# What do you think I should work on next?



## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Just received our last shipment of food from the LDS folks. I think we have enough food with 30 year shelf life stored that will last us for 9 to 12 months. With hunting, fishing and what we have in our cabinets we could go up to 2 years. 

Food, water, protection, shelter have been addressed. What do you think I should work on next?


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## A J (Oct 16, 2014)

What about power? Having some form of electricity will be very useful.

AJ


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

You could work on getting off the grid.


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

What kind of heat source do you have? That's always a big fear of mine in the winter. Nice wood stove?


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

Transportation, Communications, Medical, Hygiene, Energy. There are plenty of choices depending on what you think you need the most.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

What kinda barter items you got? Heard strong drink trades well when things go South. In fact thanks for reminding me about that. I will stock up on it too. Cases of half pints should be just what the doctor ordered..or will most likely want to order when Obummer collapses the economy.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Buy something you don't like or you'll end up comsuming it like Scarface did.
Don't get high on your own supply.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

You could stock up on pretty women. We hear that they're good prep items...


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

A J said:


> What about power? Having some form of electricity will be very useful.
> 
> AJ


I have two generators and access to 60 to 100 gallons of gas. Depending if all the vehicles are topped off.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Medical?


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Antibiotics, booze, hand powered tools.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

My first thoughts were medical, alternative long term power and trade items. All previously addressed in this post.


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## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

You have a lot of essentials, check. What about non-essentials? If everything turns off, a book or a board game might be nice to have. Most people will have these anyways, but it's easy to overlook if you have a second location.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Can you defend your preps? Or are you just keeping it for someone else?


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Do you have a way to cook all that food? Wheat mill, cheese press, sausage stuffer, rocket stove, solar oven, Berkey, etc?


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

do a 72 hr practice scenario. and take notes.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Kahlan said:


> What kind of heat source do you have? That's always a big fear of mine in the winter. Nice wood stove?


We have a backup propane heater. Not sure how long our gas would last in a SHTF event. If we only use it when the weather gets below freezing it will last all winter, maybe more.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

paraquack said:


> Can you defend your preps? Or are you just keeping it for someone else?


Within reason. I'm sure that I can be overrun, but not without the raiders having to pay a high cost. If my boys can show up we will have enough men and firepower to defend our home from small groups . I hope I can get neighborhood support in creating a perimeter/buffer zone. But for now I don't think I want to discuss this with the neighborhood. I don't want to give up my abilities/resources at this point.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

You can also start working in redundancy - multiple layers, such as alternate ways to *cook *(Dutch oven, Sun oven, parabolic cooker, methane, butane/propane stove). *Water*: Ceramic filters, biosand filter, UV sterilization, water storage. *Energy*: gas vs solar generator, solar/battery/dynamo lamps and radios, methane generator. *Food supply*: gardening, small livestock, storage alternatives such as canning, dehydration, smoking. *Transportation:* BOV, hand cart, horse drawn wagon, dog carts.

See what I mean? For every prep, think of 2 o 3 ways to do it differently. Back ups for back ups.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I was thinking back-ups too and RN posted. 2 is 1 and 1 is none and 3 is better.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Slippy said:


> I was thinking back-ups too and RN posted. 2 is 1 and 1 is none and 3 is better.


"And too many is just enough" to quote our pal AJ.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Until recently I had been renting (7 acres with a small home) so I built a 490 watt solar panel setup with a MPPT controller and 2 inverters on a semi portable stand. It holds three type 27 deep cycle batteries for about $1550 and ran a small AC unit ect. When the local power went out for 3 days (transformer station down the road blew) at least I had a few basics and neighbors charging their cell phones ect. I used my generator to run the well but even the local gas station was without power and I had lights without running the generator to save gas. 

A small solar system can make life much nicer if you've got some sunlight. Worth considering even if it's only one panel with a simple $30 charge controller and a car battery.

With the new place I intend to install about a 2000-3000 watt system before federal tax benefits for solar power expire next year.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Enough solar electric panels for lights and electronics makes sense. But i would also like to mess around with solar thermal. This link features a guy in newfoundland that makes a solar collector that heats air.

http://stonehavenlife.com/7-diy-pop-can-solar-heaters/


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> You can also start working in redundancy - multiple layers, such as alternate ways to *cook *(Dutch oven, Sun oven, parabolic cooker, methane, butane/propane stove). *Water*: Ceramic filters, biosand filter, UV sterilization, water storage. *Energy*: gas vs solar generator, solar/battery/dynamo lamps and radios, methane generator. *Food supply*: gardening, small livestock, storage alternatives such as canning, dehydration, smoking. *Transportation:* BOV, hand cart, horse drawn wagon, dog carts.
> 
> See what I mean? For every prep, think of 2 o 3 ways to do it differently. Back ups for back ups.


Living in the city limits can't have live stock. But like the ideal of storing seeds! Do you know how long seed will store?


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

The canister of seeds I bought said that they will last 5 years in the freezer although I have heard of seeds stored thousands of years ago in places like Egypt that were still viable.

If you weren't living in the city limits I would suggest solar panels, wind generators, a hand pump well, a wood burning stove. There are other things like toilet paper, hand powered tools, axes, shovels, hoes, spades (tools for growing crops), reloading equipment including reloading supplies like brass, bullets, powder, and primers, things that not only you can use but can be used for trade. Something that seems fairly common from people who have been in situations where society has collapsed is the means to start a fire. As common as they are now, it seems that cigarette lighters are a popular trade item. Even hammers and nails, and hand saws could be a good trade items.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Inor said:


> Do you have a way to cook all that food? Wheat mill, cheese press, sausage stuffer, rocket stove, solar oven, Berkey, etc?


Gas grill and primitive ways for now. I have the knowledge to build a rocket stove but the Silver Fire has caught my eye.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Notsoyoung said:


> The canister of seeds I bought said that they will last 5 years in the freezer although I have heard of seeds stored thousands of years ago in places like Egypt that were still viable.
> 
> If you weren't living in the city limits I would suggest solar panels, wind generators, a hand pump well, a wood burning stove. There are other things like toilet paper, hand powered tools, axes, shovels, hoes, spades (tools for growing crops), reloading equipment including reloading supplies like brass, bullets, powder, and primers, things that not only you can use but can be used for trade. Something that seems fairly common from people who have been in situations where society has collapsed is the means to start a fire. As common as they are now, it seems that cigarette lighters are a popular trade item. Even hammers and nails, and hand saws could be a good trade items.


I agree toilet paper you can't have enough of. And I don't. Good barter item also. It is on my list to work on. Not sure what is the best way to store it. The only place I have left to store things are in the storage building. I was thinking about putting the TP in 5 gallon buckets. Any suggestions?

The reloading equipment and tools for growing crops I'm good.


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> What kinda barter items you got? Heard strong drink trades well when things go South. In fact thanks for reminding me about that. I will stock up on it too. Cases of half pints should be just what the doctor ordered..or will most likely want to order when Obummer collapses the economy.


Bigwheel is where I would start. Booze is fantastic; either learn how to make it or stock some for barter. Everyone has their personal favorites and there are other threads on it here, however I recommend Everclear because it can be:
1. Mixed with fruit juice or anything else to make a punch
2. At 100% grain alcohol, it burns extremely clean (emergency stove)
3. At 100% grain alcohol, it can be used to sterilize a wound.

Check out these Ball mason jars. 8 oz is a great bartering size.

Other items to consider stocking up on for bartering: tape (duct and electrical), rope, giant roles of both clear and black plastic (think 30'x10' or something similar), etc...

Finally, do you have a valuable skill? Are you a "producer" or a "consumer" in post-SHTF?


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Medical supplies and knowledge should be right near the top of the list. In a SHTF scenario, even if there are doctors available, their distance or rarity will make seeing them impractical in all but the most dire situations. The more you are able to care for your own medical emergencies, the better.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

tinkerhell said:


> do a 72 hr practice scenario. and take notes.


After the tornado outbreak in April, 2011 when our home was hit and we were with out power for 12 days. We had all the practice we wanted. After a few days we said to hell with this and went to a hotel!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Tennessee said:


> I agree toilet paper you can't have enough of. And I don't. Good barter item also. It is on my list to work on. Not sure what is the best way to store it. The only place I have left to store things are in the storage building. I was thinking about putting the TP in 5 gallon buckets. Any suggestions?
> 
> The reloading equipment and tools for growing crops I'm good.


Stack jumbo multi-packs of Toilet Paper in the attic, serves as extra insulation. Or fill up a large black trashbag and seal it, throw it in the attic.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Tennessee said:


> Gas grill and primitive ways for now. I have the knowledge to build a rocket stove but the Silver Fire has caught my eye.


We have the Silver Fire on the right and absolutely LOVE it! I VERY strongly recommend it. It is way better than the ones I have made.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Inor said:


> We have the Silver Fire on the right and absolutely LOVE it! I VERY strongly recommend it. It is way better than the ones I have made.


Thanks Inor, I may have to add the Silver Fire to my Christmas list.


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## supersurvivalgirl (Dec 1, 2014)

*E-Prep Cards are great for this*



Tennessee said:


> Just received our last shipment of food from the LDS folks. I think we have enough food with 30 year shelf life stored that will last us for 9 to 12 months. With hunting, fishing and what we have in our cabinets we could go up to 2 years.
> 
> Food, water, protection, shelter have been addressed. What do you think I should work on next?


I bought a set of E-PREP Cards from ebay. They have 52 survival categories you can work on. Really helps me organize and prioritize my preps.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Tennessee said:


> Just received our last shipment of food from the LDS folks. I think we have enough food with 30 year shelf life stored that will last us for 9 to 12 months. With hunting, fishing and what we have in our cabinets we could go up to 2 years.
> 
> Food, water, protection, shelter have been addressed. What do you think I should work on next?


Digital prepping. Create an archive of music, books, knowledgebase materials, medical journals, and anything you dont know how to do but should.

I was talking with a techie friend of mine the other day when he made a very insightful point:
"You should be buying up all the movies on DVD that you can get your hands on."
The idea is that with content moving towards streaming, in the very near future you will never actually posess the movie. Sure, you'll have access to 100,000 movies 24x7x365...but only as long as the internet is up.

So without the net, you got no movies, no porn, no streaming, no forums... Seems to make sense to build a library of movies in mobile format. I use an app made by Wondershare that converts my DVDs to portable formats (my tablet prefers Divx). These copies are typically 600-900mb, and you can fit a dozen or so on a tablet.

In the apocalypse, your movies and music could be a tradeworthy commodity. Then as now, people will pay for their entertainment, and if you have a movie theater in your hands then you could do okay. Just don;t save Universal Soldier.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Stack jumbo multi-packs of Toilet Paper in the attic, serves as extra insulation. Or fill up a large black trashbag and seal it, throw it in the attic.


For the TP issue, I was thinking when I build my bunker some day I would install a toilet that was also a biday. You can install seperate units, but the dual units seem more practical. The idea is that you don't wipe yer ass with TP, you wash off with the biday, then dry with a washable towel or handcloth.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

I don't agree because I think the "ranking of the items" is the most important aspect. If your car runs out of gas do you walk into town to buy more or just dig into the road's shoulder and hope you hit gold...

I'm not sure folks think of "the big picture." For example, one guy asked me what I would steal, either guns of knives. Yikes, that's easy, you go for the knife. After all, you have not idea how many people live there or how many gun will they present before you can run away. Take the knife and cut the firearm free, then run.

I think it's modern movies. Like it or not, the supposed hero always gets the girl and enough gasoline to get away from the villain. For this, they give us crappy popcorn...


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