From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Todays Flu Prep VII

16 June 2006

Oremus – at 13:55

Starting new thread due to length of Old Thread. Todays Flu Prep VI

Oremus – at 13:59

I bought 10 five gallon food buckets and lids. I did check with area grocery stores for free ones but they would not part with theirs.

I told a friend of my purchase and he said he could get me some free from a restaurant he used to work for. I hope it pans out.

I also bought two boxes of masks.

Mari – at 14:13

The best place I’ve found so far for free 5-gal food-grade buckets is the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.

17 June 2006

Still Open - Tall in MS – at 01:05

Bump - so that ‘Closed BroncoBill’ won’t own the ‘Last 50′ list

Gary Near Death Valley – at 01:29

bump

Galt – at 01:51

Bump

Lily – at 12:31

We have a monthly clean up day, Today I rescued from a neighbors trash, two coolers, About 25 lbs of miracle grow potting soil, and a bunch of very fine veneered particle boards used for a bookshelf. Will be having a candlelight and firefly and stars picnic for a friend, so all will come in handy. Use large crystal trays for water, green leaves, floating daisies and candles. The coolers for icing wine, the handsome boards for extending a bench into a serving board. to hold the candle trays. The Potting soil for fragrant herbs (spearmint for mint julips) and fragrant purple petunias. Just what I needed. I noticed that most of everything put out by this neighbor has vanished. Actually a few blocks away so I didn’t feel too bad about this rescue. Now all I need is the fireflies.I’m going to swing back on my way home and see what other treasures she is tossing out.She must be clearing out a relatives garage. My kids always tossed a lot when they had a chance. (Don’t throw out all those great shopping bags is my cry, if nothing else donate them.)

Lily – at 12:34

Now I have to go home and throw out a few useless doo dads too.Heart breaking to part with junk.

HillBilly Bill – at 12:36

I had a rather odd thing happen when I stopped at my local grocery and asked for any buckets they were throwing away. First I was questioned extensively about why I wanted so many buckets. I explained about storing food at home and at our church for emergencies but did not mention PF51. Then the manager of the deli was summoned and she said that she thought I was getting the buckets for free and then re-selling them! She handed me a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and said I could have this one but not to ask anymore. Pretty strange huh?

Anyway, between that grocery, Family Dollar and the Dollar Store I spent about $100 on cleaning products, paper towels, TP, canned hams, sardines, smoked ham hocks, salt pork, lard, butter and butter-flavored crisco. For some reason I have the “willies” again, but then I have had them a lot of times before.

Jefiner – at 12:56

Regarding the paranoia over five gallon buckets—groceries around here won’t part with them, because people use them for cleaning and when they are not watching, some toddler falls into the bucket and drowns. One store is being sued because of this :-( (I guess because there wasn’t a label in three languages stating to watch your kids while cleaning).

I found containers at Big Lots-for seven bucks per- (designed to hold pet food) which are food grade, airtight and have a latch. These can be stored two high. I bought several, and use them to store rice, beans, taters and dried fruit.

Galt – at 13:05

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but can it generally be assumed that anything designed to hold pet food is food grade (in the human food sense)? That sounds like a good deal taht Jefiner got.

For others looking for buckets, I have gotten them from my local “hole-in-the-wall” bakery. They now sell theirs, but they only want $1, for a 5 gallon **CLEANED** food grade bucket with lid. Owner appears to have formed a cottage industry of sorts having her grandchildren cleaning out the icing buckets for resale. For the mess that cleaning that greasy icing is, $1 is some bargain to me. Others might find similar good deals at the smaller places in their towns, rather than the bigger stores. By the way, re: Jefiner @ 12:56, the bakery buckets I’ve gotten have a safety label in two languages about kids drowning.

Galt

Mari – at 13:08

HillBilly Bill – at 12:36 - I had hoped getting buckets that were going to be thrown away was going to be a win-win situation (the bakery gets to reduce their trash and I get a free bucket), but often they spend time cleaning out the buckets before handing them over, so it’s probably a net cost to them. Our throw-away society strikes again!

Jefiner - at 12:56 - Nampac, the company that makes most of the buckets used by bakeries in my area, has a warning message in shiny gold paint on their 4 & 5 gallon buckets about kids potentially falling in.

lohrewok – at 13:13

Some more questions here:

Hillbilly Bill-how are you going to keep the smoked ham hocks for long term storage?

On different lists I’ve seen large amounts of wheat recommended for long term prep. ex: 300lb per person for 1 year. What does one do with all that wheat? Grind it for bread? Any other uses? Where can one find a grinder? Could I just buy flour? Is the ground wheat used the same as whole wheat? LOL the whole idea is just confusing to me.

I also scored some frosting buckets at the local grocery. $1 each. I am going to call our local Pepsi company to find out about 55 gal drums.

Mari – at 13:17

lohrewok – at 13:13 - Please post the response you get from your local Pepsi company. When I called several months ago, my local Pepsi company said “No”. If another one says “Yes” it will be valuable info for me when I try again.

OKbirdwatcherat 13:30

Oremus - at 13:59

May I ask if you bought your buckets and lids locally or mail order? I found them for $7 from a mail order source that I’ll be ordering other items from anyway - so no extra shipping. Is $7 for a 5-gal. bucket & lid a good price? Thanks! (I’m just now venturing into the whole food bucket thing.)

gardner – at 13:35

I think Home Depot has 5 gallon buckets with lids for $5.

Safety Lady – at 13:35

Other uses for wheat: sprout, grow wheat grass, cook for pilaf, cook sprinkle with oil, roast to eat out of hand, etc, etc, etc.

Our local Albertsons Bakery often has the 3 and 5 gallon buckets. I have 20 filled with various dried foods. I am well stocked, have an artesian well, masks, 2 fire arms and lots of ammo, a husband that supports me. I also have 36 large cans of preps I ordered. In the next couple of months hope to have 52 cans of dried foods. I am also canning. I have three tiered prep foods. Fresh, home and commercially canned and dried (both home and commercial. None of my three grown kids prep. Oldest son lives in Sacramento. He has a full cupboard. Youngest son is a chef and lives locally. He has nine boxes of cereal, poptarts and crackers (he eats at work, kids eat out or at home.) Daughter lives in NY. Has a full freezer and cupboards and is working in a hospital with her boyfriend. Guess where she will be if something goes down. At work! Her 12 year old son will be at home.

OKbirdwatcherat 15:32

Thanks gardner!!! And I guess it’s been determined by the bucket experts:)here on the forum that these would be food-safe? I’ve read some of the discussions on that topic but don’t remember specifically about Home Depot buckets. Seems if they’re sold for paint and such that they might not be.

Mari – at 15:39

As far as I know, nobody has gotten a “yes, they’re food-grade” from Home Depot. I especially wonder about the orange ones.

Lily – at 15:42

Went to my local A&P because a local paper had a headline about the bird flu and I wondered if people had paid any attention, also had a good sale on Poland Spring water, less than 10cents a bottle which I swig down with a tea bag in it. Poland Spring a little low, other things in full stock. Bought a few items extra things at 2 for 1 and Pure Blueberry juice to buy the full amount to get the water steeply discounted. They seem to be running the 10 for 10$ specials, on things I don’t deem needed. I am not putting expensive items into my gift prep baskets. As I upgrade my own preps I’m putting things aside for others. noticed that on one brand of pastas they put the cooking time on the front, so I bought some that cook in 6 minutes to see how I like them.Tiny bows which might flesh out chicken broths.

Mari – at 15:53

Well, I baked my first batch of cookies in my new Sport Solar Oven (without reflectors), and they came out fine. The oven reached a maximum of 250 F according to the supplied thermometer. I’ll be testing other recipes next week. Eventually I want to build several of the cardboard/aluminum foil designs and compare performance. My SO’s backyard has no shade, so we should be able to cook almost anything there.

Gary Near Death Valley – at 16:13

Mari – at 15:53 my wife and I have had two solar cookers since 1999, one a Solar Chef and one called the Sun Oven. We have used them for chickens, turkeys, cakes, cookies, beans, stew, etc,. and we use it alot during the summer time. One thing about solar cooking is that it is very rare that you “burn” the food, as the sun passes in front and goes down, the temperature drops. Yes have to make a trip to turn it ahead of the sun every hour or so, but it cooks great.

Mari – at 16:25

Gary Near Death Valley - For those of you with lots of experience with solar oven cooking, how about posting some recipes adapted for solar oven?

Mari – at 16:51

Second batch of cookies were done by 1 hr, maybe less. The cookies are peanut butter, pressed down with a fork crossways.

DebPat 17:50

I happened to take my mother to target today. All their summer merchandise is half off. I got a single burner propane stove and two rain ponchos for less than the actual cost of the stove. As a bonus, my mother even bought one. I am slowly convincing her to prep. It was a good day.

HillBilly Bill – at 18:03

lohrewok – at 13:13 I’ve got the smoked hamhocks in the freezer for now, same with the salt pork. I have a plan to keep refrigeration for a few months so I will be able to keep them for awhile. Since dry beans take so much water and fuel to cook, I plan to use them up as much as possible at first and try to save easily heatable canned food for later on. MMMM..soup beans with a hamhock and a pan of cornbread!

Kathy in FL – at 18:13

HillBilly Bill – at 18:03

Hey … glad I caught you. Have a question on canning soups. I’ve never used any recipes for soups except what is in the Ball Blue Book but I have a couple that I would love to can.

Do you can your soups fully cooked or do you just partially cook them and allow the pressure canning to finish the cooking time?

Thanks.

Hillbilly Bill – at 18:19

Kathy in FL: After eating mushy soups for awhile, I found it best to just partially cook them an let the pressure canner finish the job.

Hillbilly Bill – at 18:23

Working on more sourdough bread today. Hopefully this batch will be better than the last.

I mowed pature with the tractor for several hours today, not the most intellectually stimulating activity, but it does give you some time alone with your thoughts. Something occoured to me that I would really like an answer on. Where do cabbage seeds come from?

Kathy in FL – at 18:23

Hillbilly Bill – at 18:19

Thanks, that’s what I thought but I did wonder a bit. I found a really good beef short rib “stew” type thing that you are supposed to add dumplings to.

Our grocery has BOGO sells on the boneless beef ribs at least once a month and I thought this would be a good recipe for that. I’ll just brown the ribs and then add the remainder of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then pour into hot jars and process for 90 minutes.

When I’m ready to use it I can always add some more tomato juice and bring to another boil and put dumplings on at that point. I sounds like a good, hearty meal that can even be poured over rice or egg noodles if I don’t want to do the dumplings.

Hillbilly Bill – at 18:25

Kathy in FL: MMM..sounds like a winner to me!

Kathy in FL – at 18:26

Hillbilly Bill – at 18:23

You ever seen cabbage “bolt”? Broccoli and lettuce do it as well. Its when you leave it in the garden past its prime and a flower stalk appears. Seeds are in the flowers thought I’ve never seen how you gather the seeds.

Jane – at 18:27

Only white buckets *might* be food grade. I got mine from Lowe’s and I think they are food grade, because someone called the manufacturer, Encore, to check on it.

lohrewok, there’s a luxury dessert I’ve had, and made it myself once, Italian wheat pie. Probably we could substitute dried eggs, and any dried fruits and flavorings we have on hand. Might work if steamed in a pressure cooker?

Easterwheatpie

Easter grain pie

While searching, I found another Easter pie recipe with meat and cheese.

meat pie

Jane – at 18:32

Just remembered, there’s also a chocolate wheat pie. <g> Don’t have time to find it now.

Gary Near Death Valley – at 18:33

Mari – at 16:25 basically what ever we can cook in the oven of our kitchen stove, with addition of a little more liquid, and any thing you use in a slow cooker works great in a solar oven. Everything we have cooked in the soalr oven, we did not use a recipe. The approximate time is about the same as in a conventional oven,,,you just have to turn the solar cooker so that the face of the sun crosses it. If the item is getting close to being done, just turn the solar oven past the point that the sun directly hits it, away from the path of the sun, and it will slow cook with the trapped heat. One thing with beans, you do not have to let them soak overnight.

Hillbilly Bill – at 21:49

Kathy in FL – at 18:26 I have seen brocoli, cauliflower, lettuce and spinach do this but around here the cabbage just turns rotten in the middle. Must take a longer growing season. Thanks for the answer!

gardner – at 22:18

Hillbilly Bill, regarding cabbage.

According to the handy Growing Garden Seeds by Robert Johnston, Jr. (founder of Johnny’s Seeds of Maine), cabbage is a biennial and flowers in the second year.

“Plants are grown so as to produce mature heads before the ground freezes in the North, and in late fall in the South. Plants are harvested, leaving roots attached, the outer leaves trimmed, and heads sorted out for desireable characteristics. . . . Optimum storage conditions are high humidity to prevent drying, and temperatures near freezing. Heads can be stored outdoors because with cabbage, some degree of freezing will not damage the tissued due to the fact that the heads will thaw very gradually because of their bulk. In this method plants are reset early the following spring about 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart, setting the plants deeply so the heads rest on the soil or slightly below.

“In Denmark it is common to reset the plants immediately after roguing in the fall. Plants are set in furrows and soil is hilled over the plants for winter protection. In the spring soil is drawn away to expose a portion of the heads. This method eliminates the work of transporting and storing heads, and could prove well-adapted to cabbage seed produciton in parts of the Northern US.

“In mild areas heads can be sorted and immediately replanted as above and require no protection over the winter.

“It is common practice in early spring to make cross cuts, about one inch deep, into the top center of each head to facilitate emergence of the second-year growth. Do not cut too deeply or you may in jut the growing point of the cabbage’s core.”

The book goes on to say that you can plant cabbage seeds very late, just in time so that the plants form rosettes of leaves (but not heads) before cold weather sets in, then hill up the soil around them or partially cover them to protect them in winter. They’ll produce seed the next year without ever forming a head. But since they don’t produce heads, this method doesn’t allow you to choose only the heads with the most desireable characteristics to produce seed.

The flowers produce thin pods with the seeds. When they are mature, the pods turn brown. Harvest the whole plant near the base when all but the terminal pods are mature and brown. Then lay the plants out to allow them to complete drying. If it’s humid, that might take a few weeks, and plants should be kept under cover if possible. You can dry the plants on a sheet or something to catch any seeds from seed pods that shatter early.

And on other matters, I made soup beans with ham hocks yesterday. Wonderful stuff.

gardner – at 22:21

I should add, I’ve never tried growing cabbage for seed. This is just what the book says (though the book has no typos).

HillBilly Bill – at 22:53

gardner: Thanks for the info, funny what you think about while sitting on a tractor for hours.

Gotta have some cornbread with those beans and ham hocks. I found packages for $0.99 that only need water.

18 June 2006

lohrewok – at 00:24

Thanks for the wheat info everyone. I’ll try freezing some ham hocks. I’ve always just bought them and used them up right away.

I could kick myself. I bought a camping stove on ebay without reading any details about what fuel it uses. apparently it uses some type of butane cartridge. Anyone have any ideas on where I could find such an item? I am so clueless when it comes to any type of camping/survival stuff.

Mother On A Mission – at 00:31

Wal-Mart, camping stove propane bottles.

Oremus – at 02:55

I was in the Kmart camping section today. They had these utility tents (picture a tent the size of an outhouse that you stand in). It said you could hang your camp shower inside. You could also use it for your portable toilet. I did not buy it as I’m tight on funds at the moment.

kmart-skeptic – at 03:08

Oremus at 2:55

unless you go primitive camping with large groups on a regular basis, save your money.

Buy a large tarp you can use for other things. Buy 4 2×2′s or some 2×4′s and some rope, and download some plans to build a teepee type frame. If you really want to get fancy, add some grommets at the appropriate places to your tarp where you have large screws in the 2–4′s to hang the grommets from.

Buy or collect a bag of small river rocks (like path sized rocks) to make a standing base, so you don’t stand in the mud.

gardner – at 11:33

I have an odd question.

I’ve seen mention of the need for drinks with electrolytes for fluid replacement. Gatorade is often recommended.

I haven’t had Gatorade since I was in high school, but I recall I hated it.

What are electrolytes and how can I get them without resorting to Gatorade?

gardner – at 11:40

RE: electrolytes. Woodson’s monograph suggests water with some salt and sugar or honey. Is getting electrolytes as simple as that or are they something different?

Average Concerned Mom – at 11:48

I’ve spent the past week decluttering my basement closet (under the stairs) and getting unneeded (baby) items in there ready to sell. I put my 4 7-gallon Aquatainers in there (my preschooler helped me fill them) and 4 cases of half liter bottles of water.

I also put in our 72-hour “kit” — right now it is just a thrift strore backpack filled with some water bottles and milk boxes. And we have a big rubbermaid tub I’m filling with all our tetrapacks of liquid from the pantry — cartons of chicken broth, Parmalat milk, cases of soda and juice. So, the closet is essentiaaly our “liquid storage area”.

Finally, this is really funny, in decluttering the basement, I just discovered we HAVE a 55-gallon barrel in the corner — we were using it to prop up our bikes that we never ride. It smells a lot like Pepsi— I am remembering now that 3 years ago we moved in and a neighbor gave us the barrel along with instructions to make a rain barrel collection system! So, I can clean it out and use it for water storage if ever I feel it is cenessary!

I can believe the basement was so cluttered I didn’t KNOW I had a barrel. (-:

not trying to be rude – at 12:10

gardner-

electrolytes are ionic compounds (salts) our bodies need to function. Gatorade was developed by the univ of florida (the gators) as an efficient electrolyte replacement therapy for their football players.

I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but maybe you should pick up a basic biology book to help you understand how the human body works and reacts, it’ll help you to understand what may or maynot happen

gardner – at 12:29

I know a fair amount about biology for a layperson—perhaps not as much as I should, of course. But electrolytes have never been in my radar before. I run a lot, but not enough to require electrolyte replacement like a pro football player.

So Gatorade is best for electrolytes, and I might grit my teeth and buy some anyway, but can you get electrolytes in any more natural sources, even if not as efficiently as in Gatorade? What did people do before there was Gatorade?

Melanie – at 12:32

gardner,

Salt tablets.

not trying to be rude – at 12:37

Gardner at 12:29

on the wiki side there is a recipe, salt, sugar, and baking soda I think. The exact recipe is there.

Electrolyte replacement is for anyone who is sweating and excreting, on a ‘normal’ day, most people get more than enough from food and drink. If you exercise your needs go up, if you exercise in humidity where you sweat more your needs go up, if you exercise in heat your needs go up, hiking in the southwest, football in florida, being home sick, are examples where you need to actively replace your electrolytes. Just drinking plain water makes it worse, because that allows you to sweat more and lose more electrolytes and can be dangerous. Look up hyponatremia.

Jane – at 12:38

Average concerned mom, does your closet have a floor that’s something other than concrete? We’ve been told that plastic bottles can absorb unpleasant/toxic chemicals from concrete, and perhaps something that will break down the plastic, too. I put my kerosene and Klean Heat containers on plastic grocery bags, but I think I’ll put some cardboard under them too.

Also, the water might need something added to make it last without growing anything while stored. Some people are waiting until the last minute before filling containers. And congratulations on your discovery of the barrel!

We have piles of stuff in the basement, too, and I don’t even know where to start. I’m trying to think of a way to sort the odd pieces of lumber and not have it be in the way of water pipes or windows.

Average Concerned Mom – at 12:46

Jane—

Our basement is semi-finished, and the floor has some kind of 1970′s era tiles on it — I believe the home inspector said that they were “suspected asbestos-containing materials” and not too fuss with them too much, i.e don’t try to remove them. I had never heard that concrete would do anything to plastic; I wonder about the tiling now? Most everything I have is on a wooden or metal shelf, anyhow.

I did add 1/8 tsp. chlorine bleach per gallon of water to the Aquatainers, just to be safe. I don’t mind refreshing the water every 6 months to a year if necessary. I’d rather have it than be trying to fill something in an emergency, with my luck I’d forget anyhow, I have a pertty hectic life. I am waiting on filling the barrel.

flourbug – at 13:51

gardner – at 11:33 - What are electrolytes and how can I get them without resorting to Gatorade?

Electrolytes are minerals - specifically, salts, and for our purposes especially sodium and potassium - that your body needs. You lose electrolytes through perspiration and urination. Your body is always eliminating some electrolytes, but you lose a lot more when you exercise, or are ill, or the temperature is high.

Emergen-C is a powdered drink that comes in a variety of flavors. The tangerine tastes a bit like Tang. Just add it to water, and drink. I keep a few packs in my purse, along with a bottle of spring water (grabbed from the fridge as I head out the door). Hubby and son both like to drink it after playing in the park, on the beach, etc.

gardner – at 14:14

flourbug and others, thanks. In my experience, people talk about replacing your salts. Just not used to hearing them referred to as electrolytes. Even my UC Berkeley Wellness Encyclopedia, which I presume is not completely worthless, has long and detailed discussions of sodium, potassium, etc., sources for them, etc., but “electrolyte” isn’t even in the index. It talks about sodium after exercise and fever, but doesn’t use the word “electrolyte.”

flourbug – at 15:06

gardner, when I was younger I was involved in gymnastics, whitewater kayaking, horse riding, and I really enjoyed training and going on bicycle “century” runs - 100 mile trips on my bike through the Pocanos or Lancaster areas of Pennsylvania, usually when it was over 90 degrees in the shade. When we took a break I ate a bag Fritos and drank a bottle of Pepsi. If I was really lucky, I’d be able to get some ice cream to go with it.

There are better ways now… but none of them taste as good as a bag of chips and a bottle of cold soda… and a Good Humor bar. lol

CashBat 16:56

gardner, if it has been many years since youve tried gatoraide, there are newer flavors than the original yellow one. There is an orange one and a red one that taste much better to me. The other advantage is that is is sold in big cans as a powder that lasts for years and would take up much less space than equal amounts of the liquid. The doctor told my DH to drink a half gallon of the stuff per day not long ago when he had a respriratory infection.

birdie74 – at 19:31

Regarding the Gatorade: You can purchase the powdered mix (in many different flavors) at Gatorade’s website, or Wal-Mart sells the powdered mix in about 3 flavors. I bought the Gatorade ‘Frost’. To be honest, I haven’t tried this flavor but didn’t want to pay the shipping charges from ordering on-line at Gatorade. My personal favorite is the ‘Fruit Punch’ flavor, which my Wal-Mart didn’t have in the powder. The expiration date on the powdered mix that I bought is 27-MAR-08 and makes 2 gallons.

I made a trip to Big Lots today and purchased 4 cases of mason jars; I’m going to start experimenting with home canning next month (wish me luck….)

EastTNat 19:49

My mom is in a local nursing home and when I visit I go out the back door and see what they have in the trash pile. Since the time I have doing this I have gotten 4 33 gallon poly barrels (held bathroom cleaner), plan to use them for non-potable water storage. Today I even got a toilet seat stool. It is an aluminum frame stool with a toilet set on it. It is used by the residents that can not get on or off a standard toilet, the legs are adjustable so the hight can be adjusted to what ever level is needed. It is missing a metal support piece, which I can fabricate/replace easily. For me it will be the pit toilet seat: just dig my hole, put a frame around the hole, then a piece of ply wood with a hole in it and then the toilet stool. A couple of tarps ($2.50 each from Tractor Supply) makes the walls for a little privacy. Amazing how excited I was on my find today. Just recommend everyone stop by your local nursing home and check the junk pile in the back, no telling what you can find.

20 June 2006

Oremus – at 00:14

Mari – at 14:13 6/16/06

Thanks for the tip on Krispy Kreme. I stopped at dunkin doughnuts today. they had stacks of 6 gallon (maybe 5 gallon) buckets with lids. They sold them for 3 dollars each.

They also had smaller buckets (2 gal. ?) for 2 dollars each.

Used, but less than half the price of the ones at Lowes.

Still Open - Tall in MS – at 00:50

Bump in a thread closing session

Eccles – at 01:20

I just ordered a neat little toy for the prepper who has everything. Over on woot.com, for tonight only till they’re gone, they have a two-fer pack of FRS/GMRS 2-way wristwatch radios for 17.99. These are kind of like the Dick Tracy wrist radio, but how could I not add them to the Eccles Toy Collection?

lohrewok – at 01:25

I’m going to pick up a couple of 55 gal water drums tomorrow at our local farm supply store. $37. each.

PBQ – at 07:39

Eccles, How do you like the wristwatch radios? Do they work to your satisfaction? They are cute.

Eccles – at 07:43

PBQ- I don’t know, I just ordered them. That’s the ting with Woot. One day, one item, gone, done.

Since I never met a radio I didn’t like, these are more of the “Gee Ma, they followed me home, can I keep them” acquisition than the basic survival equipment list acquisition.

They are a fairly short range radio, good for use within a few blocks of each other, but what intrigued me is that they have rechargeable lithium batteries inside, so they have more power available to them than their size would suggest.

Anyhow, if you are even thinking of ordering them, then do so early, cause once they sell out something at Woot, you probably don’t see it again till you find it for twice the price on another site.

mmmelody47 – at 08:21

Eccles – at 07:43 - I saw those radios this morning at about 6 am…..sat on the fence, undecided until I read your post above. I just bought them after realizing that if TSHTF they’ll make an excellent means of communication for a sick room - I have a couple of Motorola w/t and can vouch for the FRS as a reliable frequency for inexpensive radios.

For a total of $22.99, what the heck!

NS1 – at 08:24

Do they take an earbud?

Eccles – at 08:28

They don’t say on the site, and it’s not obvious from the picture.

mmmelody47 – at 09:34

Do they take an earbud?

That would be nice…

lauraB – at 09:39

Noticed on Costcos website they now have two intrestin items: one is eseentially Bug-out-bag for four peopel with enough food, water, first aid kit, emergency blankets, knife, etc. The other was two-way radios with up to a 18mile range. I know some had mentioned on other threads using something similar to talk with neighbors, etc. I had never seen something with such a long range at a reasonable price.

EnoughAlreadyat 13:16

HillBilly & Kathy in FL

Canning question: Meat that is in my freezer… can I go ahead and defrost it and can it? It seems to me it would be fine. I ordered an All American Pressure Cooker (haven’t canned in years, but after reading canning stuff on this site decided it was a good idea.) I have canning experience… from years ago, and I have degrees in Nutrition. Still, I am stumped on this one. I called extension agencies, they were not much help… I am not sure they are canning anymore!? Typically, I would have just canned it after purchasing it, but since I didnt and my freezer is stocked it seems the smart thing to do. not only the BF prep, but because we live in hurricane zone. Last year I lost everything in my freezer. I am thinking if I buy the stuff as usual and can it for hurricane season I will be better off. It is the part of being frozen and defrosting that I am wondering about. What do y’all think? thanks!! EA

Hillbilly Bill – at 13:20

EnoughAlready – at 13:16 No problem whatsoever, I can previously frozen meat all of the time. Just defrost as if you were going to prepare normally and have at it. Canning is like riding a bike, you can always do it once you learn how.

Kathy in FL – at 13:27

EnoughAlready – at 13:16

I do it all the time. In fact, my “big” freezer is a manual defrost type. When I defrost every so often, anything that looks like it is about to get to the point that it needs using, but I don’t have room for it in the small frig freezer … I then defrost it and can it.

I also buy stuff when it is on sale and then freeze it until I can get around to fixing it up for canning and/or have enough to be worth canning.

OKbirdwatcherat 13:37

lohrewok - at 01:25

May I ask which farm supply store? Thanks!

EnoughAlreadyat 13:39

Thanks you guys! That’s what I felt too.

BTW… I am not sure if it was one of y’all that recommended the All American Pressure Cooker on some other thread, if so, thanks! I haven’t recieved the cooker yet, but notice it is on its way came yesterday! I love the idea of no seal! Do y’all can meat in quart jars? Seems to be trend recommendation is in pint jars. My grandma use to use quarts, don’t see why not. Again, thanks!

Kathy in FL – at 14:09

EnoughAlready – at 13:39

My family size dictates that I do most of my canning in quarts. I do some things in pints … cocktail weenies is one example … but soups, stews, ground beef, etc. I do in quart size.

Hillbilly Bill – at 14:16

I do soups and stews in quart size. I have a recipe for ground beef with onions in a tomato sauce that I am going to do in pints.

Watching in Texas – at 14:25

Walgreens had canned hams for $1.99 each, with a limit of 2, which is bad - but, with an expiration date of 09, which is good!

Hillbilly Bill – at 14:35

WIT: Canned hams and Velveeta cheese…can life get any better than that?

Love Texas – at 15:31

Those can hams are good, I cooked one and my picky husband liked it because it was lean meat.

Hillbilly Bill – at 15:33

Love Texas: I agree, especially if you fry it or put some kind of glaze on it.

Watching in Texas – at 17:38

or put it in some pinto beans slow cooked all day long, served with some green onions and cornbread - mmmmmm……

food storage nut – at 17:48

LauraB at 9:39

You mentioned that Costco had two way radios with an 18 mile distance. That is probably 18 miles with no buildings, hills, valleys in the way. When it comes down to it, it could be much less than that depending on where you live. I have a set and can talk to some of my friends within a mile but others who live pretty close and are down in a valley it is impossible or those on the other side of high rise buildings.

However, those of us who are preparing are setting up a system to relay information to each other.

Jane – at 18:09

Are you planning to can the meat raw after defrosting it , or in a cooked state? Does it make a difference in bacteria growth? I use a pressure cooker now, since finding Fluwikie, but haven’t canned yet.

EnoughAlreadyat 18:27

Jane- I am going to partially cook pork in a pressure cooker, then can it to finish cooking it. I have never canned meat, which is why I am asking all these questions. I bought the ball Blue Book of preserving and several cook books on canning from salvation army. And I read everything I can find on the internet. Plus, I am asking people here who can… and have experience! Botulism can be a problem with canning meat, however, if done correctly it is safe. My grandma use to keep all her meats this way… wish I had paid closer attention to what she was telling me!

Kathy in Fl and Hillbilly… jump in! Y’all are the experts here, IMHO!!

lohrewok – at 18:52

OKbirdwatcher at 13:37

Its called Orscheln Farm Supply here in Kansas. Don’t know if its a chain or not.

lauraB – at 19:16

Food storage nut - I assumed that 18m was very optimistic. We have ones that are supposed to go two miles and they definitely don’t do that. We live in a semi-rural town with houses fairly far apart. In suburban/rural situations you might get decent coverag with them to check on neighbors, etc. Their ability to transmit in large urban areas probably is not very good.

Love the name BTW!

OKbirdwatcherat 19:23

lohrewok - at 18:52

We have an Orscheln’s about 20 miles from my home. I’ll check it out. Thanks a lot!

JV – at 19:46

Re the Midland 18 mile two way radios (at Costco online), I have called Midland and they will not say what range they may have in any area with houses or trees etc. There is really no way for them to know what will surround you when you transmit. They did state that the difference between the 16 mile radios they have and the 18 mile ones is the antenna. The 18 mile one has a better antenna. All of these radios (FRS or GMRS) actually have a much shorter range than what is stated (this is stated in many articles). The range stated is for out in the desert or on the Moon. They are all line-of-site. If there is anything (trees etc) in between you and where you want to reach, then range really goes down. It will really depend on where you live and what surrounds you as to what the range will be.

I did buy these radios listed above. I live on top a hill, and I hope to be able to reach at least 4 - 5 miles to some friends and relatives who are pretty much line-of-site. I have not tested them out yet. When I finally do, I will post what results I get, but still your range may be very different from mine.

One thing I did see when I was researching these GMRS radios is that for the radios that have detachable antennas, there is a way to make yourself a better antenna and attach it to the radio. This should give you a little better range. The antenna on this radio mentioned above is not detachable. If you check out on the Internet for two-way radios with detachable antennas, I am sure you will find some info. I saw pictures somewhere as to how to do it.

cabingirl – at 20:15

canned hams…..not having any luck locating at my normal grocery stores or costco. Other than Walgreens listed above, can anyone make suggestions on where to purchase? Now, we are talking shelf stable hams, and not spam, right? I love my pressure cooker, but I’m scared to death to try to can. Would there be noticeable signs if not properly done (seals buldging, mildew, smell, etc.) fairly quickly?

Wonder if pressure cooker would work over a good firepit one day?

Oremus – at 20:40

Todays prep: I cleared enough freezer space to start freezing the rice in batches to kill the critters.

Melanie – at 20:44

Reorganizing cans. One of my evap milks fell out of the cabinet and I just slid across the floor of a darkened kitchen on it.

Chesapeake – at 20:48

Cabingirl, I have seen the canned hams at Eckerd drug store and Family Dollar.

Cinda – at 21:10

Hillbilly Bill – at 14:16. “I have a recipe for ground beef with onions in a tomato sauce that I am going to do in pints.”

Hi Hillbilly Bill- Would you mind sharing your recipe (or what you usually would do approximately) for the ground beef with onions in Tomat sauce. This is exactly what I have been looking for

cabingirl – at 20:15 In my BJ’s (like Costco) there are 3 pks of Dak hams 1lb each in the produce section of all places- check there?

MAV in Colorado – at 21:41

Re: FRS/GMRS radios: one of the big differences in the range of these radios is the transmitter output power. Listed as output power or output watts. Some of the Midlands and Motorollas are 3W on the GMRS freqs I think the FRS is limited to .5 watts output (Eccles, where are you? do I have this right?). Some of the older ones or cheaper ones ) are only 1W GMRS output.

cabingirl – at 23:05

Chesapeake, Cinda, Silly me, what was I thinking?…. It all makes so much sense now. Thanks, I’ll check out Eckerds and roam produce isles at Costco… ; )

21 June 2006

Pat in AZ – at 00:10

Today’s prep: A quick Walmart run for soaps and paper products, and then a long sit in front of the computer to look up prices & availability on bulk grains, beans, and dairy products. I had no idea I could save so much buying in bulk! I’m going to save a fortune on groceries … unless I spend it on storage containers.

Tomorrow I’ll order the dairy. If folks have a preferred brand of powdered milk, I’d love to hear about it.

CashBat 00:44

Cabingirl Canned hams at Wal-Mart by the other canned meats.

MAinVAat 00:50

Pat in AZ — Check out Amazon.com which just started a Grocery section the last week of May. I discovered it by accident and was able to save hundreds of dollars by buying goods shipped by Amazon themselves and electing free shipping. In addition, check out their goods from Barry Farms [with an “a” not and “e”] or else go directly to their site www.barryfarm.com where they have over 1500 items.

JV – at 00:55

MAV in Colorado -

The Midland 18 mile radio (as discussed above) has a 5 watt output.

Posie – at 01:02

apologies if this has already been mentioned.

everyone here hopefully is aware of freecycle?

this is a list, which runs i believe internationally, but widely in the U.S. for sure. you may post WANTED: or OFFERED: to your local freecycle list located via: http://www.freecycle.com for specific items. other members of the list respond by personal email to either come pick the OFFERED items-up from your porch/door or to leave items they no longer need on their porch/door. i have found many prep items this way. being on a limited budget, this has proven extraordinarily useful.

buckets…sleeping bags…cookstoves…lanterns…dried milk…

i urge everyone to give a look.

Closed and Continued - BroncoBillat 01:11

Closed due to length. Conversation is continued here.

Retrieved from http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.TodaysFluPrepVII
Page last modified on June 21, 2006, at 01:11 AM