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Preppers, what did you forget?

It's not actually possible to have too much ammunition on hand.

I picked up some consumer electronics and appliances that might become difficult to get in the near future and I supplemented some rice/beans/pasta.

I realized fresh veggies and dairy products could become scarce but my property isn't suitable for home grown and I'm not willing to drink reconstituted, powdered milk. Some bad memories from my childhood...
 
Brook Trout said:
Learn about canning.
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Yes! This..

dlarge said:
Define alone. Most dogs are OK being alone for 8 hours (normal work day). But they still take a lot of work before and after. And they're expensive. Vet visits are crazy. GSDs have a lot of problems (hips, elbows, skin, etc). Puppies are a lot of work.
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Yeah figuring a normal work day. Ive never lived in a house with dogs so Im guessing theres a whole lot more to it than just feeding it. Cats are pretty easy to maintain but more or less useless aside from some low level companionship (on their terms always)
 
I’m in decent shape. Main issue was I was planning to put house up for sale in 4-5 months and leave PRM so I have been using items from my preppers storage cabinets and not replacing them for past six or seven months so I would not have to move them. Probably 2/3 empty when this happened. I’m slowly filling the cabinets. I’ll move the stuff rather than be without.

On the plus side I did have a fairly full freezer. Lots of paper products and cleaning supplies.
 
NorthShore said:
My set up is just inside the house - cover the front and back doors. I’m not worried about what goes on outisude but only if someone entered.
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I would sincerely and seriously rethink that mindset.

It goes against all rational and recommended security protocols. You want as early warning as you can get, as far away from your area as possible. If your perimeter is within the same space you occupy, then you are placing yourself at risk.

Capturing a photo of an intruder is or at least can be useless if a mask is worn.
 
qqac said:
One of those smart home set ups, like Wink, can turn lights and music on and off during the day and night, to simulate someone home. At least as long as your power and wifi are working.
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True, but if the power goes out you need some type of system that will still work.
 
I was light on the cleaning\disinfecting products - I felt a few gallons on bleach would cover me, while it has worked ok it was not perfect. I also seen my slacking in the second half of 2019, normally I have months of paper towels, TP, detergent but got a little lazy and let the stock drop to low. I was lucky enough to see this coming and was ahead of the rush but still, closer then I like.
 
I am truly thankful that this didn't hit us in the fall just as flu season starts and everyone is trapped inside at home and at work. Soon we will have sunshine, open windows to get fresh air, outdoor activities, grilling, yard work, etc.
 
I wish I got a treadmill. I've been putting in 25-35 miles a week and for the past 2 weeks it's been nothing other than the occasional walk outside.

As far as other preps we have been fine. I've been getting stuff online to supplement only to see it go OOS the next day. Going to venture out into the world tomorrow though...
 
Our preps got low because of my extended stay in the hospital. Wife & son had other things on their minds. When I got out, almost a full year went by for me to figure out what was going on at the house and delagate a restocking plan.

lesson learned; get everyone in the household involved in a regular inventory and restock plan have a minimum number or amount of xxxx on hand. In case something happens to you.

at least I'm up & around and canning again.

edit to add; make a written list of important accounts IE: investments, bank accounts, (Yes even the sekret fun fund), e-mails, credit cards and anything else needing regular attention and give it to someone you trust or lock it away. If you have an unfortunate event this could save you or the people you care about a lot of trouble.
 
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headednorth said:
Have to admit to not really having a pandemic on my radar. Have a couple of respirators that I had to buy once this thing had gotten going so I over paid for them. Had bleach on hand but had to buy spray bottles for disinfecting. Could have used a freezer chest as well. Going to spend less on nonessentials going forward and focus on buying some rural property. Also, I live alone and think that its obvious that the house is empty when Im at work. Not sure what I can do about that, but it bothers me. Id hate to come home one day and find the place ransacked.
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Big dog
 
as most of you know, besides following a self imposed shelter in place protocol since january, i wasn't prepared. the only thing i had ready...guns & ammo. i never shopped in bulk, but rather took in just enough provisions to keep me going for maybe 2 1/2 weeks when i'd have to forage again at the market and risk exposure to this shit everyone was scoffing at up until rather recently.
so #1 is food storage for the long haul.
someone mentioned canning. i won jason's karma last year of 2 cases of mason jars he never used. but i put learning to preserve food on the back burner.
#2 is preserving surplus food for later consumption.
i had no way to purify water if need be besides boiling. but at least i can remedy that now still. and will.
#3 is purifying supplies for potable water.
safe to say i forgot EVERYTHING! my lifelong saying has always been "put off today what you can do tomorrow." that changes now, i'll do my best.
 
All depends on the individual dog. Saw a news piece once where they sent a guy into a handful of homes with dogs to see how they would react. The vast majority did not come near the "intruder". One was a pitbull fwiw. IIrc only one went at the guy and it was some harmless breed that I cant recall off the top of my head.
 
Poodles are land based piranhas. You'd probably want five or so. One for each appendage.
 
Standard poodles used to be guard dogs - I can’t remember if they were used as outside guards, or indoors (in department stores) with Doberman Pinchers being used in the other location.
 
Archilochus said:
Books - wasn't at all prepared for the libraries to close up shop. Old eyes can't take reading on a 'device'. All set on the other stuff though.
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smokey-seven said:
Me as well! Never crossed my mind. Fortunately, I have a decent library. Yes I have read them before but I don't mind re-reading books that I read 10 or more years ago. It's sort of like mental reruns!
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Well as the internet is working the library is still “open” if you have a library card. Using my nook or iPad I can borrow ebooks from several libraries. Both devices allow me to manipulate text, brightness, and background so my old bad eyes can read them.
 
Archilochus said:
Books - wasn't at all prepared for the libraries to close up shop. Old eyes can't take reading on a 'device'. All set on the other stuff though.

Currently reading "The First American" - a biography of Benjamin Franklin.
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smokey-seven said:
Me as well! Never crossed my mind. Fortunately, I have a decent library. Yes I have read them before but I don't mind re-reading books that I read 10 or more years ago. It's sort of like mental reruns!

.
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northny said:
Well as the internet is working the library is still “open” if you have a library card. Using my nook or iPad I can borrow ebooks from several libraries. Both devices allow me to manipulate text, brightness, and background so my old bad eyes can read them.
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This reminds me, for a while Ive been meaning to print stuff out and put it in binders for if/when its no longer available for whatever reason.

Army Field Manuals

www.globalsecurity.org www.globalsecurity.org
seasonedcitizenprepper.com

667 Free Survival PDFs, Manuals and Downloads [Updated 2023 ]

Some of the oldest, time-honored survival books and manuals, all available for free download in PDF form. Army field manuals, food storage, and more.
seasonedcitizenprepper.com seasonedcitizenprepper.com

feel free to post any other good sources of info
 
northny said:
Well as the internet is working the library is still “open” if you have a library card.
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True and my wife used to use it all the time. I prefer holding the book. It is more enjoyable for me as I spend far too much time looking at a screen nowadays.

Before the apocalypse, I would read all I needed to read, 5 newspapers, Drudge, and on Sunday the Wall Street Journal. Then off to the important stuff, like here etc. I would start around 0400 and always be done well before 0800. These days, I am wrapping up my online stuff after 0900! 5 hours of screen is all I want to do.

.
 
I have a gap in security that I am working on.

Since it's security, I will leave it vague, but overlapping cameras and early warning systems may be of help, and my lab mix has *excellent* (bordering on maddening) hearing and alerting skills.

Also, if you don't patrol it, you don't own it. There are several places on the land up north that would suck for you if you walked by and we didn't want you there.

My biggest gap is electricity. Working on solar, but it has been a *bitch* to find an installer. Not trying to work a deal; just trying to get one to show up that isn't their jellybean grid-tied rinse-and-repeat template builds. Finding competent trades people actually willing to show up there has been an ongoing challenge for the 8 years we've owned up there.

Once it's done, I am going to get spares of inverters, BMS, etc. Then, keep adding batteries.

If the grid goes down, I need ice for my whiskey, and a light so I can see it to pour it.

Look at even just your rechargeable battery stuff and figure out how many watts you'd want to recharge them.

Then extra batteries.....
 

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