SCP Survival

Best Survival Gear and Supplies

Are Preppers Crazy to Believe In a Collapse?

by

I recently read an article on a prepping blog entitled “Are You Crazy To Continue Believing In Collapse?”  which made me realize that my ideas and purposes in ‘prepping’ may be a bit different than mainstream.

I am first a homesteader.  From a young age I had a homesteading spirit, and enjoyed working with my hands, gardening, landscaping, raising horses, chickens, ducks, turkeys and rabbits.  I’ve also always liked organization and order, and that serves me well in my efforts.

I can’t imagine ever ‘bugging out’ to another location.  I’ve been in our home since 1981 developing these 3 acres to suit our purposes and I feel safer here than anywhere else.  Our home is in as perfect a location as I could hope for, with low population density, no chance of hurricane, flood, forest fire, earthquake, tornado, tsunami, major inclement weather events and virtually no likelihood of nuclear or chemical event.

Economic events are, however, another story.

As a homesteader and a ‘bug-inner’, my infrastructure is of primary importance to me.  We heat with wood (although we do have electric ‘backup’), have a good well with a windmill as well as a submersible pump, two 3,000 gallon above ground water storage tanks, a generator and a significant quantity of propane to run it, facilities for chickens and goats , a small tractor and several garden areas.  This requires more than a little work to maintain and upgrade, which suits me perfectly.  Water filtration is accomplished using Sawyer Mini Water Filters along with several Sawyer Water Filter Bucket Kits.  Home is my favorite place to be.

Having a functioning and hardy infrastructure that you can depend on will literally be a lifesaver if (when) times get difficult.

Although our region has little very cold or sustained wet weather, it seems that when you most need firewood is when it is most likely to be wet. Having a dry place to store at least weeks’ worth, to me, is a luxury, because I’ve had to make do with tarps or scrap plywood or anything to keep it covered and dry.

Making sure my animal pens are predator proof is another consideration. This has been a recent and continuing project.  A 6 foot adobe wall around the house, gardens and animal pens is another ongoing project on which we have made very good progress over the past few years, with part of it always under construction as time allows.

We enjoy a wonderful and comfortable lifestyle, but many things threaten that.  Trying to be too specific can be over-thinking the situation, because preparation for inflation, weather related disaster, extended illness, loss of jobs, a Walmart truckers’ strike, viral pandemic or total economic collapse may have the same or nearly the same consequences affecting your life style, short or long term.  My greatest concern is loss of electrical power for an extended time.  I know that I can never hope to replace the cheap and abundant electrical power I now use, primarily for pumping water.

My entire ‘prepping’ mindset is ‘What will I need for the next five years?’ and to that end I try to prepare.  I know that in time I will need a new water heater, so that is on my list to have on hand, along with the fittings to connect it.

Whether in stockpiling food and supplies, or upgrading buildings and systems on the homestead to try to achieve a greater degree of independence, I try to think five years ahead.

When I find great sales on groceries or other items that are on our survival food list, I don’t hesitate to buy cases of it.  Surprisingly, the clerks rarely ask you why you’re buying so much.  Expiration dates don’t bother us much, and we use what we buy and we buy what we use and if you make a trip to the supermarket only to buy 6 cans of beans when they’re on sale, you haven’t saved very much.  Expiration dates don’t matter with shampoo, conditioner, soap, detergent, toilet paper, plastic forks and spoons.

Although it’s a bit more costly, we’ve begun buying our cornmeal, beans, rice, wheat and several other items in #10 cans, because, with just Karen and me eating it, the larger containers may not stay as fresh. We do have a supply of wheat and beans in 5 gallon buckets since we’ll likely have to feed our kids and grandkids plus some friends if it comes to that.

We have some experience with this.  We were ‘prepping’ before Y2K. Remember that?  We are still grinding wheat we purchased prior to the year 2000, and it still makes wonderful bread.  We did ‘repurpose’ some soy flour that we just didn’t like and gave the last of our hulled sunflower seeds to the chickens after they turned rancid, but all in all, it was a good investment.  And on a homestead, not much goes to waste.

If nothing ever happens, we’ll eat this food anyway, and will have saved money because of inflation and not making such frequent trips to the supermarket.  I’ll use that spare water heater and plumbing parts and the rope and twine and extra work gloves and duct tape and dog food and lay pellets, toothpaste, shampoo and Band-Aids.  At least, if I live long enough, which I expect to.

It’s an investment, unlike homeowner’s or auto insurance, which is a gamble that I usually lose.

Are we crazy?  My kids mostly think so.  But, when they’re running short of something and don’t want to stop at the store on the way home because the grandkids are fussy they don’t mind asking if I have an extra bottle of this, a package of that or a spare full propane tank.  (And they know I always do.)

Complete self-sufficiency is a pipe dream, unless you want to live under a bush and kill your food with a rock.  We are too dependent on each other, civilization and sharing the work load to go back to prehistoric times.  Even early explorers and settlers of this continent had tools, weapons, clothing and equipment purchased or bartered from others. They hunted and gathered much of their food and lived in crude shelters made with their own hands, but their lives were not easy, nor did they enjoy a level of comfort that the poorest among us enjoy today.

Most of us want more than mere survival. Most of us want to preserve a life style that we have come to enjoy.  And many of us have begun to modify a lifestyle that may be considered ‘excessive’ into one that is more sustainable, more self-reliant.  And that’s an important prep to consider.

We can anticipate our needs for 3 months, 6 months, a year or five years.  Maybe we won’t think of everything and maybe we can’t afford to implement everything that completes our ‘ideal’ list of preparations, but what you are able to do will be better than doing nothing.

And that’s not crazy.

How To Assemble the Best Car Emergency Kit

by

The average American drives approximately 15,195 miles per year, reports the Federal Highway Administration. That’s the equivalent of driving from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the San Francisco Bay area five times.

That creates plenty of opportunity for the unexpected to occur. No matter the distance from your daily point A to point B, there are basic supplies every driver should have in their vehicle to reduce the risk of potential danger.

Whether you buy a pre-assembled kit or collect the items separately, the information below will help you build the perfect car emergency kit for your car.

Roadside Necessities For Your Car Emergency Kit

In the unfortunate event you end up on the side of the road, there are a few things you do not want to be without. Even if you have roadside assistance coverage, Consumer Reports recommends carrying the following items in your car at all times:

In addition to those listed above, the supplies below are suggested for driving long distances:

  • Basic tools, including wrench, screwdriver, and pliers
  • Hose repair kit and tape
  • Extra clothes
  • Water and nonperishable food
  • CB radio
  • Paper maps

For extreme cold weather conditions:

So you’ve got the kit, now what?

It’s likely you already know how to work a flashlight, but if you’re unable to replace a tire, the car jack and lug wrench are useless. It is crucial that you educate yourself on how to use these emergency supplies as soon as you can. Luckily, there are several online resources with guides on vehicle maintenance, from how to change a tire to knowing when the job needs a professional mechanic, and even how to avoid getting overcharged for repairs.

Vehicle Maintenance

Keeping your vehicle on a regularly scheduled maintenance plan is step one in your preparation for an emergency on the road. SafeMotorist.com, a vehicle safety resource developed by the American Safety Council, suggests DIY vehicle maintenance checks, such as oil and fluid top offs, between visits to the mechanic.

Also, stay up to date on auto manufacturer recalls to ensure your vehicle isn’t plagued with defects. You can look up issued recalls by providing the year, make and model of the car.

If you find there has been a recall on your car, don’t panic. In most cases, a recall doesn’t mean your car is unsafe to drive; think of it as an extension of the manufacturer’s commitment to your safety. They are just informing their consumers of the issue. However, some recalls could be potentially serious and it may be necessary to return the car to the auto dealer to have the issue fixed.

This is The Best Way I’ve Seen To Store Rice (Vacuum Sealed in “Tubes”)

by

Storing Rice in Vacuum Sealed Tubes

Don’t remember where we saw this, but it “stuck’ and we did it for ourselves.

We call them “rice tubes.”

If you’ve ever vacuum sealed rice, dehydrated potatoes or pasta’s you’ve learned that they puncture tiny little holes in the bags (even Mylar eventually) and it’s a goner for long-term storage.  That’s why using “tubes” made sense to us.

We made a visit to our local Dollar Tree and purchased several packages of ankle high socks and several “hair bands”.

While wifey held the sock and the funnel, hubby poured several cups of instant white rice (or whatever type rice you want to store) until it was about 3 inches from the top of the sock.

Then he shook the sock to settle the rice, gave the sock a “twirl” to tighten the top of it, and wrapped the hair band (like a rubber band) around top several times, bent the top part of the sock over, and again wrapped the hair band.

stored rice tubes in 5 gallon bucket

We then put them tall side up into a 5-gallon food safe bucket with a gasket sealed lid, and with a rubber mallet, hammered the lid in place.

You can get a WHOLE BUNCH of rice tubes in a bucket!

Store Emergency Candles For Your Neighbors (Cheap and Useful)

by

Even though we have six nice glass lanterns with globes for our own use, several solar lights that can be charged during the day and brought in at night, three very nice LED lanterns, and enough “puck” light (LED’s) to light an airport (plus T-lights, votive candles, alcohol lanterns and Sterno), we know that in an emergency, there would be neighbors that would be without lights if the power went down.

One of the things that we’ve determined to keep adding to our emergency pantry are “hand out” candles for those neighbors to keep them from feeling so terribly threatened if the power goes out. The decision about whether or not to help out your neighbors is a personal one, but we see the benefit.

I remember a couple of years ago the power went down in our whole city, so knowing Mother relies on oxygen and doesn’t drive, we jumped in our vehicle and headed to her house.

When we went in the living room she was sitting in her recliner clutching her portable oxygen tank … in the dark with nothing but a hand held flashlight.  She was VERY glad to see us!  We decided then and there that she too needed LED’s. Not candles because her shaky hands would be dangerous with a match, etc.

Last year during a summer storm our neighbors took a lightning strike to a nearby tree that traveled the power line to the power box on the side of their house, knocking out the power to their complete house for several days waiting for the power company to come repair the outside lines and they had to repair their box and inside wiring. They were really happy when we walked across the alley with a few of our Dollar Tree candles and a puck light.

That is (in our opinion) good “community building”.  They watch our home like a hawk! When a group of thugs tried to take MrWE2 down, they immediately called 911 and told them “you better get here in a hurry.  This is an older couple and somebody is gonna get hurt”. When the dispatcher asked, “Are there any weapons?”  They said, “Yes, the elderly man has a shotgun“.

These candles cost us $1 each and burn for hours and, as far we’re concerned, are priceless in community building.  Letting people know you care about their welfare.  We’re stocking up at the roost also for this very reason. Even though we haven’t “moved in” there yet, it’s our sort of “bug out location” and we’d be there if we had to leave here in an emergency.

That’s why we’re also planning to plant our raised bed garden right smack dab in the front yard at the Roost, to create curiosity and build relationships with the small neighborhood there (about 10 houses). We also think it creates the mindset that if we’re planting a garden we must need the food.

Even if it’s just a bag of T-lights, they’ll be worth handing out to your neighbors even if you have to walk a ways to get it to them.  We can then show them how with a handful of bricks & twigs they can cook for themselves or heat a cup of the Ramen-type cup of soups with hot water for a warm meal…which we also plan to stock up on to give away.

We can buy cases and cases of Ramen noodles at Aldi’s for nickels and dimes and they would be worth their weight in gold if your neighbors are cold, hungry and in the dark.

Chicken And Rice Soup in a Jar [Recipe]

by

soup in a jar

One of our favorite foods to “set back” are meals in a jar or meals in a Mylar bag.

I just opened a pint of our “Chicken and Rice Soup” and it’s delicious…even though it’s nearly a year old.

I’m not sure there’s any specific recipe to follow other than one you’d normally use if you were making traditional chicken & rice soup.

This particular recipe is for a pint jar.

One thing I have learned though is to put your herbs and spices in first to avoid them “coloring” your instant rice and freeze dried chicken, and making it look “greenish.”

For Chicken and Rice Soup, You Will Need:

  • Chicken Soup and Rice in a Jar 2 Tbsp. Chicken bullion (or 3 cubes)
  • ½ cup of my own dehydrated carrots
  • ½ cup of freeze dried peas (from manufacturer of choice) must be freeze dried!!! Dehydrated peas won’t reconstitute for a long, long time…if ever!
  • ½ cup of my dehydrated onion flakes
  • 1 full cup of freeze dried chicken chunks (these were from Honeyville)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. coarse ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. powdered cumin
  • 1 cup of instant white rice (more if you can get it into the jar) putting the rice in LAST.
  • 1 oxygen absorber – 100 cc (just my preference for additional safety)

Directions:

  1. When you’re ready to cook, put mixture into light weight sauce pan, fill your pint jar with water to first ring, and pour into your saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, cover and let set until rice is soft and other ingredients are reconstituted.
  3. You can add a bit of powdered milk if you prefer a milkier-type soup.
  4. You can also measure the ingredients into your jar and then pour it into a ziplock Mylar baggie (which I do for the ones we keep in our camp trailer) and store away.
  5. Write what’s in it, date it, and put it in your storage pantry in a cool, dry, dark place.

Why I Began Prepping (widowed after 42 years)

by

Food Storage Pantry

As many of you know, I was widowed after 42 years of marriage and although I didn’t consider myself a “prepper” I did always keep a well stocked pantry because my former husband was pretty much housebound from brain tumor surgery for 26 years, and I couldn’t just run to the store…time wise or financially.

When I needed something I always bought two.  I worked a full time job and had an aide to help care for him while I worked and then spent my evenings as his caregiver, so time was not a luxury for me.

My 2nd husband had been a bachelor for over 20 years and loved the outdoor lifestyle, so did a lot of that and had TONS of camping gear and stuff “put aside” in totes etc.

I couldn’t really “get into” the prepper mentality.  I just didn’t seem to line up with what I felt was necessary.  I knew enough to know that a family needed to be able to survive for 3 or 4 days but weeks? Months? Years?

My husband just patiently took me to expo’s and let me read camping books etc., until one night I was reading and I heard a tiny little voice that reminded me of the parable of the 10 virgins in the Bible.

Food Storage Buckets

When I remembered that parable, I also remembered that only 5 of them were obedient to obtain their lamps, fill them with fuel, trim their wicks, and then wait … and the others were found wanting. When they came to the wise ones and tried to beg for oil, they were turned away.  That was enough to convince me that I needed to listen to my husband.

We didn’t really start at zero in our preparations, but I did start at zero “mentally”.

The first thing I began to do was visit our local Aldi’s store and because I was still supplementing my social security and MrWE2 was making good money, began buying “flats” of canned vegetables, canned fruits and canned meats. We also invested in some can organizers and filled those.

When I used something from the can organizer, I bought two to replace it. We built on that mentality and still do.

We then “advanced” to gardening and learning to dehydrate first and pressure can secondly.  From that point we began to learn more about “buckets with gasket sealed lids” for long term storage.

Not that we feel comfortable with where we are at (who ever will?), but we re-directed some of our energies to finding ways to keep ourselves warm and cook the foods we had set back.

We also have “precious metals” and the things they need… Enough for us to be able to find meat if we needed it.

We also have some antibiotics for our “fish.”

Rice Tubes for Storage

We’re now trying to incorporate adding things to our pantry that we can share with our neighbors in a crisis situation such as my “rice tubes“, ramen noodle soup cups, flavored chewing gums and candles and “community building”.

We won’t be planting this year because we’ll be moving from here to the roost and just won’t have the time necessary to take good care of our raised bed garden, even if it is pretty easy to care for (The Square Foot Gardening System by Mel B) we still need the time.  We’ve got a lot of knowledge being soaked in and hopefully enough provision to get us through to a new planting/harvesting season if something bad should happen.

We have two “likeminded” couples that we stay in pretty close contact with and we all know we’ve got a place to go if we needed to “load up and go”.

I think we’ve watched these past few years where storms have devastated whole cities and how the residents suffered so greatly.  They suffered from the loss of their homes, jobs and vehicles… But they suffered being cold, wet and hungry and having to be “herded” into government provided facilities where they didn’t even know the people sleeping or eating around them.  Children having to sleep in the arms of a parent to stay safe from predators and single women terrified in a dangerous world.

I guess the question isn’t really “where to start”, so much as “when to start“.  The answer in our opinion is NOW! Even if it’s just an extra can of soup, do it NOW.  It just might be the determining factor of where you huddle during a crisis…in your home, in your travel trailer, in your tent…or with strangers.

Hopefully this will encourage some of you who question the “why” of making provision for yourselves in an emergency and help some of you who are hesitant or feel overwhelmed about “where to start.”