What have you done to prep today?

[68Camaro]

hopefully no one thinks Im derailing the thread here...

...
ok. Feel free to ask questions...

Ok - here's one... You want to move to Florida and be my neighbor? I want to be in tight with someone like you that knows this stuff, so that I don't have to (so much)...

[involuntary tentacle]

almost got the money put aside to buy the snorkel-vac...
are you guys buying the mylar bags from sorbent systems or from another place?
ive got a ton of rice to bag up...

[Nickelless]

almost got the money put aside to buy the snorkel-vac...
are you guys buying the mylar bags from sorbent systems or from another place?
ive got a ton of rice to bag up...

Sorbent Systems is the only place I've bought my mylar bags from, but if you order bags from them at the same time that you order the Snorkel-Vac, they'll ship them together and you'll save money on shipping.

[involuntary tentacle]

cool, thanks!
i skimmed survivalprep.net before but i think its time to start studying

i think im going to just bag dry stuff like rice... the cost on mason jars add up.
dry stuff like spices might be more convienient to store in mason jars. not having to seal them is a plus too.

[68Camaro]

Sunday I sealed up 25 lb bags of mahatma enriched white long grain rice with 4 2-lb bags of pinto beans, each into food-grade 5 gallon buckets. Did 8 of them. Getting ready to do 10 more this weekend, plus 2 more buckets of 40 lbs (2x20 lbs) of beans each. That's enough for 8+ months of basic emergency rations, carb and protein, for wife and I. Not counting rest of stock. The beans and rice will last indefinitely, so no need to worry about rotation, unlike most of the rest of the stock, which tends to have finite life and needs rotation. I do like beans and rice, but will hope to not have to live on them alone. But they will be there, should they be needed. Also could be traded for other stuff, as needed.

[timmus0382]

I like to camp and hike and I havent bought any new gear for a few years so I figured I'd take advantae of a big spring sale this past weekend and trade in some FRN's for some hi-tech light weight survival gear. My main purpose was to pick up some portable water purification gear but i ended up getting a load of stuff. Oh how easy it is to spend FRN's when you feel they are basically worthless.

I picked up a Katadyn pocket http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-pro ... ocket-usa/

and a Katadyn Vario http://shop.katadyn.com/product/155187/ ... adyn_Vario

Got replacement filters for both, from a clear water source I should be good for a total of 20-30k gallons. The Katadyn Pocket has a "silver impregnated ceramic element.

I got some compression sacks and dry sacks. It is very important to be able to keep stuff dry when you are out in the element. Picked up a letherman, tent, sleeping bag and thermarest pad, a 3500 cubic inch pack for my girlfriend (she gets the smaller pack so she can cary my silver if the SHTF), some gatorade packets to make the water fun, a crank/solar powered am/fm/short/flashlight radio that also has a usb charger that will charge the Petzel headlamp or anything else that will charge off of USB, some fuel for my jet boil, and small pocket knife.

I am ready to go if we ever need to hit the trail running.

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[68Camaro]

Sunday I sealed up 25 lb bags of mahatma enriched white long grain rice ...

BTW - story I heard on yesterdays news was that about 20% of the Japanese rice crop (and they consume ~25 lbs/month each, on average) is contaminated from the reactor leaks, and they expect to have to import rice to make up the difference. If the land itself is contaminated long-term they will have to develop some new growing areas to make up the difference, and that won't happen overnight.

[Treetop]

Sunday I sealed up 25 lb bags of mahatma enriched white long grain rice ...

BTW - story I heard on yesterdays news was that about 20% of the Japanese rice crop (and they consume ~25 lbs/month each, on average) is contaminated from the reactor leaks, and they expect to have to import rice to make up the difference. If the land itself is contaminated long-term they will have to develop some new growing areas to make up the difference, and that won't happen overnight.

Im pretty sure its a done deal, the land is finished for farming. 18 percent atleast, by what i read. 10s of thousands of years. they are all ready heavy food importers, they all ready maximized their growing areas pretty far... japan is more then screwed....

[Mossy]

Im pretty sure its a done deal, the land is finished for farming. 18 percent atleast, by what i read. 10s of thousands of years. they are all ready heavy food importers, they all ready maximized their growing areas pretty far... japan is more then screwed....

I've heard on the net that the Japanese farmers are (were?) a very strong political power, who did all they could to keep food prices up (they seem to have done that by requiring imports to be the very highest grade, while the low income Japanese really had to scratch to feed themselves). This could knock them out of power and open the Japanese market for less expensive foods. Good for the Japanese, but it's not going to make food cheaper elsewhere.

[shinnosuke]

The Japanese rice farmers still have a powerful lobby. But the real problem is 120 million people living in an area about half the size of Texas. Everything is expensive because the livable/arable land goes for a premium. Now with a seriously aging population and national debt twice the size of their GDP, the only way for Japan to survive long-term is to build overseas as much as possible. They are invested heavily in China...but who can trust the Chicoms?

I'm glad I don't live in Tokyo any more.

[franklin]

I have a snorkel-vac coming.

[Nickelless]

I have a snorkel-vac coming.

PM me if you need any tips on using the Snorkel-Vac. Take a look at my comments in this thread on GIM regarding the Snorkel-Vac:

http://goldismoney2.com/showthread.php?14656-Mylar-bags

One of the other people over there says the Snorkel-Vac isn't working for him, but I think his problem is that the bags he's using are too thick for the sealer bar. I've had no problems with 3.5-mil bags, but that guy (I think it's Bellboy) is using 7-mil bags. Try the 3.5 mil and let me know how it works for you.

[franklin]

Thanks. Your comments and subsequent investigation are the reason I am getting one. I have about 200 bags of varying sizes coming with it and the guy who has been using those type bags with his Snorkel said they work fine.
Appreciate the offer for help.

[Nickelless]

Hey man, I'm happy to be able to do whatever little part I can to help others prep. Keep me posted on how things are going with the Snorkel-Vac.

[MontanaPM]

Today I added a few things to my small, but growing stash
18 cans of various veggies, fruit and chili
4 gallons of water
24 pounds of organic brown rice

Dusted off the old Excalibur, getting ready to put it to work on carrots.

[Nickelless]

On my way home from my job orientation, I decided to stop at a yard sale along the highway and snagged a like-new propane grill AND a full propane tank for $50. Then I decided to stop in at a local doughnut shop to see if they had any buckets--they didn't have buckets today, but I got six lids for free. So as I was walking out of the doughnut shop, I notice a truck in the parking lot advertising a rabbitry operation in the next county, so I went back inside to find out who was running it. An older gentleman in overalls said it was his operation, and we stood and chatted for several minutes. He said that in about 10 weeks, he should have quite a bit of rabbit meat ready to be butchered!

I realize that the rabbit meat is somewhat problematic in that it's virtually fat-free (look up rabbit starvation, if you're not already familiar with the term), but this would at least solve one problem with regard to a plentiful local source of cheap protein.

[68Camaro]

Never had rabbit... I'm sure I could get used to it, if I was hungry enough.

Glad to hear about your job prospects, and finds!

[franklin]

Vegetable oil keeps well in an extra freezer and compliments a lowfat protein source. I stocked up on refried bean cans this week for 32 cents a can at HEB. Good protein, good fiber, tasty.

[justoneguy]

Vegetable oil keeps well in an extra freezer and compliments a lowfat protein source.

i 've gone 2 years freezing veg oil without a noticable deteriation, no hint of rancid.
it probably could have gone a lot longer,
i just rotated it out.
i did peanut butter just as long.
that needs a good stir when you thaw it, but makes a good way to store a cheap delicious fat.
[ besides bacon fat, yum ].
a good portion of my freezer space goes to fats.

[Nickelless]

Figuring it'd be prudent to be able to feed my "daughters" if I have any more employment challenges in the near future, I picked up four more bags of Science Diet cat food, which should last my two cats for about a year.

[Nickelless]

Vegetable oil keeps well in an extra freezer and compliments a lowfat protein source.

i 've gone 2 years freezing veg oil without a noticable deteriation, no hint of rancid.
it probably could have gone a lot longer,
i just rotated it out.
i did peanut butter just as long.
that needs a good stir when you thaw it, but makes a good way to store a cheap delicious fat.
[ besides bacon fat, yum ].
a good portion of my freezer space goes to fats.

Oils are the next big thing I plan to start ramping up my storage of. Rawles posted a comment on Survivalblog a while back saying oils (I think he mentioned olive oil) should stay good for six years if frozen:

http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/11/let ... stora.html

I think the freshest bulk oils on the shelves will probably be cold-processed extra-virgin olive oil that a lot of restaurants probably buy from Sam's Club, thus ensuring a good product turnover.

[franklin]

I have the 2 liter bottles of Bertolli Light Tasting Olive Oil from Sam's. The smoking point when used in cooking is higher than the Extra Virgin and it is good for baking. The rectangular bottles sit well together, wasting only a little space.

[Mossy]

I found a small can of Crisco in the back of a cupboard, must have been 5 years old. Tasted fine.

In a survival situation, you are not going to worry about what sort of calories you are getting.

[Nickelless]

I found a small can of Crisco in the back of a cupboard, must have been 5 years old. Tasted fine.

In a survival situation, you are not going to worry about what sort of calories you are getting.

Right, but I've read (still need to research a little more to confirm this) that rancid oils may not be safe to ingest. Let me do some digging for more info and I'll let you guys know what I find.

[Mossy]

I found a small can of Crisco in the back of a cupboard, must have been 5 years old. Tasted fine.

In a survival situation, you are not going to worry about what sort of calories you are getting.

Right, but I've read (still need to research a little more to confirm this) that rancid oils may not be safe to ingest. Let me do some digging for more info and I'll let you guys know what I find.

I've smelled and tasted rancid oil. The Crisco was not rancid. The can had never been opened, and was still good.

Oils that are solid at room temperature are supposed to be bad for you. I've eaten Crisco on crackers like it was peanut butter when out doors in cold weather. It's good, and warmed me up much better than either hot coffee or hot tea. Seal oil is supposed to work, it's what the Natives use, and and I expect a sip of fish oil or one of the "good" veg oils will also work. No more than a tablespoon full at a time, the human digestive tract will treat it just like mineral or motor oil, the digestive tract becomes a fast track. And you are not likely to get your pants down fast enough in that cold weather.