| PANDEMIC ALERT LEVEL |
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| Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
GENERAL PREP ITEMS |
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Daydreamer 
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Joined: February 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 439 |
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 Posted: March 13 2006 at 7:11pm |
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You can also buy food sealers at Sams Club
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Mississipp Mama
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Posted: March 13 2006 at 8:13pm |
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Hope thanks I will go to sams club tomorrow . Do you have any experience with Food dehydraters.
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Posted: March 14 2006 at 7:35am |
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/06/bird flupreps/ |
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calendula
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Posted: March 14 2006 at 7:53am |
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M mama: I own a food dehydrator and it works wonders for me. I dehydrate herbs, fruits, meats, make beef jerky etc. I find it to be quite useful.
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I am not here to reason, I am here to create"
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Mississipp Mama
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Posted: March 14 2006 at 5:19pm |
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Calendula thanks for responding I think i will pick up one just in case i need it later on. I have never used one before. Can you give me a general price range I might expect to pay for a good one? It does not have to be top of the line ,just good and simple.
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Posted: March 14 2006 at 5:52pm |
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The vac. sealer I have is a FoodSaver by Tilla. These are the best, in my opinion. The bags are little pricey but worth it. Wal-Mart is where I purchased mine. You will find all sorts of things to seal. They are great for freezing meats,cheese,etc. I also put dry milk into 1 gallon ziplocs, close almost all the way, put ziploc inside a foodsaver bag and seal it. Powered milk free of oxygen stores longer. Alos, freeze rice and dried beans in the bag they come in for 3 days, place bag into a foodsaver bag, vac. seal it and they will last years. |
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cisco
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Posted: March 15 2006 at 7:41pm |
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http://www.tldm.org/News3/prepare.htm Was surfing the net and found this - thought it was interesting. cisco |
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let's hang tight, tough, and together!
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Sven.-
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Joined: March 14 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 24 |
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Posted: March 16 2006 at 12:10pm |
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Just today I found N 95 masks at Home Depot- 20 in a contractor package for $ 19.95. Not bad. I got 2 for now.
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Sven.-
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asatrape
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 4:09pm |
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One thing that I'm doing, that may be just plain stupid, is when any
thrift stores have bag sales, I'm buying all kinds of clothing, extra
cooking stuff (collanders (sp?), knives, cast iron pans, etc...) but
especially clothing. Nothing fancy, just whatever I can fit in
the bags. I figure for about 3 dollars a shot maximum, I can
throw enough stuff in one of them to outfit my family for a week.
If water could be at a premium, and cleanliness could halt the spread or infestation of the BF, I'd rather end up with months worth of laundry to do than let dirty clothes get worn over and over again. I know it's a silly fear, but I figure if I don't use the things I buy, I can always redonate and use the tax write off. With pets and what/not, I know we'll have to spend some time outside. Just basic upkeep of yards will require mowing and leaf blowing, and that can cause all kinds of particulates being blown into the air around you. Even if my husband ( I don't have yard duty) is wearing a mask, I'm not letting the clothing back in the home. |
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 5:43pm |
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I don't think that is silly at all. I think it's pretty smart thinking on your part. If you have kids, you may want to buy larger sizes than what they are wearing right now. |
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 5:54pm |
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I guess payday is friday we'll spend more on preps. But I want to have some fun and forget this for a while. TOOMUCH BIRD FLU But we'll do the right thing.
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 5:57pm |
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Decided today that I am going to have one of my old fireplaces redone ( relined and so forth) so that I can burn wood in it for heat. Hey, if this thing goes down in the winter, I can at least have a fire to keep warm. Will get 2 cords of wood soon so that it can have a chance to dry out - before the heating season here in the NE starts up again. If we still have time there is so much we can do to prep. Just takes a little thought and alot of $ ! Putting some of that away too in small bills. How about you? |
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Sven.-
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Mississipp Mama
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 6:21pm |
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Hi Sven, I have a wood burning stove. Had 3 cords of wood delivered a couple of months ago. I already had 6 cords from last year and the year before. I proudly asked the delivery guys how long would this last me, just knowing he would confrim my own thoughts of at least 2 seasons. He said about 20r 3 months if i burned it sparingly. That comment was an eye opener. He said it doesn't go as far as you think. Any way i hope to be able to add a little more soon.
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 7:43pm |
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We heat with wood in a woodstove every winter. We go through approximatley 1 cord every month so it really depends on how mild the winter is. We usually start burning wood in late Oct or so and don't stop until sometime in April. Of course we don't use a whole cord during the warmer months. It never lasts as long as you think it will. Always have extra. I spent the other day making homemade firestarters for next year or whenever we need them. They make starting fires so much easier. |
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 7:59pm |
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Wow! Thank you for the heads up on the wood consumption! I have never heated with wood really but do realize that my old fireplaces will probably gobble up the wood but really had no idea how much I should have on hand. We use heat here almost 6 months of the year. I will get 6 cords and hope that the stuff dries out. I know it is no darn good if it is wet. Sounds like I will be building muscle this summer! Just got done putting away my latest grocery stock. Marked all with the date and updated my list as to what I have now and what I still need. Need more storage space that is for sure. Have a metal cabinet in the attic that I will pull down this week, it should hold plenty. Decided I want the food stashed in different areas of the house anyway. Never put all your eggs in one basket or all your chickens in the same coop. |
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Sven.-
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 19 2006 at 8:32pm |
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You are quite welcome. I sure didn't want you thinking you could get by with one or two cord when you'd really need more. Better to have too much than not enough. Good idea about storing your preps in different areas. I do that as well. That way, if we get raided, they won't get it all (hopefully) |
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 20 2006 at 8:51am |
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What about a pellet stove? Does anyone have any information or recommendations for me on a this idea. My brother has one and uses it for only occasional heat, but said it is very easy to use and does put out quite a bit of heat. May be easier to manage and to prep fuel for?????
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Sven.-
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 20 2006 at 10:27am |
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I don't know anything about pellet stoves. Sorry. I do know that we had a major shortage of pellets right before this winter. People couldn't get them when they needed them. That might be something to consider before buying a pellet stove.
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 1:46pm |
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I'm going to post my "recipe" for fire starters. I had a request for it and didn't realize that I hadn't posted the directions for them.
Homemade Fire Starters
Ingredients are:
dry sawdust (from cutting wood or lumber) cardboard egg cartons old ugly candles (purchased at thrift stores and yard sales) Start melting the old candles in a pan or even a metal coffee can on the stove. Use a low heat to melt the wax. Too high of heat is a bad thing. |
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 2:18pm |
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Heads up on Pellet stoves!
Pellet stoves are great BUT they heat by blowing hot air into the room . There is a little fan inside that works on electric, so in a power outage- no heat ! You can hook the stove up to a car battery, which will give you 10-18 hours, according to the salesman I spoke to.
Would like to go with the pellet stove, IF i can get a solar panel to power this internal fan in a power outage. UFFDA ! One thing leads to another- doesn't it?
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Sven.-
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 2:19pm |
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Oh, Thanks for the instructions on the home made fire starters!
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Sven.-
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 2:38pm |
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similar firestarter recipe: Replace the wood chips with lint from your dryer!
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Daydreamer
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 2:41pm |
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Yes, that works as well. We don't use a dryer these days so we use the sawdust. You can also get a bag of pine shavings from the store and do the same thing.
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Don't put off tomorrow what you can PREP today
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 2:42pm |
another easy and inexpensive fire starter is cotton balls rubbed in vasoline...to try take a cotton ball and rub in vasoline..take an old tuna tin (washed and dried) and take a match and set a flame...I buy the cotton balls at the dollar store and we carry these in our bobs....
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valgard1
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 7:33pm |
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In my opinion, pellet stoves will be worthless if the electrical powwer
goes down. Not only do they require a highly
specialized/processed fuel source, they also require electricity to run
the auger which feeds the pellets in the burner, but also power is
needed for the blower. If you have an open faced fireplace, a
good cast iron fireplace insert will cut down on wood consumption by
about 75% and still give you the desired heat output.
You can also cook in it, and use the ashes for treating human waste and making of soap, as well as in the garden to dust plants to repel leaf eating pests. Of course you will need wood, but you can also use other sources for fuel, as well as eliminate a lot of your burnable waste. |
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Do Right and Fear No One
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Mississipp Mama
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 8:20pm |
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Hi guys don't forget to have those fire places cleaned and checked well before winter. Please don't assume they are ok because you have been using them all the time. One of the last thing we need is an unexpected fire and everyone in our home have to run outside straight into the arms of the bird flu. Please get this done early.
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Mississipp Mama
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Posted: March 21 2006 at 8:23pm |
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I know a lot of people plan to have a garden. I need some ideas on how to keep the birds out and still have my garden get enough sunlight. Thanks a lot.
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Posted: March 22 2006 at 6:50am |
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Try this for the birds..works great. Take old cd'c dvds and the "free ones" you get in the mail and drill a small hole in the top edge and hand all aroung your garden. Birds cannot stand the reflections. tried it two years ago for all my blueberry and fruit trees. Worked wonders
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asatrape
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Posted: March 23 2006 at 12:20pm |
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Don't forget that if you're going to be cooking on grills, wood burning
pits, etc... you may not want to use your regular cookwear. I
know I don't!
You can pick up good used cookwear all over the place, from thrift stores to garage sales. |
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stormriderfla
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Posted: March 24 2006 at 10:32pm |
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Hi I read somewhere about pressure cookers. Ok so I was in a store today... prepping again......well you guessed it. Any ideas when i should use it, what do i put in it, general tips and warnings...? I asked my wife and her suggestions involved a cook book and my reading glasses. HELP. any one ever use this thing...-Kevin
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Posted: May 07 2006 at 1:02pm |
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In reading old posts I noticed people talking about copies of various
ID. When my wife and I travel we both have money belts. In
those we carry the currency of the country we're in , US currency &
copies of our passports.
I like the belt so much I use it all the time. Just passport copy in it now but even that could help identify my body if need be. I found them online for about $15. Nylon, good quality . Might be a good thing to do even now. |
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Posted: May 07 2006 at 4:24pm |
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xx
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Posted: May 07 2006 at 5:19pm |
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Survivor, Why would I wash my clothes? Thats like baths. I haven't' had a bath in 15 years.
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2ifbyC
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Joined: March 30 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 533 |
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Posted: May 07 2006 at 5:33pm |
And you're worried 'bout intruders?!?!?
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Survival does have an 'I'!
Dodging 'canes on Florida's central Gulf Coast |
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Posted: May 08 2006 at 6:17pm |
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well I take at least one or two showers a day but hate baths. |
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packrat/mama
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Posted: June 23 2006 at 7:09pm |
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So appreciate all the wonderful advice and ideas I have picked up from this site - thanks to everyone! I had a coworker share a bit of advice concerning showering. We discussed the sunshowers and their ability to warm up in Northern Ohio on windy January day when it's gloomy and the temp peaks at 10 degrees!! He suggested using a pump garden sprayer.
The sell at all the home centers, garden centers, and discount stores. Come in 1 gallon, 2 gallon and maybe even a 5 gallon size. Be sure to use it for water only and do not use one that has been used with chemicals in it!! Just warm your water on your camp stove and pour it into the holding tank. Carry the unit to your bathroom and step into your shower and pump it up - instant warm shower! They are very economical in cost - I'm definitely adding this to my prep supply list!!
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packrat/mama
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July
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Posted: June 26 2006 at 4:37pm |
I purchased a Hoky floor sweeper, Works well no electricty, will use it on a regular basis because it is easier than a broom and quicker than getting out the big vac for smaller clean ups.
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honeybee
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Posted: July 05 2006 at 10:07pm |
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I use a pellet stove and just left a question elsewhere about what i could do if the power went out. So happy to see the info about the car battery.
For those that don't have them -
They are real money savers in the long run.
They do not require fire department approval as do wood stoves; at least in my state.
They self feed, you dump 50 lb bags of pellets in the stove.
The newer ones self start and shut off, and regulate the temp you set.
Clean up involves a shop vac every few days. Our new one is designed to drop the ashes (which are just a fine dust) into a bin, so we only had to dump it monthly or so, no more vaccuming it out unless we are giving it a good cleaning.
Maintenance is not difficult.
Our local organization sells the pellets at practically half price if you buy your winter load in July. They store and deliver as needed. We buy about 3 tons and heat a 3BR ranch all winter on about $700 total. I am in the northeast.
Occassionally the wind is coming from a different direction; on those days I find that the bedrooms don't stay warm, so we then turn on our oil furnace for about 15 minutes to get the chill out. They designed our vents to flow the air from our stove, but who wants to pay to leave the fan running? Its quicker and effective to kick the furnace on every few hours. This doesn't happen very often.
oh yea, we have a verticle fan in the LR entrance to drive the warm air down the hall.
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Honeybee
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honeybee
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Posted: July 05 2006 at 10:13pm |
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Another use for your pellets...
If a bag gets a tear and can't be used, save it.
When an ice storm is coming, spread them around your driveway.
Also put them on the steps.
They will soak up the water, get big and fat, and create super traction.
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Honeybee
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honeybee
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Posted: July 05 2006 at 10:20pm |
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I STAND CORRECTED -
We just got our yearly letter to order pellets from the farmers association - in it they state that they are still having trouble getting enough pellets to fill the new demands.
We normally buy 3 tons, and if it is a bad winter, order another half ton. This year we are buying 4 tons, and paying in full tomorrow! I want to be at the top of their IOU list!!!
PELLET SHORTAGE LAST YEAR -
When gas and heating prices jumped so fast and high, combined with the fact that people were catching on to pellet stoves; the industry had a banner year.
However, this was as much a surprise to the pellet people as it was to the ones that make the stoves. They were caught off guard and unprepared.
This is what our dealer told us. So I would assume that since they stand to profit from last years sale of stoves, that the pellet people are working hard to meet the demands this year.
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Honeybee
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Posted: July 10 2006 at 5:02pm |
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Firestarters - a cheap alternative to saw dust is drier lint and wax, I haven't tried it but have read about it all over the net.
Please use a double boiler for melting your was or a pan inside another pan that has water in it.
A freind of mine burned up both of his hands making candles when the wax ignited. Not pretty. He couldn't even wipe his own butt for a few months at least.
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honeybee
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Posted: July 21 2006 at 10:22pm |
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Sven,
Would you explain to me how to hook up my car battery to my pellet stove?
I am a sole caretaker of my spouse, and want to know how to do this myself if need be.
I am smart; but have never hooked up a battery to anything before so all I know is to be aware of which is the negative and positive connection.
I am wondering where I will hook it up, so I can look for the spot next time I clean the stove.
How do I connect them, what is safe to use, etc...
We upgraded ours two years ago; it has a thermostate control too; but that isn't necessary - I can start and stop it as needed; but if that isn't going to impact the battery much, perhaps I can hook it all up.
Thank you for sharing what you might know!
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Honeybee
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sweetpea
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 4:41pm |
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honeybee ... My parents live in a semi-isolated area, and during harsh winter storms, they lose power. I have a sister who lives right next door, but strangely, she does not feel she is responsible for their care. So, my parents are basically left to be on their own if anything should happen ...
Last winter, here in the SW we also experienced the "pellet shortage," and my parents talked of converting to gas despite the high costs. We were very lucky to find one store with pallets of pellets (Walmart) and bought 2 pallets right then and there, no hesitation about cost!
As of this month, they haven't begun to sell the pellets anywhere until fall I guess. We did plan ahead and buy some extra before they quit selling them, so my parents are ahead in that area.
Anyway, last year, in my search over the Internet for more pellets, I came across a back-up battery for the pellet stoves, http://www.stovesentry.com/
it seems to be a simple set up. I also just punched in "pellet stove backup battery" in my search engine and came up with plenty of other sites. It is probably a good idea to have someone like an experienced mechanic, come and show you how to hook up the battery so you can safely do it yourself. It's best to learn to use it now before winter comes around!
LOL, I agree with that last statement entirely ... we had a 4WD (DHs manly truck) and didn't need to use the 4WD until last winter ... when we had to stop, take out the info book and read up on how to put the dang thing in 4WD
 !! We just got a new 4WD since I'll be going to see my folks alot this winter, and I laughed at DH and said we'd better look in the book RIGHT NOW and see how to put this thing in 4WD  !! LOL, now that was a good laugh!!  |
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"When an emergency arises, the time for preparation is past."
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honeybee
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 5:19pm |
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Thanks! Until now I thought the battery was a 'home remedy'; it didn't occur to me to look it up.
In our area, the farmers association; or some group like that - they order the pellets for you and store them until you ask for some to be delivered. So we have to buy and pay for the big load in july/august. Worth it though, because we paid almost double for the extra bags we bought near spring.
A pellet stove is a great thing; but you raise a very good question: Is it a wise choice for the elderly.
One problem is that our pellets come in 50 lb bags. We heat a 3 br house with it, so I was putting in a bag a day. Hauling from the porch to lr (luckily we have a window there, so it means just pushing through. Still, I am in my early 50s and the back is not good. So no matter how easy you make it, you are still handling 50 lb bags. And the pellets need to be lifted to put in the stove.
It got to where I started sitting on the ottoman, and breaking the bags down to 10-15, easy to lift loads.
Still - I live in the north east and heated the house for about $750 for the entire winter.
We have a full oil tank and use that as backup. Sometimes if the wind is coming from an unusual direction; its difficult to keep the bedrooms warm, and they need a 20 minute pick me up from the furnace once in a while. I imagine that has a lot to do with where the stove is placed, etc.
Our house is ranch style, so we place a verticle fan by the lr door and point it down the hall.
I keep thinking, when I can't do this anymore, we will have to stop or pay a kid to load it daily lol. So I find your situation interesting. Since they would already own it, I would not get rid of it.
If you are going to be there regular; you could break down the bags (I just saved a few empties and began distributing them) or arrange for someone to help in your absence. It will save them a lot of money.
It is also important in this bird flu situation. Perhaps purchase a battery and simply have it around for backup. When the glass is clean it makes a great fireplace to look at too! (I never used the fake log that came with it, its more annoying than anything else).
Savings Trick: They will advise you to not use the pellets in the bottom of the bag because they are full of dust and this clogs the system, requiring more cleaning times. (Now this amazes me, since the bags are always stored flat on their sides lol) In any event, they are correct, it is not good for the stove. While distributing the weights, I made a good discovery - when I got to the dusty part, I took the bag out to the trash can, scooped up the pellets in a tupperware colendar and shook the dust out into the can. We were amazed at how many pellets we use to throw away.
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Honeybee
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sweetpea
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Joined: March 27 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 299 |
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 8:20pm |
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Hi honeybee ...
well, I hear ya about how heavy those bags of pellets are ... and I ain't no spring chicken either! I housesat for my parents early last spring, and boy did we have a late season snowstorm! I loved it tho, I'm just a cold weather person myself ...
They have the bags in outside storage, and bring in enough to last several days. The house has a floor several steps above the main level. The stove is on the main level, and the bags are on upper floor, so they just slide the bag over and pour it out into the stovetop. Works for them.
Now, it's good to know about the dust at the bottom of the bag, never woulda thought about it ... but now that you bring it up, I'll have to pass on that information.
One thing I've learned is that you should always have a back-up for your back-up ... If the pellets didn't work for the parents, then they would go to the gas stove ... if all else failed, then they would just go back to the wood stove. One thing I failed to mention before, is that my "bachelor" brother also lives with them ... he's not always there, but when he is ... he makes sure everything around the house is taken care of - like bringing in the extra bags. I did hear that he recently was laid off from work ... so, he may stick around for the winter months ... that would be nice. Eventually, I'll be moving back up so ... trial and error also helps alot for when it's time for my home to go up ...
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"When an emergency arises, the time for preparation is past."
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