Prepping

Whether it's a natural or man made disaster, you need to be prepared. For the same reason we own weapons (When seconds count the police are minutes away), we should also be self sufficient when the power goes out and the grocery stores are empty. That means have a reserve of food, possibly a generator for lights and refrigeration and a supply of fuel for the generator. Situations may be so bad that you cannot leave the house. So it's best to hunker down and lie low.

With that being said, I thought this would be a good thread to share prepping/survival ideas. Maybe what type foods and how to store them, emergency lighting, etc.

I'll start with one I just learned yesterday and have already tested. The 45 Day Crisco Candle. Saw a Youtube vid on taking a can of Crisco/Any brand shortening. Taking a wick stick it down the middle of the can. Smear a little shortening on the wick and light it. They say it will last for 45 days at 8 hours a day (overnight).

Bought a can of Walmart Brand shortening ($4.12) and then went over to the sporting goods area and bought some kerosene lamp wicks (5 for $2.47). When I got home I took a straw and created a hole in the shortening and then used the straw to push the wick down into it. Put a little shortening on the wick and lit it. Where else you going to find a candle that lasts up to 45 days for $6.50?

Store things in water proof containers ..... Matches/Lighters, water purification tablets , Toilet paper,Spare clothes, Flash lights and extra batteries,Pocket Knife(Swiss army ), Sterno is a good source for heating up things , MRE's are a good source of long lasting stored food,,, The Brownies are great hehehe... A sufficient Water supply is a must. Some of the everyday essentials will make it a bit easier ... And don't forget some sort of self protection for when the looters come around. You should keep these things in a good easy to find element protected location.

This may sound a bit weird, But you know those solar lights you put in your yard. Don't forget them when the power goes out. They make a great alternate source of light and most come with an on off switch.

ViperJeff said:

This may sound a bit weird, But you know those solar lights you put in your yard. Don't forget them when the power goes out. They make a great alternate source of light and most come with an on off switch.

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Not a bad idea but I've never been impressed with their light output. Although in a "no power" situation I agree they're better than nothing.

Everybody go get some of those LED headlights. No...not for the car, for your head. They're great for putting light right where you want it and leaves your hands free. Along the same idea as Jeff was saying about the yard lights, get a couple sets of rechargeable batteries and a solar charger. This way when one set runs down you can swap them out of the charger. I've got a couple sets of the Energizer headlights and rechargeable batteries as a backup.



Costco has an emergency lantern that runs on 8 D batteries for $19. It's not going to flood a room in light but you'll be able to see where your going. I like the idea of LED because they don't use a lot of power but even though they are bright to look at, they don't project light very far IMO. The one exception is the headlights I mentioned above. I think I heard somewhere that bugs aren't even drawn to LED lights.

Here's a solar battery charger from Harbor Freight for $15. Think I'll pick one up to see how it works. AAA, AA, C, D, 9V.
Click on the photo and it'll take you to their website.

Let me know if it's a good buy, the price isn't to bad

ViperJeff said:

Let me know if it's a good buy, the price isn't to bad

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Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. A customer of mine and I were talking about Harbor Freight and he gave ma a 20% off coupon. So I went down there and ended up buying two of them. With the coupon they came to $13 and change each. I haven't really tested them yet but I think they'll function as a backup if the power goes out for an extended length of time. Cheap insurance to keep batteries charged up if you need to.

If you've never thought about prepping before, I encourage you to read this book.
One Second After is a story about a little North Carolina town after a EMP that shuts down the electrical grid nationally. It makes you aware of what we take for granted and how not having them affects our lives. It makes you want to prepare to survive and the story of this little town and it's people really kept me interested. Click the pic to read more about it and see an interview with the author.

ViperJeff said:

This may sound a bit weird, But you know those solar lights you put in your yard. Don't forget them when the power goes out. They make a great alternate source of light and most come with an on off switch.

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Great idea. They usually come with the cheapest AA rechargable batteries; replace them with a high energy name brand for better performance.

Remember that you can get potable water out of the back of the toilet and the hot water heater.

SilvSRT10 said:

If you've never thought about prepping before, I encourage you to read this book.
One Second After is a story about a little North Carolina town after a EMP that shuts down the electrical grid nationally. It makes you aware of what we take for granted and how not having them affects our lives. It makes you want to prepare to survive and the story of this little town and it's people really kept me interested. Click the pic to read more about it and see an interview with the author.

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If an EMP goes off close to your area won't that knock out any electrical items like batteries and stuff as well? I may be wrong on that, but that is what I got from an artile that I read about that kind of situation.

I saw the thing about toilet and water heater water as well. I also read that you can go into taller buildings and open the highest floors water source and then go to the lowest level water source to get the water out of the pipes that hasn't been used.

Maxx2893 said:

Remember that you can get potable water out of the back of the toilet and the hot water heater.

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Yep but I would definitely boil it first and if you use the little blue tablets the toilet is a no go. This is definitely good information for hurricane situations because allot of people forget about these things

william.womble said:

If an EMP goes off close to your area won't that knock out any electrical items like batteries and stuff as well? I may be wrong on that, but that is what I got from an article that I read about that kind of situation.

I saw the thing about toilet and water heater water as well. I also read that you can go into taller buildings and open the highest floors water source and then go to the lowest level water source to get the water out of the pipes that hasn't been used.

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I not sure about batteries but I don't think they'll be affected. I'm not sure how extensively EMP's have been studied. It's suppose to knock out sensitive electronics (radio's, computers etc.). I've heard conflicting opinions on cars being affected. I've heard everything from "The car will never run again" to "The EMP will cause it to stall but it'll start back up" to "The car is essentially a Faraday cage and nothing will happen".

The main problem is the electrical grid and how the power stations and switches are all computer controlled. If an EMP happens, It could potentially shut things down for awhile. Even if your car runs, it's only for as long as you have fuel for it because gas pumps won't be running. All of this is speculative of course. Lets hope we never find out for sure.

Just some general thoughts...

Water is number 1, especially in hot weather.

Firearms will be a must. Thirsty , hungry, unprepared people will try to take what they need from those who have it. You could potentially face a large group. A high capacity rifle like an AR or AK would be ideal, imo.

Food, we can last a lot longer without food than water but it is still a high priority. Canned foods will keep a long time and don't have to be heated. Ramen noodles are dirt cheap and if need be, you can eat them dry, right out of the bag.

As already mentioned, candles and renewable energy sources. Solar panels for charging batteries would be awfully nice. Lots of FRESH fuel for a generator if you have one. Also, don't just let it sit there for 4 years and expect it to start.



Simply having a fireplace would be great for heat in cold weather and for cooking without having to go outside.

You need to be careful using a generator. It can be awfully loud and attract attention. Unwanted attention. Even if you can quiet it down, You'll need to black out your windows. Light at night travels a long way. Again, attracting attention like moths to a flame. You don't want others knowing what you have (exception below).

Having a circle of like minded friends/family would be very advantageous. There's power in numbers. The more help/backing you have the better. It would be almost impossible for one person to hold off a group if they flank your position. That's why staying under the radar is so important. If it's just you or a small family, you want others to think you're as bad off or worse than they are. Maybe they'll leave you alone.

You may need to hunt for food. That's why a compound bow is a valued weapon to have. You can take a deer silently. A gunshot tells others that the grocery store is open.

Glad I have the ultimate apocalyptic vehicle IMO.

SilvSRT10 said:

You need to be careful using a generator. It can be awfully loud and attract attention. Unwanted attention. Even if you can quiet it down, You'll need to black out your windows. Light at night travels a long way. Again, attracting attention like moths to a flame. You don't want others knowing what you have (exception below).

Having a circle of like minded friends/family would be very advantageous. There's power in numbers. The more help/backing you have the better. It would be almost impossible for one person to hold off a group if they flank your position. That's why staying under the radar is so important. If it's just you or a small family, you want others to think your as bad off or worse than they are. Maybe they'll leave you alone.

You may need to hunt for food. That's why a compound bow is a valued weapon to have. You can take a deer silently. A gunshot tells others that the grocery store is open.

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I agree. Personally, I see a generator as most practical in a short term situation where power is out for a few days. Also, for hunting, it is VERY VERY easy to silence a 22 and it will be no louder than a bow and quieter than a pellet gun. It is also cheap and easy to stock up thousands of rounds.

oppo said:

I agree. Personally, I see a generator as most practical in a short term situation where power is out for a few days. Also, for hunting, it is VERY VERY easy to silence a 22 and it will be no louder than a bow and quieter than a pellet gun. It is also cheap and easy to stock up thousands of rounds.

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I try to buy a 500 round box every time I'm in Wally world. They have an ammo box with 1600 rnds of .22 CCI round nose bullets. But it's $98 bucks. I can get the 555 hollow points for $24 but they were out of them.

How would you silence a 22 in "end of the world" situations. Other than looting one lol. I've seen the videos of people using and adapter and oil filter. Just wondering what other ways there could be.

Bump