# When did you realize you were a prepper?



## Wolvee (Nov 8, 2012)

A couple years ago my wife and I were blessed with a health baby girl. The only problem was due to the hospital not monitoring her properly, they overlooked an obvious diagnosis of Peripartum cardiomyopathy . (I suggest anyone having their first child look it up and know the signs.) They released her from the hospital even though she still had 80lbs of "water" swollen in her body and her heart couldn't handle it. This hospital which was one of the one of the nicest in the state just dropped the ball. The day after leaving the hospital, she had a heart attack and if it wasn't for my CPR and living a half mile from that same hospital, I'd be raising our daughter alone.

This seems like the worst but being prepared with CPR didn't make me think about being a prepper. 3 days later as she was recovering very well and pretty fast, they were pumping out the water very fast. During one of her daily blood transfusions the young Nurse broke and dropped the bag of blood and was completely frazzled. The bag didn't burst but she said it was going to take a few hours to get another bag of blood. I pulled out my wallet and took out my credit card wrapped in Duct tape and taped the bag up so the nurse could hang it.

My wife said, "that's my husband he always carries that stuff on him." The nurse was flabbergasted and I guess I was a bit of a celebrity on the floor till my wife left on Christmas eve.

From that point on, I realized that I needed to always be prepared for anything that I could be. If I can imagine it, I'll practice and try to prepare for it.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

After hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans most everyone started taking evacuation orders more seriously. When hurricane Rita hit Texas, most of my family headed to Austin and safety. I primitive camped for 3 weeks. Well not exactly primitive... Two generators, freezers full of food and a vegetable garden. The worst part was night time. I would shut down the genny's so I could hear and save fuel. It was dead quiet but sometimes I could hear doors getting kicked in and every once and a while a gunshot. Pitch black I would keep a bonfire at night just to let would be looters know i was home. Sometimes they would yell or shine their flashlights my way. I thought I covered all my bases with my dog, a couple of pistols and a mini-14. Fortunately all went well. I have learn much since then but theres always room for improvement. There is a wealth on information and experience here to draw on. I have learned much more in a very short time. 

punch


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

for me it started slowly in the blizzard of 1978, we were trapped in the house under 15 feet of snow for a week.
With little food and only a decorative pot belly stove for some heat. no power and melted snow for water.
Had a single burner camp stove and a gallon of fuel for it, that saved us along bag of rice, lintels, and some pan bread.
had one old oil lamp and some candles for light. not much light gets through snow that deep.
First thing that went after that was the electric stove, replaced with propane. A months worth of food went on the shelves.
Then the next event hit us along with everybody else, the first oil embargo. That really started the ball rolling. Never looked back.
Almost every year we loose power or have several days of road blockage from snow, even a flood that closes the roads for a week is common.
We go through these incidents without a hiccup. 
The prepping never ends, always something else, this week a gallon of lamp oil, bic lighter 5 pack and 3 bottles of chloraseptiic throat spray.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

During the blizzard of '78 I had power to my newly transferred apartment. My parents left and moved NorthWest. I taped songs off the radio for a couple days, reloaded some 12 gauge, there was food in the fridge and pantry from when Mom & Pop left, so I didn't go hungry. From then on, I've been trying to figure out how to store enough booze for a SHTF

Being a man of 20, I wasn't worried about a thing except women and booze, now I see the error in my ways.
"
I think I've been a closet prepper since then, as I was hanging out with some PTSS guys who made sure I always had a 3 day "To Go Bag"with clothes and tools.

Which reminds me to thank the OP and other Vets for their service to the country today, when the banks honor them.

They said even if I only had to use it when I got lucky and had to spend the night in a strange place at least I've have clean clothes for work in the morning.


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## Not Crazy Yet (Nov 11, 2012)

When I realized I was a prepper, wasn't as heroic as yours, it was more of a realization when watching the news and seeing how every country in the world, including ours, is collapsing socially and economically. I see after storms people are without food, water or electricity for weeks. So to me it's just common sense to be prepared for any disaster at all times, this way you can keep yourself, your relatives and your loved ones safe.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

I first realised the hard way that I was a NON-prepper some years ago when i was sitting at my computer one evening after dark when it suddenly switched itself off and the light in the room went off. (The gentle homely whirring of your PC's internal fan dying away has a terrible finality about it) 
At first i thought a fuse had blown, but then i realised the street lamp outside had gone off too.
I looked out of the window and there was no light anywhere, not a glimmer of any kind.
Power cut! (It lasted about an hour)

"Oh well" i thought, "i might as well make myself a cup of tea"..
But the kettle stayed cold because i'd forgotten it was an electric kettle, duh..
So i trudged into the other room to watch TV. Bad move, no electricity. And I didn't have a battery radio.
The electric-operated central heating pump had stopped, so there i was, plunged back into the stone age and was cold, lonely and dying for a cup of tea!

I ambled into the back garden to look around and see if i could spot a light somewhere, anywhere, but without success.
Luckily I had a torch/flashlight so all I could do was slump in my armchair under a pile of blankets and try to read the paper til the lights came back on.
Since then I've made sure I've got plenty of spare torch batteries, a battery radio and ample food in the kitchen that won't need cooking (pies, bread, fruit etc).
As I said, the power cut only lasted an hour but was traumatic enough; it would have been horrendous if it'd lasted days or (gulp) weeks..


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

Punch, why don't you buy a couple of Trojan T-105 6v batteries, a small inverter and battery charger, then at night you could listen to your radio and have a few lights ! No noise, and you could charge them during the day while your runnning the generator


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

Lucky Jim. You should at least have a coleman type propane camping type stove with some extra fuel canisters. Then you could always heat water for your tea. Also you could cook on it. I was wondering, do the English cook food ? LOL Nadja


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

nadja said:


> Lucky Jim. You should at least have a coleman type propane camping type stove with some extra fuel canisters. Then you could always heat water for your tea. Also you could cook on it. I was wondering, do the English cook food ? LOL Nadja


Nah, too much trouble, just give us a can of cold Doggymeat mixed with nuts and bolts and we're laughing..
Shakesp's Henry V, Act III, Scene VII-

_*Rambures:* "That island of England breeds very valiant 
creatures; their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage."
*Constable of France:* "Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the
mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, leaving 
their wits with their wives: and then *give them 
great meals of beef and iron and steel,* they will 
eat like wolves and fight like devils." _

*English bull mastiff*


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

nadja said:


> Punch, why don't you buy a couple of Trojan T-105 6v batteries, a small inverter and battery charger, then at night you could listen to your radio and have a few lights ! No noise, and you could charge them duri
> ng the day while your runnning the generator


Thanks nadja! Since Katrina I've had to learn the hard way. Since then I went through Hurricanes Rita and more recently hurricane Ivan. I've since added 5 large solar panels and 2 medium. I don't have T-105's yet,(I'm actually desulfating 2 AGM batteries to bring them back from the brink)I'm always looking to improve/increase my PV systems and I will be adding a wind genny soon. The generators are convienient and sometimes noisy. So back then I sacrificed power for piece and quiet and a bonfire. The major downside I learned about then was not getting a genny but finding fuel to keep them ready to run. Its nice having a solar option available before dragging out my genny's. Thanks again nadja I'll be sure to read you on all subjects RE!

punch


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

Punch , those 12v batteries don't have much of a wallup. You can buy batteries almost the same as the Trojan's at wallyworld for a lot less. Just use the golf cart T-105 which is the size more then anything else when asking about them. Seems like I heard that they were about $75.00 ea there while my trojen's are about $125 .00 ea. The wind gennie is great, but is NOT dependable. After all, there can be days even months when wind is not available so , most wasted money. Use the money instead to buy batteries and even more solar panels. Go to the link I provided below and see what it takes to do a wind generator tower, and then determine if you really want to do one.

buildingatower


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## 303Lithgow (Nov 12, 2012)

I think I've always been a prepper but didn't realize it till a few years ago.


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## Survival Foods LLC (Oct 29, 2012)

Since we live in NJ... as a family man, I understands the desire to provide and protect one’s family. We were born survival.


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## Counterintelligence (Nov 12, 2012)

I have not personally been through a natural disaster. The fact that I want to be prepared is more from the disaster we are facing in our country. Although, hearing about all the displaced family's back east I think it is better to be prepared for anything than to wish you had been.


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## 303Lithgow (Nov 12, 2012)

Survival needs are a good investment dollar wise also.


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## joec (Nov 12, 2012)

I started after Hurricane Andrew though we got through it the food choices where limited. I then started investing in long term storage foods, cooking methods not requiring electricity or gas as well as emergency medical supplies more than the standard first aid kits. Firearms I've always had though not a lot those I have serve specific purposes from self defense to hunting needs including small game to large game. I also load my own ammo for everything I shoot and have built up at least a couple years of ammo components.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

nadja said:


> Punch , those 12v batteries don't have much of a wallup. You can buy batteries almost the same as the Trojan's at wallyworld for a lot less. Just use the golf cart T-105 which is the size more then anything else when asking about them. Seems like I heard that they were about $75.00 ea there while my trojen's are about $125 .00 ea. The wind gennie is great, but is NOT dependable. After all, there can be days even months when wind is not available so , most wasted money. Use the money instead to buy batteries and even more solar panels. Go to the link I provided below and see what it takes to do a wind generator tower, and then determine if you really want to do one.
> 
> Well sir you had me googling Wallyworld. If you got a part number or link on these batteries for $75.00 please post it. I see what you mean on the tower issue. Thanks again!
> 
> punch


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## fedorthedog (Feb 28, 2012)

In October of 1989 I was working in Oakland when the quake hit. Was very busy for several weeks. Once I got home and settled out I realized that I had a tent trailer in the yard that I had emptied when we got home from vacation. I would have provided shelter to my family if things had been worse. After that it stayed stocked with food water and blankets and well as fuel and I went forward from there.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

when i thought calling me an ammo hoarder was too harsh lol


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Becoming a mom is what turned me on to the prepper movement. I prep because I don't want my kids/husband to go without in the event of a job loss or if infrastructure breaks down.


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## cannon (Nov 11, 2012)

I don't really think of myself as a prepper. 

When I was a kid I noticed that all my older relatives who had been through the great Depression had a cabinet in the garage stuff full of canned/jarred foods. When I would ask why they had food stored in the garage. I was told "We had to go hungry during the depression. Not going through that again."

Then we had the Sylmar earthquake and we had food in our house and some of our neighbors didn't. It was cold canned food but it was food and we were not hungry. Hmmm.

As I got older and started camping and shooting/hunting I got camping equipment. So when I got my Coleman stove I decided I would not have to eat cold beans in the next quake If I had 5-6 gallons of Coleman fuel in the shed. Then I got 55gal water barrels, generator, coleman heater, tools etc. 

While the above was going on I got more and more into shooting sports so Firearms in the house for that. Then of course if you buy ammo by the case it's cheaper...

It started by not wanting to go hungry in an earthquake/disaster and morphed into living well through one in security. 

When I realized I had backed into prepping. I joined this site.


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## kevincali (Nov 15, 2012)

I grew up with my mom on welfare. I HATED the fact that she was on welfare. We never seemed to have enough of ANYTHING. Always struggling to have food, or pay bills. Especially the food. We would have one paper bag of food that HAD to last me, my brother, and my mom a month. I VOWED to NEVER go on foodstamps, or go hungry again....I worked from the moment I turned 16 ($400 a week doing grunt work construction) until I got laid off 3 years ago....

NOW that I own a house outright, I wanted to plant some plants to dress up the yard. I think the FINAL factor was coming out of the nursery with nothing but fruit trees, and edibles. I knew right then that I was at least a semi prepper. By planting edibles, I'm prepping for when I can't just go to the grocery store and buy what I want, wether its not there, or unobtainable due to hyper-inflation.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Same here kevincali! I grew up poor, although, we never collected welfare back then. We were probably one of the families that should've been on welfare but wasn't. We went without a lot and struggled constantly and I always said I would never live my own life that way or bring up children like that. I started working jobs here and there when I was 12 and by the time I was 18 I had two full time jobs. I eventually worked my way through college and purposely waited to start a family until I was married, with a home, and my feet beneath me. And we still struggle, but nothing like I did when I was a kid. 

And yes, that definitely is a motivation to prep. I want to avoid ever struggling like that again, especially now that we have children in the scenario.

Don't get me wrong, we still live simply. It's just out of choice and not necessity.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

I got tired of being called a hoarder, so I renamed myself.


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## machinejjh (Nov 13, 2012)

I don't consider myself a prepper, I'm a realist with foresight.


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## whoppo (Nov 9, 2012)

Wouldn't you like to be a Prepper too?

... sorry.. I couldn't help myself.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

Ha ha what's in a name? Prepper, Survivalist, or even 'Watcher'..

_"Wars, rumours of wars, false christs, earthqakes, famines, persecutions, darkened sun and moon, falling stars, shaken planets.
Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning until now-and never to be equaled again.
Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
What I say to you, I say to everyone: *Watch *!"- Jesus of Nazareth, Mark ch 13_


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## insatiable ONE (Nov 9, 2012)

When I realized my father was a survivalist, teaching me how to survive and live off the land. 
Learning skills not used in more than half a century.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

insatiable ONE said:


> When I realized my father was a survivalist, teaching me how to survive and live off the land.
> Learning skills not used in more than half a century.


That was exactly what my work partner and I were discussing last night. She has been "prepping" since the 70's, but it wasn't called prepping. She was simply making sure she would still be happy if the lights went out and the trucks stopped delivering.


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## cannon (Nov 11, 2012)

Denton said:


> I got tired of being called a hoarder, so I renamed myself.


That one made me laugh.


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## Retronatrix (Nov 14, 2012)

For me it was a mixture of wildfires and common sense finally catching up with me.

We live in SW Montana, near Yellowstone Park. We get frequent earthquakes, the park getting dozens and sometimes hundreds a day, tho most are too small to feel. Lately they're getting stronger and we haven't had it bad but areas around us have had a few incidents of decent shakers. That put me a bit on edge and I made sure to have a few extra food stuffs just in case. Then this past summer we wound up about 10 miles from a huge forest fire that got hundreds of thousands of acres and several homes. Hundreds of people were evacuated, the majority only given a few minutes to grab what they could and go, the desperately dry conditions making an extremely fast moving firewall. Almost all of them were relying of volunteers from my town and Red Cross for everything for almost two months and none that I had the honor of helping had even thought of prepping, even the Montanas who'd been here for generations.

All of that finally spurred me in to canning and food preservation, extreme couponing, learning sanitation and pretty soon I'm going to be taking personal safety and defense lessons. 

I used to get so much grief from my mom and dad because I was "just a housewife with paranoia issues" but now they're asking me for help getting their own stockpile and emergency packs ready. So never underestimate a determined and stubborn woman, I guess.


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## Wolvee (Nov 8, 2012)

It funny that many people forget that our parents and grandparents were preppers. ..of sorts.


I remember my mother, grandmother and Aunts all canning every year. That was Prepping before it had a name. It was just the way life was in the Midwest. 

My uncles all had gardens and small farms to get them through the winters. Most of them worked at GM in Flint, Michigan but still made time to make sure they were ready for the winter.



Heck, every mother with a purse is a kind of Prepper if you think about it.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

My late parents weren't preppers, in fact they were sloppy, slovenly and disorganised in everything they did in normal everyday life, so rather than being influenced by them, I became determined to be just the opposite because I didn't want to be as hopelessly woolly-minded as them..


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## BlackRifles (Nov 16, 2012)

January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time. That is when I started to evolve into a "prepper".


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## frankmako (Nov 17, 2012)

after we lost everything when we got hit by hurricane andrew in 92. all i have was several guns after the hurricane to protect what little we had from the downtown miami geto rats that came it to take what they could. took the military two weeks to get in and the state/local govenment never made it in.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Heck, I grew up camping and hiking for extended trips with limited equipment. My parents were Depression babies. It was the way I was raised. Didn't even have a term for it until recently. Heard all of this talk about "preppers" and I realized I was one!


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## fedorthedog (Feb 28, 2012)

BlackRifles said:


> January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time. That is when I started to evolve into a "prepper".


Ok I use a quote like that was that the Northridge quake?


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## HarshGeometry (Nov 17, 2012)

This seems to be a relevant place for my first post on this forum! 

I wouldn't really classify myself as a prepper. Yet.

I was in the Boy Scouts my entire childhood until I earned my Eagle Scout at 16 and i quit to pursue precision rifle shooting.
The Scouts certainly taught me countless invaluable survival and leadership skills. And most importantly the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared" which I took to heart as a boy and live by to this day. 
Unfortunately as a student i'm really just hoping to make it through school and find a job and be able to begin making steps towards prepping.
When I really began to consider a doomsday scenario as a serious threat during my lifetime I was about 20 years old. 
Like i said i can't consider myself a prepper yet since I lack the financial ability to support it at this time, but I would consider myself a prepper on the mental front though. I constantly brush up by knowledge on botany, geology, meteorology, astrology, and of course survival. 

I'm excited to have joined the forum and hopefully I can share some of my knowledge and find some useful new information to fill my information arsenal. 

-HarshGeometry


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

nadja said:


> Lucky Jim. You should at least have a coleman type propane camping type stove with some extra fuel canisters. Then you could always heat water for your tea. Also you could cook on it. I was wondering, do the English cook food ? LOL Nadja


Get the dual fuel version. We were in Texas in 1983 when Hurricane Alicia hit Houston. The Coleman fuel was gone almost immediately at $10 per gallon. Keep in mind this was 1983. Gas prices didn't rise. At the time, unleaded gas was well under $1 per gallon. The dual fuel gives far more flexibility and that is exactly what you need in a disaster situation.


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## Wolvee (Nov 8, 2012)

I'm so sorry that some of you had to loose so much in order to realize it or to start prepping. I'm am very happy though that you all were able to grow and keep on moving. Great Job everyone. 


I can't believe how popular this thread is. :0)


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

pir8fan said:


> get the dual fuel version. We were in texas in 1983 when hurricane alicia hit houston. The coleman fuel was gone almost immediately at $10 per gallon. Keep in mind this was 1983. Gas prices didn't rise. At the time, unleaded gas was well under $1 per gallon. The dual fuel gives far more flexibility and that is exactly what you need in a disaster situation.


i agree. With one added bit.
If you store coleman fuel or an off brand of the same, it will not go bad!
Yes it is expensive but no having to worry about expiring dates. 
There is no shelf life on it.
I have 55 gallons of it stored.
I fill my log splitter with it at the end of season.


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

I started prepping on the fifth anniversary of 9-11-2001. 

I saw a video of people fleeing Manhattan Island on foot after the twin towers collapsed and all traffic was halted by gridlock. People were shuffling along on foot because they could not get through the clogged roads.

Then, out of nowhere, a guy comes riding by on a dual-sport motorcycle, all dressed up in a business suit. He just maneuvered around everything, people, cars, barricades, and kept on motoring past the hordes of people on foot, most carrying their shoes because their feet were hurting. I decided right then that I would be prepared for emergencies, from that point forward.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

The movement started out as being called survivalist but a lot of people wanted to break from being called survivalist which were more gun oriented and just concentrate more on the basics, food, water and shelter. But the truth is that if you go to a prepper site or survival site there isn't any difference.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

SOCOM42 said:


> i agree. With one added bit.
> If you store coleman fuel or an off brand of the same, it will not go bad!
> Yes it is expensive but no having to worry about expiring dates.
> There is no shelf life on it.
> ...


I am not sure how long Coleman fuel will store but I believe it will last longer then the cans they put it in. Last month I decided to test my lanterns and Coleman fuel I had stored, the can was marked 1994 upon opening it there wasn't any sediments and it was as clear as ever it worked perfectly, I wish I wouldn't have opened it now as I believe it just cost under 2 dollars a gallon back then.

I also use it to run my small engines devices at the end of the season as it does't have all the additives to gum up the carburetor while sitting.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

rickkyw1720pf said:


> i am not sure how long coleman fuel will store but i believe it will last longer then the cans they put it in. Last month i decided to test my lanterns and coleman fuel i had stored, the can was marked 1994 upon opening it there wasn't any sediments and it was as clear as ever it worked perfectly, i wish i wouldn't have opened it now as i believe it just cost under 2 dollars a gallon back then.
> 
> I also use it to run my small engines devices at the end of the season as it does't have all the additives to gum up the carburetor while sitting.


it will last indefinitely. I spray the outside of the cans with wd40 before putting them on the shelf.


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