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Preparations update

936875 Views 7421 Replies 420 Participants Last post by  zimmy
Preparing for when the SHTF is something that we are all planning and implementing. Some of us are further along than others who are just getting started. I know some of us are willing to share everything that have done and some will share just enough to let others know that they are doing something.

What I would like to do is have a thread for people to list off recently acquired items that they make or buy or trade-for that are normal "everyday" items that have a use in their preparations. I would like to keep guns and ammo out of this thread if at all possible.

For my partner and I, we have just purchased another set of 12-volt based communication devices, also known as CB-radio. One CB will be mounted in each of our vehicles and one will be mounted in our travel-trailer. The reasoning behind these is because we like to talk to each other. Yes, we have cell-phones and text-messaging, but, with the crack-down on cell-use in vehicles, we would like to have another form of communications. Personally, I believe that the crack-down on cell-use is warranted due to the fact that my dad's arms are screwed for the rest of his life due to an idiot on his cell-phone while driving caused an accident with my dad on his Harley.

Next everyday type of item is a matched set of fire-proof, water-proof, security-based safes. In the safes we have copies of all important papers (vehicle registrations, birth-certificates, credit-card contact information, banking information, drivers licences, insurance-photos to prove that we own what we say we own, insurance policies, etc). The SHTF-scenario we are planning for is break-n-enter theft or fire.

With the safes, I purchased a laminator to create another level of protection for the important documents. With the laminator I have a Dymo label-maker to label anything that needs to be labeled. The reason behind that is no-one can read my hand writing, not even me. I can type fast-n-furious, just, please don't ask me to write with pen-n-paper.

The next everyday type of item is books. We have purchased a few more story-books to read. If the power goes out and I can't get the 'net to run for any reason (even with my UPS systems running all my computer-based equipment), turn to books to read. Candle-light, flash-light and lanterns are great ways to read.

Found a great deal on solar-powered with hand-crank AM/FM radios. There are lots of normal battery or AC-powered options, and the radios in our vehicles and in the travel-trailer - but - sometimes it is nice to have a radio that doesn't ever need fresh batteries and sometimes the current-bush doesn't have holes to plug in the power-plug.

Finally, an everyday type product is DVD movies. The only reason for that is because I don't have a portable BluRay player and that is because they are not on the market from what I can tell. Portable DVD-player's battery is charged via solar or 110vac so I can watch on the mini-screen or plug it into my (soon to be ordered) 12-volt 22" TV (located on 12volt-travel.com).
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Mixing topsoil and composted wood chips for raised garden beds, two down, six to go.
Tire Plant Land vehicle Wheel Vehicle
Wood Rectangle Ingredient Grass Cuisine
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Trying to convert this ugly antique metal shaper into a work of art, watch me, I can do it. The world is going crazy, get your doomstead in order now!
Plant Wood Gas Grass Landscape

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Building my own heavy duty adjustable feet for the shaper project.
Hand Finger Wood Thumb Gas
Automotive tire Table Wood Grey Road surface
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design Grey Asphalt
Grey Font Gas Wood Audio equipment
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Someone gave me a huge sunflower last fall full of sun flower seeds, I planted some of the seeds but the flowers never grew as big as the seeds I used. The buzz words I
Plant Plant community Flower Sky Natural landscape
Plant Plant community Flower Sky Natural landscape
Plant Flower Botany Vegetation Tree
hear any more is water and food, get ready, get serious now!
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Eight raised garden beds, four set up and working on number five. I the pattern fits the paver blocks, then the beds will fit the pavers. Using a green laser,
Land lot Cemetery Wood Grass Landscape
Table Plant Rectangle Wood Outdoor furniture
Plant Leaf Wood Road surface Asphalt
Road surface Wood Grass Asphalt Bedrock
Plant Line Rectangle Wood Soil
Wood Stairs Cuisine Rectangle Food
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all are in line, all level, all the same height.
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We had a small batch of tomatoes,
Food Table Tableware Food storage containers Pickling
Furniture Table Interior design Gas Engineering
Engineering Gas Machine Auto part Industry
Food Table Tableware Food storage containers Pickling
Furniture Table Interior design Gas Engineering
Engineering Gas Machine Auto part Industry
so we canned them in the shop area.
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Get your China junk while you can!
Automotive lighting Eyewear Body jewelry Font Serveware

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Oil drippers for vintage machines.
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Apple cider season is right around the corner, so it is time to freshen up the fruit press, sanding, wire brushing, bolts soaking in vinegar to remove corrosion, spraying the varnish, and brushing on the black paint, are you ready for the big event.
Drum Wood Musical instrument Gas Wood stain
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive wheel system Auto part Gas
Automotive tire Automotive lighting Gas Motor vehicle Automotive design
Wood Outdoor furniture Outdoor bench Musical instrument Plank
Toy Chainsaw Wood Road surface Gas
Hand Automotive tire Finger Thumb Gas
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Project metal shaper moving forward. I cut a hole through the top for the chain to connect to the motor sprocket. I have to bolt the two angle irons to the inside walls to mount for the motor adjusting plate. New chain is on order, project moving forward.
Plant Motor vehicle Tree Gas Wood
Automotive tire Gas Rim Plumbing Plumbing fixture
Wood Gas Motor vehicle Machine tool Automotive tire
Fixture Wood Gas Machine Auto part
Wood Gas Machine Concrete Soil
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Fruit press all finished, and all wrapped up ready for fall apple
Automotive tire Tire Motor vehicle Synthetic rubber Tread
Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Rectangle
Finger Tool Nail Engineering Hand tool
Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood Varnish
Automotive tire Tire Tread Wood Gas
pressing.
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I found this radio at a flea market sale. they said it spent some time outside...Ya think so!
Wood Electrical wiring Gas Engineering Machine
Audio equipment Electronic instrument Desk Gas Machine
Audio equipment Gas Electronic instrument Engineering Machine
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In my opinion the best doomsday radio ever made because it covers 11-meter band CB radio, and everybody has a CB radio stuck somewhere on their property, attic, garage, basement, somewhere.
Electronic instrument Audio equipment Gas Machine Technology
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I installed the motor, gearbox, chain, sprockets, and wired in the VFD on the metal shaper. It appears to be working as it should but way too slow so I will change out the bottom sprocket from 17 tooth to 30 tooth giving me faster strokes per minute. This will be the last machine for my machine shop.
Chair Circuit component Gas Computer hardware Electrical wiring
Electrical wiring Computer hardware Gas Gadget Cable
Gas Machine Auto part Wire Engineering
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Six raised gardens ready to go and two more to do. It takes ambition to be self-sufficient
Plant Outdoor bench Plant community Rectangle Road surface
Plant Property Road surface Sky Vegetation
...do you have what it takes?
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Still working on the metal shaper for my machine shop. The gearbox gear ratio is too high (already had) so to compensate for that I ordered a 30 tooth #50 sprocket to replace the 17-tooth sprocket but now the sprocket will hit the gearbox mounting plate, problem solved by f
Gas Bell Composite material Engineering Machine
Gas Engineering Machine Auto part Metal
abing a 1/2" aluminum plate to raise the gearbox up. Time consuming but no big deal.
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One more raised bed to go, eight total.
Plant Wood Land lot Grass Rectangle
Plant Land lot Wood Slope Grass
Plant Wood Land lot Grass Rectangle
Plant Land lot Wood Slope Grass
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Gm replaced our old battery with a new extended range battery free of charge, WOW!
Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Vehicle registration plate
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June 19th is when I ordered the raised garden beds
Plant Property Tree Land lot Wood
Plant Tree Land lot Sky Shade
and today, Sept. 19 is when I finished this project. 800 nuts, 800 bolts, paving stones, washed gravel, rotting logs, wood chips, topsoil, and compost is what it took for this project. Stay the course and get your lifeboat in order.
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Someone destroyed the Guidestones with a bomb.

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