# Are you Stocking Up or Preparing for an Emergency? Support Thread



## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

HI!
I was hoping that we can get together and talk about building stockpiles and general emergency preparedness as well as survival skills etc

We are stocking up right now because with the financial markets tanking we are concerned that we will either be in a situation where we can't afford food or that food will not be available (banking holiday)

I would like this thread to be for support only







:

Anyone Else???









Helpful LINKS

How to Make An OVEN from a Cardboard Box!
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com...-box-oven.html

As for foraging, if you live in the Pacific Northwest this is a great book
http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Wi.../dp/0882403699

Basic food storage guide lines
http://www.trackmyfoodstorage.com/ar...eid=4&zoneid=1

Link to a serious prepper's EXCELLENT prepping guide. "I know him from a survivalist and emergency prepping forum and he is level-headed and smart about prepping. I've gotten tons of great advice from him. He's not a tin-foil donning weirdo. His guide is worth printing out."
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/Index.html

This page has instructions to make a whole bunch of different solar ovens, most of them very cheaply
http://solarcooking.org/plans/

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 

Just for reference sake:
Here's the one that started it all

Second Old thread here

Third thread that's now debating

Here's a link from a guy who lived through the Argentinian collapse and how it has affected society and his family's habits. Btw, I have a 20+ page essay that goes into more detail about the changes society went through. If anyone's interested, please pm me with your email addy.

Blog about Argentina's collapse and its effects up to today

And this link is from a couple of LDS women, I think. They make food storage much more simple to figure out (look at their baby steps). The one thing I like is that they offer an excel spreadsheet that you enter your meals into, which then calculates what & how much you need to buy of each ingredient used in the meals. lol, I hope what I just said makes sense.
Food Storage made easy


Canned Butter
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...-butter/Detail

Canned Coffee
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...d-Costa/Detail

But somehow canned cottage cheese sounds really gross!
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...Cheeses/Detail

How to Make Lye Soap
(Thanks Velochic!!)

6lbs. of lard
1 can of Red Devil Lye (I get this at my hardware store, but it's a country general store and I've heard getting pure lye in cities is hard because it's a meth ingredient)
2.5 pints of cold water

-Add the lye to the cold water (do not add the water to the lye!)
-The water will heat up through a chemical process, when it is warm, not hot, add it to the lard and stir it to melt the fat.
-When it's cool, pour it into a wooden box.
-This soap get hard, so make sure you don't let it cool too much before you cut it. Let it cool overnight and viola!

There are some gotchas. The first step... mind that one. Make sure your utensils and pot are safe for lye (Dad has an enamel pot he uses). They cannot be used for cooking afterward. Lye is dangerous, so use gloves. If you want to add a scent, like rose water or scented oil, do it after the lard is melted, but before the soap gets too stiff.


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## tinybutterfly (May 31, 2004)

Well, I'm not exactly stockpiling, but am trying to get our emergency kit ready again ( I have lapsed in that area) and stock the pantry for winter. It's supposed to be a bad one I've heard. I really, really don't like driving out in the ice/snow here as the road we live off of is narrow and people drive recklessly on it no matter the weather.

I'd like to have about three months worth of stuff in our pantry and freezer together just to make things easier.

I've also thought it would be good to buy on sale now to stock up on things we use as prices will probably go up at some point. If I can get things now and tuck them away, that would be nice.

So far I've gotten a fair amount of canned soups and that is it.

I have lists made of what we have left to get for the emergency kit ( more flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, etc.) and have yet to make up a pantry list.








:


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## captain crunchy (Mar 29, 2005)

Here









I am just planning on a few weeks' worth really -- but I have that luxury as dh's job is extremely secure. If it got to the point of, nothing on the shelves full on Depression situation, we can go to his parents' land in MI who are off the grid ready (but not off the grid now). I realize not everyone has that luxury though.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

I hadn't even thought about having cash on hand - mostly because if there is cash, DH will spend it.

I'm working for my mom right now so the earnings I make from that I think I will keep in hand. We do have a spare change jar with about $50 in it but who wants to lug that sucker around?


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## karina5 (Apr 15, 2006)

Gosh, I wasn't planning on stockpiling, but after reading about it it probably isn't a bad idea!

But one thing I do wonder about, is how much time do I have? When do you think that everything is going to chaos? (sh*t hitting the fan, as I've read). I mean, are people trying to get things stockpiled by the end of the month? I don't know, it may sound like a silly question, but what is the "Stockpile Timeline" so to speak.

And I already have stockpiled water. BUt I worry about that, b/c if things are really really bad, then what happens when your 2-week water supply runs out? Are people digging wells?

And last, do people stockpile for a month, or for years? I guess I'm really fascinated by the whole stockpiling concept and am trying to understand what people mean by it.


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## karina5 (Apr 15, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
I hadn't even thought about having cash on hand - mostly because if there is cash, DH will spend it.

I'm working for my mom right now so the earnings I make from that I think I will keep in hand. We do have a spare change jar with about $50 in it but who wants to lug that sucker around?










Wouldn't cash be worthless though?


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

roll call







:

We are stocking up for 1 month for basic supplies, and just being more mindful of what medicines, supplies, survival stuff we have on hand... just cuz, ya know?

We are more seriously paying off all debts, updating passports, living within our means, making life more simple, etc. That's where it's at for us.

Our plan, which I am so grateful for, is to be completely debt free by 2009! We'll own everything outright, even if our home is only 700 sq ft with no yard.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

We are keeping $2000 cash on hand. Not to be touched unless there is an emergency.


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Thanks for starting this thread here! Now we can focus on helping each other rather than debate whether this is a good idea or not! lol

Just for reference sake:
Here's the one that started it all

Second Old thread here

Third thread that's now debating

Here's a link from a guy who lived through the Argentinian collapse and how it has affected society and his family's habits. Btw, I have a 20+ page essay that goes into more detail about the changes society went through. If anyone's interested, please pm me with your email addy.

Blog about Argentina's collapse and its effects up to today

And this link is from a couple of LDS women, I think. They make food storage much more simple to figure out (look at their baby steps). The one thing I like is that they offer an excel spreadsheet that you enter your meals into, which then calculates what & how much you need to buy of each ingredient used in the meals. lol, I hope what I just said makes sense.
Food Storage made easy

Anyone do solar food dehydrators? I just got a book on it and it seems simple enough. I really like dried fruits & veggies, and they are so expensive!

Ami


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
Wouldn't cash be worthless though?

Not during a scenario like a banking holiday. Which unfortunately is looking like a very realistic possibility. I can't believe I am even considering this stuff, but in light of recent events I refuse to put my head in the sand (even though it is quite comfy







)

I think that some people have cash in case they have to evacuate and there is not time to get to the bank. I think it is one of those "Better to Have it and Not Need it than to Need it and Not Have It" situations. In fact, that should probably be the title for this thread









A Lot of people live in areas where they have to evacuate due to natural disasters and they are preparing for that.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
Wouldn't cash be worthless though?

maybe, but it couldn't hurt. If the banks did get shut down for a while, it would be nice to have a little cushion in case we needed to put gas in the car or something, you know?


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## marimara (Jan 31, 2008)

Here!

We have $1000 cash on hand (in a fireproof safely hidden place







)

I have about 1-3 months worth of dry food supplies.

Have a go bag 90% ready to rock n roll









I rotate out the stash so that nothing goes bad. And refill as needed.

Water: only 2.5 gals right now, but are on city water and am betting on getting some kind of warning to fill up tubs and storage tanks

Gas: Don't let either car get below 50% thinking about possibly maybe not even sure filling a 5 gal w/gas in garage, But really how far is 5 gal gonna get me?

Camp stove/propane: check

Candles/lighters: Check

Duct tape: check

hand crank radio/light/siren: check

baseball bat: check









MRE's: check

What I still need to buy:

Batteries
gal bleach for water purification purposes
more cash? maybe
can opener for go bag
Photocopies of important papers for go bag
Recent photos of us and doggie for go bag
New harness/collar/muzzle for dog
weapon: maybe
List of emergency contact phone numbers/addresses for go bag

SHTF Timeline:

???
Some predictors that I read (Chris Martenson, FerFal, Mish (global economic trend analysis), Karl Denninger, Heck even Glenn Beck) are saying

Pretty imminent for market collapse

What does that mean?

I don't really know is the real answer, and neither does anyone else.


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## thixle (Sep 26, 2007)

Hi everybody







: It's nice over here, but the other thread took up DD's whole nap.









-I'm really wanting a crank radio/flashlight/cell phone charger now. Well, I've always wanted one, but, you know. I'll plan for it as a Christmas splurge since we are in town.
-Dh is getting some cash out of the bank on his way home tonight... He was asking me "But won't places still accept a check?" and all i could say was "Who takes a check now, anyway?" Sad, but true
-Need a gas can... I think 5 gallons would get you pretty far, depending on your gas mileage. Our car gets 30 miles to the gallon, so on 5 gallons, we could get approx 150 miles. (aka to MIL's or an entire weeks worth of driving to Dh's job)

That's all I have time for now, folks!


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Oh my gosh, I am SUCH a geek. Look what I just found!

Make an oven from a CARDBOARD BOX!!!

I am so excited.

I really want a dog







But that would be one more mouth to feed. But I really want one. Sigh. Someday.


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
Thanks for starting this thread here! Now we can focus on helping each other rather than debate whether this is a good idea or not! lol

Just for reference sake:
Here's the one that started it all

Second Old thread here

Third thread that's now debating

Here's a link from a guy who lived through the Argentinian collapse and how it has affected society and his family's habits. Btw, I have a 20+ page essay that goes into more detail about the changes society went through. If anyone's interested, please pm me with your email addy.

Blog about Argentina's collapse and its effects up to today

And this link is from a couple of LDS women, I think. They make food storage much more simple to figure out (look at their baby steps). The one thing I like is that they offer an excel spreadsheet that you enter your meals into, which then calculates what & how much you need to buy of each ingredient used in the meals. lol, I hope what I just said makes sense.
Food Storage made easy

Anyone do solar food dehydrators? I just got a book on it and it seems simple enough. I really like dried fruits & veggies, and they are so expensive!

Ami


I hope you don't mind but I added all of that to the OP


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## thixle (Sep 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Oh my gosh, I am SUCH a geek. Look what I just found!

Make an oven from a CARDBOARD BOX!!!

I am so excited.

AAAAHHHH-- I LOVE IT! I'm a geek, too. I love to make things like this, and I've never seen one that uses charcoal... omg, wow. I'm trying it this weekend.
lol, I've got to step away from the computer now.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

answering posts from the old thread-

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dancebaraka* 

As some of ya'll know, we are actually in the process of downsizing and moving OFF the land and into the city. We will have gardening space available to us if need be and are close with lots of farmers, so I know if I needed a plot, I could easily trade my labor for it and heirloom seed. But it is feeling important to me right now to cut my bills in 1/3 by living in a small space. It is also feeling important to be on the bus line, and within walking distance to family, friends, the library, gov't buildings, etc. Anyone else out there feeling this, or am I alone on this one?

If we were to go to MIL's she is close to the train back into the city.. and I plan on continuing my college while I am still getting federal aid!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
So what does one do? Dump it all out, and then re-stockpile?

Take canned goods. Same thing? When all the food is close to expireation date, do you give it to a homeless shelter and then go get more, and re-stockpile all over again?

The first rule of food storage is "store what you eat, and eat what you store." If you don't eat oatmeal, for example, it's pretty pointless to put that in your food storage for 20 years. But if you do eat oatmeal, you rotate your supply- replace it when you open a new container.


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

Hi!









So since the beginning of September or so I've been stocking up as we've been able. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time but never got around to. This financial crisis has really given me a kick in the pants. We've got enough food in the house to get us through maybe a month. I'd like to get more but I really need to figure out storage since our house is very small and crowded already.

I've also purchased a pressure canner and some jars.. though I have yet to try it yet. I've been making sauerkraut this summer with good success and I want to say that the book, "Wild Fermentation" is a great resource.

As for foraging, if you live in the Pacific Northwest this is a great book-
http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Wi.../dp/0882403699

I'm thinking of going on a big shopping trip this weekend and was wondering about vitamins. I have a feeling that a bunch of gummy vitamins probably aren't the most efficient or cost effective choice. Does any one have a recommendations?


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
But one thing I do wonder about, is how much time do I have? When do you think that everything is going to chaos? (sh*t hitting the fan, as I've read). I mean, are people trying to get things stockpiled by the end of the month? I don't know, it may sound like a silly question, but what is the "Stockpile Timeline" so to speak.

And I already have stockpiled water. BUt I worry about that, b/c if things are really really bad, then what happens when your 2-week water supply runs out? Are people digging wells?

And last, do people stockpile for a month, or for years? I guess I'm really fascinated by the whole stockpiling concept and am trying to understand what people mean by it.

I think we have about 2 months worth of food. I would ideally like about 6-9 months, until next growing season.

I have not stockpiled water. I live down the street from a community well, and if we go to MIL's she has spring water.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Oh my gosh, I am SUCH a geek. Look what I just found!

Make an oven from a CARDBOARD BOX!!!

.

That's awesome.. that whole blog is awesome!

---

Can we talk about Go-Bags? I am wondering if we need to put on together. We don't live in Hurricane, flood, or Tornado country (with rare exceptions), and an occasional (really rare) earthquake....


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

As I mentioned on the other thread, I have been a prepper for years now. I live in earthquake and tornado country. This current financial crisis has not changed anything that I've been doing for a long time.

I will say that last night I checked my BOB and made some changes, but that was mainly because the seasons are changing.

ETA: I don't think it's ever too late to prep, but it's important to not prep out of fear-fueled emotion. Keep a level head, evaluate what you will *truly* use and go slow.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

has anyone here used frontier powdered milk and eggs?
thoughts?


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
I hope you don't mind but I added all of that to the OP









No prob! There's just so much good useful info that I was afraid would get lost. Maybe people who posted links in the previous thread (esp the locked second thread) could repost those here?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *harpyr* 
I'm thinking of going on a big shopping trip this weekend and was wondering about vitamins. I have a feeling that a bunch of gummy vitamins probably aren't the most efficient or cost effective choice. Does any one have a recommendations?

As for regular vitamins, I'd go for a prenatal for the women, and one formulated for men. I read somewhere while preggo with ds2 that all women of childbearing age should really be taking prenatals, rather than regular vitamins. I'd prolly also get some Flinstones for ds.

As for vit. C, I LOVE Emergen-C. I use it for colds and it comes in huge packages in Costco. It's something like 1000mg vit.C and some other vitamins too in yummy fizzy drink form.

Ami


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
As for vit. C, I LOVE Emergen-C. I use it for colds and it comes in huge packages in Costco. It's something like 1000mg vit.C and some other vitamins too in yummy fizzy drink form.


We love Emergen-C too. We have 3 boxes of it! I didn't know they sold it at Costco.. I'll look next time.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dancebaraka* 
has anyone here used frontier powdered milk and eggs?
thoughts?

Yes - they are about the same as Honeyville and Walton Feed's in taste and texture. We've only ever had the milk in recipes or stirred in with other milk.


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## Denvergirlie (Oct 22, 2005)

We've had food and HBA stockpiled for some time now... so long as the power holds we are okay.

If the power goes, we still have a gas stove so could hopefully pressure can the chicken in the freezer.

If the gas goes as well, we do have some camps stoves we could try our best. I'd like to get a propane outdoor stove and a tank and I could pressure can in the back yard.

We have 2 berkey fitlers, but would have to haul water from the city creek that's about 4-5 blocks away. Not ideal, but we have a bike trailer that we could transport it in so long as roving gangs didn't attack us.....

What we don't have in place yet are BOB (bug out bags) ready to grab, but have been meaning to do so for the past year... we spoke about it again at lunch today so it's acknowledged that we need to get that done ASAP. We also need to prepare papers in a safety box along with have some cash at home. Gold/ silver would be ideal as well, but don't have any yet.

I would like to have several cans of gas at the ready, but that too is a failing. Should we need to flee the city, it's a 15 hour drive to my folks place in IL, or 30 drive to his folks place in OR. Both live in smaller towns/ cities on a good bit of land.

Firepower is also lacking in our house.

We have a lot of work to still do


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
But one thing I do wonder about, is how much time do I have? When do you think that everything is going to chaos? (sh*t hitting the fan, as I've read). I mean, are people trying to get things stockpiled by the end of the month? I don't know, it may sound like a silly question, but what is the "Stockpile Timeline" so to speak.

I wish I knew. All I know is I am doing whatever I can as fast as I can.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
ETA: I don't think it's ever too late to prep, but it's important to not prep out of fear-fueled emotion. Keep a level head, evaluate what you will *truly* use and go slow.


I could not agree more, do not panic buy because you'll likely end up with useless stuff. Sit down and make a list of what you use, what your low on and which of those things are highest in priority for survival. Food and water are most important but don't forget household things like soap and toilet paper.

Basic food storage guide lines http://www.trackmyfoodstorage.com/ar...eid=4&zoneid=1


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Denvergirlie* 
What we don't have in place yet are BOB (bug out bags) ready to grab, but have been meaning to do so for the past year... we spoke about it again at lunch today so it's acknowledged that we need to get that done ASAP. We also need to prepare papers in a safety box along with have some cash at home. Gold/ silver would be ideal as well, but don't have any yet.

We don't have our BOB either. What would we put them in? Suitcases? Backpacks? Garbage bags?

We bought a fire/water proof safe at Big Lots for $20 or so the other day, that is currently holding our passports, SS cards, birth certs, and marriage license. I keep meaning to put my jewelry in it (I do not have a lot, mostly everything my grandma gave me).

Oh, and I only have $50 in cash, plus a lot of change.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

We're pretty well prepared for most stuff already, though we want to stock up on some more grains & beans here, so my next co-op order is going to be looking a bit on the wacky side! Probably will be about 75# worth of wheat and another 50# of beans, maybe a bit more. Those things keep for a LONG time and we eat them anyways, so might as well have a stock just in case something happens and we can't get out. Might sound unlikely to some, but its a definet possibility for us. We were trapped down here for 4 days this summer after the big wind storm hit - last folks on a dead end road (closest neighbors are 7/10 of a mile away), we're pretty low on the totem pole of folks needing help, you know?

We bought one of Lehman's hand washers (I think its called the Wonder Washer), so that we can wash stuff, but mostly diapers! We were nearly out of diapers when we finally got out this summer and that hit a light bulb of a *NEED*!! Here we thought we were SO smart using cloth diapers but, DUH! You *need* a way to wash the suckers too!!!







And we also ordered a propane shower heater thing by Zodi, so that we can take showers too







Cause, keeping clean would be nice. But otherwise, we're pretty well set at this point!!

I don't have a BOB done, and am not sure that I really 'need' one.. I suppose if the house caught on fire it'd be a good thing to have, but I can't think of any other situation in which we'd need to leave super quick. In anycase we do have some cash and important documents in a safety deposit box at my dads bank. I actually need to go put some more stuff in it (passports, birth certificats, etc)


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Ok, so I was totally anti-stocking up, but then I realized that I already do! My main concern is having locally grown food throughout the winter, and having some things in case money gets tight for a while. And a bag in my car for winter car emergencies. And I just like to not have to go to the store.

Here's what I have
- lots and lots of kale in the freezer (from the local organic farm.)
- local organic onions and potatoes to get me through winter.
- 1/5 of a pig in the freezer.
- 10 pounds of flour and sugar and yeast (I make a loaf of bread a week.)
- Extra coffee (would like more of this.)
- 5 gallons of water.
- lots of contact lens solution.
- lots of matches.

What I still need is some meals to have if the power goes out in a storm - which it does from time to time, and all my stuff is ingredients and nothing ready to eat. I might take a trip to Trader Joes since they have some yummy Indian Food ready to eat.

I also need more candles. I burn them in the evenings anyway, but I want to have a stash for power outages.

I have a water filter somewhere.

My winter car bag will have:
- emergency heat blanket (foil type)
- regular blanket.
- wool socks
- boots
- extra hat.
- shovel, scraper
- meal replacement bars.
- I'm trying to figure out about water because it will freeze, so I might have to empty a bottle most of the way. But freezing plastic is not good since some of the chemicals can leach. Anyone have tips on how to store water in the car for winter?
- make sure always to have at least 1/2 tank of gas
- keep fluids topped off.
- battery is new.

I have also gone through my pantry to find the things I don't eat (hello, 5 cans of diced tomatoes, I will never eat you and don't know why I keep buying you) and donating them to the food bank.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

To the person who asked about vitamins, I take a store-brand prental (all we can afford) and for the kids, I have OneSource Active Kids chewables. Pretty affordable at W*lmart.

P.S. Thank you so much to Dubfam for starting this thread here, where it can be support only!


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
I might take a trip to Trader Joes since they have some yummy Indian Food ready to eat.

I also need more candles. I burn them in the evenings anyway, but I want to have a stash for power outages.

I have also gone through my pantry to find the things I don't eat (hello, 5 cans of diced tomatoes, I will never eat you and don't know why I keep buying you) and donating them to the food bank.

I love those (Far East Brand, I think?)!! I always take those camping, and can be eaten right out of the package if need-be. I think I will buy about 6 of those for our BOB.

We don't have any candles.. well we have scented ones









I go through more diced tomatoes than anything else canned!


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 

We bought one of Lehman's hand washers (I think its called the Wonder Washer), so that we can wash stuff, but mostly diapers! We were nearly out of diapers when we finally got out this summer and that hit a light bulb of a *NEED*!! Here we thought we were SO smart using cloth diapers but, DUH! You *need* a way to wash the suckers too!!!







And we also ordered a propane shower heater thing by Zodi, so that we can take showers too







Cause, keeping clean would be nice. But otherwise, we're pretty well set at this point!!

I've heard good & bad things about the wonder washer. I have heard from lots of people who do handwash that all you need is 1 bucket and a toilet plunger. The most sophisticated set up included 3 buckets. One with hot soapy water and two filled with warm clean water for rinses.

The buckets are those 5 gal ones that are filled with stuff, like cat litter, frosting, etc. So really cheap. Basically, take up to 5 or so adult clothing pieces (you want it full but not packed in), place into the soapy bucket, then using the plunger, pump it up & down vigorously a few times (5-6 was recommended) Take out, wring a bit, place in first rinse bucket (or change water), plunge again a few times. Then wring and repeat in the last bucket. She used a mop wringer to wring out the clothes, then hung them up on the line. Much cheaper and according to her, it worked really well. She did it for mindfulness--in the end it caused her to reduce the size of everyone's wardrobes into items that were actually liked and well made.

Ami


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
I love those (Far East Brand, I think?)!! I always take those camping, and can be eaten right out of the package if need-be. I think I will buy about 6 of those for our BOB.

We don't have any candles.. well we have scented ones









*I go through more diced tomatoes than anything else canned*!

I always think I will, but I realized that I don't really like tomatoes or tomato sauce. So I'm giving 1/2 the cans to my boyfriend who likes tomato sauce, and half to the food bank.


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## Denvergirlie (Oct 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
We don't have our BOB either. What would we put them in? Suitcases? Backpacks? Garbage bags?

We bought a fire/water proof safe at Big Lots for $20 or so the other day, that is currently holding our passports, SS cards, birth certs, and marriage license. I keep meaning to put my jewelry in it (I do not have a lot, mostly everything my grandma gave me).

Oh, and I only have $50 in cash, plus a lot of change.









We will be packing our in heavy duty camping tpye backpacks and perhaps another large duffle bag as well. I would like to know that I could carry with my own body power and be able to hike with my supplies if needed. Hopefully, it will never be needed but if it is I want it to be as portable as possible.

Thanks for the tip on Big Lots safes, perhaps I'll hit that tomorrow as I will be just across the street at Walgreens already.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

wow, started this thread just in time, the other thread just got locked!


----------



## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Satori* 
wow, started this thread just in time, the other thread just got locked!

Good Riddance (IMO)







:
Nothing positive was coming out of that!!!

And to the pp who thanked me for starting this thread...I just borrowed the idea from a Poster on the now locked thread.


----------



## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I'm hoping to find a washboard at one of the local antique shops but getting a plunger and some five gallon buckets is easy to do.


----------



## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I wanted to post this link to a serious prepper's EXCELLENT prepping guide. I know him from a survivalist and emergency prepping forum and he is level-headed and smart about prepping. I've gotten tons of great advice from him. He's not a tin-foil donning weirdo. His guide is worth printing out.

http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/Index.html

ETA: gasoline was really low here today ($2.63), so to be on the safe side, I filled up our generator gas cans. With the gas we have, we can run the freezers and some lights (don't need heat or a stove... we have a woodburning stove and plenty of wood) for about 1 month. Not 24/7, but enough to keep our food from thawing. Generators are a good thing to have.


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## Denvergirlie (Oct 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jenivere* 
I'm hoping to find a washboard at one of the local antique shops but getting a plunger and some five gallon buckets is easy to do.

A broiler pan would work just as well instead of an antique washboard.

Finally, pick up a mop bucket with wringer to save your hands when getting the excess water out of the clothing before you line dry.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
I also need more candles. I burn them in the evenings anyway, but I want to have a stash for power outages.

Although I can make my own now that my dad taught me, I built up a stash of over 300 candles from after Christmas sales over the years. They are 75% off. I love to burn them too, so each Christmas bring my stock back up.


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## EyesOfTheWorld (Apr 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
I love those (Far East Brand, I think?)!! I always take those camping, and can be eaten right out of the package if need-be. I think I will buy about 6 of those for our BOB.

We don't have any candles.. well we have scented ones









I go through more diced tomatoes than anything else canned!

Do you have any good recipes for diced tomatoes? DH bought a bunch at Costco months ago for some unknown reason, and they're just taking up all my pantry space now! And of course, I'm overrun with tomatoes from our garden too, and the kids hate tomatoes. I need to get a canner ASAP so I can make sauce.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I could use my broiler pan for laundry, I never cook with it.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jenivere* 
I'm hoping to find a washboard at one of the local antique shops but getting a plunger and some five gallon buckets is easy to do.

I told my husband I wanted to buy a washboard, and he told me you can make them for cheap with a piece of corrugated metal and a bit of wood. He's gonna make me one!







:


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I canned 97 quarts of tomatoes plus 18 pints this summer. I use them All. The. Time. I make them into salsa (blend with chili peper (1TBSP), then mix in onions, garlic powder, oregano, and cilantro to taste), spaghetti sauce (cook with 6-8oz of tomato paste, and spices (oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, lil salt & pepper), and a bit of vinegar/wine), and in lots of other recipes for other stuff! Sorry I don't have exact measurments, I never measure anymore!!


----------



## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
But one thing I do wonder about, is how much time do I have? When do you think that everything is going to chaos? (sh*t hitting the fan, as I've read). I mean, are people trying to get things stockpiled by the end of the month? I don't know, it may sound like a silly question, but what is the "Stockpile Timeline" so to speak.


Astrological signs point to around the end of Nov.

(I realize that not everyone believes in astrology.)


----------



## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karina5* 
Wouldn't cash be worthless though?

Not necessarily.

Cash was still king during the Great Depression. Hardly anyone had any, though.


----------



## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EyesOfTheWorld* 
Do you have any good recipes for diced tomatoes? DH bought a bunch at Costco months ago for some unknown reason, and they're just taking up all my pantry space now!

Best Marinara Sauce

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2-14 oz. cans)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/8 C. olive oil
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tsp. thyme, or oregano, or basil
1/4 C. water
salt, pepper

Saute onions and carrot in olive oil in a 3 qt. saucepan 2-3 min. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, garlic, herbs, and season with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes until texure of oatmeal. Reserve about 2/3 cup (if you like some chunks), set aside and puree remainder of sauce in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, add reserved sauce and stir together. Voila! Can be served over spaghetti, with meatballs, chicken parmesean, or in a lasagna.


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## quelindo (May 11, 2005)

I have a question -- we (finally!) have a decent chunk of money in savings. It's possibly enough to get us through a few months if DH would lose his job. It also happens to be about the exact amount we need to re-build our chimney and put in a high-efficiency wood-burning stove insert in our fireplace.

I guess I'm just freaking out that we'll lose the money somehow (it's in ING) and that we could have made a major home improvement with it (one that could have kept us warm in winter). KWIM? WWYD?


----------



## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *harpyr* 
I'm thinking of going on a big shopping trip this weekend and was wondering about vitamins. I have a feeling that a bunch of gummy vitamins probably aren't the most efficient or cost effective choice. Does any one have a recommendations?

Vitamins - Trader Joe's has excellent and cheap kids chewables, and cheap adult multivitamins.

I also bought a big container of Tang drink mix (NON-aspartame, real sugar kind) for a good vitamin C source. Vitamin C would become VERY important if food became scarce. I also thought the kids would enjoy it as a juice substitute if no juice were available.


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## annethcz (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Oh my gosh, I am SUCH a geek. Look what I just found!

Make an oven from a CARDBOARD BOX!!!

I am so excited.

I posted this link on the other thread, but here it is again. This page has instructions to make a whole bunch of different solar ovens, most of them very cheaply.
http://solarcooking.org/plans/


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *New Mama* 
I have a question -- we (finally!) have a decent chunk of money in savings. It's possibly enough to get us through a few months if DH would lose his job. It also happens to be about the exact amount we need to re-build our chimney and put in a high-efficiency wood-burning stove insert in our fireplace.

I guess I'm just freaking out that we'll lose the money somehow (it's in ING) and that we could have made a major home improvement with it (one that could have kept us warm in winter). KWIM? WWYD?

Personally, I would never run my savings down to zero to make a home improvement. You should always keep some kind of an untouchable emergency fund, and right now you should have a portion of your emergency fund IN CASH IN YOUR HOUSE in case of a banking shut-down.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *New Mama* 
I have a question -- we (finally!) have a decent chunk of money in savings. It's possibly enough to get us through a few months if DH would lose his job. It also happens to be about the exact amount we need to re-build our chimney and put in a high-efficiency wood-burning stove insert in our fireplace.

I guess I'm just freaking out that we'll lose the money somehow (it's in ING) and that we could have made a major home improvement with it (one that could have kept us warm in winter). KWIM? WWYD?

Hands down, fix the fireplace! I'd rather me warm and broke then rich and freezing my arse off.


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## quelindo (May 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
Personally, I would never run my savings down to zero to make a home improvement. You should always keep some kind of an untouchable emergency fund, and right now you should have a portion of your emergency fund IN CASH IN YOUR HOUSE in case of a banking shut-down.

I'm working on that. Anyone know of any guidelines as to how much money and in what denominations?


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## quelindo (May 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Satori* 
Hands down, fix the fireplace! I'd rather me warm and broke then rich and freezing my arse off.

Lol. DH's job seems secure (or as secure as someone can say at this point), but then I worry.

The scenarios are:

A) DH loses his job, we've spent the money on the fireplace, and we're warm but can't afford to pay the mortgage.

OR

B) Something happens to the bank and we lose our savings, and we didn't get to fix the fireplace.

I guess I just need to weigh which seems more likely at this point...which isn't easy.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Let's talk gas...

Let's say you can go about 300 miles on a full tank of gas. That is a pretty good distance to be able to travel from your immediate area, if needed, to evacuate from any dangerous situtation. I would store that amount of gas.

I have (3) 5-gal. containers stored. My tank is 20 gal. and if I never go below half empty, I can fill it up and have 5 extra gallons, and take my empty containers with me.

Also, at all times I carry an extensive First Aid kit in my car, including a dust mask for me and each child, contact lens solution & case, Swiss Army Knife, super glue, flashlight, water, and meal replacement bars, just in case TSHTF and I was not at home when it did, e.g. earthquake, terrorist attack, etc...

Super glue is great for holding a wound together when you don't have sutures!


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *New Mama* 
I'm working on that. Anyone know of any guidelines as to how much money and in what denominations?

I would say at least 2 weeks worth of living expenses, maybe a month is better. Then your dh can still buy gas to get to work if the banks are closed and you can still buy food. I wouldn't keep anything over a $20 for denomination.


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

Thanks for all the vitamin suggestions y'all. Man do I miss Trader Joe's! When I lived in Portland I was right next door to one and that was the schiznit. Nada one up here in AK.

I think I'll stock up on Emergency and maybe Tang. I'll check around for some decent affordable multivitamins. Tang is funny.. it reminds me of my grandparents who lived through the Depression.. They always had plenty of Tang around.


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

nak

Sooo...DH Filled up with Gas and got $500 cash out of the bank today...

I am thinking that if there IS a banking holiday, I am hoping that our utilities wouldn't get shut off (for non payment) since most people would be unable to pay. I would think they would accept checks or electronic payments that could be collected when the banks reopened. Am I being naive about that??
I am just wondering about the urgency of making sure that they are all current.

We are wanting to get a BOB ready...StacyL that is a good idea about car supplies...we are also in quake country, so you never know WHEN it could happen.

I organized our dry goods stock pile today and I was surprised how much we actually have.







:

I was thinking it might be fun to share pics of our stashes and stock piles...I am going to try and take some of mine tomorrow. I think we have about a months worth of food. Just a few months ago we never had more than a few days worth. We are really figuring this out, and we are saving so much time and $$









.


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## EyesOfTheWorld (Apr 20, 2004)

Thanks for the tomato recipes!







Hopefully I'll get a canner this weekend and work on the ones taking over my counter (I also can't wait to go apple picking and can applesauce instead of freezing it this year), then start plowing through the diced ones crammed into my tiny pantry. That was the one downfall about this house as opposed to our old townhouse, the townhouse had a b-i-g pantry and I didn't want to give that up!

I'm mostly trying to stock up food as it's on sale, like I've always done, but now I think about if DH loses his job or food prices sky-rocket, at least we'll have a few months of food on hand; even if at the end we're not eating too well.

But I just had a thought reading this and looking at all the great links people have been posting to good info - if we couldn't pay our internet bill (I hope it never comes to that!) I wouldn't have access to this info, or AllRecipes (which would be the end of me!). So I'm printing off a bunch of info to keep in a binder, and finally organizing all my recipes I have online into my grandma's old recipe box, which I've been meaning to do forever.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

if I didn't have the Internet I would probably die. So basically, all this food storage will do me no good if my power goes out. Goodbye, cruel world!







:

I told my mom about making an oven from a cardboard box and she looked at me like I was crazy. Then she said "you know we have a generator, right?" HA. Apparently they have all sorts of awesome stuff, plus live right on a river, plus have room for us if TSHTF majorly. Yay!!

I visited my dog while I was at my parent's too... I wish we could bring him here but he's too big for an apartment (if he stands up he's 5'5'' - as tall as me!!) Anyway I was thinking about if I should stock up on yarn since I love to knit, and then I decided I'll just use my dog's hair. He's a golden-doodle so he's got a ton to spare!







:


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

.


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## captain crunchy (Mar 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
if I didn't have the Internet I would probably die. So basically, all this food storage will do me no good if my power goes out. Goodbye, cruel world!







:









:

Hilarious!! I feel the same way.

I think we are all at different stages and that is fine! I personally am not planning for the collapse of the whole society -- more like, really tough financial times akin to the Great Depression -- only with the internet -- like on Craigslist there will be ads "will work for food" or "will trade coffee for sugar" which will be scary and sad if it came to that









We are closing our accounts tomorrow and going with the local federal credit union. It is secure, small, local, FDIC insured, member owned, and I don't believe it has its hand in any mortgage crisis (like sub-prime). It seems safer to me but also I want to have *some* cash on hand in case of a bank holiday.

Oh you guys, pleeeease remember *Monday is Columbus day and the banks WILL be closed* so don't have a breakdown if you forget and go to the bank for something and it is closed (which is so something I would do







)


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

From the other thread:

"Sorry this is sort of OT.. but I've been thinking about stockpiling, saving cash, etc. How do you balance that $-wise with other, non-essential things - I"m thinking about dd's dance class, her piano lessons, etc. I know we're doing pretty well to be able to afford those extras, but we've cut other things to be able to afford it. We have food to eat and to buy extra to set aside, but now I'm wondering if I should go ahead and pay $200 for dd's next session of piano lessons this coming Monday or use that to do more food stockpiling. It's such a fine line and I keep going back and forth...."

----------------------------------------------------------------

We're still paying for that type of thing. Life's a balancing act!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *captain crunchy* 







:

Hilarious!! I feel the same way.

I think we are all at different stages and that is fine! I personally am not planning for the collapse of the whole society -- more like, really tough financial times akin to the Great Depression -- only with the internet -- like on Craigslist there will be ads "will work for food" or "will trade coffee for sugar" which will be scary and sad if it came to that









We are closing our accounts tomorrow and going with the local federal credit union. It is secure, small, local, FDIC insured, member owned, and I don't believe it has its hand in any mortgage crisis (like sub-prime). It seems safer to me but also I want to have *some* cash on hand in case of a bank holiday.

Oh you guys, pleeeease remember *Monday is Columbus day and the banks WILL be closed* so don't have a breakdown if you forget and go to the bank for something and it is closed (which is so something I would do







)


Technically, credit unions aren't insured by the FDIC. They're insured by something else similar (which I never remember the name of.)
And check your institution on bankrate.com


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## captain crunchy (Mar 29, 2005)

Blame my husband for telling me that (the FDIC thing)  but yeah, similar... and I will go check! Thanks!


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## EyesOfTheWorld (Apr 20, 2004)

Check this out canning ladies! Bottled butter









A&A - We solve that problem partly by making lessons the girls' Christmas gift from Nana (my mom). So she pays for DD1 to take gymnastics, and DD2 takes little kid soccer (OMG so cute!). If she didn't make that her gift, they wouldn't do it. It's just not in our budget right now. If you can afford it and your kids really enjoy it, I say go for it. I don't want to freak out my kids. I think saying" Sorry honey, we have to cut out your piano lessons so we can stockpile for food for the apocalypse" might be a little scary.


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EyesOfTheWorld* 
Check this out canning ladies! Bottled butter










That is GREAT to know!! Thanks for posting that. I will be watching for some good deals on butter. I feel like if food prices skyrocket that would be one of the more expensive/hard to get things...I am not even sure WHY I think that. Maybe all the stories I heard about people fighting over the last tub of butter/loaf of bread in the grocery stores in Russia???

I was thinking about adding all of the links to the OP
If I miss one just pm me and I will add it. Then when we start our new thread we can just copy and paste....and everything will still be at the top









eta I added all the links and I will try to keep up on new ones that get posted. Hopefully we will be able to retain info better that was when we change threads!!


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Can you freeze butter? Or milk? Or cheese? I am totally clueless about that sort of thing, and canning scares the crap out of me. I am planning on buying some powdered butter for long term storage, but freezing it would be nice (I'm thinking of the sales that are sure to start popping up with the holiday cooking season near...)


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EyesOfTheWorld* 
Do you have any good recipes for diced tomatoes? DH bought a bunch at Costco months ago for some unknown reason, and they're just taking up all my pantry space now! And of course, I'm overrun with tomatoes from our garden too, and the kids hate tomatoes. I need to get a canner ASAP so I can make sauce.

One of my favorite one-pot meals would utilize many food storage items already! I don't really have a name for my recipe, but it goes like this:

1 cup rice blend (brown rice and wild rice)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can or 2 cups garbonzo beans
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garam masala (curry)

Cook rice until done. Add tomatoes, beans and curry, simmer for a few more minutes... and it's done! It's really good for how simple it is!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
if I didn't have the Internet I would probably die. So basically, all this food storage will do me no good if my power goes out. Goodbye, cruel world!







:

me too!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *captain crunchy* 
Oh you guys, pleeeease remember *Monday is Columbus day and the banks WILL be closed* so don't have a breakdown if you forget and go to the bank for something and it is closed (which is so something I would do







)


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

Yes you can freeze butter and cheese; I've done it many times. In fact I have about 6lbs butter in my freezer right now. It will make cheese crumbly (but still edible) unless you let it defrost completely before slicing. I read recently that milk can be frozen as well but I don't know any details.


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## runes (Aug 5, 2004)

Santa Ana winds are forecasted to blow this weekend in SoCal, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has put out an advisory for residents in this area to:

-create a family disaster plan
-stock up on supplies

This is perfect case in point for a potential emergency situation. Since my family is basically prepared due to prior planning and stocking, we will be one less family needing to go to the supermarket to stock up this weekend. That means more for others at a critical time.

In addition, I also read a report that the food banks in this area are running really low on supplies, so I'm going to go through my pantry to see if I have a few extra items to spare to bring down to the FB this weekend. Again, because of prior prepping and feeling that my family is prepared and safe, I am able to fulfill the important civic duty of helping out others in need in a timely manner.

So tell me again how prepping is bad karma for the community?

Ooops, sorry, I know this is the support thread, but here we have a perfect example of a very possible imminent emergency that is happening as we speak. I am hoping hoping hoping that we don't wake up to the smell of smoke and have to evacuate like we did last October. I certainly learned my lessons last year, remembering that feeling when the evacuation order was put out. I remember my heart sinking when I realized that there was less than a 1/4 tank of gas in my car and knowing that we would be driving almost 100 miles to our evac destination. Sure enough, we had to wait 45 minutes at the gas station to fuel up.

Be safe, So Cal families!!


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kidspiration* 
Santa Ana winds are forecasted to blow this weekend in SoCal, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has put out an advisory for residents in this area to:

-create a family disaster plan
-stock up on supplies

This is perfect case in point for a potential emergency situation. Since my family is basically prepared due to prior planning and stocking, we will be one less family needing to go to the supermarket to stock up this weekend. That means more for others at a critical time.

In addition, I also read a report that the food banks in this area are running really low on supplies, so I'm going to go through my pantry to see if I have a few extra items to spare to bring down to the FB this weekend. Again, because of prior prepping and feeling that my family is prepared and safe, I am able to fulfill the important civic duty of helping out others in need in a timely manner.

So tell me again how prepping is bad karma for the community?

Ooops, sorry, I know this is the support thread, but here we have a perfect example of a very possible imminent emergency that is happening as we speak. I am hoping hoping hoping that we don't wake up to the smell of smoke and have to evacuate like we did last October. I certainly learned my lessons last year, remembering that feeling when the evacuation order was put out. I remember my heart sinking when I realized that there was less than a 1/4 tank of gas in my car and knowing that we would be driving almost 100 miles to our evac destination. Sure enough, we had to wait 45 minutes at the gas station to fuel up.

Be safe, So Cal families!!


I've never know the Santa Ana's to cause to much trouble, more a strong warm breeze then anything. Do they cause problems where your at? Here the winds are always blowing, they only stop when a storm is coming (seriously, the wind stops blowing the day before usually)


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## MaryCeleste (Jun 11, 2004)

I've heard that frozen butter lasts longer in foil wrappers rather than wax paper ones, and that salted butter lasts longer than unsalted. Either way, though, it will keep for several months at least. We've never had any go bad on us, even a few packages that were lost at the back of the freezer for aeons.









Milk that's been homogenized (i.e., the supermarket kind) will freeze fine, but it has to be thawed completely before using it, because the milky part thaws faster than the watery part. Kind of like when a child sucks all the juice out of a juice popsicle, and is left with a block of ice.









Cream top/non-homogenized milk separates when it's been frozen -- the fat does something funny -- but it's still drinkable.

We keep a couple of cartons of milk in the freezer. In case of power outage, they can be used as ice packs to keep other food cold, then we can drink them once they're thawed. Other than that, they're just good to have as back-up, in case we run out of milk at an inconvenient time.


----------



## runes (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Satori* 
I've never know the Santa Ana's to cause to much trouble, more a strong warm breeze then anything. Do they cause problems where your at? Here the winds are always blowing, they only stop when a storm is coming (seriously, the wind stops blowing the day before usually)

The hot, dry, strong, gusty Santa Ana winds are what drove the Southern California wildfires out of control last year.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Thanks for the info! We don't drink a lot of milk but it's good to know just in case, and I will definitely be stocking up on butter! We never have more than a pound at a time, and it goes quick with how much I like to bake!

Well for those of you in Salt Lake County (Hi Lizzie!








) we've got a winter storm warning issued for all weekend. I packed all my winter clothes when we moved here. Luckily we got all our stuff shipped to us and we're moving it to a storage unit tomorrow, so I can unpack my sweaters!!







:


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EyesOfTheWorld* 
Check this out canning ladies! Bottled butter









THIS IS NOT SAFE! (Yes, I'm yelling!)

I am a "canning lady" and I can everything... safely. This method is called "open-kettle canning", it is not canning at all, and it is very, very dangerous. Low-acid foods, which butter is, must be heated beyond boiling to destroy the botulism spores. That's the point of pressure canning.

What this process does is just seal the jars because of the vacuum created by a cooling jar. You have just sealed the botulism spores in with the butter.

Please see this link from the USDA Canning Guide about canning butter:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#33

ETA: The USDA has not developed safe processing procedure or times for canning dairy at home. You should not can anything with dairy in it (which is sad for me because I would love to home can "cream of" soups!)


----------



## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
I feel like if food prices skyrocket that would be one of the more expensive/hard to get things...I am not even sure WHY I think that. Maybe all the stories I heard about people fighting over the last tub of butter/loaf of bread in the grocery stores in Russia???

I was living in Russia when Yeltsin came to power. People didn't fight over the last tub of butter or bread. There simply wasn't any in the state stores. You had to barter for them or pay hard currency at the open market (called "rynok"). Also, on weekends, people would line the sidewalks with their goods for trade or there would be a nearby park that everyone would gather in. You'd bring what you had to trade and walk down the sidewalk or around the park and look for what you needed and barter a deal.

It was the beginning of capitalism, not the end. People were becoming more and more resourceful. It was really an interesting time and completely different than what we'll face. In Russia people had nothing and they were learning to just *have*. In the US it will be the opposite. People feel entitled and will expect to continue to have no matter what it takes. That's why it will be more dangerous.


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
THIS IS NOT SAFE! (Yes, I'm yelling!)

I am a "canning lady" and I can everything... safely. This method is called "open-kettle canning", it is not canning at all, and it is very, very dangerous. Low-acid foods, which butter is, must be heated beyond boiling to destroy the botulism spores. That's the point of pressure canning.

What this process does is just seal the jars because of the vacuum created by a cooling jar. You have just sealed the botulism spores in with the butter.

Please see this link from the USDA Canning Guide about canning butter:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#33

You can make ghee, which is shelf stable.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2203795_make-ghee.html


----------



## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
You can make ghee, which is shelf stable.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2203795_make-ghee.html

Yes, this is a good option. Clarified butter (ghee) is safe, even after opening. I buy my ghee from the Indian grocery. It's a little bit expensive but cheaper than butter powder. The jar I have here was less than 5 bucks for 14oz. I wonder how that compares in price to making your own. Thanks for the link.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

canned butter:

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...-butter/Detail


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

And canned coffee:

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...d-Costa/Detail


----------



## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

But somehow canned cottage cheese sounds really gross.

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...Cheeses/Detail


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
But somehow canned cottage cheese sounds really gross.

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...Cheeses/Detail


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

During the Great Depression, rendered lard was used in place of butter and it can be canned.

I buy lard from the Amish. It's refrigerated because it's not hydrogenated like the shelf-stable stuff you buy in the grocery store. The grocery store hydrogenated lard I use to make lye soap.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 

Well for those of you in Salt Lake County (Hi Lizzie!







) we've got a winter storm warning issued for all weekend. I packed all my winter clothes when we moved here. Luckily we got all our stuff shipped to us and we're moving it to a storage unit tomorrow, so I can unpack my sweaters!!







:

winter storm is for all of wasatch front.. I heard it on the weatherband of my new radio/flashlight I got last night! (For those who want to know how I like it.. so far I really like it. It is really small, so it won't take up much space. The LED light is really bright. and the radio stations come in clear.)


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
During the Great Depression, rendered lard was used in place of butter and it can be canned.

I buy lard from the Amish. It's refrigerated because it's not hydrogenated like the shelf-stable stuff you buy in the grocery store. The grocery store hydrogenated lard I use to make lye soap.

Velochic, can you share your lye soap recipe?

Ami


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## lacysmommy (Nov 10, 2004)

Loving these threads!

We've been using up our food storage and it's down really low But I managed to cut my grocery bill down to about $50/month while DH has been between jobs. He's working now, but it looks like next week is the last week until he can get another job. This economy sucks.









We still have plenty of rice and a lot of wheat. Probably 80 lbs rice, 50 lbs. wheat (I would like about 500 though), and about 10-20 lbs of other grains. I also have about 100 lbs of beans. Today we harvested about 30 lbs of potatoes from our garden. I also canned about 20 quarts of applesauce this summer, and about 20 of other fruits. Plus lots and lots and lots of jam. If anything, jam makes for an inexpensive gift that is almost always appreciated! I have 12 lbs of shortning but I will be switching to lard when the shortning gets low. I will be canning that when I make it. I have a ton of tomatoes I need to pick and I'm not sure what I'll be doing with them. Most of them are green, so I'm hoping they ripen so I can can them. I probably have 20 pounds of pasta, 10 pounds of chocolate for baking (but I need at least 20-- I am Swiss, after all), and about 1/3 of a deer in our freezer. We're on WIC and I was able to get half the milk powdered, since we only drink half of what we are alloted a month anyway. Considering how much we've gone through in the last several months, I'm feeling pretty stocked up in a lot of areas, but I'd like a lot more yeast and wheat. As long as I can make bread, we'll eat.

On the to do list:

Fix chainsaw
Finish harvest
Pick apples from neighbor's house
split rounds of wood
stack wood
clean up backyard and get everything ready for winter
till gardens
plant overwintering garden veggies
mushroom picking
catch and smoke salmon, and can it


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
Velochic, can you share your lye soap recipe?

Ami

I'd made soap with my dad (he taught me) and I finally did it myself. Well, with him watching. I copied this from one of my other posts in another thread:
-----------------------
6lbs. of lard
1 can of Red Devil Lye (I get this at my hardware store, but it's a country general store and I've heard getting pure lye in cities is hard because it's a meth ingredient)
2.5 pints of cold water

-Add the lye to the cold water (do not add the water to the lye!)
-The water will heat up through a chemical process, when it is warm, not hot, add it to the lard and stir it to melt the fat.
-When it's cool, pour it into a wooden box.
-This soap get hard, so make sure you don't let it cool too much before you cut it. Let it cool overnight and viola!

There are some gotchas. The first step... mind that one. Make sure your utensils and pot are safe for lye (Dad has an enamel pot he uses). They cannot be used for cooking afterward. Lye is dangerous, so use gloves. If you want to add a scent, like rose water or scented oil, do it after the lard is melted, but before the soap gets too stiff.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Speaking of milk....

I have a large can of powdered whole milk in my stash, and I just bought a few boxes of Parmalot whole milk that were on deep discount the other day. I noticed on the side of the Parmalot box it says:

Quote:

*Storm Watch:*

Stock up on our milk products for those unexpected storms that keep you indoors. This is especially useful for the elderly.
I wanted to add that previous to the recent events of the world, I have never had a stocked pantry. I always had only about a week's worth of food in the house, and I went to the store once a week. It is these events which brought me to the notion that it would be prudent to have a supply for an emergency. The same thing goes for cash. Prior to last Friday, when I first read there could be a banking holiday, I never had more than $50-$100 on me at any time. I feel much safer now to have a few weeks expenses in cash on hand.

I just wanted to say that I'm not doing these things because I think I'm going to somehow "ride out the apocalypse" but merely because it doesn't take much of a circumstance (watermain break, winter storm, flood, power loss) to constitute an emergency that could instantly cause some serious discomfort. I also wanted to add that the food I am stocking up oare the shelf-stable things that I already eat anyway, and they will get cycled through and eaten according to their expiration date, so nothing will ever be wasted, nor am I "hoarding" anything.

My much bigger concern is having to evacuate and a Go Bag scenario. As we have seen recently, many Americans have been put into this situation (Ike, Katrina, midwest floods) and that is the one I wouldn't want to be caught unprepared for.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Yay! I found our 72 hour kits! I should probably make one for Toby too though.

I bought a pair of very warm, waterproof snowboots today. Someone on the other threads recommended the Sorel brand, and that's the kind I got. I would have paid full price ($150!) but then I checked eBay and got a brand new pair for only $50! Which is still a lot, but it's already snowing and I want some boots fast!

We put a bunch of stuff for sale up on craigslist today and I am going to use the money we make to buy some more storage stuffs. I want to get some more rice and more fruit and vegetables. I wish I knew how to can, and also that it didn't scare me so bad!!


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
winter storm is for all of wasatch front.. I heard it on the weatherband of my new radio/flashlight I got last night! (For those who want to know how I like it.. so far I really like it. It is really small, so it won't take up much space. The LED light is really bright. and the radio stations come in clear.)

That was quick!

How easy is it to charge it with the crank? Does it take forever? That is great that the light is bright and the tuner works well.








I think I am going to order one soon. I would love to stick in in a BOB (if I ever get one packed!!)

Speaking of Go Bags/Bug Out Bags...is anyone else having a hard time packing them? It is really tough for me to process the idea that we could be in a situation where we have to evacuate. Packing a BOB makes it seem so much more real. Like I am willing it to happen (even thought I don;t REALLY think that)
When I was planning my homebirths I could never bring myself to pack a "just in case" hospital bag.
AAcckk! What is my problem? I will really WISH I had a bag ready if we had to leave quickly for any reason.
Is anyone else struggling with this?


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
Speaking of Go Bags/Bug Out Bags...is anyone else having a hard time packing them? It is really tough for me to process the idea that we could be in a situation where we have to evacuate. Packing a BOB makes it seem so much more real. Like I am willing it to happen (even thought I don;t REALLY think that)

AAcckk! What is my problem? I will really WISH I had a bag ready if we had to leave quickly for any reason.
Is anyone else struggling with this?

I am struggling with this too. I guess we just need to tell ourselves that being prepared for an emergency is not giving it permission to happen. Remember, it's better to have it and never need it, than need it and not have it.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

I've started puting one together... it's just a small suitcase plus a back-pack picnic set







I'm putting a bit of cash in both, and a change of clothes in the suitcase for the 3 of us, and the picnic set will have ready eat meals and granola bars plus flashlight/radio, oh and a few bottles of water. I'll add to it as time goes.. what else should go in it?


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

I've been contemplating my Go-Bag for an evacuation scenario.

I have a large canvas duffel bag (they call it a "body bag") that I want to keep in my hall closet by the front door. In that I will put a change of clothes and shoes for everyone, toiletry kit, diapers, baby sling, large ziploc of dogfood for the dog, small bottles of water, meal replacement bars, a few cans of food, can opener, cash and a folder with our important papers/ID.

In my laundry room I have a rectangular laundry basket loaded with all my camping/survival-type gear: camp stove, propane bottle, 2 mess kits, 4 silverware kits, waterproof matches/flint kit, batteries, hand-crank radio/flashlight, a hands-free headlamp, camp axe, folding camp shovel, can-opener, camp coffee pot, coffee filters (for filtering water - not coffee!), tarp, and rain ponchos.

Next to that I have a cardboard box of food - mostly all eat-straight-from-the-can type stuff.

I am hoping that if an evacuation scenario occurred, it would be a drive-away one. Then I could grab the duffel bag, the laundry basket of gear, the box of food, a 5-gal. water bottle, my 5-gal. gas can, and be on the road without too much stress or having to think about what to get. I've thought about putting a written checklist of the items to take in the duffel bag to look at in the event I had to go to help remind me lest I am not thinking clearly in the moment.

Now, if it was a walk-away-on-foot evacuation, I would only be able to take the duffel bag.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
Speaking of Go Bags/Bug Out Bags...is anyone else having a hard time packing them? It is really tough for me to process the idea that we could be in a situation where we have to evacuate. Packing a BOB makes it seem so much more real. Like I am willing it to happen (even thought I don;t REALLY think that)
W?


My issue is that I have 10 gazillion videos & DVDs of my kids' lives. I can't carry them all.

Some people think food/passports/water/cash/gold/chocolate. All I can think of is HowCuteTheyWereAsInfants.

Seriously.







We have friends who lost nearly everything in a CA fire a few years ago. Their beloved family home burned to the ground. Before they left they had to push their animals out of their barns ahead of the fire & smoke so they c ould try and save themselves As for material things, they managed to grab their hard drive, their photos, some art.

A few months later, a couple of horses were retrieved (chip your animals, poeple) but that's all. Nearly everything they owned was lost.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
My issue is that I have 10 gazillion videos & DVDs of my kids' lives. I can't carry them all.

Some people think food/passports/water/cash/gold/chocolate. All I can think of is HowCuteTheyWereAsInfants.

Seriously.







We have friends who lost nearly everything in a CA fire a few years ago. Their beloved family home burned to the ground. Before they left they had to push their animals out of their barns ahead of the fire & smoke so they c ould try and save themselves As for material things, they managed to grab their hard drive, their photos, some art.

A few months later, a couple of horses were retrieved (chip your animals, poeple) but that's all. Nearly everything they owned was lost.


Easy solution, make copies and bury them in a time capsule type thing in the back yard. Even if everything is burned to the ground whats 6 ft deep should be ok assuming you don't bury it near tree roots. Assume at some point you will return to retrieve your items.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I feel a a lot better after today. All three kids have new tennis shoes. My friend gave my toddler some snow boots and the girls have new dress shoes. My four year old got five pairs of pants, four warm shirts, a dress and a skirt and top from DI. She needed clothing more than anyone since most shirts were getting to short or were summery and her pants were either too short or worn out at the knees. So everyone now has appropriate shoes that should last for quite some time. I need to patch a bunch of jeans for my son and my husband. We also picked up two nice warm twin sized blankets for my oldest two for 4.00 each from the DI. I got a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

So except for the blankets none of that is really stocking up but knowing that we may not be able to afford such things soon, I am glad to know we have them now and that we can at least make it through the winter clothing and shoe wise.


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## runes (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
My issue is that I have 10 gazillion videos & DVDs of my kids' lives. I can't carry them all.

Some people think food/passports/water/cash/gold/chocolate. All I can think of is HowCuteTheyWereAsInfants.

Seriously.







We have friends who lost nearly everything in a CA fire a few years ago. Their beloved family home burned to the ground. Before they left they had to push their animals out of their barns ahead of the fire & smoke so they c ould try and save themselves As for material things, they managed to grab their hard drive, their photos, some art.

A few months later, a couple of horses were retrieved (chip your animals, poeple) but that's all. Nearly everything they owned was lost.

Can you get an external hard drive and transfer them all to that? Ours is 500 gb and is the size of a large hardcover book, and it cost about $120. You might even find one cheap on craigslist.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Here is a reason for a GO-BAG:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6013755

Also, I found (online) a left-handed manual can opener. I can't tell you how happy that makes me!







: Previously I've been stuck with the electric can opener because I can't, for the life of me, use a right-handed can opener.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Is it just me or do those girls look like there about to cry in nearly every picture?


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## virginiabloom (Sep 4, 2008)

Dang. You ladies have NO idea how inciteful this thread has been for me. I like many others have a really hard time keeping track of the news w/o panicking and feeling like the end of the world is coming everyday. I mean there's just so much bad that happens everyday as it is. A few years ago, right after DD was born, I decided to stop watching the news all together in order to stay level headed and clear and focused on my home life.

I praise those of you who have the ability to hear about daily tragedies and still keep track of your daily life. The only politics or news crisis stories I hear about would be from my husband, rarely.

So basically this thread is making me come close to losing it. (No, not literally. But given the chance to think about this for long enough I could probably work myself up to a pretty good panick









As a young wife and mother of 2, living from paycheck to paycheck with not much to spare when it comes to the food budget, or extras as it is, I am pretty much gonna get started on preparations for sudden SHingTF ASAP.

Thank you all for your wonderful ideas that I plan on gleaning from starting this month


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## MaryCeleste (Jun 11, 2004)

Count me among those who are unsettled by the concept of "having a bag packed." Still, it helps to remember that this is part of basic emergency preparedness, which is recommended for _everyone, always_ by the Red Cross and government agencies. It isn't really different from installing smoke detectors, learning first aid or CPR, or using seatbelts and bike helmets. It's just not as widely practiced as those things... probably because it takes quite a bit of time and effort... and maybe because of the "yikes" factor that we've all experienced.

IMO, this vague sense of impending doom is accentuated by the name "bug out bag," which reminds me of some of the more extreme survivalist/conspiracy types... the ones who are all stoked to GTHOOD in their stealth-modified Jeeps when TSHTF, because TEOTWAWKI is about to happen (and has been "about to happen" since some time in the mid-70's, judging by the age of some of these guys' food stashes). "Go bag" sounds a lot more reassuring, but it makes me think of those gel pouches that you can pee in (which, perhaps not coincidentally, are included in our supplies.







). So I think I'll just call ours a "72 hour emergency bag."

On a related note, I'm thinking it would make sense to split the necessary items into two categories:

#1 - "just in case" bag, containing the things that might come in handy in everyday situations (changes of clothes, first aid kit, snacks, etc.), to be kept near the door, and brought on every outing more than a few blocks away.

#2 - emergency bag, with things we'd only need in a bona fide crisis (sleeping bags, additional food & water, extra medication, copies of important documents, etc.), to be kept in the closet near the front door.

Of course, when you have five family members -- each of whom needs food, spare clothes and shoes, bedding, and three gallons of water -- anything in the realm of "bag" doesn't even begin to cover it. What we need is a TARDIS.


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## virginiabloom (Sep 4, 2008)

p.s. after a few hours of researching this topic (mainly, how to be prepared in case of any emergency, be it economical, natural disaster, etc) a little more on the internet, I feel a little shocked at how incredibly little to nothing I know about this whole economic crisis, and how to be prepared for any crisis for that matter.

If there are any tips for newbies just starting out with stockpiling that have not previously been mentioned, feel free to throw em at me.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I think the key to stock piling food is just to stop, and think about two things: What you actually EAT as a family and of that what CAN be stored WITHOUT electricity. Then, work on buying extr of that whenever you can. For us, thats beans & grain & canned tomatoes, fish, coconut milk, applesauce, peanut butter, etc. So, I/we buy beans/grains in bulk through my co-op (though I may be buying some wheat locally here soon), and I've been learning to can this summer. So I canned a bunch of tomatoe, and am now working on applesauce/apple butter. When the apples are done, I'lll be moving on to making jams and jellies. Sure, they aren't super uber important but they'll be a nice treat every now and then.

I do need to work on learning to bake my own bread and then stocking up on yeast/salt (and/or learning to make/like sourbread!!


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

This is a great book, and a good blog.

www.theunthinkable.com

Lots of practical ideas and tons of links.

(Warning-- Oprah likes it. That bugged me. But well...)


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
This is a great book, and a good blog.

www.theunthinkable.com

Lots of practical ideas and tons of links.

(Warning-- Oprah likes it. That bugged me. But well...)


Thanks, that looks good!


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *appalachia* 
Thanks, that looks good!

You're welcome.

Maybe the NPR endorsment cancels out Oprah's?

Yk, I've never been fearful or one to over- prepare, but I live in a hurricane -prone area, plus sort of 'in the country' where we constantly loose power. When my first was a baby, we lost power for over a week. That extra water and stuff sure came in handy.

And as I mentioned, we had friends who lost almost everything in a CA wildfire a few years back. Bug -out with their kids they did, and with surprisingly little warning (the winds changed). Of course, all the stored grains and water in the world wouldn't have helped them. But having all their documents and such in a lock- box ready to go was a brilliant move on their part.


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## Paxjourney (Mar 27, 2007)

We have a 3 day bag. Its something I started putting toghether when my MIL got stuck on the other side of the mountain with a friend at a motel and all they had was some crackers and the vending machine. Its basic, change of clothing (season appropritate) for all members of the family with several extra change of underware and socks. Food that my family will eat (rotated every 3mo) I keep one in my car. DH has a scaled down version in his car we then have a more extensive "BOB" at home.

As for stockpiling. Nope not us. I do keep a pantry but No where near the 1-5years 500lbs of wheat etc.

Food we will eat.
For example, last march our local store had pouch tuna for $1, they then had coupons right next to it. Buy 3 pouches get $1 off. SO 3 pouches for $2. (Normally $1.59 for 1) I purchased something like 70 pouches. Because it is something that DH and I both Love to eat aswell as the girls. It will last us another 4mo etc.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

hey leave Oprah alone


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dancebaraka* 
hey leave Oprah alone









I have the love/hate relationship w/ the gal.


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

Ooo, glad I found this thread!
I have a small stockpile of food. Nothing special. The big thing we need are our Go Bags and water. We have an amazing first aid kit, but I haven't gone through it to see what everything is or if it is still in working condition.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Welcome, LeighB!


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *appalachia* 
Welcome, LeighB!

















:







:


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

I have a very small stockpile going too. We definitely need water and first aid supplies.

My DH is adding to my grocery list each week "stockpile something". He's so helpful.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

At Albertsons today, I bought 10 cans of organic chickpeas for 10/$10.00. They were just as much as the non-organic!

I have lots of dry beans, but canned ones are good in a time pinch


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

I'm going to the LDS cannery tomorrow. I have never been before and I'm a little scared. I don't know what I am doing. I am filling some lady's order and maybe placing an order of my own. We'll see!

Just another note to keep your stinkin' gas level above 1/2 tank. Last night I was driving home with DS and I had forgotten to check the gas gauge - the empty light was on and we still had a good 40 miles to go. I had no debit card and only $3 in change. I held out as long as I could and then bought a gallon of gas. I made it home, barely. Ugh all I could think about was DS and I stranded on the side of the road - it was snowing and cold and anyone who could have come and picked us up was an hour's drive away, and it was late, and AAAHHH I am so glad we avoided that disaster.

Any ideas to store a 5 gallon can of gas in an apartment? I have a porch with a small storage unit but I don't know if the gas would freeze out there...


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
My DH is adding to my grocery list each week "stockpile something". He's so helpful.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

My Dh was reading about tanning leather this morning, and the page he was reading suggested the best way to learn is to practice on fresh road kill. We have plenty of that on the roads around here, but still, kinda gross.








Sometimes having a DH on the preparedness bandwagon is a double edged sword.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I'm glad my husband just encourages us to have a few months worth of food, seeds, some extra clothing and blankets, household supplies an camping gear.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Any ideas to store a 5 gallon can of gas in an apartment? I have a porch with a small storage unit but I don't know if the gas would freeze out there...

It won't freeze. It's a good idea to keep some gas at home. It's also a good idea to keep a 1-gallon empty gas can in your trunk.

We have a generator because I have nearly 40 cubic feet of freezers that are packed. I have some "space fillers" in one right now, though because we buy a side of beef every November and we are down to 2 roasts and 2 steaks..

Anyway, I keep about 20 gallons of gas for the generator. That could last us over a month of keeping the freezers going (we have a wood burning stove, so I wouldn't need to use the generator for anything else). We'd run it each evening for a few hours to keep the freezers going and that would be it. Last year it used about 1 gallon every few hours.

Rotate your gasoline like you do your food, though. After about 1 year, your gasoline, unless you've added Stabil to it, starts going bad. Each fall we put the gas in the cans into our cars and refill the cans.


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

Definitely don't want to store gas indoors. That's not safe. There shouldn't be any problem storing it outdoors in your storage unit. It won't freeze. My mom has a large gas tank that stores her bulk purchases of gasoline in and that doesn't freeze.


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## anamama (Sep 9, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *captain crunchy* 







:

Oh you guys, pleeeease remember *Monday is Columbus day and the banks WILL be closed* so don't have a breakdown if you forget and go to the bank for something and it is closed (which is so something I would do







)









STBX called when he was on his lunch break today asking me what happened. He thought that the market had completely collapsed and that was why the banks were closed! It's a rational assumption, but SO glad it's just Columbus Day!


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## girlstar808 (Sep 5, 2003)

I've been prepared for long term emergencies since that is the way I was raised in Hawaii. My grandmother lived on the Big Island and the volcano was unpredictable so now that I am grown I've always been prepared for anything - for both natural disasters or a slowdown in the food chain.

My cousins are LDS, too, so I learned from them. I have food stored enough for a year and water enough for 6 months. I also have items, like coins and dollar bills, medical supplies, pet supplies, etc.

Yes, it's important to rotate your food supply and to buy stuff you and your family will actually eat. It's one thing to have 10# cans of macaroni noodles, but you will need to actually cook the food and eat it.

I used to have a LDS website bookmarked about food storage. Or you can Google it.


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## quelindo (May 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *girlstar808* 
I have food stored enough for a year and *water enough for 6 months*. I also have items, like coins and dollar bills, medical supplies, pet supplies, etc.

How do you store your water?


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## lacysmommy (Nov 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *New Mama* 
How do you store your water?

My sister has HUGE 40(?) gallon food-safe drums that she stores water in. Or did, before she moved. They are still empty, but we live in the Pacific NW so it is less urgent than when she lived in Arizona. I think you can buy them from soda bottling plants.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Everyone reading this thread MUST watch this 8 min. video!

This is from a financial analyst, Karl Denninger, that I have been following very closely for the last month. He has been dead-on accurate in predicting everything that has happened. Well, I actually forgot to check his videos for a few days since he had not put one up since Oct. 7th - stupid me!

I just found this video, which he posted on SATURDAY, and in it he said exactly what happened over the weekend, and how the market would react today. Now, the reason why this is important is because thus far, he has talked about the importance of having CASH ON HAND and he has discussed the coming breakdown of the supply chains and shortages. In this video, he addresses fot the first time the need for STOCKPILING FOOD, WATER, and GAS, and how you lose nothing by doing so.

A MUST WATCH!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Interesting.........but he didn't actually say anything we didn't already know, right?


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Satori* 
I've never know the Santa Ana's to cause to much trouble, more a strong warm breeze then anything. Do they cause problems where your at? Here the winds are always blowing, they only stop when a storm is coming (seriously, the wind stops blowing the day before usually)

Fire danger aside, the Santa Ana winds can be pretty darned destructive in the inland valleys. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, in the foothill communities, and I remember a few very scary nights when the Santa Ana's were hitting 70+ mph gusts. One night we were without power for a few hours. I remember cleaning up after one really bad night... trees down all over my neighborhood, a few damaged cars... looked like a tornado rolled down the street.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Is this where we're headed?

Icelanders stocking up before supply chain runs dry

Quote:

Icelanders are flooding the supermarkets one last time, stocking up on food as the collapse of the banking system threatens to cut the island off from imports.
Bonus, a nationwide chain, has stock at its warehouse for about two weeks. After that, the shelves will start emptying unless it can get access to foreign currency


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 

A MUST WATCH!






Yup, pretty interesting. I'd like to see his other videos when I have more time.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
Everyone reading this thread MUST watch this 8 min. video!





Thanks for posting this. I was hoping to hear a larger picture re: the rebound we saw yesterday in the market.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

This is a subtitled documentary film (59 min.) of the financial collapse and banking holiday in Argentina in 2001, and the wreckage it caused in their society.

I have not watched the entire film yet, but the first 5 minutes scared me pretty badly!

What a real financial collapse looks like








:


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
This is a subtitled documentary film (59 min.) of the financial collapse and banking holiday in Argentina in 2001, and the wreckage it caused in their society.

I have not watched the entire film yet, but the first 5 minutes scared me pretty badly!

What a real financial collapse looks like








:

I want to watch this... and I should be doing homework!!!


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

I am thinking of doing a big shopping trip to Sam's Club for some more mainstream bulk products in addition to my regular bulk Frontier orders. I know Sam's Club and Walmart sucks and I usually avoid it, but I am feeling drawn to purchasing some things in bulk. Anyhoo, does anyone know if they will give out a free membership pass for the day when you get there. I have heard about this. I don't want a membership b/c frankly I don't want a reason to shop there very often.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dancebaraka* 
I am thinking of doing a big shopping trip to Sam's Club for some more mainstream bulk products in addition to my regular bulk Frontier orders. I know Sam's Club and Walmart sucks and I usually avoid it, but I am feeling drawn to purchasing some things in bulk. Anyhoo, does anyone know if they will give out a free membership pass for the day when you get there. I have heard about this. I don't want a membership b/c frankly I don't want a reason to shop there very often.









I heard that starting this Friday, they are having "10 weeks for $10". Basically through the holidays you can pay $10 to shop there. I confirmed this at my closest Sam's Club when I called them.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
I heard that starting this Friday, they are having "10 weeks for $10". Basically through the holidays you can pay $10 to shop there. I confirmed this at my closest Sam's Club when I called them.

good to know








thanx!


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Sam's also does a 1 time only free pass for a day. You have to ask about it when you go in.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Sam's also does a 1 time only free pass for a day. You have to ask about it when you go in.

That's what I had orginally asked about. They said they do that one a few times a year and they advertise it. At least at ours, they only give out the passes when they have a promotion going.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
This is a subtitled documentary film (59 min.) of the financial collapse and banking holiday in Argentina in 2001, and the wreckage it caused in their society.

I have not watched the entire film yet, but the first 5 minutes scared me pretty badly!

What a real financial collapse looks like








:

Ok so I watched the first 6.5 minutes but it had me in tears to see hungry angry people being beaten and harassed and shot at by police. I'm pregnant, I don't think I can watch the rest of it.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jenivere* 
Ok so I watched the first 6.5 minutes but it had me in tears to see hungry angry people being beaten and harassed and shot at by police. I'm pregnant, I don't think I can watch the rest of it.

I know - it made me cry too.

This is exactly what is happening in our country right this moment - the bankers and the government are stealing our wealth and our LIVES from us.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
That's what I had orginally asked about. They said they do that one a few times a year and they advertise it. At least at ours, they only give out the passes when they have a promotion going.

Lame! I thought they did it every day. Well, you can come borrow my Sam's card then


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Does anyone know if Sam's takes food stamps? They don't say on there website.


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## njeb (Sep 10, 2002)

This is a great thread!







Thanks for starting it!









After reading this, I'm realizing that my family is excellent as far as stranded at home type of emergencies are concerned--we have lots of food, water, wood for heating and cooking, etc. What we don't have is a bug-out bag in case we have to leave home. Gotta work on that!


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## virginiabloom (Sep 4, 2008)

Okay, all.

I will be headed to the store this afternoon to stockpile shop for the first time ever. I would say I only have between $25-$40 to spend on stockpile items. Would anyone mind helping me with some suggestions? I've gleaned a few ideas from all the resources I've been reading over the past few days. But just for helps sake, what would YOU get?

TIA


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *virginiabloom* 
Okay, all.

I will be headed to the store this afternoon to stockpile shop for the first time ever. I would say I only have between $25-$40 to spend on stockpile items. Would anyone mind helping me with some suggestions? I've gleaned a few ideas from all the resources I've been reading over the past few days. But just for helps sake, what would YOU get?

TIA









The point is not what *I* would get. We don't eat what you do. What do *you* eat? Stockpile extras of whatever you eat.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
The point is not what *I* would get. We don't eat what you do. What do *you* eat? Stockpile extras of whatever you eat.









:


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## njeb (Sep 10, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
The point is not what *I* would get. We don't eat what you do. What do *you* eat? Stockpile extras of whatever you eat.









:
The thing is, what works for me may not work for you. For example, I live in a part of the country with long, cold winters, so I prepare for blizzards and ice storms. If you (the general you) live in Miami, that would obviously not apply to you!







So, stockpile things you and your family will need in the next few months. Also, take your schedule into account. It might be great to make your own soap, but do you have the time for it? I don't. I work full-time outside the home, and barely have time to do dishes and laundry! I'm older and my kids are grown, so I don't have to worry about stocking items like diapers or feminine hygiene products. (I'm past menopause). Most of you will.

Are you thinking more of food or non-food items? For non-foods, I'd stock up on soap, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and dish soap. Those of you who have more time on your hands may be able to buy ingredients and make them yourself.

For foods, we eat a lot of brown rice, so we buy it in a 25 lb. bags. We eat a lot of pasta, too, so we order a box of whole wheat spaghetti, whole wheat noodles, etc. We belong to a buying club and place orders once a month.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

If it were me, I would focus first on high-calorie, heat-and-eat, or no-cooking needed, add-water-only type stuff.

Things that you could eat (and of course, I mean things you WILL eat and LIKE) in a true emergency that might include a loss of power.

Canned meat/chicken/fish, stews, soups, veggies, fruit, instant oatmeal packets, pancake mix, powdered milk, shelf-stable milk, or soymilk, etc.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

And pick up a container of salt while it's only about 49 cents. It WILL go up.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Is anyone interested in pictures of my stash?







:


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Is anyone interested in pictures of my stash?







:

yeah!!


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
Is anyone interested in pictures of my stash?







:

Me!


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

There are some tiny-ish pics up on my blog http://tobymine.wordpress.com/ If you can't see them let me know and I'll try to get the bigger ones posted somewhere.

That's only the food - I didn't get any pictures of our "Bathroomy" stash, which includes like laundry soap and stuff.

I was able to get a 3 month prescription for two of my medicines today, yay!! That makes me feel so much better - besides the fact that we may be facing ECONOMIC DOOM, I also suck at calling in prescriptions on time, and I'm not supposed to be messing around with not taking pills. Bleh.

If you are interested, here is how my supplies are currently reading:

12 cans chicken
5 cans black beans + 44 lbs
4 cans white beans + 6 lbs
2 cans cream of celery soup
40 oz chicken TVP
40 oz beef TVP
10 cans tuna
14 cans green chiles
1 lb lentils
1 lb pinto beans
4 lbs refried beans
37 lbs hard red wheat
6 lbs 10 oz + 4 cans pineapple
22 lbs pasta
2 cans clam chowder
36 oz whole egg powder
2 vegetable oil containers
2 instant chocolate pudding
5 boxes Jell-O
5.5 lbs powdered milk
3 pumpkin bread mixes
1 lb brown sugar
two 42 oz boxes of oats
30 lbs rice
7 lbs honey
2 cans formula
4 boxes pasta-roni (these are also good for when I am too lazy to cook, yes they are processed crap but delicious processed crap!)
11 lbs salt
6 cans green beans
11 cans corn
12 cans oranges
5 cans pears
1 jar applesauce
17 cream of mushroom soup
16 tomato soup (I inherited a lot of these from my grandma last weekend)
11 chicken noodle soup
1 tomato paste
12 15 oz containers tomato sauce
11 8 oz containers tomato sauce
51 oz spaghetti mix
1 can okra
2 51 oz. biscuit mix
2 Alfredo sauce
10 gallons water

I hope it doesn't bother anyone that I posted that - I'll take it down if it does.

Something I also try to keep in mind, especially right now with cold season approaching, is antibacterial gel. Normally I don't use it, but if I was ever without water it would be a nice way to keep my hands clean without using up my supply.

Also, my Walmart had the really nice awesome Crest toothpaste on sale 3 for $5 today. I think normally they are $3 each, so I am stocking up! I am keeping a chart right now of how fast we go through things, namely a can of formula, a 10 lb bag of cat food, and a tube of toothpaste. We started using all of those things brand new today. Once I finish them I will write it down in my notebook and use it to calculate how many of what item I need for our long term storage.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

http://everydayfoodstorage.blogspot.com/

http://www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/

http://blog.totallyready.com/


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
The point is not what *I* would get. We don't eat what you do. What do *you* eat? Stockpile extras of whatever you eat.

It is good advice to store what you eat & eat what you store.

But if you're looking to change over to making stockpiling or food storage a part of your lifestyle, and you want to do it cheaply, then IMO you need to look at cooking from scratch more (if you don't already). When I'm stocking up, I get these kinds of things:

flour: whole wheat, and white unbleached/never bleached
rice: brown rice is healthier, but goes rancid easily. Buy it in smaller, sealed bags -- I buy it in bags that are about a quart. You can buy other kinds of rice more cheaply in bigger bags.
oats: I buy large flake rolled oats, they taste a bit fresher to me
lard: very shelf stable, and it's non-hydrogenated. I use it in baking (sometimes half & half w/butter; in bread or biscuits, I use all lard; also for frying)
oils: I use olive (healthy and fairly stable if kept in an opaque container in a cool place), sunflower (again, healthy and fairly stable), and grapeseed oil (I use it like olive oil for things where I don't want an olive-y taste, it's good for use in a frying pan). I keep butter in my freezer when it's on sale. You can make butter shelf stable by clarifying it; I haven't tried this. I also keep coconut oil.
evaporated milk: You can use it in soups, sauces, baking, hot drinks
coconut milk: I keep this to use like evaporated milk for my dairy-sensitive dd
canned tomatoes: tomatoes are a veggie that (from what I've read) don't suffer too much from being canned (in terms of nutrient loss) and they have a lot of good in them. I prefer diced canned tomatoes, but you can also keep stewed, whole, crushed, tomato paste, tomato juice (I like it in soup). Good for chili, soups, pasta sauces.
salt
cheese: rich in calories & protein. You can freeze it, though it might only be good for grating/crumbling when you thaw it
pasta
canned salsa
canned tuna, ham (I use in sandwiches or as "dip" for breadsticks, toast triangles, or crackers)
mayonnaise (or miracle whip if that's your thing)
jams
peanut/other nut butter
dried fruit
nuts
crackers (not crazy about them, since they're almost always made with hydrogenated oils, but they're filling and quick)
dry beans (these are good if you get into the habit of making/using them. Chili is great. There are lots of good recipes out there)
canned beans (if there is an emergency, as opposed to money being tight, you might not have access to much clean water -- canned beans have the advantage over dry in that situation)
toothpaste/toothbrushes
soap
dishsoap
vinegar
baking soda
sugar/honey/molasses
potatoes
laundry detergent
hydrogen peroxide
candles/matches
yeast
applesauce

If I had $40 to spend, I might try to plan a week or two of made-from-the-pantry meals that we would eat, and get what I needed for that, plus some non-food items.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I probably won't leave it up very long because there is a part of me that think that sharing the exact contents of your pantry with the world is not a good idea, but here is a quick look at my basement pantry. I'm certainly not going to list what I have. I have grains stored in the white buckets. These pics show about 50 - 70% of my stores. We store what we eat, eat what we store and I've only ever thrown away some UHT milk (a few years ago). Also, I am filling in the gaps in one of the freezers with smaller bags of flour just to keep it full. We'll be getting a side of beef this fall/winter (we're down to just hamburger and a couple of roasts) when my friend decides to butcher. Some of my canned food is in the pix, but mostly, I keep it upstairs in the cupboard where the jars are less likely to be broken. This is just the food, by the way. This is about 8 months worth of food for 4.


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## annethcz (Apr 1, 2004)

Wow velo! You're good to go!


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## Paxjourney (Mar 27, 2007)

Here is a link to a blog by a guy who lives in Argentina and his and his wife's experence living there post 2001.
http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-to-expect.html


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## Vanessa (Feb 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *virginiabloom* 
Okay, all.

I will be headed to the store this afternoon to stockpile shop for the first time ever. I would say I only have between $25-$40 to spend on stockpile items. Would anyone mind helping me with some suggestions? I've gleaned a few ideas from all the resources I've been reading over the past few days. But just for helps sake, what would YOU get?

TIA









I'd get whatever we eat that I could get for a really good price that week. We've got huge stocks of things that I bought super cheap. It really helps you build up the food storage. I also have basics stored like wheat berries, oils, powdered milk, dried beans, etc.

Start small. Don't be intimidated!


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annethcz* 
Wow velo! You're good to go!

I hope so.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
but here is a quick look at my basement pantry.

Wow! You have an AWESOME collection! Mine is not nearly that big, but I just started. I add a few items each time I go to the store.

I just got back from K-Mart. I got some canned meats that were on sale, (roast beef, corned beef) and some chicken broth that was on sale too.

I got a propane camp stove, to keep with my small propane grill, to cook in power outages. I got it on sale for $24.99.

Propane camp stove

Then I got this cool little contraption on sale for $3.50!

Sterno Single Burner Folding Emergency Camp Stove

It's flat and tiny and lightweight. I got it, along with a few sterno cans, to put it my Go Bag. I thought it would come in handy for an evacuation scenario, like Katrina - if you were stuck in some holding area, you would have a way to heat up a can of chili or something from your bag to feed your family.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Check this out:

72-hour Emergency Food Kit

This would be good for a Go bag, since it requires only added water and is lightweight (no cans) and has a very long shelf life (5-7 years). Reviews say it tastes good too.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I love the mini BOB kits. Here's a link to one packed into an altoids tin. So cool!

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fields...225788,00.html


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## MaryCeleste (Jun 11, 2004)

After seeing velochic's pantry (thanks for sharing!), I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the need to take precautions against animal pests. Rats and mice are a very real problem, and they can chew through any lightweight packaging. We discovered this the hard way at our old house, when they decided to have a party in our pantry. They were especially fond of the powdered goat's milk in foil pouches, and the TJ's raisins in plastic bags. Even the things they couldn't get into were contaminated with rodent feces and urine, which let me tell you was NOT fun at all.







Once the critters had taken up residence, it took ages to get the last of them out of the house. We didn't use poison, but once you seal up their holes, they start to die and rot in the walls. We had to get a contractor to come and rip out part of the bathroom ceiling, and take out a decomposing rat family. I was pregnant and had a toddler at the time.
















I'm sorry to have to talk about such a disgusting subject, but it's one that we should all be aware of.

Far better to keep them out in the first place. Because of this, our "deep storage" area only has food in metal cans, glass jars, plastic water and juice bottles, and heavy sealed plastic pails. Any other packaged food -- boxed, bagged, etc. -- is kept in plastic bins with secure lids. These bins are either stored outside in a detached shed, or (for more valuable or frequently-used items) in the main kitchen pantry, where I can keep an eye on them.

I'm not even going to get started on discussing Indian grain moths (aka pantry moths)... but will just say that if you ever buy or store bulk grains -- including large bags of rice from Asian groceries -- you should absolutely do a search for information on these critters, and take the recommended precautions. They're not health hazards in the same way that rats are, but they're very unpleasant, and really, really hard to get rid of.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

oh maryceleste! that's awful!!


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MaryCeleste* 
After seeing velochic's pantry (thanks for sharing!), I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the need to take precautions against animal pests.

Excellent point! (I'm sorry you had to deal with that, btw). I've been keeping this pantry for about 4 years now. We do get the occasional mouse... (note mouse trap in one of the pictures). You have to be aware of what is in your area of the "woods". Knocking on wood... we've never had issues with anything other than mice that ate our ramen once.

One point to make... ALWAYS wash your cans before opening them. Sometimes the lids fall into the food and you don't know what has been walking on top of them.


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## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

I grew up in houses that always had stocked pantries/freezers, so, really, there was only a short time in my life (college, first job) where I didn't have the stocked pantry. However, I've gotten more serious about it in the past year. One caveat, though, is DH is in the military, so, we are somewhat uncertain as to how long we'll be in a certain place, so, we kind of go through cycles of stocking up, and then sort of waiting out the rumor mill to find out if he'll be PCS'ed...Anyway, here are pics of our pantry. It's nowhere near as impressive as Velo's...In addition to the whole "military move" factor, we live in a 2 bedroom, 825sqft apartment, with an 8x8 kitchen, so, I keep the "pantry" in the 2nd bedroom closet. I also have a shelf-case in the kitchen that I keep "opens" on (the open flours, beans, etc).

Pic 1
Pic 2

You can't see it in the pics, but to the right is about a foot of space between the shelves and the wall, and I keep cooking oils there, along with my canning pectins. The green rubbermaid holds flours in 5lb bags from Frontier. The blue rubbermaid holds more flour, along with some dehydrated veggies, dry milk, and dehydrated soup mixes from Frontier. The white boxes are dehydrated fruits/veggies from Just Tomatoes. I need to stock up still on more pasta, beans, and sugar.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

I bought a little bit for our stockpile today- 20 oz TVP, 1 1/2 lbs flax seeds, a large jar of blackstrap molasses, and 12 packets of active dry yeast. Plus lots of frozen veggies, but I'll likely use those sooner than later


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Can anyone share some good ways to cook with TVP?


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks everyone who shared pics of their pantries! Velo, that Altoid tin survival kit is so cool.


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## BabyBearsMummy (Jan 27, 2006)

LOL everytime I head down stairs with the laundry past the box I started with the canadian governments recomendations I think oh I should really finish that but then again I have been super busy since I started it just surviving as I began before becoming a single mother.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *appalachia* 
Can anyone share some good ways to cook with TVP?

You rehydrate the TVP and use it in anything you would use ground beef- like spaghetti, chili, sloppy joes (It can't form patties though). It is super high in protein and has the same texture as ground beef.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MaryCeleste* 
After seeing velochic's pantry (thanks for sharing!), I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the need to take precautions against animal pests. Rats and mice are a very real problem, and they can chew through any lightweight packaging. We discovered this the hard way at our old house, when they decided to have a party in our pantry. They were especially fond of the powdered goat's milk in foil pouches, and the TJ's raisins in plastic bags. Even the things they couldn't get into were contaminated with rodent feces and urine, which let me tell you was NOT fun at all.


What a great piece of advice!

I am moving all of my lightweight packaging items (boxes, pouches, anything that could be chewed through) into some large plastic bins that have lids. I'm leaving all my cans and glass jar items as is on the shelf.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
What a great piece of advice!

I am moving all of my lightweight packaging items (boxes, pouches, anything that could be chewed through) into some large plastic bins that have lids. I'm leaving all my cans and glass jar items as is on the shelf.

Me too!


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

I've been thinking a lot about Go Bags, and really want to finish this as a project - really get myself squared away on this one front, yk?

I've seen people talk about backpacks for each family member, but I think that is too complicated for me, plus my children are too little. I want ONE bag that is large enough to hold everything I need for the family, but light enough for my dh to carry it should the scenario NOT be a drive-away-in-our-car evacuation.

My dh is active duty military officer, and he has this great bag that would be perfect, but this particular one is not really "ours" as he had it issued to him for some recent exercises and it has to be turned back in. But, guess what?

I found them on Ebay!







:

They are large enough (36" long) to put a bunch of stuff in, obviously durable as they are military grade, and have padded shoulder straps for back carry, plus a handle for traditional hand carry. He could wear this, I could wear the smallest child, and the others could walk.

And they're cheap!

Army Duffel Bag


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I have my father's from the Korean War. It's one of the bags that I use for our vehicle BOBs. They really are useful, but you cannot carry them for a long time. If I had to hike with this for any length of time, it would soon become too cumbersome. A good backpack is best for serious hiking out.


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

Velochic- I couldn't get yours to load up for some reason.

Seeing the other pics, I def have a long way to go. I am so not as stocked up as I should be!


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## CameronsMama (Apr 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LeighB* 
Seeing the other pics, I def have a long way to go. I am so not as stocked up as I should be!

I know what you mean-my stockpile has grown, but it's nothing compared to the ones I've seen here! I'm in great shape for soaps, shampoos/conditioners, toothbrushes and pastes, that sort of stuff, and now I'm focusing more on the food.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I've added a lot in the past month but I don't come close to Velochics (except the massive amount of wheat mom and dad left behind). I'll have in the next little bit 100lbs oats, 25lbs white beans, 25lbs dry milk, 25lbs rice and 50lbs of sugar to can or put into 5gallon buckets. I will be canning the powdered milk as it will keep a lot longer that way. I use food grade 5gallon buckets with food grade liners to store bulk items that I use to quickly to bother canning. Sometime this week I will also have about 80lbs of apples and probably over a 100lbs of potatoes to can and some to store. I also have fresh winter squash from my garden I need to take care of. My husband doesn't want to do anymore canning but he's out of luck.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LeighB* 
Velochic- I couldn't get yours to load up for some reason.

Seeing the other pics, I def have a long way to go. I am so not as stocked up as I should be!

I took them down. I'll put them back up for a while, but in general, I don't like leaving that info out on the internet.

OK... they're back up. And just a note... that lard you see in some of the pix are for soapmaking. We don't actually consume it. The lard we consume is the healthy







, non-hydrogenated rendered lard from the Amish that I keep in the fridge.


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

Ah I understand. Thanks for sharing the pics.

So will things like toothpaste and soap last forever basically? I really need to restock those things.


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## shelbell (Oct 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LeighB* 
Ah I understand. Thanks for sharing the pics.

So will things like toothpaste and soap last forever basically? I really need to restock those things.

I think soap will. Some toothpaste containers have expiration dates, but I don't know how important those are. We just used the last of a tube that had expired a couple months before, and I didn't notice any taste difference.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

For those of you who listen to Coast to Coast AM, or others who might be interested, there is going to be a show tomorrow night about the Great Depression, and today's financial issues.
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2008/10/18.html


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *appalachia* 
For those of you who listen to Coast to Coast AM, or others who might be interested, there is going to be a show tomorrow night about the Great Depression, and today's financial issues.
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2008/10/18.html

I







C2C!


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shelbell* 
I think soap will. Some toothpaste containers have expiration dates, but I don't know how important those are. We just used the last of a tube that had expired a couple months before, and I didn't notice any taste difference.









I'm not sure about this, but I wonder if it's the fluoride that goes "bad"? But yeah, ours has an expiry, too.

Which is why I keep lots of baking soda on hand! Even if the baking soda goes past its expiry for baking, you can still used it as a natural toothpaste. I have sensitive teeth, so I use baking soda regularly. It's very difficult for me to find toothpaste without whitening... which irritates my sensitive, already white enough, teeth.


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## shelbell (Oct 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
I'm not sure about this, but I wonder if it's the fluoride that goes "bad"? But yeah, ours has an expiry, too.

Which is why I keep lots of baking soda on hand! Even if the baking soda goes past its expiry for baking, you can still used it as a natural toothpaste. I have sensitive teeth, so I use baking soda regularly. It's very difficult for me to find toothpaste without whitening... which irritates my sensitive, already white enough, teeth.

I looked on the net for info on this last night after I posted, and the consensus seems to be that after time the fluoride will lose its efficacy. It does not appear that it goes "bad" in the sense it will harm your teeth, however.

I've tried baking soda for teeth since I use it for so much else, but the taste just turns me off. Plus, I have very poor enamel on my teeth and don't want to cause any problems with the abrasiveness of the baking soda. I've actually found the thing that makes my teeth feel the cleanest is to just brush with a dry brush and no toothpaste every once in a while. It doesn't hurt that doing so requires no additional cost other than the brush.

ETA - We do stockpile toothbrushes.


----------



## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Thanks for the info, shelbell. I hadn't looked it up.


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

baking soda for toothbrushing brings back horrible childhood memories. Note to self: add toothpaste to my list.









So, I shopped at the Sam's Club and I have to say I was really impressed. I only got a few things but was making mental notes for what to pick up later. We are literlly one week away from our big downsizing move and I am utterly stressed out. DD is also sick and also has some major teeth coming in. It's been a cray time.








But, after much researching, I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how to stock up in a small apartment flat. My plan is to keep and rotate about 2 months worth of food and supplies. I am using extra large canning jars and 5 gallon glass jars for bulk grains. In the laundry room, we are putting in industrial style shelving. (actually the whole space is very euro/industrial design and I am loving it!) and there we will stock bulk orders or tp, water, cleaners, etc. I have gotten a Frontier membership and have budgeted $250 every 10 weeks for supplies. This way I get free shipping and I have a large stock of the kinds of things we like to use. And I'll be utilizing Sam's club in the upcoming weeks and we should be set.
2 months feels perfect to me... I guess I am a moderate stockpiler


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## shelbell (Oct 29, 2006)

Don't know if you ladies are seeing the same thing, but I have noticed locally that food prices have been going down a little bit lately. The nerd in me loves these graphs on commodity prices, as well. I grabbed several cans of things at the grocery store yesterday to boost my stockpile. Black beans at .55/can; had been .65/can for the past few months, and most of my stockpile of them was bought at .50/can about 6-8 months ago. Also got a couple of cans of pineapple at $1.08/can - had been $1.18/can recently; we used up the last of my stash during Ike, which had been bought at $1/can last year.

Anyone else seeing food prices falling? It kind of makes me do a happy dance for my stockpile.







:


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## shelbell (Oct 29, 2006)

Sharon Astyk's blog had a good post yesterday on frugal stockpiling. It's a very basic (and kind of long) article, but I do think it's valuable for any beginning stockpilers on here or to pass along to IRL stockpiling newbies.


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## BF124497 (Mar 29, 2007)

I've been following the other threads, and just caught up with this one.

We just bought a new house, and usually purchase purified water to drink. Do you think a whole-home water filtration system would be a good idea? I've been looking at this one:
http://www.purewaterexpress.com/wholehouse.htm#1
Expensive, but do you think it would be useful in these situations?


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## Olerica (Nov 19, 2007)

subbing


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## quelindo (May 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shelbell* 
Sharon Astyk's blog had a good post yesterday on frugal stockpiling. It's a very basic (and kind of long) article, but I do think it's valuable for any beginning stockpilers on here or to pass along to IRL stockpiling newbies.

I LOVE her -- her book is great, too.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I'm so excited! My mil said she still owed my husband for work he did so she bought me a bushel of apples from the local orchard. A friend brought me potatoes from her garden and my husband went and gleaned some. I have sooo many that I'm going to be canning for weeks! Our only expense was less than a gallon of gas. I love fall around here because produce is so abundant.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganjoy* 
I've been following the other threads, and just caught up with this one.

We just bought a new house, and usually purchase purified water to drink. Do you think a whole-home water filtration system would be a good idea? I've been looking at this one:
http://www.purewaterexpress.com/wholehouse.htm#1
Expensive, but do you think it would be useful in these situations?

A home filtration system would be good in normal conditions, but it is of no use to you in an emergency situation. This means a LOSS of water - that's why you have to store water. And then you need a smaller water filter in case you have an extended period of city water loss and are forced to go get water from another source that may not be potable.


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## almadianna (Jul 22, 2006)

subbing!


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Article.

Quote:

The Vermont Department of Health is urging residents to prepare for a possible worldwide flu pandemic by stocking their pantries with enough food to stay home for two weeks.

People should buy things like dried foods that have a long shelf life, said Health Commissioner Wendy Davis.
...
Burlington is one of nine communities around the country taking part in a pilot project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to get ready for what scientists believe is the coming pandemic.
...
Some of the foods the Health Department is recommending people stock up on are peanut butter, jelly, dried milk, raisins, nuts, cans of pumpkin, diced tomatoes, rice, pasta, flour and sugar.

The Health Department estimates it would cost about $200 for a family of four to have enough food for two weeks.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

why canned pumpkin?


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## Denvergirlie (Oct 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
why canned pumpkin?

it's high is nuteriants (sp?) and can be used in many different ways like strechting a soup or stew, mixing with mashed potatoes, etc.

It's canned so has longer shelf life and it nuteriant dense food.


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Here's the link to the vermont site with a downloadable list of supplies Pumpkin is listed as a "vitamin food" along with tomatoes and raisins.

http://healthvermont.gov/panflu/takethelead.aspx


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizzyQ* 
why canned pumpkin?

Helloooooo! It's DELICIOUS!!!!







:


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Ok, kinda OT but I've been dying to ask this question for a while: Where is this 'impending' talk coming from? Ever since the 'impending' bird flu was set to become a pandemic in 2006 I've been wondering what all the hype is about. How is a pandemic 'impending' when there are no signs of a new virus coming out? I dunno, maybe I'm tinfoiling a bit, but is someone trying to set up a massive pandemic??? Make $$$ from the flu shot? It just doesn't make sense that a pandemic has been 'impending' for 2+ yrs, ya know?

Ami


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## shelbell (Oct 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
Ok, kinda OT but I've been dying to ask this question for a while: Where is this 'impending' talk coming from? Ever since the 'impending' bird flu was set to become a pandemic in 2006 I've been wondering what all the hype is about. How is a pandemic 'impending' when there are no signs of a new virus coming out? I dunno, maybe I'm tinfoiling a bit, but is someone trying to set up a massive pandemic??? Make $$$ from the flu shot? It just doesn't make sense that a pandemic has been 'impending' for 2+ yrs, ya know?

Ami

I don't know about impending flu issues, but I can tell you I'm definitely worried about impending line of credit issues and the potential for short term supply disruptions caused by the same. Plus, after Hurricane Ike, I've realized the power of my stockpile. I convinced a neighbor to let me hang out in their house when we had no power in exchange for cooking them dinner from my stockpile. Ahh, the joys of AC.









ETA - I'm not sure where all of the 'impending' flu talk is coming from. My DH has been on me _forever_ to buy H5N1-proof masks.


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## almadianna (Jul 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shelbell* 
I don't know about impending flu issues, but I can tell you I'm definitely worried about impending line of credit issues and the potential for short term supply disruptions caused by the same. Plus, after Hurricane Ike, I've realized the power of my stockpile. I convinced a neighbor to let me hang out in their house when we had no power in exchange for cooking them dinner from my stockpile. Ahh, the joys of AC.









thats is when i learned the wonders of my stash too!!
my husband and i always make sure that we have a stock pile during hurricane season and man are we glad that we did.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
I dunno, maybe I'm tinfoiling a bit, but is someone trying to set up a massive pandemic??? Make $$$ from the flu shot? It just doesn't make sense that a pandemic has been 'impending' for 2+ yrs, ya know?

Ami









:

Then there's this:

500,000 plastic coffins in Georgia

WTH for???








:


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 







:

Then there's this:

500,000 plastic coffins in Georgia

WTH for???








:

Thanks StacyL. Really. Thanks. Now how am I going to get some sleep tonight? lol &









Ami


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 







:

Then there's this:

500,000 plastic coffins in Georgia

WTH for???








:

Seriously.. I don't know how to move out of the country with no money!


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

EEEEEK. I am never leaving my house again.


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

Wood coffins are very expensive. It makes sense to make plastic. How many Americans die every year? About 2 million. How many Chinese or Indians? It's chilling but if you want to make money in a troubled economy, investing in death isn't a bad idea.


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

And I found this

Quote:

These are not coffins they are grave liners, the coffin fits inside of them. They are used to keep the grounds from collapsing as the coffin rots away. They are mainly used in National Cemeteries ( VA )But they are using concrete ones, I know because I used to make them


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 







:

Then there's this:

500,000 plastic coffins in Georgia

WTH for???








:

Other than the title that has a question mark, where is the proof that they are coffins and not shipping containers?


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
Other than the title that has a question mark, where is the proof that they are coffins and not shipping containers?

And why would they be stored outside in plain view?


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

There are actually several websites devoted to this topic if you google. Yes, they are confirmed by interview with manufacturer to be coffins and are used as such, not just as grave liners. Why they are out in the open in anybody's guess. It creeps me out. There are several You Tube footages of them taken by locals. They are being added to, and there is a google earth photo that would astound you to see how many of them there are over such a large area.


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

So I've just spend the last 1/2 hour googling about and am no longer freaked out by the idea of the gov stockpiling coffins. I grew up next to a cemetery, and these really do look like plastic versions of the cement vaults they put coffins into to a) ensure the grave does not cave in if/when the coffin rots and b) keep out grave robbers (though I don't know how well the plastic would keep out a grave robber... if there are even people who rob graves these days, that is).

Though the thought sure is sensational, isn't it?







At first I was like OMG! We're all gonna die!


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StacyL* 
There are actually several websites devoted to this topic if you google. Yes, they are confirmed by interview with manufacturer to be coffins and are used as such, not just as grave liners. Why they are out in the open in anybody's guess. It creeps me out. There are several You Tube footages of them taken by locals. They are being added to, and there is a google earth photo that would astound you to see how many of them there are over such a large area.

OK... I did as you suggested and googled this. Unfortunately I didn't get any info from a reliable source. I won't go into detail but the sites that gave this information also said things like the contrails of commercial planes are actually poison that the government is using on Americans.







Please don't let whacked out conspiracy theories creep you out. We have plenty of real issues to deal with in life to be creating more from others paranoia.


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

subbing


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## sunnybear (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
Unfortunately I didn't get any info from a reliable source.

I did, but the thread I posted it in got removed. I found a letter online from the company who made those specific liners, and they said that they manufacture and order them in huge quantities and they go to cemeteries all over the place (all over the US at least, if not the world), hence the number. They're sitting there waiting to be purchased and shipped out.

I forgot what site I read that on, but a Google search should turn up the original scanned letter...that's how I found it. The story freaked me out at first, but it does seem to be a pretty good explanation, especially coming right from the manufacturer. Of course, they COULD be lying, but since I have no proof of that I'm not going down that road.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pariah* 
I did, but the thread I posted it in got removed. I found a letter online from the company who made those specific liners, and they said that they manufacture and order them in huge quantities and they go to cemeteries all over the place (all over the US at least, if not the world), hence the number. They're sitting there waiting to be purchased and shipped out.

I forgot what site I read that on, but a Google search should turn up the original scanned letter...that's how I found it. The story freaked me out at first, but it does seem to be a pretty good explanation, especially coming right from the manufacturer. Of course, they COULD be lying, but since I have no proof of that I'm not going down that road.


Yes, I saw the original documents too when the story first broke last summer. I wish I had bookmarked it. Maybe I can find it again.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

interesting article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Does anyone use food-grade diatomaceous earth on their grains/rice/beans to keep them bug-free? If so, do you have to rinse/dry your grains/beans/etc before use?


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
interesting article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/

That's awesome that they interviewed Jim Rawles for the article:

Quote:

"There are a lot more people - a lot more eager people - who are trying to get themselves squared away logistically," said Rawles, who lectures and writes books on preparing for and surviving "TEOTWAWKI" - The End Of The World As We Know It.
That's me exactly - trying to get squared away logistically.


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## sunnybear (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
interesting article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/

Good article (and links inside), thanks!


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

x posting this in Current Events. Thought ya'll would appreciate this mathmetician perspective on our current econmic crisis:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/mo...21102008&seg=1


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Just wanted to say it's the mathematicians that got us into this derivatives mess.


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Oh, crap.

Maybe there is something to that flu pandemic/500,000 coffins thing after all...

So What Were Top Military Commanders From The US and Europe Doing at the Trudeau Institute?

Quote:

'Well, on the 1st October 2008 Bush signed into being the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (H.R. 2638), which includes $1.6 million in additional research funding to support a joint program between scientists at the Trudeau Institute and the U.S. Navy to develop a pandemic influenza vaccine.'

Quote:

On October 1st, the same day that Bush activated the [Army] 1st Brigade domestically, the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services released a disturbing "Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act":

Quote:

So began Dark Winter, a bioterrorist exercise that played out over two days this summer at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC.

Quote:

So why are all these key players in the NWO and neoconservative movement sponsoring exercises in Biological terrorism?
So here we are just before the elections in the US, The bottom dropping out of the economies in both Europe and the US, McCain floundering in Obamas wake, and the government in need of another terrorist attack to postpone the elections and declare martial law and give the green light to an attack on Iran by the joint forces of Israel and the US

And there are the joint chiefs of staff from Europe and the US at a secret meeting at a biological research facility run by a Rockerfeller associate which produces vaccines for Asian flu amongst other things.

World depopulation is also on the global elites mind and has been for years

Would they pull another 9/11?

They wouldnt dare do that , would they?
This is another 'must-read.'


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

I just found these emergency survival tablets that are supposedly good for 10 years in an advertisement on one of those survival blogs.. Might be worthwhile to have in storage..

http://www.survivaltabs.com/index.html

Might be useful for BOB.. lightweight and calorie dense.


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
Does anyone use food-grade diatomaceous earth on their grains/rice/beans to keep them bug-free? If so, do you have to rinse/dry your grains/beans/etc before use?

Interesting. Never heard of it, but I'm reposting this so someone might answer it.









Also, what do you guys think of joining a gym? I really need to work out and the whole using my neighborhood is not working out. It's too congested and way too many stoplights impeding everything. I'm a lot more likely to go somewhere to run on a treadmill. The thing is, we're having really good deals on memberships. Gold's is running a $69 processing fee, $9 a month plan, another small gym is running a $29 a month family plan with a small sign up fee. Dh & I could pay the whole year membership right now, no prob. And it would make us healthier. The thing is, if the economy is really going to tank (and everywhere I've read tells me it will really start to go by end of November) then it's stupid to do this. Gyms are going to be the first to be cut from people's spending. I'm afraid of sinking money into a gym just to have it fold within half a year. I'm just so confused. I want to work out but I don't want to lose $200 either, kwim?
What would you guys do?

Ami
Ami


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

I want to join a gym really bad, but it's just not something I can justify the cost on. I'd rather spend $200 on a treadmill or something. But that is for me, and keep in mind I live in an area with hundreds of walking trails, plus my apartment has its own workout room thingy









We're kind of nibbling on our stockpile over here because I didn't want to go grocery shopping this week. It's been nice to not have to worry about going out, though I will start stocking things again next week. We got 72 rolls of TP, 4 deodorants for DH and 2 shampoos from Sam's the other day, and I also now have a year supply of contacts, yay!!


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

I got back on WIC, and even though I generally don't really eat cereal like cheerios and kix, and none-natural peanut butter, It wouldn't be bad to get those things for my stockpile.. well, I actually do eat the cereal, but when I buy cereal, I get better kinds







They also give one whole pound of beans a month! And since lentils are the most expensive, usually, that is what I'll use it for!

Speaking of lentils.. how much are they were you live? They seam to be sooo much more expensive here lately.


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## chio88 (Oct 16, 2008)

Thanks for this thread. I really need to learn t stock up for a rainy day


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

I get lentils at the Indian grocery. I think I just paid around 4-5 bucks for a 2 pound bag of yellow lentils (for dal).


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I've been buying lentils from my health food store out of the bulk bins, but I just orded 25# of red lentils & brown lentils from my co-op. They were $2.45 & $1.72 per pound respectively. I do need to find some moong dal again. I think I bought that at giant eagle, though I don't know what I paid for it.

ETA: BTW those are all organic lentils.


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

I think lentils are .98/lb at the cheap grocery store. If I go to the health food store they are about 1,50-2/lb.


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## Jenivere (Aug 4, 2003)

I did my dry pack canning last night! Now that my bulk goods are stocked back up I can concentrate on all the canning I need to do.


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## edamama (May 26, 2007)

Whoo! It has taken me several days, but I've gotten through the whole thread!

Like a PP mentioned, I don't really keep up with the news, or the horror stories that are our world keep me up at night.







I first started feeling compelled to be more prepared for whatever after reading a post-apocalyptical (sp?) novel Dies the Fire which takes place in the area I live. I do listen to NPR occasionally and all they have been talking about is financial stuff, so I realized it might not be so crazy to get organized.

I have a ton to do, so am starting small. I got 10 gallons of water at the store and almost have the car-kit completed. Next I will work on the go bags.

But why is 72 hours the magic number? Or some sites that were linked are stocking for 2 months or a year, how did they come up with that conclusion?


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## StacyL (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *allielb* 
But why is 72 hours the magic number? Or some sites that were linked are stocking for 2 months or a year, how did they come up with that conclusion?

I wonder about this too. Maybe Jim Rawles has someting about this on his website. Maybe it has to do with having enough to get you to safety, and that's the average time/distance?


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

From what I have heard, 72 hours is enough time for the government to establish relief centers and start with rescue efforts.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

where Kunstler thinks we're headed, economically: (it's relevant to this discussion, I think)

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/10..._has_to_offer/


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## love2all (Dec 13, 2003)

I am joining in ..
dh has been buying extra 'cheap' foods and stocking it away along with gallons of water..
he has
peanut butter
beans
rice
just add water meals
cans of fruit and veggies
probably about 2 weeks worth of stuff for a fam of 5
we can cook and heat on our woodstove or on the propane grill- he has 4 tanks full of propane- along with battery powered lights, loads of candles, and plenty of wood..
we also have friends in the country with loads of food growing and an area we could set up our 24ft dome for longer term living- like if the sh$# really hits the fan....
it is good to feel a bit prepared


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## wife&mommy (May 26, 2005)

I would like to join this thread, too. We do have some things, but nothing like the pictures I saw. We have A LOT in freezers, but that would do no good if the power went out. I talked to DH about stocking up, and he thinks I'm crazy, but said OK.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *allielb* 
I first started feeling compelled to be more prepared for whatever after reading a post-apocalyptical (sp?) novel Dies the Fire which takes place in the area I live.

The book is actually the first of a trilogy. The other two aren't quite as good, but it's an interesting read to see how important community is. As much as stocking up is key, so too is finding people you can trust and people you know will keep their mouths shut.

For example, I put up my pics for a short time, but would never keep them up for others to see IRL. The only people IRL who know I prep are my next door neighbors, with whom we would hunker down in a bad situation, and my family members that are welcome here in a desperate situation. The next door neighbors are key for us because we are not comfortable owning firearms and they are... and know how to use them for hunting. They are also hard workers and would not sponge. Likewise, we have the heat and cooking source they don't have and we're equally as hard working with a completely different set of talents. They are also good friends that we dearly love.

It's important to include in your preps people you will want around you in a crisis. YKWIM?


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## wife&mommy (May 26, 2005)

Velochic - I missed your pic. If you put it back up again please let me know. I'd love to see it!


----------



## loitering (Mar 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wife&mommy* 
Velochic - I missed your pic. If you put it back up again please let me know. I'd love to see it!









: Please!


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## CameronsMama (Apr 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
The book is actually the first of a trilogy. The other two aren't quite as good, but it's an interesting read to see how important community is. As much as stocking up is key, so too is finding people you can trust and people you know will keep their mouths shut.

For example, I put up my pics for a short time, but would never keep them up for others to see IRL. The only people IRL who know I prep are my next door neighbors, with whom we would hunker down in a bad situation, and my family members that are welcome here in a desperate situation. The next door neighbors are key for us because we are not comfortable owning firearms and they are... and know how to use them for hunting. They are also hard workers and would not sponge. Likewise, we have the heat and cooking source they don't have and we're equally as hard working with a completely different set of talents. They are also good friends that we dearly love.

It's important to include in your preps people you will want around you in a crisis. YKWIM?

That's a very good point. Not many people know what I have stocked up on, really the only people who know what we've got are the people who we would be expecting to weather bad times with. Even on here, I don't think I've ever posted any specifics about how much of anything we have, I just don't think it's necessary to share that much detail, although I sure do appreciate you sharing your pics with us!


----------



## Vanessa (Feb 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
Does anyone use food-grade diatomaceous earth on their grains/rice/beans to keep them bug-free? If so, do you have to rinse/dry your grains/beans/etc before use?


Yes, I've used it on my grains and some beans (although I mainly drypack with oxygen absorbers for beans). There's no need to rinse. Your body processes it just like calcium. HTH!


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

So, all the food storage sites talk about storing dry milk, and I've done that for the kiddies. But I'm lactose-intolerant and suspect DD#2 may be heading that way, too. Do any of you mamas know of a powdered soy or rice milk that can be stored? And maybe even tastes a little bit OK?


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## sunnybear (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
So, all the food storage sites talk about storing dry milk, and I've done that for the kiddies. But I'm lactose-intolerant and suspect DD#2 may be heading that way, too. Do any of you mamas know of a powdered soy or rice milk that can be stored? And maybe even tastes a little bit OK?

This is the first thing that popped up when I did a Google search for bulk powdered soy milk, and it looks like there are lots of other brands/sites selling it out there.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pariah* 
This is the first thing that popped up when I did a Google search for bulk powdered soy milk, and it looks like there are lots of other brands/sites selling it out there.

Ha, it's all in the google search parameters! I hadn't used the word "bulk" in my searches and kept getting sites that sold little 16 oz. packages. Thanks, Pariah! Now, has anyone tried any of these brands? It looks like Now and Better Than Milk are the most popular ones. I'll ask on the food forum, too.


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
Ha, it's all in the google search parameters! I hadn't used the word "bulk" in my searches and kept getting sites that sold little 16 oz. packages. Thanks, Pariah! Now, has anyone tried any of these brands? It looks like Now and Better Than Milk are the most popular ones. I'll ask on the food forum, too.

I bought 10 packages of the NOW brand. But I haven't tried it yet. I think I got them for around $4.75 each.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
So, all the food storage sites talk about storing dry milk, and I've done that for the kiddies. But I'm lactose-intolerant and suspect DD#2 may be heading that way, too. Do any of you mamas know of a powdered soy or rice milk that can be stored? And maybe even tastes a little bit OK?

What about DariFree? http://www.vancesfoods.com/darifree.htm


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## loveandmore (Oct 24, 2008)

We don't have our BOB either.


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## aihcalappa (Sep 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
interesting article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27244465/


Thanks for posting that, it was interesting.


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

I like this thread, It's motivating. I'm not fearful but it is good to be prepared. I think I would just have rice, beans, flour, yeast, and powdered milk on hand.

and of course water.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
I hadn't even thought about having cash on hand - mostly because if there is cash, DH will spend it.

I'm working for my mom right now so the earnings I make from that I think I will keep in hand. We do have a spare change jar with about $50 in it but who wants to lug that sucker around?









money won't be any good in a depression. It might help just before the huge crash if there is even time for that. The best thing would probably be to keep the car full with gas and have 2 gas cans with some money to fill them taped to them.

What will be of value and trade able during a depression would be jewelry/gold. If you have money I would suggest using some of it to buy gold.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *janasmama* 

money won't be any good in a depression.

This isn't necessarily true. In the Depression of the 30s, cash was still king. Most people just didn't have any.


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
This isn't necessarily true. In the Depression of the 30s, cash was still king. Most people just didn't have any.

You are right. I guess I'm thinking this would be a different type of depression since the American dollar is already not valued at much. I'm not sure how money was so different back then but I'm guessing it was...I think that coin was still made with silver and not just plated like ours is today.

Here is a video that a friend sent to me that is suppose to be really good and educational. I haven't watched it yet but it might be helpful in educating some of us about what we really need to do/don't need to do to prepare.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Wasn't the dollar still tied to gold back then? So every dollar was 'worth' a certain amount of gold.

Honestly, either way, I don't think I'd be investing in gold right now - its WAY up in price, which makes it just not worth it for the vast majority of the population, you know? Now, if you invested in gold 10, 15 years ago, when it was cheap, your probably pretty happy. But I just really don't see hte logic in buying into gold when its up SOO high!!


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

There was a new thread started here.

We can move the Gold vs. Cash discussion there!









Ami


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## weliveintheforest (Sep 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
Also, what do you guys think of joining a gym? ...
... I want to work out but I don't want to lose $200 either, kwim?
What would you guys do?

I know this is old, but I don't think it's a bad idea even if the gm went under in 6 months. the fitter you are the better off you will be in case of emergency.

I'm wondering if anyone has seen http://www.efoodsdirect.com . My dh heard about them and wanted to order, but shipping is so much and I don't like the food options so we want to just find things locally. I'd be interested to hear what you thought.


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