"If you are not engaged in active offense or defense, besides patrolling for intelligence, and counter-patrolling to deny the enemy same, you should be improving your position. Dig, wire, mine, and resupply, at all other times, to the limit of available resources." - Aesop's Art Of War
Frisky times are coming. Get busy. Tick tock.
I added a sideband radio, some more bottles of Polar Pure (I gave you WallyMart linky, b/c Amazon is now out, and doesn't know when they're getting more), and a Berkey water purifier, among many, many things, just this week. What did you do to get better ready for tomorrow, today?
UPDATE: Motion is seconded by Cmdr. Zero.
Introduced youngest brother to 10-22, 9mm, Garand (PBUH).
ReplyDeleteIn hopes of easing him from fellow traveler, to patriot (of some flavor).
Also, Sawyer vs. Berkey. I've checked the surface-water profiles in my AO, and pollution is little-to-none. Bacterial or procaryote contamination is the main worry.
ReplyDeleteEven if the .GOV doesn't go full Australia, the supply chain is so badly fucked right now I'm starting to worry more than a bit about the stability of the basics.
ReplyDeleteAlso, kinda of thin. Is it just you, or are there others depending on your stocks?
ReplyDelete@Some Guy,
ReplyDeleteEverything is relative. A few pointers:
1) That's a stock photo, not my stash. The latter is, to put it mildly, a wee bit more robust. And that's all I'm saying about that.
2) The pictured stash represents about 700% more supplies than the average household anywhere in the US, currently has on hand.
Don't miss the forest for looking at a couple of trees.
Now: Good.
More = Better.
True for everyone, everywhere.
Sideband radio... CB, or Amateur HF? I have both, a Uniden Sideband CB and a Yaesu HF rig. Another good idea to have for your local group would be the Motorola Spread Spectrum radios that are virtually uncrackable. They are about $100 cheaper at https://www.myradiomall.com/motorola-radios-dtr700-dts150nbdlaa.html than anywhere else. We have four of them, and range is actually pretty good. Imagine even better with a yagi antenna.
ReplyDeleteGotta go feed the fish!
Today I sank the first hole for driveway gates, did some carpentry on my shooting school outhouse, laid in some 00 buck and slugs. Tomorrow a new battery for the truck.
ReplyDeleteI worked out. Will go five more minutes next time.
ReplyDeleteCool that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that "Taylor Lee" thingy-beast at the FDA? Can't see him walking door-to-door, much less having the wind to use a blow-dart at the end of it.
ReplyDelete@Hammer's Thor,
ReplyDeleteThanx for the heads-up on the Motorolas.
Chewed my wife's ass for donating some of my food stores.
ReplyDeleteI would offer a minor observation.
ReplyDeleteWater is better in a pipe than in a bucket.
Simple fact of the matter is water is heavy as all get out. The wear and tear on you or your machinery to haul it around vs figuring out a way to pipe it to the destination is a tactical error for any given distance on a homestead.
John Wilder - good comment. Every little thing you add will increase your preparations, no matter how small. Physical health is a top priority. When/if electricity is gone, need for physical labor will skyrocket.
ReplyDeleteI have the following stuff, but in temporary storage and not in our short-term quarters here while waiting on the house to be finished. I just bought another woobie and poncho for my 72-hour bag, and a camp axe, folding saw, and entrenching tool. Also got a Katadyn Hiker Pro and an extra filter. We have MSR, Sawyer, and Aquamira portable filters, some LifeStraws, and a Big Berkey for base. There is a brand new deep well where we are going.
ReplyDeleteSince NAC is getting hard to find, I stocked up. Quercetin and zinc go together, so got more of that as well. I suspect they are going to lace the environment with some new and different virus soon. Peter Daszak has been studying Nipa, an RNA virus with a high mortaily rate, for over a decade. Funny that they made prominent a story about a guy in India who died of Nipa just recently.
More band aids, bullets, beans. Can never have enough or too much
ReplyDeleteOpened amazon business account
ReplyDeletepromptly ordered dehydrated cream, butter, cheese, bulk scot paper towel, tp and a case of shop towels.
also per NC Scout, ordered 2 ea AnyTone AT-D868UV Handheld Radio analog/dmr ht's waterproof to add to my already substantial emcomm kit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QDVPMFG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ordered some more supplies... been doing that on an ongoing basis. Also been adding shelving in the basement to store stuff.
ReplyDeletePlanned prepping activity for today: pull up stakes, markers, weed barriers, etc., in the Victory Garden (which is at the end of its season now) as part of preparations for next spring's planting. I'm also working on expanding the garden to a quarter-acre, but that waits on the October hay mowing to get a bunch of tough tall grass out of the way.
Those Motorola radios do sound interesting, though I'm not offhand coming up with a use case in our particular situation. Another thing to ponder.
In the next couple of months, we're looking at getting a water well, with a quaint rustic windmill to drive the pump... mainly to keep the new pond full and the (coming in spring) fishes happy, but having a private water supply seems like a good idea.
We're having to deal, slowly, with things that we'd planned on having done over a year ago; with two members of the household being at high risk for complications from the Pestilence, trying to keep the virus out of the house has been (and continues to be) a big factor. (It doesn't help that the local post office is apparently overworked and understaffed, and lately seems to have gone on an Amazon strike.)
Still prepping the old house for sale. Unpacking slowly at the new place.
ReplyDeleteWaiting for unpack to inventory and refill stock.
Fire. Central to all the big three of FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, WEAPONS.
ReplyDeleteFIRE makes all 3 mo better.
TOBACCO. NO BETTER ANTI-WORMER. Tobacco is to be EATEN. NOT CHEWED LIKE SOME DADGUM COW. EATEN. AT FIRST SIGN OF INTESTINAL PARASITES (YOUR GUTS TURNING TO WATER GOING BOTH WAYS BUT USUALLY DOWNWARD). PUTTING IN MY PLUG FOR TOBACCO.
AJ
btw, THERE IS NO DOUBT THE CHINESE SENT WUFLU WORLDWIDE. IN OCT 2019 IN MY LITTLE BURG, THE PIERS WERE SWARMING WITH CHINESE TOURISTS EAGER TO TAKE PICS, SHAKE YOUR HAND, TALK ABOUT YOUR FISH. I MENTIONED THIS TO MY FRIENDS, "I'VE KNOWN DOZENS OF CHINESE PEOPLE AND none OF THEM ACTED LIKE THESE CHINESE "TOURISTS".
ReplyDeleteWHY DON'T WE KNOW THE ORIGIN OF THIS FLU? IS THAT THE 800 LB GORILLA?
aJ
Sighted in new ar with LPVO; started 6yo daughter on .22, getting greenhouse plastic ready to put back on for winter, have winter plantings already in and growing. Working out when I can...Still far too much on the to do list before the long winter storms.... Most important of all is continual prayer for wisdom and strength to fight tptb and see my family and community through. Thank you for your blog and keep up the good fight. KYPD
ReplyDeleteSelling un-needed stuff to make room for more needed stuff.
ReplyDeleteStretching more, working on lower back issue that limits the amount of heavy work I can get done.
Selling un-needed stuff to raise money for more needed stuff.
Recently refilled some of the 'close to hand' water storage. Going thru the stored food and getting rid of the spoilage, either stuff that aged out spectacularly or was compromised by the rat issue.
Admittedly I've been slacking on 'adding to preps' because since last March we've been using some of them. Being in 'use' mode has a different feel from 'prepping' mode.
Actively working on getting some place else to go, if I have to leave here. That will be a big comfort, and a whole new set of issues.
nick
Deer season opens here in a week and they are thick this year. Picking up more Ziplock bags and jars today as processing garden used more than usual plus I plan to go hard now instead of waiting for November gun season to have meat supply safely in hand.
ReplyDeleteBuilt a small shelving unit in my tiny house shower to hold more supplies as hauling enough water to shower after they turn off the campground pipes is a no go. Easy enough to shower at the clubhouse or friend’s.
Hawk has finished molting. She’ll be ready to fly in three weeks. Observing her steely eyed gaze hardens me.
HawkinGal
Aldis caned meats are still a bargain. Spam analog $1.79 and corned beef and 1lb canned ham $2.99. I don't really need more food but still pick up a can or 2 every trip.
ReplyDeleteSam's club is a good place to stock up on bulk stuff. Large packs of paper towels and tp at reasonable prices. Right now they have bulk men's undershorts and t-shirts at a discount. The mundane things are what is most often forgotten.
Just bought a 1000 yd shooter, doubles my distance capacity, for varmints of course
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping folks remember GOOD Boots. They need to be broken in and don't last forever as George Washington's Mean at Valley Forge could have told you.
ReplyDeleteOr Lee's Men during the Civil War.
Most of us haven't walked more than a dozen miles at one time for years.
That's going to CHANGE.
Wormwood is good for intestinal pests also. Make a tea with wormwood and spearmint leaves. Its very bitter but will get rid of worms. They are using it in Madagascar for Covid but I'm not sure it's as effective as invermectin. My doc can't even prescribe invermectin for his wife for a scabies infection. Says the Pharmacist was afraid of losing their license. That's how far the Covidinsanity has gone.
ReplyDeleteMade another run to the local tire shop to pick up another bucket of used tires weights.
ReplyDeleteEvery year the number of lead tire weights shrinks, and the zinc ones multiply.
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteDon't forget you will have trash to dispose of. Paper, plastic, etc. Might I suggest a steel 55 gal drum as a burn barrel.
Cut the top out of a closed head drum and drop it into the bottom. Drill four or five 1/2" hole around it 3-4 inch up from the bottom. Drill another 4 or 5 holes about a foot above the lower holes.
Field Sanitation is CRITICAL. Bad water from poor sanitation will sicken and KILL your family in a few days or weeks.
ReplyDeleteI mention this because a Friend of mine was SO Proud of his concealed pit privy (not a bad thing in it's self BTW, ready for use when the flush toilet is AWOL) and outside shower set-up until I asked him WHERE is your well with that hand pump we installed a month or so ago?
Both of his projects just a dozen yards Up the hill from that shallow Sandpoint well.
Happily this weekend we are Moving his two projects as he is my neighbor :-)
Burning Trash, be AWARE of Prevailing Winds, your family doesn't need burned trash smoke running through the house NOR do your critters. Chickens are VERY vulnerable to trash smoke. Take note of neighbors also, good neighbor policy is suggested.
IF you keep that Burn Barrel OFF the Wet Ground it will last a LOT longer as rusted bottom burn barrels is areal situation.
Aesop just re-read the standing orders of Rodgers Rangers.
ReplyDeleteMost if not all of them fit well in the coming spiciness.
Did your Marines have the same sort of SOP's?
Today I'd Add NO Cellphones at any training-operational situation. Too easy even with the Battery Removed to be used by 3 letter folks, seems a fair number of newer cheaper removable battery flip phones have a second "emergency" battery that allows emergency TXT and Pinging when the main battery is "Dead".
I know this because I've been there when we've USED Pings in Search and Rescue in the White Mountains of NH. The most common comment when we found them, was my Cellphone was dead....
Bye the bye: now that I am working for a big box conglomerate, dont think we aren't experiencing supply troubles. Government or real shrinkage is unknown, but here is an interesting list.
ReplyDeleteTP-you get ONE 48 roll package
Bottled Water-you get a max of 3 cases. Otherwise, since businesses can't get from THEIR suppliers, they try to clean us out.
Plastic food boxes, paper plates, disposable glasses, cutlery; all the stuff that will need burned but not washed (water, soap, & time). -Businesses are scooping the shelves. Put this on your list.
Paper Towels-Limit of one box.
Soap, laundry soap, cleaning products, etc-all limited to one/two/or three of each.
Meat still seems unlimited. Evidently business suppliers still have access.
As usual, the people shopping are more than willing to argue, knife, fight, or stone each other for supplies. And this is in good times, with regular store full and open. Remember that when shopping.
Congrats on the Berkey. I've had one for going on seven years now. I also have three sets of replacement filters stashed away. Anybody who buys a Berkey should spring for at least one set. They say they are good for five years, but mine first set is still testing fine after seven.
ReplyDeleteBTW, if you buy bottled water for your personal drinking needs, a Berkey, which might seem pricey at first, will pay for itself in a couple of years, or less.