View Full Version : Now that it's started...
...let's take a look at what can be done to make the most of what you have.
Please add to the list as you think of things. I'll get it started.
1) If you haven't done so yet, take advantage of the down-time to take an inventory of what you have- perishable foods, canned/preserved foods, frozen stuffs. Make a priority list of what you will run out of, so when you go grocery shopping or order online, you won't struggle to try and recall what you have.
2) Now that you have an inventory, begin making meal plans so you may use up your perishable foods first. Doing so will give you a better idea of how long your stores will last.
3) If you have perishable foods that you don't think you'll be using up before they go bad, find a way to freeze, can or dry them. If you have a surplus of eggs, for example, you can freeze them by scrambling them in whatever amount you want, and then freezing them. Once you mix the yolk and the whites, eggs freeze just fine. Milk freezes well. I've not been able to figure out anything with things like lettuce, or ways to preserve heavy whipping cream yet.
4) Use up everything as much as possible. Leftover veggies, celery that's getting a bit rubbery, onion skins, tomato cores, and bones from cooked meat can all go into the crock pot fill it with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar and once it's cooked on low for 24 hours and is strained, you have some excellent soup stock, as well as a broth that helps with collagen replenishment (for those afflicted with dry skin) and maintaining blood sugar. This also freezes well.
5) Spices and seasonings help with food fatigue.
Take inventory of your clothes, and patch what needs to be fixed, make sure buttons are sewn on tightly. If you don't know how to do this, there are many Youtube videos that demonstrate how to do this. If you don't have mending equipment, there are also Youtube videos that provide excellent lists for things to collect for a mending kit- make a list for your next trip to the store.
6) if your neighborhood has a Nextdoor app, get on it. You can select to have your address hidden from neighbors, but this is an invaluable resource for swapping, for barter, and for news. Retain your OpSec- nobody needs to know what you have or how you keep your larder- but maintain a watch on the pulse of your neighborhood. Sure, there will be a lot of political crap, hand-wringing, and squabbling. Sort the wheat from the chaff. You may be surprised at how handy Nextdoor can be.
That's all I can think of right now. Be safe!
I like #6.
Kind of a way to spy on everyone around you.
Also, if stuff really hits the fan and times are crazy desperate and you overheard a neighbor talking about how they wish they had bought a firearm instead of just a crap ton of food then you can barter with them. Or just take their stuff.
mindfold
03-19-2020, 13:26
#7
Goes without saying, but always keeps gas tanks topped after every trip no matter how small.
Not bad idea to fill up all gas cans.
#8 BOBs checked and ready
#9 Brush up on any coordination with others if relocation is needed
Look at the measures being implemented on the coasts, lockdown is coming shortly.
Be prepared.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gas is topped up, bugout bags are in place. I have extra cash on hand. 1,2 3, and 4 as much as possible. 5, when I am really at whits end.
I would rather step outside, and speak to a neighbor, than do a neighbor app on my computer.
-John
Gas is topped up, bugout bags are in place. I have extra cash on hand. 1,2 3, and 4 as much as possible. 5, when I am really at whits end.
I would rather step outside, and speak to a neighbor, than do a neighbor app on my computer.
-John
FWIW, my suggestion to join the Nextdoor App wasn't saying "don't talk with your neighbors." I didn't suggest anything of the sort.
Unless you know every neighbor in your neighborhood, and they speak with you freely, the neighborhood app provides you a wealth of information you wouldn't otherwise know.
I'm a board member of my HOA, largely in principle to know my neighbors, and or know what they are planning for me.
A neighbor app, just sounds like so much gossip.
-John
This seems like a great time to move back to Colorado. Currently in a hotel in Hays, KS. Arriving either tomorrow or Saturday depending on weather. Doing an Airbnb until rental house is ready (8 April-ish). Storage unit for non-essential items. Kinda thinking I should have stayed in Oklahoma. Lol. If it weren’t for the Airbnb situation, we would be fine. Kinda hoping there isn’t a lockdown that prevents the current occupants of the rental from leaving. Once we get in there, we can ride out whatever. Sigh.
I can probably find some storage space if you need it, CS1983. For sure can be some manpower, etc.
My brother is moving this weekend so I will be in lift and carry move regardless.
-John
In the event electricity goes out long term, and you cannot consum all that beef/elk you have in the freezer fast enough, it can easily be smoked and turned into jerkey.
battlemidget
03-20-2020, 08:36
I'm just chillin on the Ham radio and trying to limit my coffee intake as I sit here and window shop on the internet with my anticipated Kung Flu check from Uncle $ugar.
hurley842002
03-20-2020, 09:25
This seems like a great time to move back to Colorado. Currently in a hotel in Hays, KS. Arriving either tomorrow or Saturday depending on weather. Doing an Airbnb until rental house is ready (8 April-ish). Storage unit for non-essential items. Kinda thinking I should have stayed in Oklahoma. Lol. If it weren?t for the Airbnb situation, we would be fine. Kinda hoping there isn?t a lockdown that prevents the current occupants of the rental from leaving. Once we get in there, we can ride out whatever. Sigh.You are in the exact situation I'm in. Fortunately our hotel went from jam packed with college baseball players to ghost town. Tucson was one of the first ones hit with restaurant/bar/gym closures, going to get old not being able to go and sit down for a meal, and the gym thing just flat out sucks.
Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
Another tip: Controversy over Ibuprofen, seems to be flip-flop over whether it's helpful or incidentally harmful with Covid. WHO currently recommends that it's OK, but there are some documented institutions alleging associated side effects. The institutions are French, in part, so maybe take with a grain of salt and a baguette.
If you want to play it safe, maybe make sure you have / stick to Tylenol unless it's not successful with a fever.
https://www.sciencealert.com/who-recommends-to-avoid-taking-ibuprofen-for-covid-19-symptoms
If you or a family member has asthma get a refill on any inhalers, make sure you have extra medicines on hand for any disease that can be a complication.
Another tip for the semi-nerdy: If you have true line of sight to a friends house, you can bridge you network to theirs over many miles. Think of your wifi network, but with a magic tunnel that connects 8 miles away to your brothers/friends/sisters/cousins house. File share, internet share, network gaming, whatever you have in mind, your solution is using the right kind of Ubiquiti radios. They come with an inline POE injector, so they are self powered from the network cable. You need some basic skill in administrative interfaces to set it up, and can't be afraid of your roof.
Nanobeam/Lightbeam: 1-15 miles with true line of sight, recommend 5Ghz, 2.4Ghz for some applications
Nanobridge: If you have to go through A tree (one) 900Mhz may be able to do it. 2-10 mile range.
Shorter range (1 mile or less) : Nanostation
Second tip: Buy used ones from Ebay for cheap.
You have to have actual line of sight though (e.g. if you roof mounted the radios, or on a short pole, they truly can see each other). There's also a little more too it then that, but their are free terrain tools that can estimate if it will work for your specific bridge or not. This is obviously the TLDR version of a real guide.
theGinsue
03-20-2020, 23:00
In the event electricity goes out long term, and you cannot consum all that beef/elk you have in the freezer fast enough, it can easily be smoked and turned into jerkey.
I have been thinking about this. I'll be out shopping tomorrow morning an will see if I can pick up a shit ton (industry technical standard) of charcoal. I have an electric smoker and a wood/charcoal offset smoker. I've got enough wood chips to smoke the meat I have.
Great-Kazoo
03-21-2020, 01:33
I have been thinking about this. I'll be out shopping tomorrow morning an will see if I can pick up a shit ton (industry technical standard) of charcoal. I have an electric smoker and a wood/charcoal offset smoker. I've got enough wood chips to smoke the meat I have.
We smoke a moderate amount of food over a few days. Vacuum seal, dated with package info, then freeze. This makes it easier for meals when no one feels like cooking. Plus, if the powers out and you're using a pellet or other type that needs power to run. There's no worries about food going bad. AND smoked meats have longer shelf life.
tactical_2012
03-21-2020, 20:16
I have been thinking about this. I'll be out shopping tomorrow morning an will see if I can pick up a shit ton (industry technical standard) of charcoal. I have an electric smoker and a wood/charcoal offset smoker. I've got enough wood chips to smoke the meat I have.
Saw a guy at Walmart the other day that had a grocery cart full of Charcoal.
Glad I got a 1/4 cord of Hickory this past summer for my smoker
We smoke a moderate amount of food over a few days. Vacuum seal, dated with package info, then freeze. This makes it easier for meals when no one feels like cooking. Plus, if the powers out and you're using a pellet or other type that needs power to run. There's no worries about food going bad. AND smoked meats have longer shelf life.
That's what we do. Vacuum sealed, double bagged and frozen game meat can be good for 5-10 years. Lean, low fat foods last a long time in a freezer @ 10-20F below zero.
Great-Kazoo
03-22-2020, 08:10
Saw a guy at Walmart the other day that had a grocery cart full of Charcoal.
Glad I got a 1/4 cord of Hickory this past summer for my smoker
Well charcoal has other uses besides cooking. Such as water purification.
Then there's the UV way for water.
https://www.superprepper.com/sodis/
https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/solardisinfection.html
Well charcoal has other uses besides cooking. Such as water purification.
Then there's the UV way for water.
https://www.superprepper.com/sodis/
https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/solardisinfection.html
Wouldn?t that have to be pure charcoal though? I thought most grilling charcoal is impregnated with chemicals to help it light more quickly and burn more efficiently.
Wouldn?t that have to be pure charcoal though? I thought most grilling charcoal is impregnated with chemicals to help it light more quickly and burn more efficiently.
Pure charcoal is sold as "lump charcoal" or "natural charcoal"
Some brickettes are compressed charcoal dust, some have chemicals all will have a binding agent.
Charcoal is also useful medicinally
Briquettes are sometimes made with peach pits, so I'd be wary of using them to purify water.
There's also the chlorine bleach method for water disinfection.
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water
Here's a great product, been using it for a couple years-Soap Cloth, only needs 4 teaspoons of water to activate:
https://www.soapcloth.com/SoapCloth-Dry-Hygienic-Wash-Cloth-10-Pack-p/scdhwc-10.htm
We smoke a moderate amount of food over a few days. Vacuum seal, dated with package info, then freeze. This makes it easier for meals when no one feels like cooking. Plus, if the powers out and you're using a pellet or other type that needs power to run. There's no worries about food going bad. AND smoked meats have longer shelf life.
Most pellet smokers only take a few hundred watts to run. You can usually run them off of a small power inverter.
I have an inverter I keep in the truck, along with a 50ft extension cord.
Briquettes are sometimes made with peach pits, so I'd be wary of using them to purify water.
There's also the chlorine bleach method for water disinfection.
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water
This seems like a good time to plug a thread I started a long time ago and put together a helpful guide for water treatment
https://ar-15.co/threads/55421-Water-treatment-cheat-sheet
Most pellet smokers only take a few hundred watts to run. You can usually run them off of a small power inverter.
I have an inverter I keep in the truck, along with a 50ft extension cord.
My truck has an inverter with 2 110 outlets if it came down to that.
I'm a board member of my HOA, largely in principle to know my neighbors, and or know what they are planning for me.
A neighbor app, just sounds like so much gossip.
-John
Yes, that's very nice but not everyone belongs to an HOA, Nextdoor actually connects neighborhoods to go beyond your own HOA, and there are actually leads and value you can take advantage of. But hey, what use is gossip, right?
This is information for people to use or not. Stop minimizing it because you don't see the value.
There are a lot of disadvantages from joining Nextdoor, and other similar (free) apps. Someone famous once said, if you aren't the (paying) customer, then you are the product.
-John
Like everything else social media, there are plenty of criticisms of Nextdoor. It's basically Facebook, but for concentric circles around your immediate neighborhood. The negatives generally don't outweigh the positives, and there ARE positives that just can't be recreated in other ways. I'll give you some examples from my experience before I got kicked off.
The amount of stuff people are selling, and that you can sell to are great. A common thing I saw was people getting rid of dirt, fallen trees, and extra garden plants or chicken eggs. Sure, you could browse on Craigslist for that stuff, but you're in a much smaller market and things happen quicker and with more trust within your own neighborhood. I was able to sell a bunch of stuff that wouldn't have been worth the hassle on Craigslist, and might not have moved at a garage sale.
There are a ton of dumb posts about people seeing hawks, raccoons, and coyotes, and so many lost dog threads that you'll wonder if magic gnomes stole every fence and door latch in the neighborhood all at once. However, my parents neighborhood backs up to an open space, and mountain lion sightings can be posted up NOW, instead of some blurry picture in the monthly news letter 17 days later.
I often refer my neighbors who are in need of a contractor to turn to Nextdoor and ask their neighbors. If a big hail storm rolled through, their neighbors WILL have had their roofs replaced and can give first hand reports of good or bad companies, and heck, you can even drive by to check out the work yourself. Also, with people remodeling or repairing or whatever, there is always someone who needs a contractor.
People post up about businesses that they run that you might not otherwise know about. Events that are happening, etc. It's just an enhanced version of being involved in your neighborhood, and you get to control how much or little your participate. You can browse through and pick up information about stuff, and never post anything and you never run the risk of a negative interaction with your neighbors. There are abuses, and annoyances, but most stuff can be filtered or adjusted so it's not a constant bother. I think besides all the free or useful stuff, I liked how they'd do maps of who was passing out candy during Halloween for the kids. I think more kids at houses that wanted them, and less at houses that didn't. Either way, it is useful, but only if you choose to use it. Just as a heads up though, to sign up and verify you are actually you, you can either provide your social, or elect to have a post card mailed to your house. The post card has a code that you can use to be granted that first time access.
I've actually been thinking about going back, but I have to be careful because I get roped into arguments too easily and I'd rather not have that.
In my neighborhood the next door app has alerted me via people’s posts to police activity, fires, criminal activity, etc. numerous times. I have to sift through all the political rants and the “your dog pooped in my yard again” posts but in the end I think it does serve well as a first alert aid in case of mobs/riots mass theft and looting situations.
Pure charcoal is sold as "lump charcoal" or "natural charcoal"
Some brickettes are compressed charcoal dust, some have chemicals all will have a binding agent.
Charcoal is also useful medicinally
Yes, well aware of charcoal?s uses. My concern is some moron trying to purify water with what is essentially lighter fluid and grilling charcoal.
Oh, I wouldn?t be too concerned with those kind of people.
Like everything else social media, there are plenty of criticisms of Nextdoor. It's basically Facebook, but for concentric circles around your immediate neighborhood. The negatives generally don't outweigh the positives, and there ARE positives that just can't be recreated in other ways. I'll give you some examples from my experience before I got kicked off.
The amount of stuff people are selling, and that you can sell to are great. A common thing I saw was people getting rid of dirt, fallen trees, and extra garden plants or chicken eggs. Sure, you could browse on Craigslist for that stuff, but you're in a much smaller market and things happen quicker and with more trust within your own neighborhood. I was able to sell a bunch of stuff that wouldn't have been worth the hassle on Craigslist, and might not have moved at a garage sale.
There are a ton of dumb posts about people seeing hawks, raccoons, and coyotes, and so many lost dog threads that you'll wonder if magic gnomes stole every fence and door latch in the neighborhood all at once. However, my parents neighborhood backs up to an open space, and mountain lion sightings can be posted up NOW, instead of some blurry picture in the monthly news letter 17 days later.
I often refer my neighbors who are in need of a contractor to turn to Nextdoor and ask their neighbors. If a big hail storm rolled through, their neighbors WILL have had their roofs replaced and can give first hand reports of good or bad companies, and heck, you can even drive by to check out the work yourself. Also, with people remodeling or repairing or whatever, there is always someone who needs a contractor.
People post up about businesses that they run that you might not otherwise know about. Events that are happening, etc. It's just an enhanced version of being involved in your neighborhood, and you get to control how much or little your participate. You can browse through and pick up information about stuff, and never post anything and you never run the risk of a negative interaction with your neighbors. There are abuses, and annoyances, but most stuff can be filtered or adjusted so it's not a constant bother. I think besides all the free or useful stuff, I liked how they'd do maps of who was passing out candy during Halloween for the kids. I think more kids at houses that wanted them, and less at houses that didn't. Either way, it is useful, but only if you choose to use it. Just as a heads up though, to sign up and verify you are actually you, you can either provide your social, or elect to have a post card mailed to your house. The post card has a code that you can use to be granted that first time access.
I've actually been thinking about going back, but I have to be careful because I get roped into arguments too easily and I'd rather not have that.
THANK you. You described the benefits and drawbacks of the Nextdoor App very well. It also provides a map for Christmas lights (much like the Halloween Candy map), and local garage sales.
It seems to work for some people. Others, not so much. But in this particular time, I've found it to be very valuable.
In my neighborhood the next door app has alerted me via people’s posts to police activity, fires, criminal activity, etc. numerous times. I have to sift through all the political rants and the “your dog pooped in my yard again” posts but in the end I think it does serve well as a first alert aid in case of mobs/riots mass theft and looting situations.
Very true! When people want to know about what all the police activity was about, there is always at least one person who not only knows the details, but is happy to provide details.
I tried Nextdoor for a week, and the signal to noise ratio was pretty much non-existent over here. Way too many SJWs, and mangy coyote and lost cat traffic.
The Ring Neighborhood app is just about as useless, probably because of the users being the same body of people.
Great-Kazoo
03-24-2020, 23:56
Yes, well aware of charcoal?s uses. My concern is some moron trying to purify water with what is essentially lighter fluid and grilling charcoal.
well they could always wash it down with some fish tank cleaner.
well they could always wash it down with some fish tank cleaner.
Hey, at least it prevented the Covid for that dude
Hey, at least it prevented the Covid for that dude
...and needlessly tied up emergency and hospital resources.
I tried Nextdoor for a week, and the signal to noise ratio was pretty much non-existent over here. Way too many SJWs, and mangy coyote and lost cat traffic.
The Ring Neighborhood app is just about as useless, probably because of the users being the same body of people.
I know what you mean- but you learn quickly who the SJWs are. And now that there's something to focus their attention on besides coyotes (HOARDERS!!!!!!11111!!!) there's a lot of squawking. But there are also threads of people that need help, treads of people volunteering to help, and bits of information from various occupations. Sure, there's racket. But if you can sift and sort out the BS, there are good things you can find- local contractors, stuff for sale, and so on. Even barter.
When I checked the mail today, at our community mailbox, someone had left a goody bag on top of the mailbox. "Take what you need" it said.
Pretty darn special, no app required.
-John
We know several large families (think 10 kids); they're usually pretty well stocked, but what we have done is put out the word that if any item is running low due to store limits, just let us know and if we can get extra, we will pass those along since the limits are frankly arbitrary in relation to need.
So for example if they are low on milk, and we are at a store that has a 2 milk limit, and we either don't need it, or only need 1, we would get 2 and shift the excess to them.
When I checked the mail today, at our community mailbox, someone had left a goody bag on top of the mailbox. "Take what you need" it said.
Covid-19 included, or was that optional?
Optional Covid-19, you would hope. :)
I saw a few fresh oranges, and then other boxes/bags of stuff.
-John
To be honest, this might make a late night snack for me, if nobody snatches it up.
I hate to have it stay out all night, and see the donator realize his donation was not used.
But hopefully, when I go out for my midnight snack, it will be gone.
-John
When I checked the mail today, at our community mailbox, someone had left a goody bag on top of the mailbox. "Take what you need" it said.
Pretty darn special, no app required.
-John
Special.
Yeah, I can definitely see that.
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