important. Save up those amazon bubble mailers, tin foil, cardboard and you can make some pretty thick insulation that you can place into window frames. I would pad up all windows that are not south facing. During the morning open your blinds to east and south facing windows to allow as much sun warmth to come in as possible. In the afternoon close those east blinds and open the west blinds. When the sun starts to set, close up everything and maybe pad up windows with what I listed above or extra blankets. Worst case scenario if you don’t have any ways to produce heat, such as a heater, have your family sleep in the same room to produce as much body heat as possible. If it was really bad, you can set up a tent in your living room, put on the rain fly, and throw blankets on and around the tent to create a warm little insulated room. Wear warm clothes throughout the day, maybe even a coat, shoes, and gloves. As for ways to produce heat, besides propane there are electical space heaters,(haha the pics on amazon look like they are flame throwers) you can even turn on the oven and crack the oven door open. But more of what I think you are looking for, there are Kerosene space heaters. That kerosene can also be used in kerosene ovens and kerosene lanterns. Kerosene is a very popular fuel source in many countries, but not used as much here in the US. You will need some ventilation however. Also make sure you have a good carbon monoxide detector.

Reply to: Winter survival kits, extreme cold weather gear, and winterizing your home and car Posted 2 months ago

Oh, haha! I was way over thinking it and thought it was some cool kind of RV or camper. Thanks for clarifying for me. That Mr. Buddy will be a great heat source!

Reply to: Winter survival kits, extreme cold weather gear, and winterizing your home and car Posted 2 months ago

I’m not too familiar with what a VEDC is… So my answer might change if you explain that. As for safety with the Mr. Heater Little Buddy, it seems like a decent setup. It has a wide base, and multiple safety features. If it tips over it will turn off, if it gets too hot it will turn off, if it uses up too much oxygen in the room it will also turn off. But, there is a risk. I likely scenario I can see is your kid kicking around their blankets in the middle of the night and a blanket lands on the heating element and catches fire. If you were to sleep between your kids and the heater, although you would rather them be warmer and closer to the heater, but you might have a bit more control then them of tipping it over. Another idea is to get a bunch of disposible or reusable hand warmers and put those all around your kids to keep them warm. No risk for fire that way. Another idea to prevent tip over is to make a DIY fire screen. Like in the one below. Maybe just get some chicken wire or something from the hardware store and make a foldable screen that can be placed around the heater to prevent tip over.

Reply to: Winter survival kits, extreme cold weather gear, and winterizing your home and car Posted 2 months ago

I’ve had luck storing those small cheap disposible water bottles in my car. If I drink about a third of the bottle and then squeeze the edges slightly as I tighten up the lid again, it seems to be enough to allow expanding without bursting. And yes, it will freeze unless you put your car in some place warm. So maybe also include a way to warm up water in your car incase your only water supply is frozen. Always carry a waterbottle with you wherever you go. If you get into this habit, when you go out to your car everyday, you will have a liquid form of water and you will also take it with you when you leave your car so it will probably never freeze.

Reply to: Are you doing something extra to prepare for this winter, because of Covid or else? Posted 2 months ago

Good for you, man. I’m doing a lot of the same stuff though I didn’t hear about the meth gators haha.

Reply to: Weird pandemic coping mechanisms? Posted 2 months ago

Which podcasts are you checking out? Could use a few new ones.

Reply to: [Official comment thread] Supermarket food list Posted 2 months ago

That’s really good to know. Thanks for doing that experiment!

Reply to: Chickens for preppers: Important considerations Posted 2 months ago

I really want to give this a shot at some point. Thanks for putting this together!

Reply to: What media sources do you consult? Posted August 18, 2020

I’ve avoided Nextdoor because of the reputation it got over time. But kinda wonder what it’s like during a time like this. Are people more helpful or forthcoming with info, have you noticed?

Reply to: Online survival/prepping courses? Posted August 10, 2020

They have a course on making fish leather which is pretty rare. Which ones did you take?

Reply to: What to do if you get a mysterious packet of seeds in the mail from China Posted August 10, 2020

Wow. Did you contact the agriculture people? Or did you destroy them? This is such a weird thing!

Reply to: Thoughts on mens’ “Dress shoes” that are also practical? Posted August 10, 2020

Those look nice. Do you wear inserts with them or are the stock ones still good after 4 years? That’s always been my issue with nicer shoes is that they’re almost never comfortable for me. Haven’t tried Clarks though.

Reply to: Mental health preps Posted August 10, 2020

Infant and child mortality is a terrifying thing to consider, I agree. It’s even a cliche in disaster movies where someone has a baby that also has to survive the group ordeal and it’s almost too stressful to think about a real scenario. Or in the example you mentioned, not having access to real medicine.

Reply to: Increasing your readiness when driving near protests Posted July 28, 2020

What are your thoughts on using a drone to sort of canvas an area to determine the best route before setting out?

Reply to: Making cycling a part of your prepping Posted July 21, 2020

Why do you think the prices are coming down? Just a natural drop over time? Seems like the only thing falling in price right now haha

Reply to: Making cycling a part of your prepping Posted July 21, 2020

Good to know. Thanks, man!

Reply to: Making cycling a part of your prepping Posted July 20, 2020

Did you notice any difference in the way the bike rides with the liners on? I think it’s a smart prep, but I’ve always heard that they kinda deaden things if that makes any sense?

Reply to: Do you think the media should be showing more visual imagery of the medical consequences of COVID? Posted July 7, 2020

I think most people still think it’s only dangerous for the elderly. But death isn’t the only danger based on everything I’ve read. Someone further up the thread talked about the before and after images of people’s lungs and other damaged systems that people will have to deal with for years. So sure young people might not be at the highest risk of dying from the virus, but it could severely impact their quality of life for a while.

Reply to: Avoiding freezer burn when storing meat Posted June 8, 2020

You should wrap it more. Twice with the cling wrap and then you can put the entire thing in another bag that seals. It sounds like a lot but it’s not too bad. That’s what I do and I haven’t had anything mess up. But I don’t leave it in there for years and years. I try to cycle out cuts and keep track of what’s oldest by writing on the bag.

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

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