Prepper Talk

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Just a little stir crazy

How fast a month flies by.  Especially when your kids have 9 snow days on top of winter break, and you are completely snowed in for 16-17 days in two separate winter storms.  The last one we were stuck at home for 8 days, and had a foot of snow.  I just didn’t have much leisurely time to sit down with my computer.

Here in Portland, we simply aren’t equipped as a city for a couple inches, much less the inundation that we received.  The city doesn’t salt the roads, as its an environmental issue.  We have not very many snow plows or trucks to distribute gravel.  State of emergency was declared.  Seattle sent snow plows down to us.  I think the downtown came back to life sooner, but we were still stuck until the weather changed and melted the snow.

4 giant evergreens fell across the road we use to access the outside world, which shut the road down.  Didn’t matter much to us, as we couldn’t get down off the hill to get to that road anyway.

My water barrel tower did finally arrive.  I only have 1/3 barrels for it.  The source I thought I had through my SiL didn’t pan out.  I guess they weren’t in any rush to help someone outside of their church.  So I just ordered a second one during a 60% off sale at Emergency Essentials.   I would have liked to order both that I need to fill the tower, but I have to watch my spending on such things.  Hubby isn’t on board, of course, and we just had all the Christmas expenses.

In better news, we weathered the snowed in days just fine.  I had plenty of food and we didn’t even have to dip into what I have stocked as real SHTF Emergency foods (grain, canned meats, etc).  The fridge was a bit of a barren wasteland by the time we could get out Thursday, and I ended up mostly emptying the chest freezer and need to re-stock meat, frozen fruits and veggies, and put another gallon or two of milk in there to rotate in case we get another bout of nasty weather.  I did a lot of baking to keep us in bread (ok, the cinnamon rolls, banana bread and apple and pear galettes weren’t strictly necessary for survival ;)) and went through several 5 pound bags of bread flour.

We never lost power or water here.  Areas very close to us did, and we did have an above ground outdoor spigot faucet thing up by my raised beds get damaged and start leaking, freezing into a spectacular crystal waterfall.  I was *almost* hoping we would, so I could try out my other preps, but in reality, its just as well.  I am about to pack away everything I had gotten out of the garage, just in case.  Lanterns, water coolers, the berkey, the Kelly kettle and my small stock of fuel for it (a box of twigs and pinecones, etc.)

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LTS, beans, and you

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Do you know why after soaking beans overnight you are instructed to drain, rinse well, and then use fresh water to cook the beans?  I was told we do it because it reduces flatulence, old wives wisdom and all that.  And actually it does, but the real reason to do it is to prevent illness.

Legumes and grains contain a type of protein called lectin.  Lectins can be toxic.  Lectins are also responsible for the gas inducing responses we can have to the magical fruit that is beans.  Soaking the beans draws out some of these toxins, so we need to discard the soaking water, rinse well, and start with fresh for cooking to reduce our exposure to the lectins.  The cooking process destroys most of what is left in the legume.

Now, there are different kinds of them, and they vary in how ill they can make you.  In fact almost all foods have some lectins, and some lectins are beneficial.  Different people also respond to the same lectins in different ways.  Beacuse we don’t digest lectins, we often produce antibodies to them. Almost everyone has antibodies to some dietary lectins in their body. This means our responses vary. However, some legumes, such as red kidney beans, are so full of toxic to humans lectins that they should not be eaten unless properly, thoroughly cooked.  (Red kidney beans are not suitable for sprouting!).

The temptation of post-SHTF bean cooking is to reduce water usage.  I’ve even seen advice to just cook  it in that water.  Don’t do it!  Modern packaged beans don’t need nearly the sorting and cleaning; you are unlikely to find rocks and dirt, but it’s still not good to ingest!  Find another way to use that water.  Use it for flushing, or if it’s the right season, water your garden with it.  I actually wonder if this might repel certain animals from nibbling at your plants – it’s thought that plants developed lectins to deter animals from eating their seeds and animals can smell the lectins.  That’s just speculation on my part though.

Keep in mind that it’s not just dried beans that can make you ill.  Some types of grains and legumes can be eaten raw (like a sugar snap pea, pod and all) but others (like a runner bean, can eat pod, but pod and contents needs to be fully cooked, or a mature fava, discard pod, peel inner bean and fully cook) need to be cooked to be safely edible.  If you don’t know for sure that your produce is safe to eat raw, err on the side of caution and cook it.

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Enemies of food storage

img_0044Light:  Exposure to light can cause degradation of taste, appearance and nutritional quality of food. Fat soluble vitamins and proteins are most likely to be affected by light. Store your food in opaque containers.

Temperature: Improper temperature for storage causes nutrient loss and degrades the texture of food. Essentially, food that’s too hot begins to cook and decay, and food that’s too cold begins preserving. Between 40-70 F is best, and in general closer to the cooler side is desirable. The storage life of most food products is cut in half for every increase of 18 degrees Fahrenheit. In a garage or attic, temperature may fluctuate between too hot and  too cold because these places usually don’t have insulation or controlled heat  and air conditioning.  Consider both temperature and consistency of temperature when choosing a LTS location.

Humidity / Moisture:  Too much moisture promotes an atmosphere where microorganisms can grow and chemical reaction in foods causing deterioration that ultimately can sicken us.  Mold in your food is no bueno. Some foods stored in a root cellar situation need a certain amount of humidity, but it’s typically in a specific range. Root cellaring is typically storing food for weeks or months too, and not years.

Pests: Insects and rodents can ruin your LTS if they manage to invade.  Sometimes grains can have an undetectable insect infestation that will eventually become apparent, which is why some people freeze grains and flours before storing.  Others include diatomaceous earth in their packaging, which deters pests, but doesn’t harm humans.  Rodents can be very persistent. If they’re hungry enough, they will get through even the strongest packaging. That’s why you should invest in some 5-gallon food grade buckets for your food and consider traps or repellents in your LTS area.

Oxygen / Air:  The presence of oxygen allows bacteria, microorganisms and pests to thrive and survive in your food.  In addition, many nutrients oxidize in an oxygen rich environment. Over time, oxygen changes the appearance, flavor, and texture of food. When fats oxidize they become rancid.

Time: It marches on, and everything gets old and loses taste, texture, nutrition, or even becomes inedible.  Rotating your food storage is important unless you are talking about very long storage foods (25+ year stuff that you buy, store and “forget”).

Human Nibblers: Kids seeking snacks.  Husbands seeking snacks.  While neither is likely to get into a bucket of lentils, no pack of granola bars is safe in my house.  I have to admit to being guilting of popping open a can of Thrive freeze dried yougurt bits; and those things, my friends, are not cheap!  If possible, store foods that tempt your human nibblers out of sight, repackaged to camouflage them.

Improper Packaging & Improper Handling: The issue here is that doing either thing can compromise your food and allow one of the other threats to your food storage to get a foothold and start degrading your supplies.  A small crack in your bucket, storing food with too many or too few oxygen absorbers, using non food grade containers that leech chemicals into your food – just a few things you might inadvertently do rendering all your effort and money moot.

Storing food is insurance; do it right.

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72 Hour Kit / Bug Out Bag

bigstock-illustration-of-a-family-carry-61565363-e1442937903271In the event of a disaster that prevents you from being able to “bug in” and shelter at home, it is important to have a good grab and go solution ready. We cannot and should not rely on the government or relief agencies to meet our immediate needs following a disaster. They will have limited resources and limited staff (estimates say at least 40% of emergency and health care staff do not report for duty in a true SHTF emergency. They may not be able to get there. They may choose to stay with their family).

So what is the smart thing to do? Prepare to look out for yourself and your family with food, water, clothing, temporary shelter, and medical supplies for at least 72 hours. (Of course, after that, you had better have a way to supply your basic needs when the gear in your bag is gone!)

72-hour-kitHow do you create a good 72 hour kit / Bug Out Bag? Each member of the family should have their own backpack. It is crucial that children feel safe during a time of crisis and nothing will help them feel secure more than having their own things. Purchase a good pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily. Everyone should carry their own basic supplies such as medications, some food and water, an ID card and glow stick and mylar blanket.

For myself and my family, this is what I have decided on including. It’s subject to change. I did not include survival items to get us beyond 72 hours. I did not include a way to cook food, a mess kit, or survival tools that I don’t know how to use yet. My goal with this kit is to enable us to survive and get to an alternate location with better resources than what we can carry.

A Great Back Pack. Not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough to add all your personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris. Your pack should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and should be supported from the waist when it is carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will also allow you to separate items and organize your kit enabling you to find things quickly. Considering purchasing a backpack that is a bright color which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard, during grab-and-go conditions.

This isn’t a time to scrimp; be open to spending a little bit more to make sure that you get what is comfortable. Here in the PDX area, REI is a more expensive store, but have competent staff on hand to help you find the best backpack for your needs. If you have an outdoors outfitter in your area, I strongly recommend looking for your pack and advice there. Go ahead and observe OpSec. They don’t need to know any more than that you plan to do some off the grid hiking for a long weekend. Of course, if finances do not allow, ANY 72 hour kit is better than nothing.

Basics. Each family member should have an ID card with some basic identification and medical information. Include contact information for yourselves as well as for family doctors, dentists, etc. Laminate this for durability. Parents should carry a copy of their children’s cards as well.

Each kit should have several family photos. You should include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.

Include extra sets of keys for any place you might need to access while on the move. Fumbling around, looking for the summer cabin key is not what you want to do in an emergency.

Maps of local area. Compass. Possibly binoculars. Useful information. One page sheets of information; right now, that includes identification of edible local plants (to supplement what I am learning to help me be CERTAIN), ways to make shelter from 8×8 tarp.

Food. This food should be light, and edible without added water, if possible. This is not the place to worry about processed foods. Consider MREs, high calorie energy bars, and possibly foods marketed towards backpackers and hikers (but again, avoid “just add water” meals if you can). Avoid jerky, nuts or other very salty items that will increase your thirst. Canned items are too heavy. Look for foods with a long shelf life – five years (or more). You can plan to rotate these items, but if you fail to rotate your supplies you will end up spending more money on food you throw away than you would have by spending a bit more to get the best items to start. One less thing to have to do for several years, if the food is rated longer. Don’t forget any utensils that you might need. I think disposable plastic might be best. You’ll need several sets, but will you have the water and ability to properly cleanse a metal set? Neither my husband or myself drink coffee, but I may consider a metal cup and some kind of hot drink packets, such as cocoa or cider; a warm drink, a change from plain water could be very comforting.

Water. This is going to be heavy, no way around that. Purchase pouched water that has a five year shelf life. First, that will allow you to “ignore” the BoB, and give you less to do every 6 months (as above). Plus, plastic water bottles do degrade over time and while the water itself won’t go bad, the bottles can develop leaks. Personal water filters such as a lifestraw or berkey water bottle may make a good addition. I plan to include a UV SteriPEN in my bags.

Light / Heat. A flashlight, glowstick, matches, Firestarter(s) and/ or lighter. Be aware that open flame might not be safe in some areas (ruptured gas lines, or so on). If you choose a flashlight, include the batteries OUTSIDE of your flashlight. Put them in a ziplock bag and carry them separate from the flashlight. Batteries can rust, leak, “explode” and ruin your flashlight. I think I will also tuck in a 9 hour candle in each bag.

Multi-Function Tool or pocket knife. These will provide everything from can openers to knife blade, pliers, saw blades and screw drivers. A must-have tool! When you purchase a multi-function tool look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.

Emergency AM/FM radio. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power or both. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands as most emergency broadcast information will be on the AM band but it may only be the FM station that survived the disaster. A moderately priced Sangean MMR-88 is a weather and alert radio. It can be charged with build in solar panel or handcrank, includes a flashlight, a siren, and can charge USB devices such as phones. Right now, this is my emergency radio of choice, not just for my 72 hour kit, but for my home as well.

First Aid. A small selection of emergency first aid items is a smart thing to include, even for the children’s’ packs (Avoid medications in the kids’ bags). Consider supplementing a basic store-bought kit with QuikClot. Sunscreen. N95 mask. Moleskin.

Hygiene & Sanitation. Camp Soap, toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste, chapstick, hand sanitizer, aloe vera gel or lotion and toilet paper. In my case, I decided to include Wysi Wipes in one pack instead of a roll of TP. These do require adding a small of water to expand, but take up less room than rolls of TP. They are biodegradable and disposable, but CAN be rinsed and re-used. Obviously, I wouldn’t be reusing them if they were used for restroom purposes (!), but when used as an alternative to pre-moistened toilets, facial tissue and paper towels, if water is available, re-using stretches our resources.

Clothing. I’m not talking about stocking up for a weekend at a spa or such. A change of clothes in case what we are wearing becomes too wet to be comfortable or safe. Extra socks. Lightweight work gloves. Hat for protection from sun or rain. A rain jacket / wind breaker. A couple bandanas.

Self-Defense. I am lacking here at the moment. We do not own any firearms. Im likely to be as dangerous to myself as someone else with a combat knife. This is an area of deficiency that I do need to address.

Shelter and Rest. A Mylar Blanket is inexpensive and has several uses. They have both pros and cons, but for the light weight and flexibility in their use, I plan to include at least one in each BoB. If I have space, I would also like to include a more heavy-duty tarp, as the Mylar blankets are subject to tearing as well as a sturdier emergency blanket.

Extras

Mini Sewing Kit

Ziploc or Biohazard Bags – If we are someplace that we cannot safely discard used toilet tissue, etc., bagging them up makes sense.

Paracord and/or Fishing Line. Multitude of uses.

Whistle & Signal Mirror.

Duct Tape. Is there anything it can’t do?

Fozzils “dishes”. These are flat, foldable tableware. The 3 piece set weighs only a few ounces, and can be used as intended, or for perhaps catching some water from rain or a condensation run off.

Cash.

Small Notepad and Pencil.

Lastly, I am considering adding an ultra lightweight backpackers 2 person tent in each adult bag, rather than trying to hunker down under a tarp shelter.

Note: I do have an EDC which includes emergency survival cards, an altoids tin with small handibits (like safety pins, fish hooks a small Firestarter), a credit card Fresnel lens, and such.
Some good advice from Graywolfsurvival on creating a bug out bag:

To Do:

  1. Start with a weight goal limit.
  2. Lay out all the stuff you have in your bug out gear.
  3. Organize everything by its use. Some things will have multiple uses.
  4. List everything in a spreadsheet that you can put a mark on different uses, along with each item’s weight. The categories will depend on exactly what you have and how you want to organize it. Here’s one way to do it:
    • Cargo
    • Cutting
    • Fire
    • Water
    • Shelter/Clothing
    • Food Prep
    • Food Acquisition
    • Signal/Communication
    • Light
    • Medical
    • Navigation
    • Tools/Construction
    • Hygiene
    • Power
    • Offense/Defense
  5. Fill in the missing pieces that you need to make sure you have adequate backups.
  6. Weigh each and every thing you have in your pack.
  7. Look at how far off you are with your weight goal and start removing items.
  8. Go back to #2 above; rinse and repeat.

Having a weight goal really helps you focus on what you really need and what you don’t.

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My pantry finally cleaned out

These first two are before.img_1349 img_1350

These are after I’d pulled out all the things that should be stored elsewhere.

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This is where I am now.  I discovered that I have a lot more processed crap than I thought I did.  I don’t prepare so much processed junk on a daily basis.  Some of it has been in there a long time.  I realize food can be good after the expiration, but I had 10 years past the expiration date on a couple grocery bags full of stuff that is gone now.

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So much more room for storing stuff.  I do store potatoes and onions and fresh fruit and squash and things in a different place.  I may use those carts in the back for that now.  Or I may move them and use that 3’x4′ space forfood grade buckets when I get to that point.

This isn’t all my food on hand.  This is really the storage pantry.  Stuff I use every day is more accessible to the stove.  Baking supplies, cereal, fats and oils, spices and seasonings, unrefrigerated condiments, nut spreads, jams, and honey, breads, along with the root veggies and such I mentioned above are all in cupboards and countertop storage containers for easy access.

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Water Update

berkI decided after all to go ahead an order a Big Berkey.  On a forum that I read, the safecastle website has a presence, and posts “bunker” passwords for savings from time to time.  The latest bunker had a good deal on Birkey systems, which were already on sale.  I was able to get the Big Berkey with dual black filter AND a stand to rise it up enough that you can fit a glass under the spout for less than just the unit from the Big Berkey site or Amazon.

I have set it up, but I have not yet primed the filters and tested my assembly yet.  The one disappointment, and this is not the fault of the company, but my own failing, is that the unit on the stand is a scant 1/8″ too tall for the spot that I meant to be the filter’s home, which was under a cupboard where the bottom is shaped like an H (center is higher than side cupboards).  I thought I had the right measurements, but that didn’t include the little knob on the cover for easily removing to add water.  Bummer.

Done

Temporary water stored (about 10 gallons in regular store bought milkjug gallons)
Ordered water stand for 55 gallon barrels
Ordered tubing and plumbing supplies to chain 3 barrels
Supply list compiled for rainwater catchment system

Limbo:

Pick up 3 barrels (waiting to hear back from my SiL source)

To Do:

Obtain supplies and install rainwater catchment system
Decide on and order portable filter options for bug out situation. Still leaning towards a UV pen option for portability, but when we “arrive” what then to cleanse water?
Assemble 55 gallon barrel stand when it arrives
Acquire more portable containers for transporting water from catchment system to filter, from filter to barrels, or for immediate use. 7 Gallon aquatainers are looking like a good option. I would like to have 4-6
Buy 4 Water BOBs for tubs, 1 per tub, plus a backup each (if time allows for filling)

Obviously I would feel better if this were all done, and better yet if I had a stream or well on my property, but for someone with nothing, not even plans!, a few months ago, I feel good about where I am at.

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PSA

I have heard “that fish anti biotics won’t be available over the counter after the 1st of the year.  If you plan to stock them, you may want to get them now”. I’m pretty sure that this is another fear mongering rumor that spreads through the prepper community, passed on like a germ from hand to hand, gossipy sneezes.  I wish people would do thier research before going all henny-penny.

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I know that the FDA is making changes to antibiotics administered to Food Animals – cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and so on.  This is in response to the appearance of antibiotic resistance strains of bacteria, thought to be caused by overuse of antibiotics in our food animals.  The letter from the FDA that was distributed this past summer can be read online.

Fish antibioitics are actually not FDA approved, not even for fish.  So it seems unlikely to me that these regulatory changes will affect the online supplies of fishmox and fishflex.   I am ambivalent about whether stocking them is a good idea or not. (On a side note, I’m on a second anti biotic for my lump; and it’s still an ugly swollen bump of pain.)

The Survival Doctor did a good post on the use of non human antibiotics.

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Seventeen Ways to Sabotage Your Family Food Storage Plan

By Carolyn Nicolaysen · July 28, 2015 (Meridian Magazine)  Find her on Facebook at Totally Ready.

(edited slightly for spelling and formatting)

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In a real emergency, no one is going to ride in and rescue us if the calamity involves the whole community. Government, church leaders, prophets, and emergency response organizations all tell us to prepare – and to expect that in the aftermath of a disaster we will be on our own for 72 hours at least, and possibly for days or weeks after that.

Coping with natural disasters is one thing – coping with a slow drain on our back-up reserves is another. Food storage and emergency preparations require planning, continuing education, and awareness of our changing needs. In this time of downsizing and economic disappointment, it is more urgent than ever before in our lifetime that we commit to self-reliance and stay on top of our family emergency plan. Don’t be left wondering when that crisis comes, “what have I done?” Here are 17 ways we could be sabotaging our own best efforts.

1. Move too fast – that’s right, just go right ahead and jump into emergency preparedness – blow a thousand bucks on off-the-shelf solutions before you’ve educated yourself. Or… Slow down. Take the time to understand your needs. We are all planning for the same things: food, water, shelter, hygiene, sanitation, and medical needs. The challenges we are preparing for may differ. Some live in earthquake country, some in the path of hurricanes, some in tornado alley, some for ice storms or power outages. It really doesn’t matter. The items we store will be the same, but with slightly different priorities and proportions. The knowledge we need to deal with such emergencies is a matter of awareness, study, and organization. Analyze what your family needs before you begin purchasing. Create a list, plan and budget for priorities before buying anything.

2. Follow someone else’ plan. There are many plans floating around on the Internet. Be careful. A common plan challenges you to spend five or ten dollars a week for a year and provides you with a list of items to purchase each week. Take a careful look at those lists. One such list included only a few jars of peanut butter and a few cans of tuna for protein and no veggies or fruit. Storing from all the food groups should always be your goal. Each plan will be unique to the family storing, or at least it should be. Following your own plan also allows you to consider any special dietary needs in your family and only you can determine what to store for those family members. Again, think food groups.

3. Look for the easy fix. They say in real estate it is location, location, location. In food storage it is variety, variety, variety. As you create a list of foods and supplies to store, remember that variety is key to maintaining a lifestyle as normal as possible. You can find many lists that will tell you to store X amount of oats for example, but what if your family hates oatmeal? Remember when you told your mom you loved barbecued potato chips and she put them in your lunch every day? Remember how, after a month, you traded them for a new taste? Do not make the mistake of storing large amounts of specialty foods. You may enjoy these, but if you have others evacuating to your home they may not. Children may also rebel and refuse to eat. Instead of ending up with foods that are unfamiliar, plan to include a variety of foods.

4. Ignore nutritional needs. Again, think about Food Groups. When creating your shopping list, be sure to incorporate all of the food groups into your plan. Each group provides a different nutritional need. You should design your list to include grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables, dairy, and fats. Again – remember variety – but this time think color. Fruits are not created equal. Orange fruits provide different nutrients than blue and purple fruits.

5. Forgetting spices and condiments. If it doesn’t taste good, who wants to eat it?

6. Fail to include non-food essentials. Cleaning supplies, toiletries, personal hygiene products, medications, pet needs, and sanitation needs are all essential for a successful storage plan, one that is truly self-reliant.

7. Ignore a sensible storage strategy. All foods, even grains in cans and dehydrated foods, should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry area of your home. Temperatures should remain at under 80 degrees on the worst days, and hopefully below 70 degrees for optimal storage. Create new names for the areas of your home to break the mindset that you have become used to. The coat closet can be renamed the grain pantry. The linen closet can be thought of as the toiletries and medications cupboard. There is no law that declares a home must have a coat closet by the front door, though it is nice to have one, It is also nice to protect your preparedness investment. In a few minutes, you can add a few shelves and make storage spaces much more valuable areas of your home. It may take a few more minutes to grab a coat from your bedroom closet, but it might just be worth the effort.

8. Improper packaging. Paper bags, paper and cardboard are not good for storing food long term. If you are storing for long term always transfer food to metal, plastic or glass containers. Plastic, except for buckets, should be your last choice. You want containers that are moisture proof and safe from the ravages of pests like mice and insects.

9. Overlook comfort items. Yes – chocolate, candy, and popcorn all have their place in a good, well constructed food storage plan. Did you know popcorn is also the corn you will want on hand to grind for corn meal? Real popcorn, not the microwave variety. During a time of stress, comfort foods can provide the catalyst that transforms kids from whiners to helpers. This is a chance to continue family food traditions in a crisis. Birthdays come even during difficult times, and a birthday cake can really lift the spirits.

10. Storing foods you do not know how to prepare. All the food in the world will do you no good if you can not prepare it. You may have a neighbor or friend who knows how to bake bread and soak beans but when the time comes you better have enough stored for both families if you plan to ask for the friend’s help.

11. Failing to have the proper equipment. If you don’t have a wheat grinder what good is wheat, except for use as a cereal but that won’t make much of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so why are you storing peanut butter and jelly? Do you have the ability to cook those foods off the grid if you should be without power or do you have at least some foods that can be eaten right from the can? Which begs the question, do you have a can opener that is not electric?

12. Overdo it! Whether you purchase all at once or create a weekly budget and purchase over time, never purchase too much of just one food group. Always spread your money between all the groups and if you are on a limited budget get a one day supply of everything, then a one week, them a one month and so on. Three hundred pounds of wheat is not going to be satisfactory if that emergency arrives before you add the peanut butter and jelly to make the sandwiches.

13. Underestimate the value of water. Water is often the overlooked or under planned element in a preparedness plan. When designing your plan be aware that dehydrated and freeze dries foods need extra water to reconstitute and prepare. Remember, you need water for drinking, flushing, cleaning, laundry and cooking. Don’t forget pets are family members too and need to be counted when calculating how much water to store. Often overlooked sources of liquids are the canned fruits and vegetables you should be storing and this is precisely the reason for storing them instead of the dried varieties. Additionally, you already know how to use canned varieties and the kids are used to their taste and texture.

14. Put your storage in the basement and forget it! Or, you might consider the importance of rotating your food and other supplies on a regular basis. This is by far the biggest mistake most people make. They run out and purchase food storage and it is not what they are accustomed to eating, therefore, they do not cook with it and they do not rotate it. What they do after a few years, is throw it away. You must rotate your food storage, medical supplies and even cleaning supplies. All have a shelf life. What good is all this hard work and money invested if it all ends up in the dumpster?

15. Who needs dates and labels, anyway? When you purchase foods, label them with the month and year purchased on top of the can. This will ensure you are always using the oldest first. Canned goods do not lose nutritional value for at least two years after the expiration date so you will have at least two years from date of purchase to rotate through your three month supply.

16. Lose track of what you have. Create an inventory system so you can keep track of what you are storing. Design a spread sheet or get out the good old paper and pencil and record what you have so you know what you still need. Once you have completed your three month supply of the foods you eat this can be as simple as a paper on the fridge where you record items each time you use them up so you know how many you need to purchase to maintain your supply at the three month level.

17. Put it all under the bed. If you have a natural disaster strike your home, some rooms may be destroyed while others are untouched. If you have spread out your storage you may be able to salvage at least part of your supplies. Thinking a little more negatively, should someone enter your home with the intent to steal, they may find some of your stash and be satisfied and leave. Or, if you take a needy stranger to one area of your storage with the intent of sharing, they can take what they need while the rest will remain safely unnoticed, just in case they discuss your generosity with others who are not so trustworthy.

Once aware of these preparedness hazards, we can avoid these common stumbling blocks and keep our family storage plan on track, in balance, and ready for whatever may come our way. It’s all in the way we plan, budget, organize, and keep track of our best efforts and intentions to prepare and be self-reliant.

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The little and not so little things

Just before bed yesterday I noticed a sore spot along my jawline, just under my left ear.  When I woke up, there was an almond sized lump and a little internet research made it clear that self diagnosing this could be a real problem.  There’s a lot of things that it could be.  The prime candidates are infected saliva glands or lymph nodes, but there’s a number of other possibilities, from minor to super scary.  Even given the most likely, I would need antibiotics so I pulled up my insurance app and made an appointment for this afternoon.

By the time I left for the appointment, my almond was a shell-on walnut size.  It’s sore as hell, and if you touch it, it’s sheer misery.  Even my doc can’t be sure what it is apparently.  I’ve got no fever, which you’d expect with an infection.  But it is hot to the touch, and sometimes with diabetes, the body responds oddly.  So I was prescribed augmentin.

It does make you think – in a disaster situation, how do you deal with something like this?   I went right to the doctor but you can search google images for infected jawline lymph node for some really scary, disgusting pictures of what can happen if you don’t have treatment.

My son had a lump on his face that turned out to be a central giant cell granuloma.  It didn’t respond to treatment and the tumor had to be removed, along with most of his upper jaw, and everything up to the bottom of his eye orbit on the left side of his face.  It went from a tiny bump to the size of a grapefruit in a few weeks.  He will eventually need extensive reconstructive surgery and implants.  At the moment he has a denture like appliance to give him a chewing surface – and it needs regular refitting as he grows.  He’s only 12.

img_0040I have genetically terrible teeth.  I have about 6 natural teeth left in my mouth.  I have some implants but need 8 more to support as many teeth as I need; I just need 30k to spare to get it done.  Just.   In the meantime I have upper dentures. Like some old lady.  Barely a week ago, one tooth broke off under the gum line and it had to be extracted. I couldn’t eat or drink; even lukewarm water touching that tooth (lower jaw too so gravity was an issue) was beyond excruciating.

It was probably the worst pain in my life, even more than the spinal I needed for an emergency c-section when my daughter was in distress.  That was painful, and scary.  She had the cord around her neck; without that surgical intervention …

In a SHTF scenario, all three of us would be dead, and no amount of prepping could protect us from that.

I have type 2 diabetes (well, not really, but it’s easier to say that than explain why my problem really is.  I have high blood sugars so it’s close enough.)  I’m fortunate to not be insulin dependent, but I could be working a lot harder to lose the extra weight and get my blood sugars under control.

My son and I both wear glasses.  My prescription changes every year by a lot.  And my blood sugar fluctuations – well, it’s a problem for my vision.  What happens when those glasses break? Or the prescription changes?

My husband had lasik years ago, but before that his vision was worse than mine.  My daughter isn’t in glasses yet, but given her genes, it’s just a matter of time.

In the face of these things, it can make you think, what’s the point?  No matter how much time, energy and money I put into preparing for the bad and the worse, no matter how much “insurance” I manage to put in place; some things just can’t be prepared for, so why prepare at all?

I can’t really think that way though.  If there’s an emergency situation, and my family fails because we didn’t have the basics I could’ve provided, that would be on me.  That’s not OK.

So back to the beginning here.  I’ve read that some folks stock fish antibiotics.  Supposedly, it’s the same stuff.  It makes me uncomfortable. I would never resort to such a thing in the normal.  But then I look at my issue today.  If a simple course of antibiotics is the solution, and the alternative is pain, abscess, rupture, wouldn’t you take the chance?

Theres a very thorough discussion on fish antibiotics over at Top Survival Preps.

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Water storage thoughts

I was planning on ordering 55 gallon water barrels through my SiLs church contacts, but my water will have to be stored in the garage, but then I read that it is not a good idea to store the barrels directly on concrete, so I held off.  Elsewhere I have read that is mostly a myth.  One site quotes some guy [“According to preparedness lecturer Kenneth Moravec: “Concrete attracts fluids and ‘bleeds.’ Anything that has been on or in that concrete will find its way into your plastic water barrel. This includes the lime in the concrete, any hazardous materials (i.e. gasoline, oils, kerosene or anything a contractor used in construction), algae, etc. Usually it is not enough to make the water toxic but it will taint the water enough to make the taste unbearable. And no amount of pouring it from container to container will take that taste away.”] who turns out to be a long term prepper from Utah, no particular expert except via experience (which is not to be sneezed at, except when you’re wrong), and then it gets parotted and shared as gospel.

*Heated* concrete is a problem, so if it’s in an environment with relatively stable temperature, like in a basement, it’s probably fine.  My garage isn’t temperature controlled though, so it might be a good idea to raise it.  If you are going to do that, then why not create a rack that stacks 2-3, to use the vertical space?  Right now, I could get this metal stand with upgraded plumbing system, with delivery, for around 385$ from groundzero3.com. It’s on sale, and there’s a coupon code, which drops it 60$ altogether.  Note this is without barrels.  Assembly of this would be relatively simple.

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There’s are also a number of plans out there to build a wooden rack.  A 2×3 takes it up to 330 gallons, which would make me pretty comfortable, once a rain cachement system is in place. Do I have the skill to build that though?  Well, no.

These are great videos and make it seem easy.  But I don’t have the tools.  And if you add the materials and time, well, perhaps it’s not more cost effective.  But it’s twice the barrels.  It’s easier to expand.  Once you have the tools, the additional supplies aren’t that much.  Tools are useful and should be owned anyway.

Times like this, I quite wish my guy was handy.  And that he was on board.

Preparedness Pro has a great article on myths and facts of water storage.  Worth the read.