Aug. 20th-What have you done to prepare t

It has been a while since we started a new thread on prepartions so here goes.....

I bought 200 more tablets of tylenol(actually generic)yesterday. More boxes of chicken soup.

Also, If I am written a prescription I decide not to fill for whatever reason, I still keep it on file at the pharmacy.  That way when TSHTF I can call them and within an hour go pick up this backlog of prescription meds for 'just in case' during the pandemic.  Usually you can fill the scripts for up to a year.  Unless it is a liquid antibiotic, most meds would keep some time to have in your homemade 'pharmacy'. I know this is probably self-evident to most people, just thought I'd say it here in case it hasn't occured to some of you.  I must admit that whenever I can I try to get my docs to write out extra scripts for illnesses - just to backlog.

For the first time i made 7 pints of jelly and it turned out  pretty well

mach, you should do that several times a day.   :)

They sell these security "wedges" that go under your door, and when the door is opened they put out a scream of sound alerting you to an intruder.  I bought extra for the garage doors too as they'll work if I wedge them where the doors would slide up.  You can get these for under 8.00 each online and they take a 9 volt battery, no electricity. ...........................................................................................................

4abbie&maddie wrote: SECURITY is an important to me as the food.  .  We plan to have a meeting of immediate neighbors should this hit and talk to them about security (you watch my back, I'll watch yours.)  But the main thing is of course firearms and ammo.  My husband is an avid shooter, participating in IDPA competitions and he's been after me for years to pick it up and go shooting with him.  This avian flu thing is what got me out there on the range.  I can now shoot center at 75 yards, my goal is to shoot 200 yards.  I can dismantle, reload, etc. - all on my own.  I will have three children to protect, and may or may not have him here to protect us, so I'm thinking ahead about how to best protect my family.  I know there's a lot of folks out there who think firearms aren't the answer, but I live in an area where they're easy to come by and most everyone has one, which means if I don't have it and use it, they probably will.  Having it and knowing how to use it gives me a feeling of empowerment and has helped me feel more in control of this in terms of our own safety.  Most towns (IN THE SOUTH) have a gun range within a 50 mile radius of them (*we have three within a 30 mile radius) so there's no reason not to take your arms and go practice.  I've separated out our preparation list into Food and Water, Security, Heat, Medication, Lighting and Activities.  I'm trying to put some $$ every month towards each of those so that I have a well rounded stockpile and plan rather than just have one goal met.

Yesterday, I bought another led flashlight, several 30 packs of batteries, a cookware set, vitamins and 120 lbs of rice and beans to give out to the neighbors.  I live alone and will need their support, if the egg hits the fan.  I already have at least a years supply of food, and I am only adding more canned meats and  vegitables.  I do most of my cooking with cast iron and heavy aliminum cookware and thought that a teflon coated set would clean up with less water, if this becomes a factor.  I am going to order a water filter today to tide me over, if my stored water runs out.   I have a generator with a natural gas conversion kit, but  still want to get a small, quiet, fuel efficient Honda generator to run at times, when I don't need much power.  I am prepping for both flu and hurricane season.

I've bought seeds.  I am buying about the same amount of open pollinating, nonhybrid seeds as I am hybrid as I'm thinking that the hybrid may produce better as they're more disease resistant, drought resistant, etc.  But hybrid seeds don't produce seeds that will produce another season so that's why I'm doing both.  I'd urge anyone to think like that, try to prepare your stocks by including items that will help you perpetuate your food and supplies (like seeds, solar power tools, etc.)  If you do go get some, get a variety of same kind but different types, like I got Kentucky peas and Long Boy peas, because one might produce better than the other given my mountainous climate.  Don't forget an extra hose, or at the least a repair kit for it, and gardening tools.  Basics like a ground breaker (has three prongs and makes "breaking ground" a cinch), hoe, shovel, ax, wedge for splitting wood and twine to make runners.  Choose an area of your yard and fence it off, or prepare to use that area to deter deer and other garden predators.  Planning ahead by buying a book on how to garden and the basics on preparing soil and so forth would be good.  I've got huskidime (southern grape) for the back fence, apple trees, blueberry bushes and with these vegitable seeds and our stockpiled food, I think we'll be fine.  I also have contacted a local goat farm and gotten info on getting goats, and researched those - when I feel like "it's really happening" I intend to go down and get two female milkers and one male stud.  Goats can eat my yard, brush (my garden area is fenced off) and I woulnd't have to worry about "feeding" them.  The milk would be good protein, I could even make butter and cheese.  Goats are much hardier than cows or horses, and reproduce quicker for meat purposes (awful, I know). 

Sherriewalker, I'm sorry to hear about your car situation.  I know a lot of people on this site have money problems; they're living paycheck to paycheck.  I applaud those people even more than everyone else as it truly is more difficult for them to stockpile but their determination to do so is courageous.  Take care, and I'll pray things improve for your and your family.

matthew24:7 wrote: here's what I've done so far....    I liked the suggestions about security measures in case the natives get restless. Not sure if folks will be as civil as during the 1918 flu or great depression era. thanks for any and all input. Keep on keeping on.....

Sherrie...   I will pray for you.
I know how you feel...  we keep struggling to keep our house payment current.  We've had several close calls on foreclosure...  esp in the last 9 mo...    we finally got caught up last month on our mortgage, but once again we have no way of making this months payment.  I am really in awe of how many people on this forum are barely getting by.  It's really frustrating not knowing how we're going to get by month to month, but I'm so thankful our immediate family is all here...  (Back at the beginning of '99, the doctors gave us the devastating news that my husband had 1 yr to live).   

Luckily we haven't had a car payment in several years, but we've had to give up several luxuries... however, I refuse to give up the internet...  It's my only link to our family & out of town friends, research (like bf), homeschool resources, freecycle ( I get tons of stuff free every month from people who live near our city) and tons of other free stuff by signing up on the internet.

I thought I had enough supplies for about 7-8 weeks (10 people....   plus my oldest daughter will be delivering within the next month), however, after reading somewhere else on the forum that we needed 2000 calories/day to survive...   my 7-8 week supply got shot down to ???  I thought I was doing good getting enough for everyone to have around 700 calories/day.

On a good note...  this weeks preps include:
We rec'd 4 cases of canning pints & 2 cases of quart canning jars for free...   now if this Tx heat would calm down long enough to produce some more veggies in our garden.  We're going to can some soups & pinto/black beans just in case we loose elec/water.  Our electricity goes out all of the time... 

Also, someone off of freecyle is giving us a freezer...   hopefully we'll have that by the end of the weekend... 

I took part of our grocery money and got 20 18oz jars of Jif Peanut Butter for $1 ea,
10 boxes of off brand hamburger helper for .68/box

Tuna goes on sale today...  4 cans/$1 at one store & .39 at another store...

I also had to get school supplies/text books for my youngest daughter.

I've been taking 1/3 of my dose of beta blocker...   so now I've got a 2 month supply stocked up.    my husband has medicare, so we've been trying to get his refills at the 3 week mark. 

We rec'd another large trash bag of 2 liters from a friend.

I think that's it for this week....

4abbie&maddie -- considering goats here, too.   Any idea how many acres you need per goat and how much winter food they need?

WOLFGANG2000

Going grocery shopping tomorrow and plan to add more paper products to the preps.  We've been talking about putting in a well, would be great not only for prepping, but also just for gardening in general, people in our neighborhood already have one, think we'll talk to a few of them so we can figure out the best way to go about it. 

I finally was able to purchase powdered milk, eggs and some farina from honeyville!

janetn - thanks for the goat info.   I think it's something worth considering, as is the Dexter cow. Better size than a Holstein, for sure. I've heard French Alpine goats have the best milk.    Any preference from your perspective on goat breed?

[QUOTE=wolfgang2000]I don't want to hijack the tread.  I personally believe that being able to protect yourself, family, and what you have stored, is as important as storing the supplies in the first place. 

Led flashlight- crank.  Going to work on bug-out bags and last minute list of needed items and other little things i need to get done around the house.**** IDEA- if you have a family member or friend prepping, maybe a last minute list of items to get to divide and conquor.  I am working on a list for everyone to "do" or things to "get" in the event i am at work and we go into "poo hitting the fan" mode.  Like having a relative take my kid to get all her school books, get $ -small bills from bank, fill up gas cans, fill up containers with water, while me and hubby stop at stores with our designated list of things to get. Cook a few meals and freeze.   Does anyone else have a similar plan, to have family divide up the "last minute" duties ???  Maybe there are some areas we/ I have forgotten.

Albert wrote: Wolfgang2000, we don't want to place any links to that forum.   Thanks. A

Good job Sherrie.  

I have just finished making 35 litres of Rakia which is a form of plum brand drank in vast quantities here.  It came out at 60% proof so winter should be quite cheerful!

I got food for my girlfriend and brought a couple of interesting items. I got more shot gun shells and  I found my SKS assault rifle and my 22 cal rifle. 

My sks is in rough shape and needs to be cleaned.  The 22 cal is ok.

   thanks

KOMET163