What have you done to prep today?

[Recyclersteve]

I am curious- Has anyone changed their prepping methodology due to the COVID situation? In other words, were there things you never stockpiled before where you realized an emergency supply would be good to have?

[IdahoCopper]

I went to Big Five sporting goods and bought four bottles of recovery oxygen. Each hold about 150 breaths of O2.

I got it back when the MSM was hyping how much lung damage Covid could do to older people, hoping the oyx would keep my 93yo mom going until the ambulance arrived.

[Recyclersteve]

I went to Big Five sporting goods and bought four bottles of recovery oxygen. Each hold about 150 breaths of O2.

I got it back when the MSM was hyping how much lung damage Covid could do to older people, hoping the oyx would keep my 93yo mom going until the ambulance arrived.

Never heard of such a thing. How much does it cost and is there a finite shelf life or does it basically last forever?

[Treetop]

I am curious- Has anyone changed their prepping methodology due to the COVID situation? In other words, were there things you never stockpiled before where you realized an emergency supply would be good to have?

I have everything I can think of for this basically. What I have gotten though is more fire fighting equipment in response to these riots. Who knows. Maybe first responders will have a reason not to help someday and I need to fight a fire. probably not likely but Im pretty solid in other areas.

[IdahoCopper]

I went to Big Five sporting goods and bought four bottles of recovery oxygen. Each hold about 150 breaths of O2.

I got it back when the MSM was hyping how much lung damage Covid could do to older people, hoping the oyx would keep my 93yo mom going until the ambulance arrived.

Never heard of such a thing. How much does it cost and is there a finite shelf life or does it basically last forever?

I paid $16 each. They are a lightweight aluminium pressure cylinder with a plastic valve/mask.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... UL115_.jpg

[68Camaro]

Even some of us semi-tech dinosaurs who don't try to keep up with every latest trend might be surprised at the depth and breadth of recent progress in portable devices powered by USB cords. Now that 2A chargers are common and can be bought in bulk for <$20 for four dual outlet chargers, and now that relatively massive powerbanks can be had for next to nothing $13 for a 20,000 mAh unit the size of a cell phone but thicker, you can buy all kinds of things to be powered by low voltage sources that actually work and aren't toys. Besides cell phones, walkie talkies, radios, sleep machines, air pumps, fans etc. Makes life without 120v more tolerable.

[wheeler_dealer]

This post has been quiet so thought I'd resurrect it. Covid came and my toilet paper stash was a big hit around my neighborhood as shortages had people doing crazy things. I recently relocated to an area closer to my son. He is blessed with a few children. Recently at his house I noticed he was low on tp. I encouraged him to stock up. His idea was a 24 pack. Needless to say I am starting to resupply my long term stash. I told him it's his legacy wealth LOL. I will admit that having my Hoard during covid saved a few a.s's (my neighbor who doesn't stock any has five women in his house and was desperate ) I was called a Hoarder. I smiled and explained that buying while plentiful wasn't hoarding rather it was prudent as they found out.
Now I am buying 6 packs from dollar store at $1.25 each. My thought is I can get much more leverage out of smaller units and they are much easier to store.

[wheeler_dealer]

Met one of my new neighbors recently. Older (78) retired and active. He likes feeding the birds. Having gotten rid of thistle feeders when I moved I gave him a full bag I had for his feeders.) I get same benefits of enjoying birds at his feeder in my backyard that is shared with him. In the fall he brought me a bushel basket of peaches then a short while later a basket of apples. Wouldn't accept anything because his friend owns an orchard. Now I look out for him (I would anyway) and he told me he would get me more next fall during harvest. Maybe I can try out the dehydrator I bought at a garage sale this past summer for $5.00.

[Recyclersteve]

This thread has been very quiet, so I thought I’d reopen it.

I had some old notes on my cell phone regarding a nearby garage I could go to in advance of an incoming bad storm or other evil I need to free myself from. I had a hard time finding the garage since I hadn’t been there in perhaps 3-5 years. The fact that I, someone who knows my area VERY WELL, had a hard time finding it, was actually good! I figure the garage likely wouldn’t fill up that quickly in the event of a storm or emergency.

It was a below ground garage with 2 levels. What surprised me was that the lowest level was actually quite a bit HOTTER (on a hot June day) than the first level below ground. You’d think that generally it would be the other way around.

I was dripping in sweat after 5-10 minutes on the lowest level and it was only about 1/4 full. Oh well.

[franklin]

Took the last of our tomato crop and ran thru the juicer/strainer and put up 11 qts of juice. Gave the solids to the chickens. We finished dehydrating peaches and tomatoes 2 weeks ago.
Finally pulled the trigger on a grain mill and secured 3 types of wheat berries. Been practicing making bread this week. Butter and hot bread does not suck.

[68Camaro]

Agree, butter and hot bread does NOT suck... I am about 3-1/2 years ahead of you in milling wheat and baking my own bread, and it's been great, as well as interesting to see how different types of wheat respond. I've moved to hard red spring wheat for bread - it has the highest natural gluten content which keeps the structure together.

But, on another note (though related to bread, which I like to toast for breakfast with my coffee and often put jam or preserve on it) - I have long kept a stock of store-bought jams and jellies (we make a little homemade, but don't store it, we eat it right away). In general, these preserves in glass jars with sealed lids are good for years beyond their "best by" date. However, a few months ago I pulled up a jar of Smucker's Peach preserve, and it was bad. I first noticed the color was dark (and, well, the color does deepen a bit naturally with age), but this was more than usual. Then I realized that the lid (which has a pressure seal) didn't pop when I opened it. Huh, it went bad. Okay, it happens. So I got another one - also bad. These were 4-5 years old. So I pulled another one which had a lighter color and was still within the "best by" date (2024), and IT was also bad. The seals were all popped on all of these. So I pulled the rest of that type, along with a couple of other varieties, and the peach were ALL bad, regardless of date. However, Apricot (despite best by of 2019) was fine. Plum was fine. Raspberry was fine. As usual. It was just the peach, and it wasn't just one batch, it was multiple batches of peach across many years. Weird. It was like the peach developed some type of reaction internally that relieved the vacuum, and popped the lid seal, and once that happened it was all over for it. I wonder why peach though. Anyone have any thoughts? (Beside don't let Smucker's Peach sit for very long.)

Edit - oh, when I say they "went bad" it was more than just the color and loss of seal - the contents smelled bad!

[Treetop]

I forget how old it was, but I had some of the smuckers "all natural" strawberry go bad. Probably about half of them I had. It had actual mold in it. I fed it to chickens, didnt seem to hurt them.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

Caffeine pills are good too and have a very long shelf life. Most never think about this. Must stay awake and alert during guard duty.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

I forget how old it was, but I had some of the smuckers "all natural" strawberry go bad. Probably about half of them I had. It had actual mold in it. I fed it to chickens, didnt seem to hurt them.

Because it is "all natural". In high water containing foods, preservatives are a must for long term storage, even if the product is unopened. Preservatives in your food are the last thing you would be worrying about in a SHTF scenario.

[68Camaro]

That might explain TTs issue, but mine was the conventional peach.

[68Camaro]

Caffeine pills are good too and have a very long shelf life. Most never think about this. Must stay awake and alert during guard duty.

I had been meaning to stock a few bottles (years ago,), but it had totally slipped my mind until you reposted this. I'll try to remember to get some this week. I do have a s#@+ ton of coffee so I can always drink my caffeine even if it is a cowboy cold brew.

[thecrazyone]

I've been making a very hard effort to not buy food out for lunch every day. I've never been any good at that. This week I saved $20.

[68Camaro]

OK, now put that money into preps, and do it week after week!

[Recyclersteve]

Tried something a bit different on Thursday night. Went to a small mom and pop convenience store around 9pmish to see what they had for sale. Basically was looking to see things like how their prices were relative to, say, a Walmart. Obviously, they'd cost more, but it was nothing totally ridiculous.

Also thought I'd check to see what they had in the event of, say, a power outage in the area. I thought maybe I'd find a big supply of batteries, candles, etc. But I really didn't see anything like that, which was somewhat disappointing.

I do realize that if their power was out (assuming they don't have a backup generator), they would likely need to have cash in cigar boxes or something as a backup to the cash registers, which likely wouldn't work. Didn't have time to ask them about that, but I must admit I was curious about that.