[101airborne]

We have mounted mobile com's CB's and 2 and 10 meter ham in both our vehicles. Hand held CB's in our BOB's Also considering "world band/satellite com's in the future. We also have portable cd/dvd player and aprox.500 dvd's and about 700-800 cd's. Every time I/we go to a yard sale we/I pick up several paperback books as well as any CD's/DVD's they have if cost is only a buck or two each. We also grab up any reasonably priced outdoor gear. We have about 12-13 friends that do the same and every 2-3 months we have a "swap meet" where we get together do a pot luck dinner and trade stuff we bought and already have or don't need. It works out well and saves all us time/money we also have a group E-mail list where we let everyone else know it we are looking for something of find something someone else wants. Even though most of our friends aren't preppers. Most still camp/fish/hunt whatever as well as enjoy movies and CD's.

 

[101airborne]

For power outages, we recently bought a GoBe Power Hub Battery & Solar Briefcase

LW whats that some type of solar charger/power unit?? I've never heard of one. Are they good units? Expensive? Where do you get one?

 

[101airborne]

greaseman.. google gander mountian week long camping check list. It is a pretty good "idea" list. Also as to convincing friends. I agree somewhat. I try to use recent events as a reason to prep. Last winters ice storms helped convince several of them. When power was off for over a week here due to downed power lines and such. We ( wife and I) had power due to 3 gennys, heat due to 2 big kerosene heaters, water due to a well, plenty to eat due to our home stores. Most of them ended up either suffering in the cold or in an overcrowded shelter.
Now over half of them at least have 1 genny and at least a small kerosene heater.
Some ARE learning even if slowly. So there is hope for them. As for the others....... WELL I prep for family along with mine. Friends.....??

 

[101airborne]

bought and planted 1 cherry tree.

Genevieve....... Good luck with the cherry tree.......... about 4 years ago I bought a "dwarf cherry tree" for my yard th add to the apple trees (2) and the blueberry,strawberry,blackberry bushes/plants I have. For the first 3 years I didn't have any fruit due to late frosts. Until last year. My "cherry" tree had a great crop of the prettiest............................pears you've ever seen.:gaah:

 

[101airborne]

We started cleaning out some of Dads stuff.

I now have a CB that I will install in my vehicle and 4 hand held CB's. Yes, they are all kind of ancient, but all still work perfectly!

Been into electronics since I was a kid. First Army MOS was comm's before going SF. In my opinion The older CB's were and still are the best. Less to go wrong with them, Easier to add more power/wattage, less EMP proof among other things. I grab ever old radio I can. If not for my own use but also for trade/barter in the future.

 

[101airborne]

Man I'm jelous of all you who have done so much canning. I'd love to do some myself BUT I'd do better at trying to teach astrophysics, I know about as much about one as the other. ( nothing) LOL well................ I CAN identify a canning pot/kettle anyway.... But thats as far as it goes.:surrender:

 

[101airborne]

There is nothing to it! This is only my third year of canning and I moved up to canning meat this year, which a lot of folks won't ever consider. That requires a pressure canner of coarse but you can start with a simple water bath to can tomatoes, peaches, pears, or anything pickled.
Honestly, if you are able to boil a kettle of water, you are able to preserve your fresh produce.

Been thinking about giving it a try. Everytime I go to wally world I seen to walk down the aisle with the canning stuff. They have a water bath "kit" with everything you need to start and do that type of canning including a dozen jars and lids along with a cook book/ instruction manual for $ 69.95, Been thinking about it all week. As Today is one of my off work days, and I have a wally world list anyway............. Maybe I can sweet talk the wife:dunno:....

Thanks for the encouragement...

 

[101airborne]

Before you go out and lay down $70.00, hit a few yard sales or auctions. I picked up 2 of the blue enamel kettles at a yard sale for $5.00 each. Canning jars at auction for $.50 a dozen. And my latest find from craigslist; a 21 qt pressure canner and 2 dozen jars for $30.00. :2thumb:

Thanks Joe I'll keep my eyes open, as for craigs list here it's a joke. Have been trying to give away a couple loads of good seasoned firewood that is now starting to rot for 2 years nobody is interested. Everything else seems to be peoples junk/cast off they want to sell for new price.

 

[101airborne]

Added 100# of rice, 12 of the big soda can size emergency candles and started cleaning up the hot beds.

 

[101airborne]

picked up two 870's at a gun auction. I think all the other bidder's were sleeping when they sold. Paid $120.00 for one that had a composite stock and hunting and slug barrels, the second one was $65.00 and has a wood stock and one barrel. Both are .12 guage, so I also picked up 20 boxes of #6 shot and 15 boxes of OO buck and 15 boxes of slugs at the same auction. Paid $50.00 for the ammo.

 

[101airborne]

:congrat: Excellent haul. Sounds like an auction we'd all like to find.

they have a gun/sporting goods auction just about every month here. Sometimes you can get a great deal, sometimes not so great. One of the other guys attending the sale bought a couple of 10/22's for $50 each. Another buyer got a marlin .22 for $65.

 

[101airborne]

Added another 10 one pound propane cylinders for my lanterns and such. As well as 6 cans of WD-40, 6 rolls of duct tape. 2 rolls of heavy mil plastic, 50# each of hard wheat, sugar, and 25# of salt.

 

[101airborne]

First item was not really a "prep" but more a luxury. Bought a texsport camp "bathroom" it's a 4'X4'X6' tent that has a 5 gallon solar heater shower, outside towel hangers, area for soap and other items. You can also put a portible toilet inside for privacy if needed.

Otherwise I added 3 (48 count) boxes of generic "benadryl", 3 packages of immodium, and 2 large bottles of saline solution. From CVS

picked up 2 poison remedy kits for the dogs from amazon.com

 

[101airborne]

You don't know how hard it is for me to not go "all out" when grocery shopping. LOL! I'm trying to keep within our needs and not splurge. I'm quitting my job come this Friday and don't think I want to find another job that requires me to work more then 32 hours a week...because if I work more then that, my house turns into a disaster area. (Hubby is obviously lazy. )

I went grocery shopping last night and stocked up on canned goods. Need more TP! I'll get that on the next shopping trip.

Something to consider also. If you live in/ near a larger city watch the auction notices. Due to the economy several stores have closed in our area, each one has had auctions to sell remaining stock. After 5 such auctions I have enough TP stocked ( I think we have 25 cases) to last us about 12-13 years. Along with enough "feminine products to last half a dozen women about 15 years. But when you end up paying about .25 a pack of 24 rolls of tp and .50 a package of 48 feminine pads you hate to not but all you can get.
Just a thought for cheap preps.

Otherwise hope all goes okay with job change. I know how you feel sometimes. I think that if I didn't cook or do laundry my wife would starve naked LOL.

 

[101airborne]

Didn't need any but walmart had the 6 packs of 60, 75, and 100 watt incedecent light bulbs on sale 3/$1 so I bought 20 of each. Also added another 20 cans of spam @ .75 a can. 4 large jars of peanut butter. Also ordered 2 of the 275 serving food storage buckets from the local survival store, along with a bucket each of Dog and cat survival supplies.

 

[101airborne]

Added another dozen strawberry plants, 3 more blueberry bushes, another 8 types of herbs ( brings us to 30 different kinds) bought a camp stove/oven combination, added another 5 550 round boxes of .22 ammo.

 

[101airborne]

Found Everclear on sale for $19 a gallon so I bought a couple cases for storage. From what I've read it has multiple uses other than just drinking. Also added 3 crank powered lanterns, a 30 gallon plastic tote jammed full of washcloths and hand towels for $5 at a yard sale. Bought the wife and I two pairs each of heavy extreme cold weather coveralls that had never been worn at the same yard sale for $7 each.

 

[101airborne]

Been over the past couple of weeks. Put in a grape arbor, added 3 more blueberry bushes, 20 more strawberry plants, a dozen pineberries, lavender, rosemary, Thyme, and 4 different types of mint. Plan on adding several blackberry bushes in the next couple of weeks.

Been doing good on our LTS stores (up to a little over 4 years now) so decided to take a break and add to our "renewable" resources. Plus it's relaxing and a lot of fun!

 

[101airborne]

Unfortionatly (sp?) I/we haven't been able to do very much prepping in the last few weeks. My wife is having some major health issues including hypothyroidism, periphial neuropothy and other issues. She can no longer work or drive and is working on her disability. Between trying to maintain our home, work and make sure she makes her doctors appointments I've done a "overload" and trashed my shoulder now. I'm at about 50% capability and am facing surgery in a few weeks being the only income right now being off a couple of weeks is going to be tough. BUT thank god for having our preps so we'll have them to fall back on if we need them!

 

[101airborne]

haven't really done a lot of extra prepping lately. been to busy at work and taking care of the wife. Pretty much my usual monthly stuff that gets shipped to us. Been dragging my feet on ordering a Royal berkey filter. Was waiting on my tax refund. But now I can't find one for less than $450. Hopefully the corona panic will pass soon and they'll be available again.