Random Thoughts

What Did You Do To Prep This Week?

21
Share

Spent a good amount of time researching what is happening in Venezuela. They are experiencing an economic collapse and it would be a very good idea to watch what happens there and learn from it. Interesting how I am hearing very little about Venezuela and the collapse in the main steam media. What a great example as to why socialism does not work.

Currently there are massive waits in line for basic essentials such as food, medicine, and toilet paper. Inflation is around 700%. Crime is spreading across the country with people having little to defend themselves with due to strict gun control. Infant mortality is way up due to lack of medical care and essential medicines.

Could it happen here?

Over this past week:

  • Caught up on some YouTube video’s.
  • Signed up to take a Carbine-Pistol Tactical Response class in June. Can’t wait.
  • Picked up 3 Home Depot buckets with lids for food storage.

 

Here’s something to get you thinking:

IMG_20160521_064653

 

So – what have you done this past week?

JR

 

 

You might also like

21 Comments

  1. SingleMom says:

    My daughter discovered a restaurant-supply store near us that’s open to the public and doesn’t have membership fees. A few of the items are more expensive than Sam’s Club, but over all the prices and selection were amazing. We didn’t get much on this trip, but we’ll definitely go back!

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Excellent SingleMom. I visited a similar store that some friends of mine(yes – I have a few friends) told me about. Looked to be good deals but it was just too far for me to travel to make it worth it. I still use SAM’s quite a bit.

      Reply
  2. M says:

    My DH finished the shelving in the basement. I then checked and inventoried supplies. Also went to HD and got a couple of buckets and a gamma lid for one that we use often. Feels good to get organized. Also made a new recipe “Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice”. We are trying to be better at “Eat what you store and store what you eat”. The recipe was great and something we can make in a dutch oven over a campfire. Also great place to get preps on a budget: Dollar Tree found some items to put in our BOB’s.

    Reply
  3. MacDaddy says:

    Good idea with the laptop. Might be a good idea to try to convert that case into a faraday cage as well. I’ve been contemplating whether I should purchase/repurpose a laptop or 7-10″ tablet to store all the digital survival books I’ve acquired over the years – tons of useful information that I’ve already forgotten. It would be useful to have something light weight and compact, that will fit comfortably in my BOB (along with a solar charger), a rugged case and good glass protectors, and definitely containing a solid state drive. I think I would prefer a tablet over a laptop, given the boot-time is typically quicker, they don’t use as much electricity and they can be left on standby for quite a long time. The tricky part will be finding a tablet with an easily removable battery…

    Reply
  4. Jane says:

    Can you explain more on the ipad set up for inventory please. A few more articles, ideas on the use of ipads, kindles for prepping and inventories. Thanks

    Reply
  5. Badger359 says:

    Venezuela is a good case study, 20 years ago it was the bread basket of South America before socialism. America is well on it’s way down this road as well IMO. At some point, the reality of what is happening, the true state of this country and freedoms, security, wellness, the ability to provide food for self. The gov’t will no longer be able hide behind smoke n mirrors, false brivados, cooking the books to make the stats look the way want “creative accounting narratives”, the EO’s the president decrees that clear constitutional violations thereby making them illegal. There is also Americas agenda of regime changes going in the world that has cause world instability (Egypt, Libya, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Iraq and in current progress Syria and Brazil. This weeks preps?
    No much, it’s our anniversary of eight wonderful years as of May 21st.
    All we did was take inventory of our prep supplies, what pain it was, I remembered why I hate cycle counting inventory every year at work. It’s a necessary logistic thing one must do.

    Reply
  6. JBernDrApt says:

    Found a medium and large Lodge iron Skillet, Stanley thermos and Leatherman Sidekick, plus a whole tackle box of lures, weights, string etc. for $15.!!! at a yard sale. Bought case of TP, case paper towels, a dozen bic lighters, 900 matches, and 6 1 lb propane bottles. 15 gallons of gas and treated, and filled my 50 lb propane tank. Bought 20 large, 20 medium aluminum foil pans and 200 ft aluminum foil.
    Venezuela, let’s pray we don’t end up like them but prepare like we will!!!!
    Keep Looking UP

    Reply
  7. CaptTurbo says:

    Picked up another case of M855 greenies. Seeding eggplant today to grow with the okra and collards in the summer heat.

    Reply
  8. Lightning says:

    Jane, I agree more inf on tech and inventory would be great. I have everything in my head or on paper. (and the mind can be fuzzy at times)
    JR- thanks I wasnt aware of the Venezuelan situation- thanks to our biased press.I dont think even Fox mentioned it though.
    Re: prepping I bought more ketchup(o n sale) and ordered some rechargeable plug in flashlights from the Red Cross site.They are having some sales. We especially like the small plug in flashlights- great size for carrying and they give a good bright light. ($20. for two plus shipping) A tad high but worth it-ours have lasted for years and we have given them as gifts.
    Still planting trees. Mowed and watered orchard.
    Lightning

    Reply
  9. secondrecon says:

    Well where to start ? 480 rds 30.06 2500 Rds .556 , New old Colt 1917 and clips ,5 more hydroponics sets . checked all food storage and some other preps, Summers Here and you have to double check everything. Another 100 gallons of fuel stored and treated. Last still selling my knife collection to help pay for this stuff on eBay

    Reply
  10. Gunner says:

    Picked up 2, 6 gallon water jugs and 7, 5 gallon buckets, have a dozen gama lids left fom Christmas presents. DW caught me doing the inventory of ammo I promised. Just smiled and walked away. Later asked how we look? I smiled and said can never have enough. She just said you take care of the bullets I’ll take care of the beans. Im a lucky man. Sawyer Mini was $19.97 at Walmart today. Glad I got mine last week on Amazon.

    Reply
  11. Indiana Joe says:

    Lets see….. Bought a couple of the Sawyer filters while on sale. Bought a cool Case back-pocket carry knife which was on sale. Continued renovating my 2000 jeep Cherokee, to bring it back into fighting shape.
    Bought some collapsible silicon cups at Walmart, and checked out their new camping items. There is a cool 2 person cook set for 15 clams that is on my short list.
    Went to the zoo and admired the bison, and thought about what a great EOTW place it would be to live in.

    Reply
  12. jh says:

    Not much, Finally warm & dry enough to prepare and plant the home and community garden this week, oil change on motorcycle, more maintenance on the jeep, bought a couple buckets & lids for food storage. Our community garden was expanded by another 10 feet, just amazed at how many people have no clue how to prepare/plant a garden. One person trying to dig holes wearing flip-flops another using a sub-par hoe having to keep bending it back to use it, another complaining how hard work it is and having blisters on their hands only after a half hour of weeding with no gloves. Been reading about Venezuela also, we can look at Argentina & it’s collapse also to see similarities in what the populace runs short of and how things play out to a degree. The similarities are amazing.

    Reply
  13. Jim says:

    Not much this week….
    Purchased a few more clearance Bowie knives from Walmart.
    Cannot plant a garden, so started a few vegetable planters and a banana tree.
    Prepped 2 old Droid Razrs for data storage.

    Reply
  14. goingray58 says:

    Added food to stores, added ammo, planted 5 raised beds, ran seeper hoses and part of a secondary plot .. all with vegetables we like and can eat/can, added to seed store, continued roofing on hot house.. ( I can honestly say putting up 20 ft tin sections and lining them up by yourself is a pain. I know how my chickens feel when roosting now. Course my feet aren’t supposed to be shaped that way). Added supers to all my hives and fed and mowed around them.. all good no beetles), Did rifle practice with .243, AK47, K31. The AK wasn’t mine .. sounds just like I remember it.

    You can get some really inexpensive android tablets in Amazon, if you don’t use a phone plan and don’t need the hotest latest.. Just get one with the ability to add an SD Chip and make sure it is big enough to house what you need to look at. Use a USB to attach to you laptop and load the docs .. or you can wireless do it.. but it’s slower. It’s pretty easy to got the play store and get apps that recognize bar-codes.. While i haven’t done it yet.. you can print the same bar-codes and attach to whatever you want (buckets, ammo boxes etc.. Inventory is scan and done then. .. You can save the inventory bar-codes with a list of whats in them to a doc and store the doc on the tablet as well. The more we do and keep up with the more time becomes as much a barrier as money. I want quick an done so I spend my time acquiring more knowledge or skills.. instead of administrative work.. IMO.

    The more i find and store to reference the more I find it’s the organization of what I store that lets me find what I need. Short of putting it in a NEW database.. I may do that as well .. but nothing good on android.. Linux and windows yes .. but not yet android for what I want anyway.

    I look forward to hearing what JR has done ..

    Venezuela is a good case study .. Much of what I have seen and read shows us what hungry people are willing to do… Some are good people in a really bad situation. (the video’s are pretty awful). I see nothing that tells me our citizens would do anything very differently if it came to it. Sick and hungry kids to help and protect are the same no matter where you are from. It seems like from what I read that the first problem are from criminals that take immediate advantage of others weaknesses, then when resources run out .. good people become pressed in t bad behaviors.. Each is forced to take what they need.. Worse as it goes on bands work together, or areas get warlords.. or tribal chieftains of sorts.. The existing gangs and cartels I suspect are a big part of that. I also suspect it is worse than what is reported.. we likely only see the bet of the worst .. I feel for them.. Given recent reporting that Commercial Industrial loans bankruptcies have ballooned 137% in the last 2-3 years at all banks.. the US economy is living on it’s name and history as compared to other countries.. The more fragile it becomes, the less it takes to tip it over and the less chance of revival.. I don’t fear bailouts nearly as much I fear bail-ins. Hyperinflation is a severe when it occurs.. since investments in fiat currencies can go from huge to zero value in days .. that 401K’s and Pension-plans.. as well as individual savings not directly tied to hard assets in our possession.

    Guess we’ll see.. I’l be working as hard as I can on my preps.. yup.. Maybe I won’t need them.. but imagine if I do an don’t have them… scary..
    So what do you think ? Is fear the biggest enemy or something else?

    Reply
  15. Lightning says:

    Goinggray58- I have been bee keeping for many years. One of my hives swarmed yesterday ( a hot day pre- storm -they always do before a storm) This is the first time I have ever had a swarm in May (we live in the Northeast) -usually it will happen in June.
    I hope you fare well with your bees. The queen had lots of room to lay but she must have perceived that she didnt. Lightning

    Reply
    1. goingray58 says:

      Lightning.. we have had tons of spontaneous splits.. way more than years past .. lost half of 1/3 hives that I caught only one of .. as in Half the bees in a third of my hives split themselves.. it’s an odd weather year.. began sometime in mid April .. Ours had room too.. They however were generating Queen cells.. I usually take that to mean the queen is weak and needs as replacement.. In this case it meant some of the kids left home .. it stayed cool a lot longer than normal and retarded the blossoms opening until later .. I thought it was food .. so I fed the sugar water .. didn’t help…. I’m ok with bees not reading the books but spending money to raise healthy bees only so the ungrateful bugs go elsewhere to make homey is not joyful for me.. You can do it all just right .. and in the end they are insects that respond to stuff we can’ see and don’t understand.. If I don’t take a Zen approach I’ll just use black flag on them :).. It’s a learning experience and this year it’s mead and learning what I want to do with bees wax .. and I will likely make flavored honey spread .. It’s pretty big down here and it sells for way more than honey .. and keeps indefinitely as long as it’s not too hot. I like to do barter mostly and gifts to keep my rich uncle from getting richer.. Talk atcha later.. good luck with yours as well

      Reply
  16. Lightning says:

    Going grey-thanks.I dont want to bore everyone with bee talk but if youd like to discuss some bee issues further please ask JR for my e mail. I had 14 hives a few years ago and am now down to two.Yes replacement is expensive .Last year I had two that just swarmed out-in spite of all precautions. Here in the north I know despite my leaving on extra honey they couldnt take the brutal cold .
    This winter was much milder. What area do you live in -if you dont mind sharing that?
    Many folks have gotten into having a hive or two-thats great because we need all the pollinators we can get. By the way I am completely grey-smile . Lightning

    Reply
    1. goingray58 says:

      hey there .. been gray .. in this case goinggray means becoming as unnoticeable as possible .. and or off grid as possible… nails that stand out over much get hammered..
      I’m in west TN and it has been very mild.. I have 10 hives now .. so far .. and ditto .. feral bees don’t have anyone to medicate for beetles or viruses etc..
      JR has My email as well and whether you email me or I you I’m good with it .. and we can relieve everyone else not interested in the Hymenoptera order.

      I look forward to it
      GG58

      Reply
      1. Lightning says:

        GG58-Thanks for the clarification on your name-yes I have read about becoming less visible-good idea.OK JR please give GG58 my e mail so we can continue buzzing about those pesky bees. Thanks.
        Lightning

        Reply
  17. joyce says:

    Awwww, GG58/Lighting….we all were enjoying your witty banter 🙂 AND the bits of bee raising info. One never knows what pleasant conversation will be found here when a new post is read…..

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *