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Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills:  Prepper/Survivalist Tips  |
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alterationsbyemily
True Blue Farmgirl
686 Posts
Emily
Thomasville
PA
USA
686 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 17 2011 : 6:42:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by FarmDream
Today I started my stock of small bottles (airplane/travel size) of whiskey. I'll keep them for bartering purposes or to get completely sloshed if there's no hope :P.
Yes!!! for when the zombies attack!!!
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Farmgirl #2951
Currently renting-farmgirl wannabe |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2011 : 06:26:04 AM
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I used to stock batteries, but then I started buying hand crank generator type pieces as we saved up for them. I like them much better. Plus I'm not dependent on stuff that has to be disposed of in a particular manner. We currently have a hand crank radio that includes weather, hand crank charger for cell phone as well as recharging batteries, and 2 lanterns that last about 20 minutes on one cycle of cranking. It's not ideal, but more affordable than solar. That's our next step.
Blessings!
Joy
[quote]Originally posted by batznthebelfry
One thing I think too is important is a good supply of batteries....
If it's not illegal, unsafe, or immoral, why not try anything once? Who knows? You may come back for a second helping! |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2011 : 06:41:22 AM
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I used to stock batteries, but then I started buying hand crank generator type pieces as we saved up for them. I like them much better. Plus I'm not dependent on stuff that has to be disposed of in a particular manner. We currently have a hand crank radio that includes weather, hand crank charger for cell phone as well as recharging batteries, and 2 lanterns that last about 20 minutes on one cycle of cranking. It's not ideal, but more affordable than solar. That's our next step.
Blessings!
Joy
[quote]Originally posted by batznthebelfry
One thing I think too is important is a good supply of batteries....
If it's not illegal, unsafe, or immoral, why not try anything once? Who knows? You may come back for a second helping! |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2011 : 7:53:37 PM
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I have been spending a few days cleaning out and reorganizing a walk in closet in the spare bedroom/playroom. I've been tossing all that stuff I knew I was going to use "one day." Ok, I can't say I got rid of every scrap I could but I did take out 2 1/2 garbage bags today. I had enough space cleared that I could organize my prepper supplies. So far I have a top shelf for vinegar and booze. Another shelf for boxed and canned foods. Next shelf for medical supplies, a first aid kit, propane & lamp fuel, matches, flashlights, knives, etc. The bottom shelf for water and toilet paper. Another 3 shelved cart is holding rice, beans, and seeds. This was good and bad. I have everything organized= good. I can see that I don't really have much= bad. Not too bad, I counted 7 jars of peanut butter. I got the camping equipment all organized and in one place in case we would quickly need to grab our tent and sleeping bags. I'll be working on my bag I keep in my car next. Right now it has a change of clothes, running shoes, and a compass. I'm planning on adding a flashlight, water, matches, rain poncho, and energy bars. If I'm out on a regular day I'm no more than 35 miles from my house. Around my house I'll start working on collecting dead wood and branches. I set aside a spot to place it and have it handy. I showed DH the finished work and he actually smiled. He's been kind of leery about the whole subject but when I showed him I had his needs taken care of, i.e. tea and coffee, he is becoming more supportive.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2011 : 9:49:01 PM
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I love the "zombie apocalypse" campaign. It's one of the few things that actually got average people talking about emergency kits and supplies.
On the one hand I agree that it would be nice to "like" everything in your emergency food... but you know, if there is a solid portion of less "enjoyable" but nutritious food you're less likely to go through it too quickly. Especially in this culture where people eat not for hunger, but because it's simply "meal time" and in extra large portions.
Just something to think about.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1143 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1143 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2011 : 08:18:47 AM
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Great subject. In reply to the "If it all falls down, we're coming to your house" quote, my husband and I have had a serious conversation about this. Number One is that you have to be somewhat guarded when it comes to telling people what you have. Unfortunately, there are those who, in the event of a serious disaster, will come and loot your stuff! (or even worse....) Anyway, and Number Two, our family comes first...we couldn't support a huge group of people, and I'm not going to plan for that. In the event that we took on a few more families (VERY close friends), they would have to definitely contribute to the household and WORK. :0) Yes, all of that planned out over a TexMex lunch one day, lol. Even though we do joke about it, we also know that a disaster is never outside of the realm of possibility.
Something else for you ladies to consider: We have been collecting old manual farm implements as well as manual kitchen/food-prep devices (grinders, mixers, etc). We also have many washboards and things that would be invaluable for daily tasks should we not have electricity for any extended period.
:0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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Wildcrafter
True Blue Farmgirl
340 Posts
Suzanne
Seattle
WA
USA
340 Posts |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2011 : 7:45:28 PM
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I had read about that legislation and knew it passed the senate but I didn't know if it had passed the House yet. I understand Dave Ramsey's feelings about gold and silver. I just ponder questions like "why is there a huge business in buying up people's gold now?""what if it isn't a collapse but a long recession or depression?" In a case like that gold and silver are tangible and will have value. I have a small amount of actual silver so if the stock market tanked or the dollar fell dramatically, that actual silver is still worth something. It's only recommended to have 5-15% of what you save in metals. Don't get me wrong, I like Dave Ramsey and we follow his steps. I like to get my advice on prepping from people who are doing it or from information about those who have lived through a time when prepping was needed. Examples of Zimbabwe, Russia, and Argentina are great examples of economic collapse from the year 2000. We don't hear about those, but through interviews and reading, gold was still a valuable asset to have. Something else I learned was that in those instances people still went to work. They just worked for a lot less. So it isn't necessarily one day everything is fine and the next there's no electricity and complete lawlessness. Life did go on, though it was a lot more dangerous.
Amanda- thanks for mentioning things like washboards. I looked at some at the store today. Good thing to keep in mind.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1143 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1143 Posts |
Posted - Dec 07 2011 : 06:28:27 AM
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It's really strange when you think about money. After all, it is simply something that you barter for something else. Value is (especially now) pretty much a perceived thing. Still, the majority still assign value to precious metals, so I could see how they may come in handy in a collapse.
We don't keep gold/silver (as my husband says, "You can't eat gold."), and hopefully we'll never have to go through a situation where we'd need to use it. I DO assign top priority, though, to learning skills which would benefit us in the event that we didn't have electricity or clean water at our taps. Of course, we also grow a lot of our own food and we have lots of chickens. We already have one woodstove for heat but I want to add 2 more to our house eventually.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with planning ahead!!! I am blessed to live in a part of the country with many natural resources (woods, game, ponds/lakes). I want to become Lady Survivalist :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Dec 07 2011 : 5:52:10 PM
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I shared it on facebook. Canada looks better and better all the time!! This bill is reminding me of legislation the Nazi party passed governing the Jews in Germany prior to the holocaust.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Dec 08 2011 : 2:29:10 PM
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I was reading BWH mag and this edition is great. They told if we have an EMP event that the only cars that will survive is ones made 1970 and younger. Also electronics would have to be 1969 and younger...But if you take anything that you dont want to get hit by an EMP put it in a metal filing cabinet or safe and it will be safe.
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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Lindsay C
True Blue Farmgirl
117 Posts
Lindsay
Rogersville
AL
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2011 : 06:39:19 AM
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We are filling any canning jars that we are not using right now with water. We have an electric well pump, so when we lose power, having water is super important. Most importantly, we're saving up to buy a manual pump for the well, just in case.
Lindsay
Farmgirl Sister #1452
http://crowsonshire.blogspot.com |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2011 : 5:27:15 PM
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The latest thing I have found are some hand crank flashlights for $5 at Academy. Never needs batteries. I put one in my car so if I'm stranded at night I'll always have a light. If you want something even fancier there are hand crank flashlight/shortwave radio sets on the internet. Their cost is around $50. If you are watching metal prices there is a free app by Kitco. They also have a web site.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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N@n
True Blue Farmgirl
223 Posts
Hackett
Arkansas
USA
223 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2011 : 03:44:28 AM
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I read somewhere that it might be a good idea to have enough precious metal of some kind to be able to cover your property taxes for a while. That seems like good advise to me. Although I am not sure how you would know you had enough precious metals since that market fluctuates. Gonna have to think about looking into getting something to cover the tax man's bill if ever have a genuine collapse of the dollar.
keep searchin'-it's out there somewhere. |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2011 : 3:46:08 PM
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Have you all seen this in the news lately that if you have more than 7 days of food/ect you can be considered a terrorist in the eyes of the gov't? this really gets to me because one all those living off the grid do this as well as I do for the reason of economy. I can buy cheaper 50 lbs of oats/flour/sugar at my Co-op than in the grocery store. What I want to know is this big business getting in the way...if we don't need them everyday for food are they afraid they will lose so much money that they had the gov't step in to help stop this?...This really concerns me because now there is a Bill out there to detain americans without trial/lawyer ect if concerned to be a danger to America in any way....What is happening here? We can't have raw milk in some areas without it being a jailable crime, can't feed our families organic foods without it offending someone somewhere & now this...When did we get to the point that our lives are so controled by others that we can't do what we feel is best...Wasn't this the country labeled "land of the Free?" Normally I don't get all worked up over these things but it seems in the last few years with the downfall of America things have gotten even more out of control...its bad enough so many are out of jobs, losing homes, which we did back in 2009 to foreclosure, but to have a gov't step in & say that my months/year supply of food items can be labeled that I might be a terrorist is unreal....Will farmers who raise crops/acreas of food or have many animals also eventually fall under this idea so that someone can yank their farms away from them...Yes I know it sounds crazy but I sure see things like this happening if something isn't changed & changed real soon....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl
2569 Posts
Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls
NY
USA
2569 Posts |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2011 : 4:40:30 PM
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I was at the store the other day and there were some can veggies on sale. I wanted to get a couple of cases. But I saw that most of them had pop top lids...You cant keep them to long because the seal will become loose. I think that this is the way that they will try to stop us from keeping cans of food. Buy as much of the real cans as you can before they all have pop top lids.
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2011 : 2:50:43 PM
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Here's a neat thing to do with unsuspecting friends. We just booked a couple campsites for the spring with water and electric hookups. We have invited two girls with no camping experience and some others with experience. The inexperienced ones are eager to learn some camping skills but don't realize they will be learning some life skills. We'll have firestarting, cooking, bathing, horse riding, hiking, plant identification, kayaking, and astronomy. The water and electric hookups will help the newbies not feel completely cut off and remote.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl
2569 Posts
Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls
NY
USA
2569 Posts |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 06:29:33 AM
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I heard on TV the other day that now the places that buy your gold and silver are buying diamonds. My DH was a jeweler and he said when they start buying diamonds then something is really about to happen. They dont want us to have to much to barter with which can be used instead of paper money and coins that will be worthless. We too have a good bit of gemstones. My husband had them when he was a jeweler. So maybe that will be our barter for a while if things go belly-up.
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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Bearclover
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
Bunny
Gig Harbor
Wa
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 09:45:37 AM
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This is a very interesting forum. By the way, Hi Julie! I have been looking at tiny houses that are pretty much self contained for a home for a long time. I have always wanted to figure out how to live off the grid or in the case of tiny houses, live mobile and off the grid. The food issue would be the most difficult if I didn't have a piece of land to use.
I never thought about the EMP event though. I guess I would have to find a way to protect my solar system.
Interesting about the government and the law about storing food. My sister is Mormon and I think they want every family to have a years worth of food. So that would mean every Mormon that has that would be on the list. I wonder how they would feel about Romney as a president with a years supply of food hidden for his family.
I have also been researching different "potty" systems. Very interesting information on that. Seems sawdust in a bucket is a good plan. You then compost it for about 18 months and have great stuff for growing things in. You can also use the urine diluted down for fertilizer. (not on root plants though). I guess drinking water would be the biggest issue. To survive you would need to live close to a water source and have a way to cleanse it.
I have friends that have been buying gold for quite a time now. They are very wealthy Europeans and believe that no matter what, gold will always have value.
Unfortunately right now I'm in no place to do any of this. I'm in a life start over mode. So it will take some time to put together enough money to do anything..... someday.
Anyway, Lots of interesting things to discuss on this subject. I think I may have to check in more often!
www.bunnyrose.com
Not all who wander are lost.../
Plan to improvise |
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Bearclover
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
Bunny
Gig Harbor
Wa
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 09:49:20 AM
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By the way, if you are interested:
Poop and Pee show link #9658; 27:54#9658; 27:54
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdN_3x8VNCY
and tinyhouseblog.com
for more information on tiny houses and composting your uh.. bathroom stuff.
very cool!
www.bunnyrose.com
Not all who wander are lost.../
Plan to improvise |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 4:30:03 PM
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Michele I just watched that on you tube when congress was in...very scarey.
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2012 : 10:20:52 PM
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Bunny, I love those tiny houses. I would have to downsize a lot to fit in one. I think I could manage between 300-400 sq ft. by myself. I will have to skip the sawdust potty's for now. Can't say I wouldn't ever use them.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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Bearclover
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
Bunny
Gig Harbor
Wa
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 1:38:27 PM
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Julie, I think most people agree with you on the sawdust potty. But it would be better than an outhouse I would think. I have seen a few small houses for sale across the country with no inside bathroom but running cold water inside. I think living alone I could totally deal with it. Many European and Asian countries have been composting human waste for years.
www.bunnyrose.com
Not all who wander are lost.../
Plan to improvise |
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Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills: Prepper/Survivalist Tips |
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Prepper/Survivalist Tips
