Preparedness

What did you do to prep this past week?

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Planning on making this a regular Sunday feature. So – What did you do to prep this past week?

Here’s my list:

Bought a Ruger SR22 pistol along with 3 extra magazines(private sale)

Picked up 2 extra 18-rd. magazines for my Canik TP9SA

CRKT Chogan T-Hawk arrived in my mailbox

300 rounds CCI 22LR AR Mini-Mags

Ordered components to put together a complete Battle Belt(stay tuned!)

Your turn!

JR

 

 

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57 Comments

  1. Lisa B says:

    Nothing major here. We did get some snares that I’m looking forward to setting up soon. Want to be comfortable using those before we “need” to. Also got some more freeze dried veggies. I wish I was canning meat but I have a glass cooktop so I can’t use the pressure canner on it, which means I would have to have it set up outside. That just doesn’t sound fun in these cold temps (currently 20 degrees).

    Thinking about adding bees or rabbits this year. We got chickens last year and I’m in a good routine with those so it seems like its time to add something else. Probably going to be bees since my husband isn’t a fan of the idea of rabbits. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Marti says:

      Lisa, You may use a Canning Pressure Cooker on glass top stove. Use the smallest one Presto makes, if your concerned about weight. I have glass top and use a 23 qt one, with no problem. Suggest you only Pressure Can in single layers, don’t double stack. Remember Hot Water-bathing is much heavier because of all the extra water weight. If you water-bath using your pressure cooker (naturally, not pressurized) then I would feel safe doing it as long as you have a Presto. Just my thoughts. Just did Chicken and Turkey meat last week. 🙂

      Reply
      1. Lisa B says:

        Hi Marti! I have an All American 21 1/2 quart canner. I thought I had read that some of the glass cooktops have a safety mechanism that prevents them from staying too hot for too long, making canning meats difficult. I haven’t tried it though. I would love to be canning through the winter so maybe I should give it a shot! I might be able to talk my husband into letting me get a Presto. 🙂

        Reply
        1. Marti says:

          Hi Lisa,
          An All American !! Good for you. Have one also but the Presto is not as heavy for this gal to move around. You know what you could always do is a ‘test heat’ filling the jars with water and process as you would meat and see how the cooktop reacts. If it goes into the safe mode then you know you can’t use the stove. Have a safe day

          Reply
          1. Bpitt722 says:

            We have an all American canner and use it on a glass-top stove on a VERY regular basis canning both meats and veggies. We have had NO issues doing this.

          2. Lisa B says:

            Oh, Marti! Great suggestion!!! I will definitely try that!

            Bpitt722, I am so excited to now hear from a second person that they aren’t having any issues! I tend to overthink/worry about things too much! I will definitely be trying it out this week!

            Thanks everyone!!!

    2. UbockinMe says:

      Lisa,
      Bees are such a great idea. Obviously pollination is a requirement if you’re growing your own food, but also, honey as a food source, propolis (bee byproduct) is a powerful antibiotic. Russian have been chewing on it for centuries! Bees wax ends up being used as candles, lip balm and natural lubricant for doors, windows, zippers that won’t spoil. It’s endless.
      You’ll be amazed and enamored if you get into bees. One normal healthy hive is home to 80,000 bees, all of which you’ll become very protective of.

      You shouldn’t forget about Mason Bees & other pollinators as well…. Sorry, I could write a book. Bees should be on every peppers mind and part of their plan.

      Reply
      1. Lisa B says:

        Thanks for the info, UbockinMe! Your passion for bees is contagious! I’ve started researching more today! I do feel like it the right thing for us to add. I just want to make sure that we do it right! 🙂

        Reply
        1. UbockinMe says:

          Lisa, you’re welcome. I’d be more than happy to share what we know about Bee Keeping if you’d like. Good companies, good books, type of hives etc. Wife & I have been in that world for a few years and have learned a lot. It is an investment though. Financially as well as time. Please email if you want more info or have any questions. Wouldn’t mind sharing at all. ubockinme@me.com

          Reply
    3. Kimmies99 says:

      Lisa, I have a Kenmore glass top stove and I have used a pressure cooker on it many, many times. I have the 16 and 23qt. I have actually used both of these at the same time, one on front and the other in opposite back burner. I use the Presto canners, have never tried my All American on it, may just use that one outside. I never have problems, you just don’t want to slide it, always completely pick it up. I figured if it cracked, it would be an excuse to buy a new stove. 🙂

      Reply
      1. Lisa B says:

        Hi Kimmies99! That is great news! Seems like I just need to give it shot! I’m so glad that I mentioned this and have been able to hear from people that aren’t having any issues!

        Reply
  2. Oren says:

    Hallelujah. Paid off the house this week! Last year my plan was to zero out my 401k to pay off the house and minimize our exposure in the event of a market nose dive. I cashed out the first week of January. Paid off the house last week. As you’ve noticed, the market has been taking a beating so far this year. Supposedly, the worse opening weeks for a new year since the Great Depression.
    This preparatory move has put me ahead in that I paid off the mortgage, and had a substantial amount left over. That gradually gets pulled out of the bank and placed in a safe for liquidity. For once I was able to set the plan an execute in front of the events on the horizon. Part of the credit goes to John Rourke for broadcasting the possibility of a major market downturn.

    Reply
  3. JBernDrapt says:

    This week I paid off a credit card, one less thing, paid down on a 2nd – almost there!
    Purchased 300 rounds of 556 and 300 rounds of 9mm; thankful for gift cards!
    Added 20 assorted cans of can goods; meat, veggies, fruit and beans and 20 lbs of rice.
    Stuck to diet and work out schedule and dropped another 6 lbs.
    Was able to reorganize supply stores and donate to food bank!
    Happy, happy, happy week. Keep looking up!

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Great job JBernDrapt. Good time to get ammo as prices are pretty good right now. I am waiting to see some 9mm and 5.56/.223 on sale before I pull the trigger on the next lot to put back.

      Reply
  4. jh says:

    Started workout schedule to increase endurance/strength, picked up 500rds of WPA 62gr FMJ, some food storage – various spices, 50lb flint corn, 100lbs pinto beans, 50lbs white rice, 50lb black beans and 50lbs hard wheat, 50lbs iodized salt, ordered three new sets of glasses from zeni optical – two regular and one set that get dark in the sun and two spares for the better half. And lastly bought a pair of double knee durable work pants from Wrangler Riggs to test out their durability.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      jh – salt is one thing I need to go ahead and put some back. I am placing an order with Zinni this coming week. Have used them the last several years and so far great.

      Reply
      1. SingleMom says:

        I really learned about the necessity of salt through experience a couple years ago. Because of family health issues, I’d never added extra to our meals and frequently reduced the amount in actual recipes. Circumstances were such that we were eating entirely from our stores, with little processed food. We were eating well, but I started getting sickly and weak and finally realized that my body was lacking salt. I ate a spoonful right away, and it made a world of difference. With so much salt added to prepackaged foods, most people don’t stop to think about what happens when that source is no longer available.

        Reply
  5. Gene says:

    Added 1800 rounds of 22 LR to the bin and 1000 rounds of 223 cal. Lost 2 chickens to egg bound Sad. Just watching the snow fall that sucks want 77 deg weather back. See the stock market doing a melt down Hey Washington has your back. Made donation to Gun Owners of America to help fight the gun grabber and said a prayer for our country but not the Leadership just the hard working Americans that LOVE the 2nd Adment. Going to be a rough road ahead folks. Keep your larder full and powder dry

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Hi Gene – thanks for the comments. Great job on the .22’s. Many areas still having a hard time finding them. You reminded me I joined the NRA this week. I had let my subscription lapse. Yes – the stock market has been on a roller coaster ride and it is not over by a long shot.

      Reply
      1. Gene says:

        Hey JR Lets give the warning that American are tired of being silent about there gun grabbing tactics Thanks for your renewal to save our rights. Great job on the web site Look forward to following each week

        Reply
    2. Irish-7 says:

      I think the .22 LR shortage has ended, at least up in the Northeast. I am having difficulty finding .22 WMR, though. I also renewed Gun Owners of America for this year. I selected them OVER NAGR, as GOA accepts a donation that you can afford and NAGR wants a minimum of $50.00!

      Reply
  6. JC says:

    Made up some snares, picked up some wheat, powdered (high fat) milk and a few other food items. Some first aid supplies and some iodine. A friend, who has decided to go gluten free gave us 50# of wheat and a 7.5 gal pail of nitrogen packed pasta. This was a great gift!

    Reply
  7. MacDaddy says:

    How do you like your Canik? I was just looking at one yesterday – I like how it fits in my hand but am concerned about the grip. It seems like it would make your hand uncomfortable after shooting for a while, due to the raised texturing along the rear of the grip – seems like it would bite into you hand? Do you use an aftermarket grip?

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      MacDaddy – I love the Canik and planning on buying a second one. It really is a pistol that is sending shockwaves through the industry and should gain popularity. It is so much cheaper than many of the big name pistols and just as reliable and INHO more accurate(due to superior trigger). Not knocking any other pistol – I own several others. Grip is great.

      Reply
  8. UbockinMe says:

    Hmmm, have to think about this. Was a busy week.

    Received 1,000 rds of practice loads and 100 rds JHP .40 S&W for two handguns, 500 rds JHP for my 9mm’s.

    Did a deep involved cleaning of my firing pin assembly on two of my striker fired pistols. It was quite revealing on how much junk can get into that most important piece of equipment. (One was suffering from an occasional light strike, now I know why).

    Reviewed and repacked my trauma response kit and did 4 +3 mile hikes with my “car pack” on…. Sweated through to the pack at 20 degrees…. Bugger!

    Most importantly to me… I signed up for a Remote/Wilderness Emergency Medical Responder course… 64 hrs of medical training. Just seeing what happened in Paris, Oregon, & California…. I wonder how many lives we could have helped save.

    Good post John!

    Reply
  9. VWB says:

    SR 22 is a sweet gun. Eventually want to get one of my own.
    Did some work consolidating dental supplies and ordering dental supplies not on hand. Watched a lot of youtube prepper presentations.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      VWB – I am far behind my video watching. I tend to sit down every couple of weeks and get caught up but it has been too long. A lot of good stuff on YouTube.

      Reply
  10. Gary Hines says:

    I did a little this week. Spent some of my Ebay money on the new SOG survival Tomahawk. Took it to the range with me today. Taught a tactical pistol shooting class this morning, then tested out the new axe. Puts a mean dent right through plywood with the pick side. The blade side doesnt stick to well in plywood. Id probably reccomend not using this as a throwing axe. If you miss, your enemy might pick it up and use it against you. but as a hand held weapon, it would be rather devestating. Spent 4 hours doing pistol drills shooting from differant stances, differant hands, etc. Then practiced combat reloading, admin, reloading, etc. Also ordered some of those new ETS clear magazines for my Glock 19. I am hoping they work as well as they look as I can see the benefit of being able to drop a mag, quickly see how many rounds you have left and reinserting it. Saves you from unnecessarily doing a reload if your not sure of how many rounds are left in your mag. I’ll report back later once they show up. No other crazy preps though.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Thanks for the comment Gary Hines. While a lot of people bought stuff you worked a lot on skills. Good job! I am going to shoot you an email and ask about your drills.

      Thanks!

      Reply
  11. Gunner says:

    Been a busy 2016 so far. 4 packs of smokes this year vs 1 1/2 a day before. 250 rds 9mm, 250 rds .45 ACP, 100 rds 7.62×51. Trucks paid off. Credit cards paid off. 100 lbs salt & sugar. Really need to spend a weekend inventorying the last years worth of efforts. If i get another free flashlight from Harbor Freight I’ll scream.

    Reply
  12. MacDaddy says:

    Not a whole lot. I received the 4-pack of army-like 5 gal metal gas cans I ordered on eBay (great deal, <$25/can, with spouts). I went to one of my favorite firearm/outfitter stores (PSA) and picked up some M-Pro gun grease and a sling for my DPMS Oracle LR-308 (purchased a few months ago from Gunbuyer.com for ~$725 – heck of a deal). Not sure if it's a good or bad thing that PSA opened a store in my neck of the woods…I'm going with good thing, though my wallet would disagree. I installed the sling, a quad-railed handguard, front and rear sites, barrel de-resonator, buttpad, angled foregrip and pistol grip on my LR-308, and also bore sighted it. Also received my Slide Fire AR-15 stock – another heck of a deal (~$99 from GrabAGun). So looking forward to sending some more lead downrange with my new toys – hopefully tomorrow.

    For those that have an LR-308/AR-10 – what optic do you use? I'm looking to outfit it with something that is decent quality and budget-friendly.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Sounds good MacDaddy. I assume you live in SC due to having a PSA near you?

      I would like to get some of those gas cans. Will check out ebay.

      Reply
  13. John Gault says:

    I try to contribute to my preps at least a little each week. This week a received 3 more 30 round mags for the AR and got my Remington 783 chambered in 300 winmag out of layaway. Went to Sam’s and picked up some stuff for the pantry.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      I see you must be planning on shooting the deer and field dressing it all in one shot Mr. Gault with that polar bear round. Wow. I have been looking at the Remington 783 as well and also the Ruger All American. Dick’s Sporting Goods has the All American on sale for $349 this week. I like my Winchester Model 70 in .270 but would like to get something else.

      Reply
  14. SingleMom says:

    Well, my progress sounds lame next to the rest of you, but I’m starting this new year nearly debt free. Recent health problems having me showing a little more sense about staying alive, so I’ve cut my cigarette consumption by more than half. I also left my high-stress job for a similar one that I love! I placed an order last night for some freeze-dried foods, and we’re planning our yearly stock-up at Sam’s Club. We’ve never fully recovered from that bad spell 2 years ago, but it looks like we’ll be able to get everything restocked and add to it throughout the coming year.

    Reply
    1. Lisa B says:

      Hi SingleMom! Your progress is HUGE and not lame at all! I wish I could say the same thing about being nearly debt free! I am feeling very convicted to get things paid off. We don’t have a lot of debt but to be debt free would be amazing! Sounds like you are heading down the right path! One step at a time….even if it has to be baby steps sometimes. 🙂

      Reply
    2. JR says:

      I agree with Lisa B – you have done great SingleMom. You have made strides that most of the sheeple do not even think about. Great job!

      Reply
  16. Fred C says:

    Purchased 450 rounds of 556, some 30:06. Zeroed my AR 15. Did some organization of our prep supplies.
    Does anyone recommend a cleaning kit for the AR? It is a 223/556.

    Reply
    1. UbockinMe says:

      Hey Fred, Re: AR cleaning kit… Truly after years, my cleaning boils down to clean microfiber clothes, q-tips, bore-snake for the correct caliber, nylon bristle brush & froglube. That’s it, for every gun I own. Most all kits have left something to be desired & these have always been my fall back… Now it’s just my “Standard Kit” if you will. Each of which are cheap and independently replaceable.

      I think what’s more important is knowing how to really clean a gun, keeping it in good working condition and knowing where to lube and where NOT to lube.

      Reply
  17. goingray58 says:

    Bought a small number of rounds .. Worked more on building my HotHouse and solar, ordered 3 nuclear Hives to take my bees up to 6 hives from 3. if they 3 survive the cold. Finished acquiring 3 manual meat grinders. Did some maintenance on my tractor and did some grading. Began my planting preps.. my big purchase was a PTO driven tiller. My thinking here after last year is that it takes A LOT more to feed yourself AND put up canning than I thought. My other thought is that if you have animals you’ll need to be able to feed them. They will EAT ALMOST ANYYTHING, but you have to have SOME tho feed them. By this summer I’ll have chickens, and quail.. ground corn will do .. and other grains.. so corn and millet, as well as Sorghum that is used for syrup and silage.. considering a cow but that is like real work with everything else. It feels a little under-powered from some of the ;lists above.. you guys have done really well .. We have other plans .. but they are pretty lose most times .. I am curious .. do you guys have fairly rigged lists or do you roll with it?

    Reply
  18. Irish-7 says:

    As previously mentioned on MSO, ammo and weapons purchases CEASED when my son began college in August. We did break down and buy 200 rounds of .22 WMR recently, as this caliber is unavailable locally or at a reasonable price online. Last week, I began the arduous process of replacing desiccant packets in my ammo cans. Since they are spread out, this takes several days. I also rotated cartons of cigarettes, toilet paper and coffee. I noticed some animals found one of our food caches, smashing open a jar of peanuts and a can of oats. I received some survival goodies as Christmas presents, hopefully enough to get another Get Home Bag assembled. I may have to postpone working on this stuff for a few weeks, as I have annual medical appointments coming up with the Veterans Administration and the tests/labs/clinical notes to maintain disability payments trumps all monthly activities. SHAMEFUL, that our government commits BILLIONS for Illegal Aliens and Islamic refugees, but a disabled veteran must kick, scratch and claw for every penny of compensation!

    Reply
  19. JohnP says:

    Irish-7, I agree, they must have a special department just to deny claims even when presented with paper work showing the dates of the injury being on a drill date, this is how obuma is funding his social agenda along with no COLA’s for Social Security and other benefits.

    Reply
    1. Irish-7 says:

      You are correct, Brother! NO COLA FOR SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS! Barry is saving that money for Syrian refugees and Illegal aliens! I know we are ALL enjoying lower gas prices. However, I am somewhat worried that IF the price of crude oil falls too low, OPEC MAY panic and ignore our Petrodollar agreement. This would collapse out economy!

      Reply
  20. jpaulie2008 says:

    This winter is going to be for beefing up the food supply and getting some of my personal gear projects done. Come spring time, the garden goes in and trying to store more of my harvest than last year. Spring will also bring be looking to finish the remodel on the camper/home on wheels…26 footer obtained at a reasonable price. It is at the going together stage now. Only 8 months of school left, then the hunt for a real farm is on.

    Reply
  21. Brenda says:

    Purchased via Kindle Carl Gallups’ new book “Be Thou Prepared”. Gallup,a former law enforcement officer and a pastor wrote as concise guide on the biblical reasoning for preparedness for individuals,groups, and congregations. Pleasantly surprised that he even included a section on being armed for troubled times. I ended up purchasing 2 paperback copies to share!

    Reply
    1. goingray58 says:

      @Brenda.. I’ll have to look at that .. I have never really spent any time with them .. Of course the weather here lately I couldn’t warm a pop tart .. 🙂 but probably 8-9 months a year rain not withstanding .. Thanks

      Reply
  23. Clark says:

    Glad to see your back buddy, just living vicariously through you did you get a chance to get that piece of property you’re looking at I sure hope so keep me up-to-date on a bro ?

    Reply

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