What have you done this week to prep?

[PistolBob]

If you were going to store up a years worth of food for two people, how would you break that down? Would you also store water in that quantity as well?

 

[Gamez235]

I have been working on ways to collect water as well are storing. Also treating it. Also beyond just storing food, plan for ways to grow it as well. What happens when a year comes and goes and you have to "make" food.

 

[eldirector]

If you were going to store up a years worth of food for two people, how would you break that down? Would you also store water in that quantity as well?

I'm sure some folks are more "hard core" than me, so will have a different answer.

I'd come up with a water source and a way to make it drinkable. Rainwater catches (cistern), streams/ponds, well and manual pump, etc.... Otherwise, you would be storing a LOT of water.

Same with food. Seeds and some good gardening/canning/preserving knowledge may be as good as a shipping container full of MREs (or better). Add a hunting rifle, fishing skill, and maybe trapping, and you have meat on the table.

When you start talking in durations a year or longer, I start thinking "self sufficiency" rather than "preps". Not that we all should "prep" for the short-term stuff as well!

 

[WETSU]

Yeah, the food storage thing is a whole different thread.

Count calories. 2000 cals minimum per person per day, x 365 days. Thats 1.46 million calories. How you get there is less important so long as you balance it out. If most of that is white rice, beans and corn, thats fine, just make sure you lay in a bit of meat, dried milk, cooking oil/fats/PB, and a supply of multivitamins. You could make it a year on that.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Yeah, the food storage thing is a whole different thread.

Count calories. 2000 cals minimum per person per day, x 365 days. Thats 1.46 million calories. How you get there is less important so long as you balance it out. If most of that is white rice, beans and corn, thats fine, just make sure you lay in a bit of meat, dried milk, cooking oil/fats/PB, and a supply of multivitamins. You could make it a year on that.

So many people forget to include the multivitamins in their preps.... Even if you don't take them regularly now, when the SHTF they could wind up being the difference between life and death! I keep a large bottle in my BOB even.....I suggest some of the discount suppliers though like Discount Vitamins & Herbal Supplements from Puritan's Pride nutritional supplements can get pretty expensive OTC...

 

[FWShooter]

I have been working on ways to collect water as well are storing. Also treating it. Also beyond just storing food, plan for ways to grow it as well. What happens when a year comes and goes and you have to "make" food.

On the way to shop on 1 have you seen the guy with the blue barrels for like 10 bucks?

Curious if you stopped to find out what were stored in them because if they were no hazardous death crap I would love to pick up a couple to add to my rain barrel army.

Actually I might have a bunch of tomato and pepper starts that we are not going to plant (started about 50 and will proabbly plant 12). They are all heirloom but if you or any fort wayners are curious I might offer them up for free (third year starting from seeds and last year was odd and barely got any starts out of the deal so I did not have any extras).

 

[FWShooter]

So many people forget to include the multivitamins in their preps.... Even if you don't take them regularly now, when the SHTF they could wind up being the difference between life and death! I keep a large bottle in my BOB even.....I suggest some of the discount suppliers though like Discount Vitamins & Herbal Supplements from Puritan's Pride nutritional supplements can get pretty expensive OTC...

As much as I hate saying this but Sam's Club (strong hatred of the wallyworld empire) has a great multivitamin that is really cheap.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I got this

 

[FWShooter]

This week I have started building the 8 raised beds that will be used for the garden. Need to have one done and filled by Monday since the berries and such arrive.

Was going to till up where the existing garden was at so corn, melons, and other ground crawling stuff can grow but thank you downpour of rain for pissing on that plan.

Organized and purchased more seeds for the garden.

Started drafting up a design for shelf system in the back bedroom that will be used for camping supplies, ammo, food, canning supplies, excess kitchen stuff like pressure cooker, dehydrator, etc.

Oh yeah Saturday is the annual zombie party where to get in the house you have to bring something that would survive a zombie invasion such as ramen, dishes, ammo, jerky, etc. so picked up chicken wings to throw on the smoker along with bacon cheddar, cheese pizza, and a few other local varities of brats.

Tomorrow also going to check out Grabill Country Store which is suppose to have an awesome selection of dried and bulk food.

If the weather is really nice this weekend I will turn the compost pile too.

 

[Lex Concord]

As much as I hate saying this but Sam's Club (strong hatred of the wallyworld empire) has a great multivitamin that is really cheap.

You're free to hate them as much as you like, but remember their "empire" was built wholly on voluntary interaction with folks who felt they profited from the relationship. Compare this to Rome on the Potomac

 

[Quad]

Bought some ammo. My personal stash is getting more impressive by the week. I find it works best if I by a little each week instead of dropping a huge sum of money at one time
Also stocked up on some batteries.

Baby steps.

 

[Lead Head]

I bought some more lamp oil. Yes I keep buying the stuff and yes it probably sounds silly in this modern age but if the power goes out, batteries are not the long term solution. Generators are fine and smart but when we really have to "hunker down" for a stretch, gas may be for the super rich only.

Recently bought a rifle in 5.54x39 and of course shot up all but one box of ammo for it. Still have plenty of the 7.62x39 for main support.

I like the 5.56x39 much more than I thought I would. It's a swiss cheese maker without the rise and recoil.

It was fun......

MORE AMMO, MORE AMMO, MORE AMMO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chase515]

Butchered a pig That refreshed my butchering skills and topped off the freezer!

 

[GhostofWinter]

I bought some more lamp oil. Yes I keep buying the stuff and yes it probably sounds silly in this modern age but if the power goes out, batteries are not the long term solution. Generators are fine and smart but when we really have to "hunker down" for a stretch, gas may be for the super rich only.

Recently bought a rifle in 5.56x39 and of course shot up all but one box of ammo for it. Still have plenty of the 7.62x39 for main support.

I like the 5.56x39 much more than I thought I would. It's a swiss cheese maker without the rise and recoil.

It was fun......

MORE AMMO, MORE AMMO, MORE AMMO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't you mean 5.45x39???

 

[Lead Head]

Don't you mean 5.45x39???

Yes. I realized what I did after I logged off and was too tired to dink with it till now. This is my first one in this caliber.

So many calibers, so little time to shoot.

It's an all SN matching Romanian SAR2 folder and is great at 50 yards. At 100 yards I still need to dial it in but it was never meant to be a tack driver.

It has a receiver mount for a scope but it's not really necessary. We will see

It's a run-n-gun design.

 

[WETSU]

Maintained combat conditioning levels, Up'd the intensity some. Working with kettlebells a bit more.

Did a ruck workout.

Dry fired once: AK and G19, draw stroke, reloads and Ak mag changes.

One fight night. Light sparring, heavy bag, disarms

Finished Tony Scotti's book on driving technigues, 4th ed.

Rotated out some food from the survival pantry. Put more in.

 

[flagtag]

Stocked up on more salt, TP, Stove Top Stuffing, and bought a variety (3) of can soup to try out. (If I like it, I'll order by the case.)

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Stocked up on more salt, TP, Stove Top Stuffing, and bought a variety (3) of can soup to try out. (If I like it, I'll order by the case.)

Table salt or curing salt? I'd like to pick up another hundred or two pounds of un-iodized stuff for curing. In MN I was buying it for $4 per 50lb bag. Don't even know where to look here, maybe ts or rural king...

 

[flagtag]

Just regular (Iodised) table salt for now. (I'm a junkie! )
I think I have enough for a while. (21 boxes)

 

[FWShooter]

Table salt or curing salt? I'd like to pick up another hundred or two pounds of un-iodized stuff for curing. In MN I was buying it for $4 per 50lb bag. Don't even know where to look here, maybe ts or rural king...

I primarily use kosher salt. Table salt in my opinion is worthless. No adherence and it breaks down way to fast for everyday use such as putting a good layer of salt on a steak to help with that awesome sear (although I will use table salt for baking but in a pinch beat the **** out of kosher salt and you have the right size to properly break down when baking).

Curing salt is pretty much a one use fits all type of salt since it is treated with nitrate. The nice thing is a couple lbs of it last damn near forever (I usually use about 2 TB when making a 6lb corned beef).

If I could find 25 lb bags of kosher salt I would be in heaven. Instead I just stockpile the Morton's kosher salt tubs.