Ok, I guess I’ve come full circle….you’ve heard me complain about my husband not really getting interested in prepping, then he shifted slightly to not minding what I’m doing to prep for the two of us, but that the rest of the family thinks I’m daft, and that I should focus on something less depressing.
My husband later said that he thought 3 months was more than enough (so….after that revelation, I decided we could have less than 3 months worth of coffee for him — leaves me room for lots more of MY stuff), that yesterday he said we only need 2 Rayovac lanterns as we were making a list of what all we had that’s battery operated and what type batteries they all use (I knew I had 3 but only 2 were together under the kitchen counter where we were inventoring and the other one was in another room), and NOW he thinks that our box of 25 bullets is enough for our .38 handgun. Guess that means that he probably thinks that a rifle or shotgun is totally unnecessary now and if we had to do any hunting, we’d be sure shots with a .38 and 25 bullets for it. sigh.
I absolutely give up on making this a family affair or having to explain myself or justify what I feel we need in the way of supplies or even compiled information.
I ask for him to make a list of what he would need to bring home from the office in order to work from home for several weeks if necessary…..still no list exists.
I ask him to get in the habit of using the hand sanitizer that’s right inside the front door when he comes home each night, it hasn’t had it’s first pump by him.
I’m so tired of the uphill battle…..any of the rest of you keeping quiet even in your own home now, where 6 months ago you could get excited about a new solar lantern and your spouse understood?
I have a husband that doesn’t acknowledge what I’m doing is a good idea but he doesn’t stand in my way either. I think he is listening but can’t bring himself to take any action. In reality I believe that he is pleased that I’ve taken this on but to say so would require him to accept the eventuality.
There are times like last week when I bought the emergency two-way radio that I felt guilty because if they are never used it seems like a waste of money. I have them in plain sight charging but he hasn’t noticed them & I didn’t mention them. Its me that has to get my head around some of the purchases; not that he isn’t buying into prepping.
We are all at different levels in dealing with this issue. I just ask myself “should this happen and you failed to get something you knew in your heart should be on hand how bad or guilty will you feel then?” I have no right to expect my husband to think and feel as I do; the best I hope for is that he will continue to accept my decisions even if he doesn’t agree. That’s okay; it satisfies my need to prep.
Good answer Prepping Gal, I just feel like every time I turn around he’s changed his mind and since I haven’t changed MY mind, it just bothers the heck out of me that I don’t ever know quite what reaction I’m going to get from him.
Especially when I’m expecting him, as Pres of our condo association, to come up with some kind of game plan for what we’ll do if people can’t/don’t pay their monthly fees for water, power, pay their mortgage bills, etc. I mean after we have services restored…..if something goes wrong with too many of our units, it could affect the whole complex.
I guess it’s not really that, it’s just that I wish he’d stay focused and not backslide.
I’m lucky he has never made me get rid of stuff like one of our members here had to do! Just stay focused……
Devil’s advocate here: What if both partners were super gung-ho and began living day by day stockpiling for something that might not happen for awhile, or ever. Too easy to get caught up in it and lose sight of today.
Devil’s advocate here: What if both partners were super gung-ho and began living day by day stockpiling for something that might not happen for awhile, or ever. Too easy to get caught up in it and lose sight of today.
I’m-workin’-on-it – at 12:28 I’m in exactly the same position as you. I’m going ahead and doing the prepping without his knowledge. A year ago I started sneaking stuff in. He’s found most of it and keeps saying we need to use what we have instead of buying more groceries. I refuse to watch my children starve during a pandemic.
Last week I ordered a kerosene heater and 5 kerosene containers to put in the garage. Then I’ll order at least 5 more containers.
Yesterday I sent my application for a firearm owner’s identification card and when I get it I will purchase a handgun and a shotgun. I used to have my FOID card, a 38 revolver and a Remmington 222. I sold them when we decided to have a family and let my card expire. Now I’m preparing to protect my family and think a gun may be necessary.
FYI, I didn’t like having a revolver - took too long to load when I really needed it and could have cost me my life - fortunately, the person who broke into my house heard the distinct “click” and took off before I was hurt. I used to have nightmares about trying to get that stupid revolver loaded quickly. My rifle was great for hunting, but not for protection. This time I plan to have a handgun with a clip and safety, and a junior-size shot gun, as regular size is too big for me. If you decide to purchase a gun, make sure you know how to use it and practice so that you are comfortable with the proper way to hold and fire the gun. A gun “kicks” when fired. I can’t stress gun safety enough.
FIRST thing you should get with the firearms is a quick-open biometric gun safe.
Even if it’s just for the handgun.
That way you keep the revolver loaded at all times, but it’s still childproof and opens with a single hand.
On the fence and leaning at 15:23 - good point. Given our personalities, I know it is a good thing that both of us are not ramped up about the possibility of panflu. My situation is much like that of Prepping Gal. My husband acknowledges what I am doing but isn’t inclined to discuss it much. Fortunately, he does not hinder or discourage me. I don’t have to hide the preps. In fact, there have been a couple of times when I’ve commented that I must be out of my mind and am going to stop prepping and he has surprised me by commenting what is the harm since “we’ll use the stuff anyway.” He works for the federal government on a military base and mentioned this weekend that he has read the pandemic preparation section of the employee website www.opm.gov. I took that as a sign that he thinks about it more than he verbalizes. It would be interesting to know if more women have taken the initiative on this issue than men.
On the fence and leaning – at 15:23
Both of us are preppers (first me, then her) and we are closer now than we have been for years. We have a son who is 19 and a daughter who is 17. They are entering the prime demographic for the cytokine storm. (If you have not read about this, I urge you to do so. This is really, really bad.) We fret, we lose sleep, and we learn as much as we can about prevention and preparation. Without a doubt, if we we can see our kids through this pandemic, they will have to endure another one by mid-century, so this is an investent in their future.
Anyway, we are on a mission for the survivial of us all. Yes, we need to live in the here and now. Yes, we have to plan for retirement. And, yes, we often question whether or not we are going too far. Meanwhile, we are doing what we feel is right. The marriage is good, the kids are happy, and the future is uncertain. Two out of three…
“There is a fortune that shapes our ends, rough-hew it as we may.”
dw of 15 years has been stashing stuff here and there for emergencies since we’ve been married. until bird flu came up i didn’t see her stashes as being needed, but didn’t openly disagree, either. after looking into BF I purchased car load after car load of stuff, and she didn’t disagree.
given my estimation that only 1 out of 10,000 people think we need to prep for bird flu, I find it an incredible (and fortunate) coincidence that dw and I are like minded on this.
Both I and spouse have been through a number of serious emergencies — so we don`t have that “I can`t imagine it” issue to overcome. In our last post he was the one who prepped the house for civil strife and earthquake and its my turn this time. He thinks 3 months, I think 1 year. It will all even out to who is most active.
Regarding storing 3 months, 1 year: I’ve come to the conclusion that you always have less than you think for a number of reasons including spoilage, if you end up sharing more than expected, or eating more than expected.
Spoilage could be that part of your stores go bad for whatever reason (moisture, bugs, whatever). I’m not expecting this to be a major source of loss, but makes sense to factor in some. Food can spill or a glass container smash. Once cooked, leftovers may go bad if not refrigerated or eaten promptly.
I know some people intend to practice strict SIP, but no one really knows what things will be like if TSHTF. Maybe an unexpected relative (for instance, mom) is visiting when it hits, or perhaps you end up trading some food for some other necessity. Or perhaps a neighbor with medical training ends up helping you with illness (or injury) in your household that goes beyond what you know to do, and you end up sharing supplies with them.
Maybe this happens during the first wave, and your supplies are depleted. It may be the right thing to do to when someone is starving, but disrupts your plans for multiple waves.
Maybe there is a community that forms — at a safe distance — of cooperation. Staying apart from that could diminish your chances of survival but joining it could reduce your stores.
The possibilities are endless.
sorry for the digression … back to your regularly scheduled thread …
My dh cooperates but doesn’t say much. He is on board but not very involved with any actual prep work - it’s pretty much up to me, just like all the normal shopping, cleaning, etc. is up to me as well. Of course, I don’t think he knows how much we have as right now it’s willy nilly all over the house. Once I get a chance to move it all to one spot he might take pause. Too bad it isn’t enough - I’m on a quest to get more!
Well, you guys certainly understand! I think my problem is that I EXPECT him to do certain things, especially things I don’t really want to have to figure out — like the detail work I guess. I found out and bought the Kill-A-Watt meter, I just would love for him to at least START the list of what wattages HIS stuff uses, or I’ve figured out a lot of the solar AND battery stuff to run HIS laptop, while at the same time figuring out how to can stuff and whether QuikClot is needed this month or next, or whether to order from MRE or Grandma’s Kitchen or AAOOBFoods, or any million other things on MY list of things to do that I add to just about every time I read something here that I find out I might ought to think about doing. Make that a billion things — I just looked at the list again.
He DID plant 50′ of pansies for me today and he enjoyed his football yesterday and we watched the Posiedon movie this AM together, but there’s so many other things that didn’t get done……..I’m just feelin’ the weight of the world on my shoulders tonight & I’m just not up to it right now. I guess I just need to breathe in and out.
Blackbird, you’re so right and that’s what I feel pressure about—it’s not a digression at all. I figure if DH doesn’t want but 3 months worth of stuff, that’s great — I’ll limit his personal stuff to 3 months but I’ll do more on my stuff because I think it’s going to take more. But some stuff might go bad, some might be given away and it may be more than I’d anticipated or planned for.
It’s just hard enough thinking through all this stuff, but to have to justify what I feel needs to be done, when he’s not willing to put the time and effort into reading what all I read and learn what all I learn, is just sometimes too much. My only major complaint with my sweet man is that more often than not, when I ask for him to do something for me, he asks ‘why’. How many times I’ve felt like saying “because I said so” or “because I want it” without having to justify myself at every single turn. Geez-O-Pete! as my sister says. Just hush and do it for me.
He knows that I NEVER say anything unless I’ve thought through it maybe for days or weeks, having tried to find a way around it first, or find the cheapest way to do it first, before I ask. He KNOWS that because it’s a result of how I was raised. But he still seems to almost ‘challenge’ me at every single turn. I’ve gotten to where I just either turn and walk away, or just stare at him until he realizes what he’s said. It just wears me out and I guess that’s where I am tonight.
blackbird – at 19:12
Bugs are just extra protein.
I’m-workin’-on-it, thanks for understanding my comments. My ‘additional’ preps will be the most inexpensive bulk foods. Just in case. If it turns out they are not needed and it’s getting close to when they might not be usable, GREAT, the food bank gets a donation.
Oremus, they’re a prep item I will gladly share. ;-)
hehehe…
My husband is alot like all of the above, he has heard alot from me over the years about work (ICU) and epidemiology research (more than 10 years, along with bioterrorism)so he knows I understand all this, plus I know he knows I believe IT, whether or not he does, so he kind of lets me go my own way….but if he’s in a bad mood sometimes he asks WHY DO WE NEED ALL THIS STUFF?? We also have 2 college kids 19 & 20, prime H5N1 ages, and I feel compelled to keep getting supplies. I question myself at regular intervals if I have completely gone over the edge….but that inside voice keeps saying…”you need more…back to the store..LOL)I feel sometimes like a mother lion (on steriods) trying to protect my cubs, or most of the time I feel like Linda Hamilton in Terminator (like I’m the only one who gets it…except all the other crazies here!!)But I do feel totally compelled. Wierd…right??
TXNurse - yes you have completely gone over the line… welcome.
Goju - LOL, I’ve known that for quite awhile..remember the old song “they’re coming to take me away, haha hoho, to the funny farm hehe…..”
Handguns:
When I took a gunsafety course a few years ago, I was told the only pistol to have for home protection was a revolver because an automatic (those with clips) tend to jam. I now have a .22 target pistol as well as the revolver and I can report that this is true. Even the best automatics will jam.
TXNurse,
I feel fortunate that my wife and I are on the same page, figuratively and literally. We have both read the books by Will Stewart and Grattan Woodson. We have both read the reports by the Congressional Budget Office, the World Bank, et cetera. We have both worked in retail. In addition, I presently work for a large distributor that relies upon minimal inventory levels and just in time delivery. To us, prepping can be rationalized by understanding the economic consequences of the pandemic. Our recommendation is that if you want support from your spouse, you make this a financial issue. Forget about the medical consequences for a while and just focus upon the economic impact to your family.
From our perspective, prepping for an extended SIP and a slow economic recovery is simply about understanding supply chains and their potential for long-term disruptions. Yes, we know that we had better get everything we need if we are going to isolate ourselves successfully, but what about afterward? If the economic disruptions realy do last for two years, as many predict, we have to know in advance which commodities we can do without and which commodities we will need.
Financially speaking, our mutual goal is two-fold: 1) prepare for an extended shelter in place exercise and 2) prepare for extended product shortages, inflated prices, and a reduced household income for several months following the pandemic. Since we can not anticipate which items will be in short supply, we are working toward a two-year supply of everything.
This is like buying insurance, but this sort of insurance gives you back the premiums in the form of goods that you will have and use. Think of some essential items that both you and your spouse really need, and when you see them on sale, invest heavily. Maybe you can start on a small scale with a 1/2 year supply of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss. From there, branch out to a 1/2 year supply of soap, shampoo, conditioner, shave cream, and razors. After every necessity has been acquired for the first six months, work on the next six months. Meanwhile, when you notice a price increase, tell your husband about the price you paid for it when it was on sale and boast a bit about how much money you saved. It may not work for everyone, but it works for us.
Had an interesting experience this weekend. My beloved DH (The Saint) has been very supportive of the prep thing, except that it’s been hard to get him to comprehend the amount of stuff he needs to fully cover his area of responsibility - cars, trucks, tractors, electrical equipment, generator, etc. I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s said he has enough of something or other…and I didnt quite agree.
Saturday, we needed to use the trailer to pick up a pony, but even though it had been recently inspected, the lights didnt work. After much checking and testing, DH concluded that it was only a blown fuse, but one that he didnt have in stock because ONLY the 6-horse trailer uses it. “Well, THAT was a wake-up call,” he observed.
After we got home, he promptly went out to the garage and inventoried his stock and then made a trip to the auto supply store. He came back with a dozen of every kind of fuze on the planet.
Another thing - I’ve been squirreling away the usual food preps, and frankly, I’m a bit pooped with all the shopping and unloading and labeling and stashing, etc. I’ve been slicing carrots for the new (Excalibur!) dehydrator till my fingers ache. So I asked DH how much dehydrated veggies he thought I should put up.
His reply really surprised me: “Keep doing it until you run out of jars. You know we won’t be able to get any fresh fruits or vegetables after the flu hits.”
This is particularly impressive when you consider that my stash currently includes more than 800 empty canning jars and a significant number of other kinds. And he knows this because I told him about the terrific deal I got on the jars at our local Mennonite store.
I’m going to need more help with the carrots.
SaddleTramp – at 09:03 your good news almost brought tears to my eyes! It certainly brought a laugh and if I were there, I’d help you with those carrots!
I think my DH would be more supportive if this stuff wasn’t so ‘hard’ and ‘frustrating’. He’s got me on one side of him clamboring for help, he’s the President of our housing group and I’m pressing for a business continuity plan for us here as well - trash pickup plans, financial consistency, what to do if neighbors come banging on our door & no one can get in touch with our management company for information or repairs, etc., and he’s working in a department at work that’s too overloaded and trying to work on business continuity plans there too. I guess he’s not doing ANYthing fun except paying attention to football! :-)
But he’s always thought “small” on things — compact — I guess that started when he was in the Air Force & he just hasn’t gotten past keeping things small. So a thousand bullets is not something that pops into his head as something we might need! 25 should be more than enough, since we have 100 reloads to practice with.
Two lanterns has to be better than 3 for some reason, and surely 12 MRE’s is enough. I’m more along the lines of preparing for Armegeddon while he’s more into planning a picnic for an afternoon power outage. There’s common ground for us somewhere, we’ve just got to find it.
I feel like an outsider here since I am the one prepping and my DW who vacillates between low and moderate support of my efforts. She acknowledges the potential of a Pandemic but sees it as a maybe and considers other current issues as more important for her attention and our disposible income.
The biggest wake-up call for DW was when she saw that I had purcheased 4 months worth of feminine products for her. She knew then that I was serious about this whole affair. Still her support is more humoring me that active participation from her part.
She hit her limit when she saw the last butter & cheese bill (I was just about to order more butter, cheese, and MREs under group buy) and now I am easing off from many needed purchases. I haven’t stopped…just eased off. I fill my trunk with preps each week and during Sunday Mass (I stay home with toddler and mom takes the older kids to church) I feverishly stash my accummulation into various hiding spots and to existing prep shelves piles. DW doesn’t notice that each week we drink a flat of bottled water but the pile in the basement increases by 2–3 flats. Last week DW came home with jumbo sized oatmeal container that was on sale. She happily said this big box should help with the preps…I didn’t dare tell her that I have 10 more of these containers stahed in the basement.
I have/am accumulating baking goods/ingredients yet I don’t know how to bake…I hope I have everything that we will need.
I feel like I am living a duel life.
Analyst4mkts – at 09:44:
“I fill my trunk with preps each week and during Sunday Mass (I stay home with toddler and mom takes the older kids to church) I feverishly stash my accummulation into various hiding spots and to existing prep shelves piles.”
Now that really put a smile on my face! :)
All in a good cause, Analyst4mkts. It will get used, and, prices sure don’t decrease from year to year.
Try baking some easy bar cookies or something now! Have fun!
I’ve been stashing canned goods behind the books on our bookcases (and since we have 21 bookcases in our house — that’s a lot of room). The other day spouse asked where the chocolate/peanut butter jar was that had just been bought. I just said I didn’t know because I really, really didn’t want to say it was behind a book on the bookshelf in the bedroom….
Analyst4mkts – at 09:44
I am with you, my DW knows what I am doing, but is not involved. She isn’t against the preparations, and has told me she is glad I am doing it. At times she is impressed when she needs some ingrediant and I appear in seconds with the item. She has know idea how much stuff we have, but does appreciate the fact that we have “somethings for an emergency”.
I will be doing some type of prepping activity and she will say things like, “it amazes me the things that you think of”. Well, she has fluwikie to thank for that, I certainly wouldn’t have done 75% of the things if it wasn’t for all the great threads and directions on the forum.
DW has told me she will help me with the next load of fire wood I am cutting off a lot we have, even though she can’t figure out why we need all the firewood when the fireplace is natural gas.
Anyway, at times it is funny what you have to do to prepare, but like I told her and which she seemed to accept, is that I just have this overwhelming need to make sure that the family is provided for, can’t articulate it very well, but it is just something that I know that I have to do.
And things like, how much stuff can we make with 350 lbs of flour during SIP? An how much corn starch does a person need? Anyway, back to prepping.
Dr Dave - “prepping for an extended SIP and a slow economic recovery”
Well said! Some people can’t imagine needing 18 to 24 months of sheer outage, but you’ve expressed the concern well. Where will replenishment supplies come from after the supply chain has been disrupted? Some things may be available between waves, but it’s impossible to tell which so it makes sense to stock all essential items. Plus, prepping for multiple possible disruptions.
Analyst4mkts – at 09:44 - “I have/am accumulating baking goods/ingredients yet I don’t know how to bake…I hope I have everything that we will need.”
I know what you mean, I just started getting some fishing supplies (just in case) and I don’t know how to fish… :-)
I have finally accepted the fact that my husband is probably never going to really be behind prepping. Unless some major event happens and he somehow has a miracle conversion, I am on my own with the whole process. At least he doesn’t hinder me too terribly aside from wanting to limit how extensively I prep for us.
He has said he doesn’t want weapons in the house. He doesn’t think we need to worry about any long-term heating/cooking alternative measures either and said no woodstove for emergencies. I guess I will have to try and figure out how to hide a small one someplace, lol. He says we just have basic fundamental differences in our mindset with respect to prepping. He says if anything bad enough happens that would use up more than a few weeks worth of food, that either things will get back to normal right away or that prepping wouldn’t help do anything but prolong the inevitable.
He is so lucky he has me to take care of this…I just wish I could get more help from him.
Analyst4mkts – at 09:44 She acknowledges the potential of a Pandemic but sees it as a maybe and considers other current issues as more important for her attention and our disposible income.
Yep, that’s my house too. It doesn’t matter which spouse it is, the feeling’s the same!
Analyst4mkts – at 09:44 She happily said this big box should help with the preps…I didn’t dare tell her that I have 10 more of these containers stahed in the basement. ….I feel like I am living a duel life.
Yep, preach it brother! I know, I know.
Hi!
My husband has never been on board and never will be. The chicks therapists, in fact, believe he sabatoges everything I do, on purpose…I just don’t want my mind to go there, but they keep reminding me…..Yesterday, I received a call… my side of beef would be coming four days early. I had to can 20lbs. of strawberries and 30lbs. of cherries, so I could free up the freezer. This took all day! I couldn’t cook dinner and my chicks had spaghettios. My husband did paint awhile, but them headed to the basement to watch baseball. Several times, he came into the kitchen, obviously looking for signs of a big dinner, made a face, and walked away. No attempt to help with the wild chicks, fix a dinner, or help! At 11pm, number 7 fixed the two of us something to eat…I left a half a loaf of bread on the counter for my husband and went upstairs to do more work! I was still cleaning my kitchen at 1:30am this morning and I never saw my husband again. It is now 9:37am and we STILL haven’t seen the man and won’t for hours more….NOPE! We won’t be here!
I am a master at hiding things, sending shipments to other addresses, and finding bargains all over. I needed a roto-tiller I could handle…SMALL! My 70 year old neighbor needed a roto-tiller she could handle…I bought one, trotted the “puppy” down to her house and said “Look what I bought US!” I’ll sneak it to my house, when I need it and HE isn’t home….You use it ANYTIME!!! It’s yours too! Backfired though….We can’t start this one either!!! So FAR!! I know my neighbor, can’t wait until I get OUR Excabliber ordered….
One trick is to fill the freezer, then when HE isn’t home, pull it out and can it, then fill the freezer again. He doesn’t know things are getting cycled in and out!
I also have a massive pile of new canning jars…I go buy more, before I am ready to can lots…I keep them in back of van…I load the dishwasher full of jars, to be used for my daily canning, then run to van and refill the boxed jar stockpile. I’ve probably gone through about 100 cases of jars…AND I am not nearly done! Once the jars are filled, you can stack them behind bedroom doors etc. They really aren’t very noticeable. You can also put other things in them and who would know. Code the boxes in a little notebook. Then you will be the only one, to know what is in the first box, with 11 more more stacked on top.If someone wants to go digging through, a hundred cases of unmarked heavy jars…WELL…They can have “AT IT”
For my side of beef…I saved up and paid the lady for it, long ago. I even gave her the processing fee and she paid that for me…Then I kind of casually mentioned this cow, off and on to the chicks, when husband was within earshot. Now time for another hog…At least that is cheaper thna the cow!
I can be way more devious than this…I should go PRO…BUT, I want you guys to still like me, so enough for now!
mom11 – at 10:35 GOOD MORNING!!!!
Good to hear from you! Some of us had talked on the canning thread about whether you can stack the boxes of canned jars on top of each other or not. Some felt that you weren’t supposed to do that, because it could break the vaccuum seal on your jar & the food would spoil. Have you ever had any trouble putting the jars back in the box & stacking them on top of each other????
libbyalex – at 10:02 I’m putting things behind books too! Lord, if we die without an inventory list….I just can’t imagine what the people who would empty out our home will find!
deborah at 10:19 - re the cooking, look up UCO candelier lantern. It’s a 3 candle enclosed lantern that has a flat metal plate on the top for cooking (small things). No fuel required other than the candles that go with it. I’m going to get a couple myself.
HI I’m workin’-on-it!
Well, I’ll just have to check some of these jars….
I know the Amish Jam Shack stacks their filled jars, but they use the one piece lids. I’ve seen pictures of SHAD’s canning and I beleive she stacked some of her cases of jars….Maybe she will tell us! That sure will mess up my system….Now how to hide things, in 100+ cases of jars, single file, spread out all through the house…
Hi mom11 - Good to hear from you! I like your style! You are amazing in everything you do!
Dr Dave - I agree completely with your comments.
deborah, and others -
I am in the same boat with prepping. I have been struggling with prepping for about two years now. My DH just says he can’t get his mind around the prospect of such a disater coming. He is a business executive, and he follows the stock market and the economy, yet he just doesn’t want his mind to go there…too awful to think about.
At first, I had to hid many of my prep item. Slowly different piles grew. Now, the garage, and closets, and a spare room are overflowing. I am just thankful that he is not resistant. I used to feel I had to lead two lives, but now my DH just accepts what I am doing.
The hardest prep was shotguns. I took my 17 year-old son out to a used gun place, and we picked out two 12 guage shotguns. You have to understand that I knew nothing about shotguns. I had to completely rely on the gun shop owner’s help. My DH was not very happy when we arrived home with these guns. Then I got my DH to accept to go to a shooting range, so we could all practice. My DH’s dismay over the shotguns (he didn’t want any in the house) turned to excitement when he finally got to the range and could show my son how to shoot. My DH had hunted and used many guns as a boy.
I keep thinking of new items I just have to have. The latest was an 86 amp-hour, deep cycle, marine battery. Being 64 pounds, and since I wasn’t sure where to stash it in my house, I left it in the trunk of my car. The inverter and charger were smaller and lighter, so I stashed them in the house.
We all went to my son’s violin recital this weekend, and when my son put his violin in the trunk, he loudly exclaimed,” What is a battey doing in the trunk of your car? I have never seen a battery that big!” So, I gave him the “look.” Then he goes, “What…what? I just have never seen a battery that big!” I know my husband now just completely accepts all the preps I acquire, beacuse he just laughed at my son’s comment. He also never asked a question about the battery. He knows that life now is “life with prepping.”
Now I need a few more batteries! I need more amp-hours!
JV. The trunk of the car might not be the best place to store your battery unless it is very securely leashed down…you might want to think about another location for storage. Thanks.
JV, it’s kinda like that at my house but it’s my wife who now sort of puts up with my prepping. Actually, sometimes she even suggests that we stock up when something that we like goes on sale. She works in admin in the School of Nursing in the big medical university here and doesn’t seem to hear much of anything about BF at work. Since no one where she works is concerned, I guess she doesn’t think she needs to be concerned either.
“Tom DVM – at 11:35 JV. The trunk of the car might not be the best place to store your battery unless it is very securely leashed down…you might want to think about another location for storage. Thanks. “
Ditto to that comment. Be sure to not put it on a concrete floor. It’s also best to not put it on anything like metal (shelves). Dry wood or plastic would be fine.
Tom DVM & AVanarts -
Thanks re the battery. I will move it. It didn’t seem to be shifting…I think since it is so heavy. It is in a plastic battery container. At the store, they told me not to place it on anything that conducts electricity. But, the plastic container should do the trick.
AVanarts -
My DH also uses the reasoning that BF or PF is not in the news. Therefore, why should he be concerned! This is the whole reason we need to get info out there through different channels, and in the MSM!
While talking about prepping and your spouse being pro or con…a relative has been heeding my urgings to prep for her family of 4. She accumulated a few months worth of supplies with little support from her DH.
He just found out that he has lost his job. She is SO grateful for the supplies now. It will make the interval while he is finding another job less stressful.
I have concern that they will now be unprepared if a panflu erupts anytime soon. But at least their immediate needs are being met thanks to her preparation.
I’m thinking this is how we will feel in the event we do find ourselves in a national disaster of any making. Thankful to have prepared.
JV — re bird flu not being in the news….
Last Saturday the NY Times had an editorial about how “we are completely unprepared for a severe pandemic.” My husband reads the NYT religiously and his biggest argument against me getting so upset about it was, “There’s been NOTHING in this major paper about it.”
I try to tell him, “that’s because Monotreme says that NY City has been written off as unsavable” or also “Well, no one is writig about it because they just don’t know what to write” or “There’s a secret collusion amongst all big city editors not to write about pandemic flu anymore….” as you can imagine, these comments get me nowhere with my husband!
So I finally had him read the editorial and asked him, “Why would the NY Times editors decide to write that we are completely unprepared for a severe pandemic” unless there were some sort of chance of having a severe pandemic? I mean, I’m sure we are also completely unprepared for 25 simultaneous tsunamis; or for aggressive alien attack; or for a direct comet hit. But they aren’t writing about that!
Anyhow, I’m in the same boat as a lot of you here. The only sad thing is, finally getting my husband to believe we had a problem brewing would mean --- that the situation had gotten even worse and undeniable, as I believe he will be a denier for as long as possible. It would help if more people would write about it in the New York Times!
ACM -
Thanks for the info re the NYT. My DH reads the WSJ, but not always I believe, the NYT. I will ask him if he saw that article. Perhaps I can get it online.
ACM @ 12:25
LOL that is so funny. My brother-in-law has told me that he only reads NYT, Wall Street Journal and one other can’t remember now. Since he hasn’t seen anything in these papers, I am over-reacting. I didn’t even mention Monotreme’s theory. They would’ve locked me up for sure. The day the article came out of NYT, my sister calls me and says-did you see it? DH says maybe we should get some masks. So being the good sister that I am sent them a link to beprepared.com. We shall see. I worry so much about them. 2 very small girls and live in the middle of Chicago.
TXNurse – at 20:44 wrote:
“My husband is alot like all of the above, he has heard alot from me over the years about work (ICU) and epidemiology research (more than 10 years, along with bioterrorism)so he knows I understand all this, plus I know he knows I believe IT, whether or not he does, so he kind of lets me go my own way….but if he’s in a bad mood sometimes he asks WHY DO WE NEED ALL THIS STUFF?? We also have 2 college kids 19 & 20, prime H5N1 ages, and I feel compelled to keep getting supplies. I question myself at regular intervals if I have completely gone over the edge….but that inside voice keeps saying…. Wierd…right??”
Wierd, no! You photocopied part of my life, son & college, etc. You have a difficult task and are approaching the issues responsibly. My dad lived through the 1918 Pandemic, he was 6 - they didn’t have Tamiflu or Cipro.
I have 200+ N95 (adult size), 60 children’s, a portable generator, Sambucol, etc. If I don’t need these items, I can always have a garage sale day.
Until they write the book, “Pandemics for Dummies”, we are one our own. My 2-cents.
Since I was going to avoid computors for a while, the T.V. which I rarely watch ,is going to feature a disaster tonite. Channel 13, PBS. The Yellow Fever comes to town, how they coped, and how some courageous men used themselves as subjects. Quarentine didn’t work, though they dismantled bridges into town, and men with guns kept the people from getting off trains in their towns. The mosquitoes didn’t mind one bit.Perhaps some of the husbands might be interested in watching.
TxNurse - you are too funny, “a mother lion on steriods” Don’t we all feel like that….
JV,
Take another look at the comments that I posted this morning. Use them to appeal to your husband’s financial sensibilities. Prepping is an investment that pays off when times are bad. You simply buy heavily when the things you need are on sale. Toilet paper today at 20 cents per roll (US) beats the heck out of the usual 30 cents per roll. What will it cost next year? 35 cents? 40? What will it be worth during a pandemic or in a post-pandemic society? My guess is that it will be worth at least a dollar per roll (US). If he follows the stock market, the financial rationale will be hard for him to challenge.
Dr Dave -
I am trying every single thing I can think of so that my husband will understand. He has two sides re this pandemic possibility. One side of him tells him not to look…it is just too awful! The other side says, “Well if there is a pandemic, we (at home) will be prepared.” I am slowly winning. I am quite tenatious! He knows he can’t stop me!
He has actually tried to take many of my copied articles to work so that he can prepare those at work for this pandemic. The problem is that his boss doesn’t buy into the pandemic possibility yet. For now, my husband says there is no use trying. He will wait till his boss is more receptive. This drives me nuts. If there was just a bit of news from the MSM, then his boss would accept this info. I have explained to my husband many times that they have to explain to all of the employees whether they will get paid if they trake time off during a pandemic, what to do, etc, etc…yet the company will not yet discuss it. This is crazy making! This is a company that makes hundreds of millions every year. So…I try to concentrate on prepping at home. I periodically try again with my husband re his work. I won’t ever give up.
JV,
Dr. Dave is right that the financial aspects can be the persuasive approach, but within that approach are still concepts that are at odds.
I have a husband “guided” by budget and when I talk economically about the pandemic possibilities to him, his defenses respond with comments like if you’d not spend so much money…..fill in the blank.
In other words, his comments are geared at limiting (spending), minimizing (quantity), simplifying (one type light source is enough), picking a direction & not deviating (the budget is about the only thing he WILL focus on) etc., while my focus is in diversifying (foods), investing (basics like heat, communication), layering (various levels of cooking or types of clothing), making certain deviating from the main path isn’t fatal (having what’s needed for Plan B or C), etc.
It’s sometimes even harder when you’re “almost” on the same page together because you tend to expect cooperation on levels where it’s not guaranteed then you’re shocked when you realize you’re not in scinc on some aspect. Like if one of you thinks “emergency money means $500 cash and the other thinks it should be $2000 and extra room on a credit card.
I have taken a pause so my DH can see that besides the prepping, I am slowly getting everything paid off. Trying to minimize all debts and prep too has me doing a real juggling job. Will still have the mortgage, but since he retired two weeks ago, trying to position us better financially. As long as I can make forward progress on that, he is accepting of the prepping.
Still, I don’t think he has an idea of all that will be required if this goes longer than 3 months. His stock answer is “well, we will just eat once a day”. That’s all well and good unless one is sick or one is doing all the manual work required to keep warm, wash clothes, etc. Bet he wants more calories then.
Im-workin’-on-it -
Yes, I agree. My husband has really given up fighting my prepping. He knows I will do what I want. He does understand on some level that if a pandemic comes, we are REALLY set. I just wish I could discuss more with him. I have to go buy shotguns, batteries, light sources, heat sources (he did nix a wood stove), modes of communication (and yes, I did have to pass ham radio tests), cooking sources, and all kinds of deterrants. That is all on top of food, water, multiple medicines, etc, etc for a very long time. Of course I will again be the one to fill up the gas containers, withdraw the money, and buy the boards and nails to board up the house at the last minute. I am quite grateful that I do have some money to do all of this.
I guess, in the end, I shouldn’t complain too much. My husband just accepts what I am doing re prepping. It could be a lot worse. He could be working against me. Over time my husband has accepted my prepping more and more. I think he will improve as time goes on.
Right or wrong I realized several years ago that my role in our marriage among other things is to be the “worrier” or at least that is what some would call it. I’m the one that made sure we could buy our home(s), start a business (financially speaking), have enough to retire early (done that), and manage to have enough to live comfortably. That isn’t to say he hasn’t had a role, indeed he has; for example he has handed over every single dollar he has made since the day we were married. He trusts me to make good decisions.
Being the worrier means I’m better equipped to prep because I’ve always planned for emergencies and for tomorrow. I think most preppers are in this role. Not that I would actually call myself a worrier but definitely I do take risk assessment at forward looking events very seriously.
Where my husband does and will shine is how he can fix just about anything, make something if it isn’t available, has strong knowledge about mechanics, engineering, heating, water systems, electrical, etc.etc. I would be a total failure handling these issues. So I look at it in a way that I may be busy now prepping but when TSHTF he will take over and do a great job in other areas. I’d say look at your roles and you’ll probably find you do have an equal partner.
There are times that I know stress does push me to do things or buy things. I try and remind myself that I do this to get temporary relief but I still have a goal in mind. As this issue gets pushed more and more to the front line I know I will have to find calming measures so that I remain focused but not over zealous. My DH appears calm at all times but I know deep down he has concerns about a pandemic. There are days I wish I could trade places with him; this has been so much time, labor and money that there are days when I’m absolutely exhausted. We all are going to have these moments but I try to “pace myself” for a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes easier said than done.
Hi All, I do not jump in very often, but I am so glad to see this thread. My DH went along with everything for the first few months. I am a RN and I have been busy trying to get enough medical supplies for the extended family also. I found a foot operated suction machine from Sportsmans Guide (10.00), it came last week along with other things I would not dare let him know I ordered. (He asked me what was in the box and I had to at least tell him about one thing.) His comment was---YOU HAVE GONE NUTS.!!!!! I feel so much better knowing I am not the only one hiding things from their spouse. I am doing this for our future and the future of our families (we do not have children). So I am not taking anything away from our children, if this never happens. I am not doing it just because of Avian Flu but because I think if it is not the flu it will be terrorists or something else!!! I may be crazy but I just fell it in my bones that something is in the makings for the United States.
I sure wish my wife was as crazy as you. :)
I’m that crazy…, pretty much my husband just leaves me to my craziness, I think underneath he is glad that we will be prepared for anything.
OK I’m hiding preps from my husband like 400 roles of toilet paper, and lots of other stuff. My husband is a type A personality. When we go out to a restaurant he starts to complain to the manager if he has to wait more than 15 minutes for his meal. I realized in a SIP situation he is going to be hell to live with. Especially when he no longer feels in control and cannot even go to the office. I cannot imagine not having food or even trying to prep when all the others have finally realized the necessity. Some people become really moody and unbearable when they are hungry. My family grew up very poor. One time my brother put his fist through a wall when he was hungry and we had no food in the house. Imagine when people have to compete for what little is left in the grocery stores or there is actually no food to be had. My situation as a child will pale in comparison. That is what motivates me.
He thinks I’m crazy too , do ypu have a link for that suction device? Sounds interesting! Thanks, mojo
Wall Street Journal Online pdf poll results about Pandemic Influenza
Guess they missed Dr. Henry I. Miller? Opinion Journal Oct.2005 Wall Street Journal Editorial [[http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007416|Reasons to Be Fearful; We are ill-prepared for a flu pandemic]] …”Fortunately, only rarely has it been transmitted from bird to human, and probably not at all between humans . . . yet. But flu virus mutates readily, and virologists expect that sooner or later it will acquire the ability to spread from person to person.
This is potentially catastrophic. The avian flu strain H5N1 already has two of the three characteristics needed to cause a pandemic: It can (1) jump from bird to human and (2) produce an often fatal illness; more than 60 deaths have been attributed to H5N1. If additional genetic evolution makes the virus highly transmissible among humans—the third characteristic of a pandemic strain—a worldwide outbreak could become reality.”
…”H5N1 is an extraordinarily deadly variant: The mortality rate for persons infected with the existing H5N1 appears to be around 50%, whereas the garden-variety annual flu kills less than 1%. This gives us plenty to worry about. The acquisition of the genetic change(s) needed to become transmissible from human to human is stochastic—i.e., essentially random, therefore unpredictable. The more viruses there are, the greater the chances that one will acquire the “open-sesame” genetic changes, either by mutation or by exchanging genes during simultaneous infection of a person or animal with H5N1 and another flu virus. And there is more H5N1 around every day “…
…”We are ill-prepared for a flu pandemic. Reserve capacity is grossly inadequate for vaccines, drugs and hospital beds. The best and most cost-effective intervention—prevention with a vaccine—presents technological, economic and logistical obstacles. Anti-flu drugs exist but are not a panacea. Unlike vaccines, which confer long-term immunity after one or two doses, drugs need to be taken for long periods. The only drug that has been shown to prevent the flu is Tamiflu, the effect lasting only as long as one takes the drug. (The other major anti-flu medicine, Relenza, has only been shown to be effective to treat, but not prevent, flu.) Yet a recent paper in the journal Nature reported a patient in Vietnam infected with a strain of H5N1 partially resistant to Tamiflu, so our primary prophylactic drug might already be compromised. This is dismaying, because the viral isolate was collected earlier this year when the drug had not yet been widely used in Asia, so H5N1 hadn’t yet had much opportunity to develop resistance. It’s possible that the drug was used improperly—administered in a lower dose than prescribed, or intermittently instead of continuously—or that the recommended prophylactic dose is too low. Whatever the cause, the result is bad news.
So where do we go from here? In the face of a potentially cataclysmic pandemic, we need multiple strategies that offer various alternatives to prophylaxis and treatment. But the constraints of current vaccine-production methods slow our response to new variants of flu virus. The conventional approach would be to grow the actual pandemic strain in millions of fertilized chicken eggs, and weaken or kill it to make a vaccine. But this takes time, and because H5N1 is highly toxic to the eggs, we would have first to tinker with its genetics and then ensure that it would still function as a vaccine. In the face of a pandemic, the time-lag could be catastrophic.
…”We need to be aggressive, innovative and, above all, resilient. In society, as in biology, resilience means survival.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06012/636982.stm Jan. 2006
By Bernard Wysocki Jr. and Sarah Lueck, The Wall Street Journal
“Low drug stockpiles make U.S. vulnerable in pandemic”…’‘’Like many big hospitals, the University of Utah Hospital carries a 30-day supply of drugs, in part because it would be too costly or wasteful to stockpile more. Some of its hepatitis vaccine supply has been diverted to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf, leaving it vulnerable should an outbreak occur closer to home. About 77 other drugs are in short supply because of manufacturing and other glitches, such as a drug maker shutting down a factory.
“The supply chain is horribly thin,” says Erin Fox, a drug-information specialist at the Salt Lake City hospital.
In the event of a pandemic flu outbreak, that chain is almost certain to break. Thousands of drug-company workers in the U.S. and elsewhere could be sickened, prompting factories to close. Truck routes could be blocked and borders may be closed, particularly perilous at a time when 80 percent of raw materials for U.S. drugs come from abroad. The likely result: shortages of important medicines — such as insulin, blood products or the anesthetics used in surgery — quite apart from any shortages of medicine to treat the flu itself’‘’
…”Dr. Osterholm, who also is associate director of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Center for Food Protection and Defense, says the country also needs reliable supplies of food and water, the ability to keep heat working in northern climates and medical products for non-flu-related illnesses. The U.S. has 105,000 ventilators, most of which at any given time are in use. The federal stockpile of medical products has about 4,500 more. In a pandemic, tens of thousands more would be needed”…
Wake up partners; you don’t know you have it so good to have a Flu Wiki spouse. Time for you to start worrying and prepping for a pandemic year; they need some time off, swap roles for a while…
Well my DH is basicly onboard up to a point. That point has been reached. He started by complaining about the TP. Now its dont we have enough of [fill in the blank] He did buy a second genny - doesnt want to lose the TV if you ask me UGH! So Ive moved to plan B - prep anyway, and just accept the complaining.
Whats he gonna do anyway? Ive been married 33 years, hes just gonna have to deal with it! He will get tired of complaining sooner or later [and it better be sooner] Gees its not like Im spending money on on frivilous luxuries for myself, he just needs to get over it.
Im done ranting now - thanks for listening
janetn – at 20:59 I know, you’d think we were frivously buying diamonds and Ferraris…..I may tell my DH that after I’m ‘finifhed’ prepping I’ll start stocking up on THOSE.
crfullmoon – at 17:21 …Wake up partners; you don’t know you have it so good to have a Flu Wiki spouse. Time for you to start worrying and prepping for a pandemic year; they need some time off, swap roles for a while
….preach it, preach it! Music to my ears!
I purchased the suction machine at sportsmans guide, stock #JX6M−0074193 new swedish medical pump—came with 6 suction tubes. 10.00--−800–888–5222
LibbyAlex….>>>>”I just said I didn’t know because I really, really didn’t want to say it was behind a book on the bookshelf in the bedroom….”<<<<< That’s funny. I’ve moved some of the end tables out and replaced them with food boxes. After I covered them with fabric and put the lamp back on top…most people don’t notice… but, I don’t have a lot of company either. LOL
I was actually concerned that my very “tight” husband was going to blow a gasket about the money that I’d spent on extra food, etc.
I finally started bringing it up here and there and he was OK with what I was doing. Can’t say he wouldn’t question some of the fancier prep items, but as long as I can truly justify it he doesn’t gripe.
When he does gripe I listen. The reason I listen is because he works his tushy off earning the money that I am spending. While I help with the family business, cook, housekeep, and homeschool our kids he is still the one on the front lines bringing the money in. He is also very, very good at doing that … stretching the dollars so that we can maximize our earning potential. We have a budget and track all of our expenses and balance out to the penny. So when he starts talking finances, I listen, its his forte.
On the other hand he listens to me when I talk about some of the food preps that we need. I was hesitant to raise the idea to him that I really need about 6 #10 cans of powdered eggs. He looked at me, but gave me a chance to make my case … and then said “sounds like a plan, go for it.” I talked to him about a generator and he looked into it and said it wouldn’t work … then proceeded to tell me about the whole house generators that he had heard of. I can’t imagine storing the fuel for such a thing and so we’ve kind of let that one hang for a bit. We can’t come to a consensus and that’s a lot of money.
Its a give and take situation. He wants to SIP at our second location and I can’t imagine trying to logistically get up there in the event of a pandemic. I can’t physically and financially stock two locations so that each are equally as viable for SIP … we are working on that plan together, but it is overwhelming to me, he just says “well, we’ll have to find a way.”
Alot of differences are just based on life experiences. Even though we’ve been married 18 years and together nearly 23, there is still a whole lot of stuff from our childhoods that we bring with us. He was raised city and I was raised country as just one example.
I think that good communication skills and a willingness to listen to the other partner is going to be a must if we are going to be truly successful at this.
Kathy in FL – at 10:26
I couldn’t agree more. While I make some prep purchases without my wife’s knowledge, all of the big ticket items have been discussed and agreed on. She wants to know what it does and why it is important for us to have it. This is a check and balance system as I sometimes want to buy a backup to the backup system if you know what I mean.
“Kathy in FL – at 10:26 I talked to him about a generator and he looked into it and said it wouldn’t work … then proceeded to tell me about the whole house generators that he had heard of. I can’t imagine storing the fuel for such a thing and so we’ve kind of let that one hang for a bit. We can’t come to a consensus and that’s a lot of money. “
Yeah, making your own electricity is expensive. On the other hand, people tend to think in terms of Black and White, Grid up or Grid Down, Whole house generator or no generator. There are a lot of possibilities inbetween.
In addition to the grid going down and staying down, there is the possibility that an outage that would be fixed within a couple of hours right now, could take several days during a pandemic. It would be a shame to lose a whole freezer full of food and then have the power come back on.
A generator was WAY low on my list of necessities but I recently got a small one.
A generator is a fuel hungry beast and I can’t store a lot of fuel. I got a small 3K generator that will run for a couple of hours in the AM and a couple of hours in the PM to power the freezer and refrigerator and keep them reasonably cold.
I will also use it to put a “boost” on my deep cycle batteries (right now I have two). The batteries will allow us to watch DVD’s for entertainment and distraction.
Generators make noise which can attract unwanted attention. I am now finishing a shed in my back yard where the generator will live. The exhaust will be ducted to the outside and through a very efficient muffler to eleminate exhaust noise. I am hoping the shed muffles the mechanical engine noise.
I purchased a trifuel adapter that allows me to use natural gas, propane or gasoline, whichever is available. I also purchased a tachometer and hour meter which will allow me to make sure that the generator is still set at 3600 RPM when I change fuel and will let me know when I am approaching the 50 hour oil change time. It is necessary to run these small generators at 3600 RPM to get the 60 cycle current that our appliances need.
I guess the point of this is, that while generators are thirsty beasts and can be a hassle, you may want to sit down with your husband and discuss exactly what you would/could use electricity for and see if something less than a whole house generator would fit your needs.
Hillbilly Bill – at 10:38 ….This is a check and balance system as I sometimes want to buy a backup to the backup system if you know what I mean.
Only sometimes?????? :-)
AVanarts – at 10:55
Thanks for the suggestions. We’ve been doing that … bottom line is our experience with hurricanes means that we won’t be depending on our freezer/frig. Its one of the reasons that I got back into canning. The only thing that I plan on storing in the freezer after Christmas will be strictly fast/convenience foods that are more treat than regular items on our menues. Kind of a haven for the junk food.
If power doesn’t go out, or only results in rolling brown outs, I’ll be able to create lots of ice - or at least cool water - which could come in very handy.
We’ll revisit the generator topic and I’ll bring up some of your suggestions. We have a shed already, but it is currently full of our property management equipment and supplies. Its also on the wrong side of the house from the utility room, well pump, and the breaker panels. If we could have a generator that just would serve our well, that would be great - but it is fairly deep and pulls lots of juice.
We have the same issues at the second property we own. We’ll need to decide what direction we are going to go … a whole house generator is not portable. On the other hand, if we get a portable generator in case we “bug out” to our secondary location, then the fuel won’t be portable.
Lots to think about and hash out.
I guess it is unrealistic to think that husband and wife would both agree on how much prepping is necessary. My wife wants a year of food in our basement, and I think 6 months is good enough. That difference amounts to a substantial amount of money. We have a generator that will power our house, but it is of course limited by fuel storage. My wife insisted that I get this generator ready for action in our new home before winter set in. (we live in UP Michigan and winters are serious). I did get this done.
Sometimes I wonder if some of our prepping reflects an overall fear of death we all have. And that somehow prepping for bird flu will keep us from dying. It reminds me of the Egyptian funeral customs. Please don’t take this as a flame. I respect anyone’s wish to survive during the next pandemic. This whole thing sometimes turns me introspective.
Michael GLH – at 11:47 Having been the one to start this thread, I can say I don’t take your post as a flame at all…..I think that no matter what the “inspiration”, these situations make us question our mortality which we usually have no control over.
Not only that, but whatever extra luggage we’ve accumulated from previous circumstances in our lives that opened the door for us to feel unsafe, threatened, unprotected, etc. also plays into our attitudes and actions.
I also think that some of us are ‘burdoned’ with a caring for others that makes us want to make as certain as we can that we keep things as close to ‘normal’ as we can for us and our families.
So I’d say our actions are motivated by at least those 3 outside factors and it helps, when we feel frustrated, to be able to recognize which factor or factors is/are feeding our fears or frustrations at any given time.
It sort of reminds me of the story of the woman who, when she found out she had a terminal illness and only had a couple of months to live, spent a lot of time cooking to fill up the freezer so her husband would have ‘decent’ meals to eat after she’d died.
It’s one way of extending what we find valuable….
Michael GLH – at 11:47
As the old saying goes, everyone has an opinion. <grin> In this case the problem is not the differences in opinions, but the fact that nearly everyone has a potential of being right. The problem is also that we could all turn out wrong as well. <sigh>
There are merits to both the 6-month and the 12-month idea in my opinion. Every family and their situation is unique and their planning will reflect this.
I don’t think it necessarily reflects fear of our own deaths so much as a fear of failure in fulfilling our personal role and responsibility in our families which could lead to the deaths of our loved ones.
I do fear losing my children more than my own death. I fear not being a responsible spouse and mother. There is a fine balancing act we are all attempting … that is part of the stress of preparation. There are days when I wouldn’t mind going back to an oblivious state. Well, not really as I know that could have terrible consequences. But maybe a moment here and there. I can’t imagine what it must have been like in generations passed when women KNEW that the baby they carried would likely die at a young age even if it survived birth … and that a husband KNEW that it was probable that he would lose at least one wife and/or child to childbirth over his lifetime. What an emotional and spiritual burden that must have been to carry.
Kathy in FL – at 11:33
Sounds like you guys might decide that any generator would be a unnecessary expense. That’s how I looked at it for a long time. After all in a true TEOTWAKI situation a generator without fuel would be nothing more than an anchor. In most situations less than TEOWATKI, it would really fall more into the “luxury” class for most of us.
I’m sure that whatever you decide will be the best for your situation.
I’m-workin’-on-it – at 12:10
You mentioned some very good motivations. Part of the motivation for my prepping has been so that my wife and grandaughter will suffer as little as possible in a pandemic. Whether my efforts will pay off remains to be seen.
Probably a good percentage also comes from the fact that I want to be “right” about this threat, as crazy as that may sound.
DW won’t go for a full solar system for the house so i am looking into a portable deep cycle battery with a solar panel just to run the well pump for 10 minutes every 2 days to pump enough water to last. It would enable me to have a renewable fresh water source i know and trust when my genset runs out of fuel.
It would be a heck of a lot cheaper too and less obvious. (and less noisy)
Thanks! He thinks I’m crazy too, ordered one. Hubby might find good use for this as he is a family practice doc and plans to work.
Kathy and I’m working on it, Thanks for the reply and not taking my post as adversarial. My wife and I are elderly and we have enough past experience to know that things can get very ugly. We bought a book called “Final Exit”. We have now also prepped for a painless death rather than suffer what indignities that may come. We want to live but choose not to spend our last days suffering needlessly.
This attitude is probably a product of our earlier lives. We have both faced situations that gave us the knowledge of how bad things can get.
We will just have to work out together how much we want to put into supplies. I am sure there is a compromise somewhere in our future.
Michael GLH – at 21:37
I’m glad you and your wife have each other and that you have a realistic understanding of your mortality. I’m 50 and not there yet. Honestly only in the last 6 years, mainly this past year, have I been really exposed to death and how fragile we all are in the first place, then add aging and loneliness and illness and it gets really scary from where I stand now. I have faith to carry me through most things, but I don’t think there are some things I want to fight hard to get through, in some circumstances.
I’m-workin’-on-it, Yes, we all have some sort of limit. Exposure to death can change a person. We are all fragile and only here for a moment. Being able to do our time here without fear is what can make life beautiful.
I have spent my younger years experiencing serious fear because of a job I had. I learned from that. Fear has always been what brought me low. I chose a different profession and try to live now without fear as a constant companion.
Prepping is kind of a thing to me that I can do out of fear or do to simply be prudent. My goal is to be prudent with preparation and then forget about it. I am 64 years old and know that if bird flu doesn’t take me, something else will. To be honest, I just want to have a good time while I’m here and enjoy the company of good people.
I just want us to be as comfortable as possible and not suffer from dehydration, starvation or hypothermia. Death is not my greatest fear; it’s the extent of suffering be it the intensity or the duration. I take comfort in knowing even now when I look out and see a nasty storm coming in that I don’t have to worry about getting supplies. I’ve always thought this way so no I’m not doing it because of the pandemic threat. To me its like having money in the bank. Why do we save-so we have something tomorrow and the next day.
This thread makes me realize how truly blessed I am with my spouse. She has wholeheartedly gotten behind the concept of individual preparedness, and while we may disagree occasionally about specifics we are totally in agreement on the advantages of being prepared, not just for the flu but for all of life’s uncertainties. Until 9/11 her family looked more than a little askance at my “be prepared” attitude, but she took up the cudgels rather vigorously on my behalf on several occasions, and continues to do so.
She has even made remarks like “well, (BIL), lots of people have disagreed with LMW on the need for preparation. They are usually wrong. Look at KAtrina, look at Rita, look at what happened the year before that in Florida, and then tell me that it’s sensible to depend for your children’s survival on the government! I think that making basic survival preparations is just good sense.” Bless her!
As a result of conversations like this, combined with rather pointed remarks on my part, the BIL has seen the light and is starting to prep for the flu.
Goju,sorry I`m alittle late replying to your post.In addition to your preps to keep your well pump going you might also purchase a pipe well bucket.If all else fails just pull the pump and use it instead.These are long slender pipes with a valve on one end and a rope on the other.
Reconscout - well is 125 ft. There is a sealed cement cap about 20 ft down.
On another note - snuck in a 10,000 btu kerosene heater to add to my 25,000 btu one (small one for sick room) and extra wicks. Added 4 small propane cans and 4 extra lantern mantels (all very backup to back ups).
I like to sneak in the preps. Keeps things interesting… Next - i need to make a list of what I have scattered through the house and what it is for in case something should happen to me. Hey - you never know…
Good discussion on motivation and goals for prepping, everyone.
The thing I keep coming back to, is the desire to do what I can so that we are not as cold and hungry during a pandemic as we would be otherwise.
We can still die of flu or other things. I obviously can’t control that. But I can take steps to increase likelihood of comfort during pandemic or other serious interruptions to life as we know it today, and that’s what drives me to act (changing the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference).
It is quite an adventure to research and change so many parts of my life for the better, prep or no prep.
Michael GLH – at 23:04 you and your wife would be welcome at my table anytime! :-)
Michael GLH- I thought you said you were old.(grin) I am 73 and my husband is 83 and sure we will die sooner or later. But, we sure don’t want it to be due to the ole flubird. We are prepping and DH is in agreement with it. But,I do all the research, buying,stocking,etc. He helps but I’m a ‘take charge’ type gal. Now, I’m stocking up on things that will not be available after the waves are gone; whenever that will be. It would be terrible to outlast the flu and then find that we can’t find or buy the things we need. We both lived thru the depression when little. Those were the days that we would steal a piece of bread from the kitchen to last us till bedtime. We had coal stoves and an outhouse and in winter time, the icebox would be put on the porch to keep food cold. In summer, we sometimes had ice from the iceman for the box. If we couldn’t afford the ice, it really didn’t matter as the box didn’t have much food in it anyway. So, we went thru those poor days and can do it again. What we are concerned the most about is someone breaking in and just killing us. If they do, then we hope they shoot both of us at once.
Newname - You can bring so much wisdom to us here. Please post your thoughts on making do without.
Newname at 19:09
I’d love to hear more about your experiences as a child in the Depression. What sorts of things do you anticipate will not be available after the waves are gone?
If I had to guess, I’d say things like coffee, tea, and other imported goods. Thanks to globalization and oursourcing, we would also have to include items like clothing, shoes, housewares… actually, just about everything!
I think we’re in big trouble.
Goju - at 14:08: Next - i need to make a list of what I have scattered through the house and what it is for in case something should happen to me. Hey - you never know…
Ok, you know you’re a serious prepper when you have to leave a treasure map just in case!
Newname – at 19:09 great post! I’m always tickled to see the age span of our family here. I’m glad to know you’re both on board with your plans…..I’d hate to think that at 73 I’d find myself with someone who hadn’t learned to put up with my own “take charge” personality — that means there’s hope for my husband yet!! :-)
It is very odd how some people react to this.The famous Dr Webster at St Jude`s said not long ago that he was having to do all the preps at his house because his wife refused to.”A profet is not without honor except in his own country.”So scripture says.Anyway,I have to quietly do any preps at my house.Right now it is N95 masks for work and brief forays out of SIP(only if vitally needed).Soon I will order seeds and I plan to keep the propane tank full even at the end of winter.Goju,too bad about the concrete cap;my well is 96 feet deep with the water at 60 but a pipe well bucket would still be useable.
It is very odd how some people react to this.The famous Dr Webster at St Jude`s said not long ago that he was having to do all the preps at his house because his wife refused to.”A profet is not without honor except in his own country.”So scripture says.Anyway,I have to quietly do any preps at my house.Right now it is N95 masks for work and brief forays out of SIP(only if vitally needed).Soon I will order seeds and I plan to keep the propane tank full even at the end of winter.Goju,too bad about the concrete cap;my well is 96 feet deep with the water at 60 but a pipe well bucket would still be useable.
Opps,double post.
Meserolr and Goju IMO the best thing to store is beans and flour. When we didn’t have anything else which was often, we ate beans and potatoes… sometimes for days on end. I often find it strange that my whole family still enjoys them. I’ve stocked up on all kinds of seeds for next year.. heirloom type only.It was just this past spring that we decided that the veggie garden was too much work for us. But, things change.If we survive then I believe that bartering will prevail. If the pandemic is more serious than that of 1918 then I doubt if paper money will hold much value for a long time. Remember the European countries that were humbled by war,etc. A wheelbarrow of money was good for one loaf of bread.For those that have it, gold would be a good bartering item. I wouldn’t think that coffee,tea,etc would be around at all since that is normally produced in other countries and production would be reduced and used for the originating country. The biggest concern during survival would be for meds for those of us that depend on it for life. I cleaned out our clothes closet recently and my DH ask what I did with the clothes that I had taken out.As I usually give them to charity. I told him I put them in the basement as we might need them to barter. He laughed but didn’t object.gg We don’t know what will happen to our IRA’s and bank accounts and that is a concern.We are taking out some cash to hide in the house. As far as BOB we aren’t making any as there is no where to go for us and we aren’t able to physically leave anyway. If things get as bad as I described above then I guess I’ll have to finally give up my beer and cigs.ggg
Newname, Your insight is fantastic.
Speaking of barter… you mention coffee and tea as being unavailable. What items that are plentiful now, would you say would become great barter items in a post pandemic world besides food?
I’m-workin’-on-it and Newname, Thanks for the invite I’m-workin’-on-it, we would love to visit. However, we live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We just call it the Yewppers. Well Newname, I figured I was the oldest person reading this. Guess I was wrong. We have done some prepping. We have about 6 months in food. We also have an oxygen generator, tamiflu, other drugs, generator, firearms and ammunition. We do not have any water supply except for our 50 gal hot water heater. We do get a fair amount of rain and snow. We average 200 inches of snow per winter. I thought about putting up gutters on the house diverted to water storage. You can only have gutters up in the summer here because of snowfall. Snow and ice would just rip any gutters off.
My wife and I did not grow up in the depression but we did live in a small coastal town where electric power was haphazard and poverty was serious. We experienced a winter without any income when I was 16 and my weight fell to 90 pounds. There was no welfare. You could only eat what you could fish or shoot without the game warden catching you. It is amazing how much the idea of food stays in your mind when you are always hungry. I fantasized hamburgers instead of teenage girls. You could see every bone on either of us. It is a time that forged a permanent bond between my wife and I. It is amazing how little you can eat each day and still stay alive. Our six months supply of food would easily last a year if we ate that way.
Michael GLH I would be in a panic if we didn’t have any water stored besides the water heater. Have you drained it to see how much crude comes out. You can last alot longer with water than with food. We have over 50 3 1/2 gal. plastic jugs waiting to be filled. Along with 5 gal buckets,etc. About 4 months worth of water besides the hot water heater. We bought some big wash tubs to catch rainwater in. They will also be useful for washing clothes later on.
We have about 1 yr.of food. Even after the waves are gone food will be scarce in MO. Much of our food is either grown or processed out of the U.S. Approx. 85% of all meds are made outside. Transportation and many other items will be a real problem for a long time due to lack of oil. Better get a bike or good hiking shoes now.
Yeah,I know what that feeling is like to want something to eat. Can you believe that a nice hot soup can be made with some fresh grass and wild onions. Chopped into tiny bits. Sorry for going off topic so much. I’ll quit rambling now.
MGLH-
Can you please expand on the “oxygen generator” you mentioned? What is it, what powers it and where do you get one?
You are very correct in admonishing me about the water Newname. Normally my wife has a lot of water stored in plastic jugs. We moved and now have a space problem. I am sure she will find space eventually and start the water thing again. I didn’t think you were rambling. We moved from a very large home on the prairie to where we are now. We did have a 250 gal water tank there. The wash tubs sound like a good idea. I will pass this along to my better half.
LMWatBullRun, the oxygen generator is just a piece of equipment that separates the oxygen in the air out and then pumps it into the tubes in your nose or a mask for you to breathe. I got mine on ebay for $400. You could probably find one unless this item has become sought after. I bought one when I first heard about bird flu. You can buy the tubing for it online. These are not expensive. Oxygen therapy has proved useful for getting people with pneumonia over the “hump”.
Goju – at 12:43 DW won’t go for a full solar system for the house so i am looking into a portable deep cycle battery with a solar panel just to run the well pump for 10 minutes every 2 days to pump enough water to last. It would enable me to have a renewable fresh water source i know and trust when my genset runs out of fuel.
It would be a heck of a lot cheaper too and less obvious. (and less noisy)
Please post whatever model you decide on as we have been contemplating having a well drilled and I am concerned about powering the pump if we lose power. The noise of a generator is just an invitation to people we might not want to have come visiting atthat time.
Newname - I think you should have your own thread to post whatever you and your husband remember about living in the depression years. I am certain we can all benefit from your experience.
I am happy to report DH and I are equally on board with prepping. We each have our own responsibilities to see to. They’re a bit gender based I’m afraid. But- whatever works….Mine is food/clothing/meds/houshold supplies and such. His are all the “man-things” propane, gas and generators, fire wood and coal. car/truck supplies, tools, stuff for house maint. and such. His area also includes the acquisition of appropriate defence weapons and the supplies needed to maintain them, and teaching me how to use them correctly. I have my pistol permit and passed my class for that with a 98%, I’ve used a shotgun when I was much younger, but rifles are new to me. I will whole heartedly second whomever it was above who stressed that if you decide to purchase a firearm- take a class and learn how to use it and practise with it so you are comfortable. Never - carry a gun you aren’t prepared to use. You could wind up beig the one that gets hurt.
CCprep - We have never used guns at all. Do you know anything about Tazer guns or stun guns. Or those new ones that use a liquid, I believe. My DH thinks a BB gun would be good. But, I think those would just make the burgler mad and not hurt a bit. Should we also be trained in the use of a Tazer or Stun? I checked out Bullet Proof Vest but darn those things really are expensive. I read of other people putting fish hooks all along their fence line to prevent people from jumping over. We are looking into that.Our back yard is completely fenced off so it might work. We are like you… my DH is responsible for home defense but he hasn’t decided yet what to do. I’m thinking that if anyone broke in during the nite while we are in bed that I would pretend to be sick and blind. My husband is deaf without his hearing aids so I doubt if he would even wake up.
Michael GhL== I’ve seen pictures of what others are doing to store water jugs. They put them in those cheap aluminum pans and put them underneath their sofas or bed or in a closet.The one gallon jug is easy to manage and Big Lots sell them for one dollar. We have the 3 1/2 gal jugs stored in the basement on top of plywood and bought a cheap siphon at local hdwe store to get the water out. Water is heavy and 3 1/2 gals would weigh approx.28 lbs. The other thing I’m prepping is downloading some of my favorite radio programs from the net onto an MP3. They can be played on my battery operated speaker.
Sorry but this is yet another water filter/purifier question but related to this thread. My dh is sort of tolerant of my prepping but hasn’t quite gotten on board yet. So I continue to be subtle with bringing in and storing things—I don’t want to rock the boat—change in perspective is hard and I am willing to be patient as my prepping is going well. However…I am now looking to address the water purifying issue (I am still confused after reading many of the FluWiki threads on this subject). I don’t think I could buy a Berkley and have it go unnoticed so I am going to settle for now on a smaller system. Could someone please give me some advice on whether to go with a Katadyn Base Camp Gravity Filter ($59), MSR MiniWorks Water Filter ($84) or a First Need Deluxe ($79)? All of these are small, under $100, and easy to store. I am also thinking about purchasing a collapsible water storage “pillow’ to augment some 5 gallon containers, my water heaters, and access to a neighbor’s pool. I am open to other suggestions—thanks for helping keep the peace in my family and increasing our preparation efforts.
Newname, Using anything less than a firearm for protection is counterproductive. Forget Tazers and bb guns. Your best bet is to make friends with your neighbors. You will need them for defence. You cannot defend a home by yourself no matter how many guns you have. Go to classes and learn how to survive a firefight. When and if you are able you will need to try to cobble together a militia of sorts. You will not be able to do this until the S*** hits the fan. Make friends and be ready to broach the subject at the proper time. When things are going well, they will just think you are crazy to bring it up.
Remember, preppers like us are very rare. We have a mindset that differs a lot from almost all of our neighbors. My wife and I have been preppers since I got out of the service in 1965. My wife was always thinking way ahead of me. She still is. She practices with firearms. In 1998 a gang tried to attack us with knives when we came out of a theatre. She was cold and steady as steel with her Glock. We were very lucky that they brought knives to a gunfight. We were living in Portland Oregon and we never went to a movie again in that city. She was always the one who would never go out of the house without her glock and ragged at me to put mine on. She doesn’t have to rag at me anymore.
LLou – at 23:47 I don’t think I could buy a Berkley
You could maybe justify purchase of a Berkey for use NOW. We have one and use it every day to filter our drinking water. We also have a PUR water filter on the kitchen water faucet that needs frequent (expensive) replacement filters. I use the Berkey, now that I have it, and save additional expense of replacing the damn PUR filters all the time. :-)
Be aware that the Berkey has impressive claims that are not allowed by two states with stringent regulations, California and Iowa. I still like mine and use it all the time. What I like best is that you pour the water in and gravity does the work.
I have a couple of replacement filters tucked away fur the future, even though they last for a long time.
I also have a MSR filter for just-in-case emergency usage, but it would be a major pain to manually pump every day’s worth of daily consumable water through the thing.
Just my two cents worth of opinion…
Best of luck in your continued prepping.
I asked my DH for a berkey for Xmas. He knows about the prepping, and even though he isn’t on board with it all he did agree to buy me one. When he wanted to know what I would do with it while waiting for something to happen, I told him I would put it on the counter and filter our tap water. It tastes nasty and we buy bottled water a lot because I can’t stand drinking our tap water. So, you really could get by with telling your DH that while there are lower cost brands, the Berkey will last longer on a set of filters so it is actually more cost effective! Then make a comment about the actual water quality being an issue with you, because you heard the chlorine etc in tap water isn’t too healthy.
Can’t hurt! :)
I have done several things to store water, including filling ziplock bags (the freezer-double-seal ones) with water, then doublebagging the sealed bag in another ziplock and then putting it in an aluminum pan under my sofa. I have over 20 gallons stored that way I think it is….the pan will just barely slip underneath, my sofa is so low!
I’ve also got a Berkey and I ADORE it! BUT it is terribly expensive like other’s have said.
I would recommend that you compare prices on eBay because you CAN get a really good deal from buyers there on ANY of the brands you may be looking for.
I would also consider making your own water filter with the Berkey or Kyadine (how do you spell that?) filters. If you’ll dig up the thread “Pictures of Preps” one of our illustrious folks posted links to pictures of one he made himself using regular 5 gal plastic buckets. As I said it’s the FILTERS (and spigot) that do the work, so if you have a way to make your own, you can get an effective “Berkey” filter very inexpensively that way.
Newname, you and I think so much alike on some things — we have a .38 (I had wanted a 9mm Glock) and I’m afraid it will just make someone mad if I shot ‘em with it! I want to upgrade to a Glock, but have a bigger gun in mind first like a shotgun or rifle sized gun!
However, a .38 can pack a punch — using hollowpoint bullets will help! They’re mean & blow a big hole!
Practice, practice, practice!
My comments run contrary to the subject of this thread, but I really wish every one of you had a spouse who is as supportive as mine.
One year ago I was the only prepper in my household, but my wife has become a real partner. For example, last Thursday she brought home 80 pounds of propane for under $1 per pound, on Sunday afternoon she proudly lugged a used 600 watt generator into the family room and set it down between me and the NFL, and at dinner last night she said, “According to Woodson we’ll need more salt for the rehydration formula.”
I LOVE your wife, Dr. Dave! LOL!
I’m proud to see someone else who doesn’t think the world should grind to a stop just because a football game is on! What’s that blonde joke about the girl who watched her first football game? When asked how she liked it she couldn’t see what the big deal was….They started with a coin toss, then spent the rest of the time chasing each other around trying to ‘get the quarter back’!
Don’t want to get off-track here, but I was hoping I could insert a question here for those of you who have a Berkey water filter. Some time ago I picked out the Berkey as the water filter I wanted to get when I could save the money. Well, I’m almost there now, and am having trouble choosing between the Big Berkey and the Berkey Light. On the one hand, I like the stainless steel in the Big Berkey; on the other, when I look at the comparison table at Lehman’s, it appears that the Berkey Light will filter out more impurities. (Also don’t mind the fact that the Berkey Light is less money.) So which Berkey do you have and why did you choose it?
Genoa -
I checked out Lehman’s site too. I was also confused. Then I went to the manufacturer’s site: (New Millenium Concepts): http://tinyurl.com/u5qjw I called this company and they explained that Lehman advertises the Big Berkey with a different filter, NOT the Black Berkey filter. But Lehman’s advertises the Berkey Light with the Black Berkey filter. Lehman’s does not explain that.
As far as I understand, if you use the Black Berkey filter (not other filters) with one of the Berkey systems, then Crypto (and other organisms) is removed. If you go to the manufacturer’s site (above) click on Black Berkey on the left side, then, on that page, you can see the places that evaluated the filters (bottom right). The University of Arizona found that Crypto, etc, were removed.
If you order this system from the manufacturer, it is less than at Lehman’s (and you get a couple of freebies). If you call to order, rather than order online, you also save a few more dollars.
Genoa – at 13:06
I bought mine in 1999, before Y2K. There wasn’t a black filter at that time. I got the stainless steel because I don’t think there was a plastic kind. :-)
If there had been a plastic, I’d probably have bought it because of the price — the stainless has come down a little since I bought it!
But I’m glad now that I have the stainless — I don’t know how hard the plastic is on the Berkey and I imagine it’s very strong, but you can damage plastic faster than you can stainless. Especially as the plastic ages.
If you’re using in an area where cooking is going on (which is VERY likely) you could get the plastic too close to an open flame or stovetop eye. If you have a smooth cooktop it’s easy to set things on top of it and forget that it can get hot.
I’m hoping we all will always have clean water to filter, but the Berkey was designed to be used by missionaries who were using ditch water. You know from kitchen experience that plastic can pick up odors and stains so that’s why I say I don’t know what type plastic Berkey has used, but I would have to assume that after 5 years of use, it might not look as ‘clean’ as a new one. But I don’t know that for a fact.
I just know that my stainless is easy to clean, doesn’t stain, and if it gets near heat it won’t permanently damage the material making the filter bottom or top useless.
Either one would be great to have.
I want to make one like I mentioned above, and I’m going to use the black filters for that — just remember whatever you do, get a repair kit & a spare spigot!
Genoa,
For half the price, I opted for the Katadyn Gravidyn. It is similar to the Big Berkey, but it is plastic. That leaves room in the budget for replacement filters. On an earlier post, however, “I’m Working On It” noted that the inside of the Berkey will not discolor like plastic. Either one will filter down to 0.2 microns.
Hey Dr Dave! Good to ‘see’ you this afternoon! I might should reword what I said up above….I’m not sure if the Berkey will discolor, but I know that I’ve never seen a plastic that didn’t after being used for some length of time. I would be more concerned about the heat — either it falling near a campfire or being set on a stove while the power was out then the power coming back on and the stove eye being on or something like that — at least that would happen at MY house! :-)
If I drop my stainless Berkey, it might dent, but it’ll still be useable as long as the spigot & seals and filters work. And the spigot is attached through the stainless. A spigot installed through plastic could have problems if there were a small crack in the plastic near the spigot if you tried to tighten it. I’m just GUESSING, mind you, it might be the best thing since sliced bread!
Just so you’ll know, the stainless came with a rubber ring around the bottom to keep it from being able to be pushed off a counter easily — it WON’T slide easily at all so that helps to lessen the possibility of damage from falls.
Genoa – at 13:06
We have the basic Berkey Lite and we really like it a lot. It makes our coffee taste much smoother. (It has the black filters.) Hope this helps.
On the subject of guns, I used to have a 38 and found that it took too long to load when I really needed it and could have cost me my life. I got rid of my guns when we decided to start a family. I re-applied for my firearm owner’s id card last week and plan to get a 9mm and a shotgun. I also used to have a rifle for dear hunting, but it’s not allowd for that in the state where I live now, plus it is so big that I don’t think it’s practical for self-defense, unless you’re going to use it to scare someone. I’ll be getting a smaller shotgun to fit me. Now I have to convince hubby it’s the way to go and find a safe way of keeping the guns. Oh, and make sure you know what your state’s gun laws are. Here it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon without a special permit - some knives are also prohibited.
The age of everyone here always surprises me. I’m 46, hubby is 40, and our girls are 2 and 5.
Gonna go check out those Berkeys….
Genoa et al: Thanks for the off-thread discussion on water filters here. You all helped me to rethink what it was I was trying to accomplish with the end being I just ordered a Berkey Lite. Another great example of the help you all have been. A year ago—actually even 6 months ago—I knew zip about water filters—and now I feel good about this decision.
On the subject of Berkey water filters:
If we are at the point that we must rely on our water filters for potable water, the situation is dire. I wanted a filter that would not require electricity, excess manual labor (pumping), was not reliant on JIT delivery of additional replacement filters, was easy to use, easy to maintain, and easy to store.
Regardless of what style unit you opt for (plastic, stainless steel) you need to get the Black Berkey filters, which are the only ones that will apply to the broad spectrum of uses we here would need. One set of filters can filter up to 6,000 gallons (or 16 gallons a day for a year) before they need to be replaced if you clean them properly (by wiping with a cloth).
When you compare the cost of the Berkey and one set of filters to the cost of any other filter which requires routine filter replacement, you will soon see that the Berkey is at least as cost-effective as other filters if not more so.
Also, I just received water test results back on water samples that I collected and ran through the Berkey.
Samples were collected from our rain water collection system (off our roof, through a gutter, into a plastic rain barrel) and the marsh that surrounds our property.
I had the lab tested both raw and filtered samples from each water source.
Both raw samples were had e.coli and elevated levels of some heavy metals and minerals, although in general, the water was very good quality. No crypto or other ghoulies.
The filtered water was well within the safe range for drinking water guidelines in our state when it came to metals and minerals. There was also a visible difference in the water quality. The roof water was pretty clear to begin with, but the raw marsh water was rusty looking. After passing through the filter, it was sparkling clear.
The one area of concern in the water testing (or so I thought when I got the results back) was the e. coli and total coliform. This test is not measured numerically. Rather, it is tested as absent/present. If it is present, the water is technically not potable.
Much to my chagrin and concern, the filtered water still had e. coli in it. However, when I talked to my friend who owns the water testing lab and ran the tests as a favor, he verified to me that the test would have returned positive for e. coli even if there was an infinitesimal trace of it present. If you look at New Millenium Concept’s Web site, it does not claim to get 100% of e. coli. I think it says 99.5% or 99.9%.
My friend confirmed for me that all I would have to do is treat the water with bleach before running it through the Berkey, and I’d have perfectly potable water. I was planning on doing that anyway just to be safe, particularly if H5N1 is present in birds in the area, so I feel like I finally have our water situation solved.
As for plastic vs. stainless, the plastic is bulletproof and ultra durable. I have stainless and love it, although it gets mucked up with fingerprints pretty easily during normal daily use. However, you can make your own water filter using two five gallon food grade buckets and a Black Berkey or two. Wish I’d known this before I bought, cuz this is what I would have done. Not as sexy as stainless, but perfectly functional. The directions are in another water thread, which will no doubt turn up by searching on the term Berkey.
As for spouses not supporting prepping efforts, I am very lucky that mine is on board 100%. Not sure what I would do if he weren’t.
And speaking of uncooperative spouses, tjclaw1 – at 22:44, I’m hoping you don’t *really* use your rifle for dear hunting. ;)
Sorry for the random typos in the above post. Must sleep…
One point of clarification, first, though…
When you compare the cost of the Berkey and one set of filters to the cost of any other filter which requires routine filter replacement, you will soon see that the Berkey is at least as cost-effective as other filters if not more so.
Should have been…
When you compare the cost of the Berkey and one set of filters to the cost of any other filter which requires routine filter replacement, you will soon see that the Berkey is at least as cost-effective as other filters if not more so to filter the same quantity as the single set of Berkey filters.
In other words, the per gallon cost to filter water with a Berkey is equal to or less than the cost of most other filters that use filtering mediums that are more quickly consumed than are the porcelain Black Berkey filters.
I just now had an opportunity to read the replies to my question about the Berkey filters. I have just one thing to say----thank you! I appreciate the answers. I definitely knew I wanted to get a Berkey. I’m going to do a little more in the way of price comparisons between the plastic and stainless steel versions and then choose one. I am inclined to prefer the stainless steel, as my primary pots and pans in my house (bought when I was first married) are stainless steel and they have never let me down. On the other hand, I like to save money where I can, so we’ll see. Either way, though, I’m sure my water filter will be a Berkey.
Edna Mode – at 00:12 “And speaking of uncooperative spouses, tjclaw1 – at 22:44, I’m hoping you don’t *really* use your rifle for dear hunting. ;)”
Oops, guess I was getting a little tired last night. Although at times I might consider “dear hunting” tee hee, I really meant “deer” hunting!
That was funny! I’ve got a LIST of prep things to do that DH will be working on before the ballgames — wish me luck! :-)
Edna — good for you for getting the Berkey water tested!
I have been wondering about the Berkey’s claims about purification, especially since they aren’t available in California and Iowa, presumably because of stringent regulations on those states.
However, we have a Berkey, and use it daily to filter tap water (instead of relying on expensive PUR water filters), and like it a lot.
Two pieces of advice:
1) Clean the inside regularly or it can get funky; it is designed so that some water remains in both the top and bottom sections forever (below the spigot or filter line) so you need to pour it out and wash with hot water every 7 to 10 days. (I’m not talking about cleaning the filters, just the water tanks.)
2) Get a replacement spigot or two. They’re inexpensive when ordered from the distributor. That’s the weak link in the whole arrangement. Mine dripped for a while. I called the company and they were very nice about sending me a new one. That’s something I would want to avoid in a pandemic situation, so I also had them send me another spare. A backup for the backup, if you will. ;-)
Good luck with your purchase, Genoa!
… and for the record, my spouse knows about the Berkey :-)
«blackbird trying to tie back to the subject of this thread»
lord help us if we thread-drift! :-)
We went to look at fireplace inserts & found out that no one in Birmingham AL has ANY actually on the floor for us to see. Bummer. I seem to be hitting roadblocks all along the way.
I just posted another question about water filters (Berkey v AquaRain) in the separate water filters thread, as I don’t want to take this thread any more off topic than I already have. Please read, as I’d appreciate your input.
I did an interesting thought experiment with my dear dh, who has started giving me the hairy eyeball again about the cans of food starting to visibly stack up… I’ve kind of run out of the old under-the-bed storage areas and it’s starting to look, well, a little looney. (again)
So I took out one of the large cannisters of oatmeal we have, and asked him to figure how many we would need for a month if we had oatmeal every day. There were 30 servings, realistically more like 25. So for our family of 5 — 2 adults, 3 small children — he said we’d need 6. I asked him how many we had… and then told him about 4. I pulled out a container of grits and did the same thing. He saw it would last us 3 days at the given servings. Then I asked him how many cans of fruit a day we would need if we didn’t have any fresh. He said one; I brought out 1 15oz can of apricots and asked him if he thought 1/5 of this would do for all day for all of us. So, even though the dawn was breaking for him, he grudingly went up to 2 cans per day — 60 for the month. I asked him how many cases that was… about 5. By then he is looking a little chagrined… I asked him to sit down with me and do the same thought experiment for lunch and dinner servings.Wish me luck; let’s see if he will. I think he’s starting to get the picture, that it might look like we have a lot, but really, we may have a month, 6 weeks tops, covered.
Hi!
Ordered an Excaliber Dehydrator at 1:30am this morning…NOPE! Didn’t tell him about it…He can read it here! Got the big baby….Is this thing noisy?? TeeHee! It will be really quiet at my neighbors house….It will be OUR dehydrator!
Anybody have any suggestions on how to use this thing??
Northstar – at 18:04
Good methodology.
mom11 – at 22:54 Hi! Ordered an Excaliber Dehydrator at 1:30am this morning…NOPE! Didn’t tell him about it…He can read it here! Got the big baby….Is this thing noisy?? TeeHee! It will be really quiet at my neighbors house….It will be OUR dehydrator! Anybody have any suggestions on how to use this thing??
Mom11
I have this and I absolutey LOVE it!!!! Did you get the one with a timer? That’s handy. No - it’s not noisey- or at least I don’t think so and have not had any complaints. After a while it’s like white noise or a fan. I run mine all the time- actually it’s rarely off my counter- it’s not expensive to run either. I use it the most for dried apples as it’s so much easier to get my “apple a day” with a bag of apple chips on my desk- they are so good no one can stop eating them. They are not crunchy, they are chewy and the apple flavor is more intense. I’ve gone through 5 tightly packed 1 gallon bags in the past month just because of hunting season. Husband and his cousins take these and my Jerky out in their pouches to munch on. I also dry veggies and herbs that I have too much of from the garden or if I see a good deal at the market. I dry our wild blueberries and make fruit leathers. I have dried leftover cooked turkey- that’s great to throw in soup. My daughter and her friends at college loved my fruit leathers - she still does, and I’ll be buying her her own Excalibur when she moves into her own house. You’ll find many reasons to use it.
Soon as your DH stars eating those apple chips he’ll appreciate the machine. Great choice
I’m truly just freaked at trying to get more than 6 months worth of food preps into our house from regular grocer’s items.
I’m going to sit down and make up a plan and just ask hubby to OK the purchase of some long term storage food preps. I never wanted to go that direction, but I feel time running short and even as creatively effecient as I’ve been with our space … food for 7 for an extended period of time takes up an enormous amout of room.
I can’t make the bill too big or he’ll wig … but I also don’t want to lose the opportunity to really get the preps we need if he is agreeable to a much larger than normal bill. <sigh> I just hope I can get my point comes across right without being confrontational and stressed out.
My husband has reverted back to denial again. According to my DH, everyone on the flu sites are really conspiracy theorists that are focusing on the end of the world. His take on this now is that we (really me) are wasting a lot of time and money preparing for something that will never happen. He would rather spend the extra money on going out to eat and on his computer “toys” (games, etc). I wonder if he recently spoke with his parents at work - it seems that everytime he talks with his parents, he goes back into this denial frame of mind. The bad thing is that they will all be camped out at our house should a pandemic occur and I (probably known as the crazy nut of the family) will have to feed and take care of them. As you can tell, I am starting to get a bit annoyed….
Well, there’s always that time newcomers spend out in the yard until you know they aren’t contagious, sniffles…
Sorry your DH doesn’t care to listen to Dr.Webster and Dr.Nabarro, and Dr.Osterholm. Nor the governments that said this will happen and do not expect we will have enough of anything to help you out, see, we warned the public; there’s the website to prove it, disruptions mentioned and all…
My inlaws won’t spend time out in the yard in the winter freezing to death if the pandemic would start then - they will be indoors contaminating us all. While they currently make nice remarks now at my expense to make themselves feel better, they will be the first ones with their plates extended should something happen.
I have found that it really doesn’t matter what you do for a living or how much information you know about this flu and the possibilities of a pandemic happening - if a person is not ready or is unwilling to listen, they will ignore you or attack you verbally. I have worked in public health many years and have followed the progression of this virus since 1997. That does not make an difference with any of them.
My DH goes back and forth on this issue a lot because he really has never dealt well with change. As far as preparing goes, there have been times that I have not purchased things that were wonderful deals because of his comments. When I tell him what I passed up and why, he tells me to just ignore him and to get the things I think we need and “I should know him by now after all these years (been married to him for 14 years). It gets extremely difficult sometimes to deal with the major swings and comments sometimes, though.
The idea that anyone owes a roof over their head or food is absolute insanity. The only ones you are responsible for are your immediate family. If others choose to ridicule your actions they go to the bottom of the list for help. We women have to stop worrying about what others think and do what is right for us. Don’t be concerned if their feelings are hurt; that isn’t your responsibility and in fact to allow their feelings to come before yours isn’t nice, it isn’t kind, it isn’t ladylike,its cr*p. Tell any spouse now that isn’t supporting you 100% that when it comes to a quarantine you will decide who to share your preps with and that nobody comes in that isn’t safe. You have to be firm now.
Prepping Gal – at 13:42
Atta Girl prepping gal my sentiments exactly
Well, well, well.
That Hong Kong cable had an effect on my husband after all! (He’s been kind of weird about preps; not really against them but thinks we have too much, it’s probably all unnecessary anyhow).
I sent him a copy last week while he was at work but we never discussed it.
Finally this weekend I brought up the topic of pandemic influenza and asked him where he stood on prepping. He said he didn’t like to think about it because it scared him. And he’s scared of losing our kids.
So I asked him, if he had any questions he wanted to ask me about it, and I’d try not to give him too much information (I tend to overload him because I don’t have a lot of people to talk about this with in real life) so he did.
His first question was, “So, the recommendation is for 12 weeks now?” (I said yes.) He said, “That’s a lot of time to spend indoors….” (A little discussion ensued about the reason for 12 weeks; disruption in supply but you don’t know exactly what; not necessarily hiding in the house the whole time….)
Then Northstar I followed your lead and asked him how long a box of Cheerios would feed one of our two children. He thought we went through a box a month. I showed him each box has 14 servings. Our child eats 2 bowls a day, so one box = 1 week for him. You do the math, honey….And I told him for all the food we have, it’s nowhere near 6 weeks, even.
Then… he asked how much WATER we have. (That Hong Kong cable mentioned specifically water. Which I’ve been saying all along but I guess it looks more official when it comes from the State Department.)
This is a big development in the Average Concerned Household! I’ll take whatever support I can get! (-:
I have been prepping for years…despite my DH. He has always maintained that I just had a weird idiosyncrasy, but loved me nonetheless. My theme song, dedicated to me by my family is..It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. :) For the most part, he has put up with me, but in the beginning my preps were pretty basic stuff..basically camping gear, etc., but as the years have gone on, I kept on building my preps. I did buy some additional preps for Y2K, bought a British Berkefeld with enough filters to last (oh for about twenty years, which I still have) Cooking items, etc. My electricity did go off in January 2000 for about three days, and I was the only one around with hot cocoa for the kids, hot food and lights in my house. It was so cool to go outside and look up and down the street and see nothing but black and then look at my house that was glowing with Aladdin lamps. It was so cool. I was hooked. :D
Ever since I was a small child, I have had these weird compulsions to “live on a farm”, so I would not be reliant on society, should “it” fall apart. I finally realized that goal about six years ago. I thought chickens were about the best “end of the world” food source there could be. Meat, eggs, low maintainance. Then I heard about “bird flu” and researched it fearing for my feathered friends. Lo and behold I found my way here. The more I read the more I realized that maybe I haven’t been “off track” my whole life, but on the right track. In the last year, I have added (a lot) to my preps, but primarily in long term food. My DH really started to get on me as he thought I had tipped over the edge of being “rational” I guess. He has always been nice about most things though, I have a great collection of Aladdin and other fuel burning lamps which he has helped me build through the years. But this is the kicker…I have been talking about H5N1 and what might happen should a pandemic begin and what we should be doing, in order to be prepared, for over a year…he has never really paid me any mind at all, I think he thought it was pretty much par for the course. He has always tried to allay my fears, etc.
After 25 years together, he was used to “it”, my weirdness and my compulsions..and then about two weeks ago he started having “pandemic” dreams. I kid you not. Obviously, everything I have been harping about has started to affect his subconscious mind, but he has had some “doosies”, really scary, nightmare stuff. Worse than some of the stuff I have dreamed about. Tonight when he was telling me about a dream he had last night, I handed him my final prep list. You know, everything I want to have a 24 hour grace period to get. Big bucks too…You know what…no snide remarks, no funny looks..You know what he said? You are going to need a lot of dog food. :) I think I have finally won the battle.
Average Concerned Mom – at 22:47 and Snowhound1 – at 23:36 it’s wonderful news for the both of you!!!!
Congrats!!
But althought it probably feels like it, it’s not just a windfall that’s been handed to you, it’s the pay-off for all your HARD work and diligent effort.
Way to GO Girls!
HI Cinda!
Thanks! Yes, I got the one with the timer. The only place that you can buy this model is directly from Excaliber. If anyone wants a model without the timer, they can be found all over, on-line for under $200. I paid $249.00. I did get a 10 year warranty free, those mesh sheets, for each shelf, two of the sheets for fruit roll ups, etc, a cookbook, and free shipping. I bought the 9 shelf unit and can’t wait until it comes. My garage is full of apples! Have you ever dehydrated frozen fruits and veggies?
Tonight, I’ve been shopping for toy castles. I didn’t knnow this would be so complicated! I’m letting my fingers do the walking!
Beat me to it: “Average Concerned Mom – at 22:47 and Snowhound1 – at 23:36 it’s wonderful news for the both of you!!!! “
Wish everyone could be so fortunate.
Don’t know which is worse; having a currently uncooperative partner, or, having no partner at all to help one through this (guess it is whichever situation the Flu Wiki reader at home finds oneself in…).
Sniffles; it’s your home and it’s your children you have to worry about keeping from infection and keeping warm and fed and safe. Hopefully the two of you can come to a united front about your children before you have to go all “Little Red Hen”, on the in-laws, and, the “ants” have to put the “grasshoppers” Beyond The Pale until they can prove they aren’t contagious, and, agree your home is your castle. Why should you risk your kids getting through a pandemic year or so for people who mocked you and wouldn’t go look themselves that scientists have been saying this, governments have said they won’t be able to help, common sense shows local plans are unrealistic and not based on current H5N1, we’ve had months to prepare, ect?
Snowhound1… hopefully you can put his dreams on the dream thread? I know it doesn’t “translate” as well second hand but I am really interested in what is going on in the spiritus mundi around here… especially from someone who has been in denial before. So interesting! Pleeeeeease?
Average Concerned Mom: Woohoo! Glad my “method” was of some help! Until I did that, I didn’t know what my dh didn’t know… and therein was some of the problem. He sees the kids go through a cannister of my “instant” oatmeal mix (1 large cannister minute oatmeal, 1 c of which is powdered, 2 c dry milk, 1 c sugar, 2 T pie spice to taste. Add water, heat 15 sec in microwave and eat.) in a week but he never really translated it to “how much we might need on hand.” I followed by totalling the calories he had generously allotted himself (it was 300 at that point) and remarking he only needed to cover about 3200 for the rest of the day.
My husband’s a smart man. He gets it. He just needed my area of household expertise laid out for him to understand.
Snowhound1, my experience is oddly like yours. Growing up I was, unlike my family, outdoorsy, rural-florida-survivalist kid — I was a better boy scout than my brother! I read that manual cover to cover so many times… to this day on a camping trip I can lash together a shelter or a travois in a twinkling to my dh’s utter astonishment. And in my tennis-playing suburban neighborhood, I’m such an anachronisim, canning and putting up food… what an odd hobby. Not that I’d mention it to anyone. I’ve always just shrugged and told my family I was born to be a farm wife. I wish… at this point my dream of a small farm has become more urgent than just wishful thinking!
For the dehydrator girls- I also have an Excalibur (found at a garage sale for 5 bucks, sorry) and I love it. I have only made jerky once but that was enough to make me buy it from then on. I have dried just about everything except meat several times. My favorite right now is fresh pineapple. Yummy. I mostly buy the big bags of veggies at Sam’s and dry them. Broccoli is difficult and I will no longer dry it because when you rehydrate it tastes bad. Never dry fresh cranberries. Frozen Corn, frozen peas, fresh onions and those fresh bags of little carrots, fresh zucchinis, frozen green beans all work very well in the dehydrator. Make your own little bags of soup mix! Great to hand out. Fruits I’ve done are fresh. Pineapple, pears, pomagranites, plums and peaches, oranges, lemons, limes, raspberries and blueberries are great. Kiwis too. I have a sealer but I put dried things in mason jars (garage sales too) and a couple of Oxy tabs. My reasoning for this is because I can always use the jars later when I might really need them. The sealing bags are useless after one use. Try it you will like it. I do not can because I am lazy and I have a glass top stove. I do however, dry like a crazy woman. You should see the top of my cabinets- full of dehydrated stuff in jars. Wonderful!
PBQ - I have dried lots of brocolli and never had it taste bad. I’ve had a few pieces that I cut too small that over dried and tasted a bit burnt. So I’m careful now to put similar sized pieces on each rack and check them often. I mainly use it to toss into soups. I have a rack on my pantry door that is full of different size jars (mayo jars work well) of all the things I have dried- It’s so pretty!!! Especially the multicolored pepper pieces! Some times while I’m cooking I just open the pantry so I can look at my rack!Only a prepper would think that a thing of beauty!
What do you do if anything, to the pineapple befoire you dry it. How thick do you cut it. I’ve been wanting to do some for a while. Also have you had any luck with Potatoes?
I have not dried any potatoes Cinda. I just cut the pineapple into long (the height of the pineapple) strips. I don’t do anything other than that. It is a taste sensation! I have peppers too and they are pretty. The poms and raspberries are very beautiful too. I’m glad you like looking at yours as much as I like looking at mine! You are right- only a prepper would take such satisfaction in so many jars of veggies. Good idea about the mayo jars. I’ll wash mine out and save now if they are glass.
Hi PBQ and Cinda!
How long does your dried stuff last, when packed in the jars, with 02 pkts.? I really don’t want to freeze anything else. Do you think I could buy the 30lb.s boxes of frozen fruits, such as cherries and blueberries and dry them? Why cna’t you dry freshcranberries? BOO HOO! Really wanted to do that!!! What about sweet potatoes?
I’ve been digging my peanuts. Do you think I could dry them in the shell? Shellled? Maybe we need a dehydrating thread!!!!! I’m so excited…I hope the mailman has a big package for MY NEIGHBOR and I soon!
PBG…$5…Lucky you!!!!
Had the day off on Friday and both kids were at school/daycare, so I filled my 4 kerosene containers and cleaned out the garage. I know hubby probably saw them yesterday (hiding under a sheet), along with the new kerosene heater, but he didn’t say a word. I have to get prep stuff done when he’s not around, which is not very often.
I have another day off next week while he’s working, so think I’ll fill 4 more kerosene containers. Then I’ll have 40 gal, enough for up to 20 days.
I have heard (from Madamspinner) that you should blanche the cranberries just untill the skins crack before drying. I did not do that and after 40 hours of drying all I got were warm bloated crannies. I’m buying mine now. The blueberries should work great. I don’t know about the sherries. They seem to have the same form as cranberries. Never tried sweet potatoes either, My guess is that they would work. Try them and let me know! Some things last longer than others. I dried cabbage for potato cabbage soup and after about 2 weeks in the jars (with no oxy pacs) they were wimpy and soft. I will leave them for a while and see what happens. If mold starts then I know it will not work. Peanuts? Maybe just roast them will dry them out. I don’t know. Maybe we should restart the dehydrating thread. I don’t know how.
JV – at 14:52 If you order this system from the manufacturer, it is less than at Lehman’s (and you get a couple of freebies). If you call to order, rather than order online, you also save a few more dollars.
Can you please tell me the telephone number of the manufacturer?
Sorry about the above post, which made no sense except in my mind. I am looing for the telephone number of the manufacturer of the Big Berkey.
Thanks for your patience.
Luckily my DW has gone along with my purchases (another order of meds came today)although she wants me to stop mentioning it to others and I agree, as all my efforts have made maybe 3 people take it seriously, the others think I am nuts. While I have done about 98% of what I wanted to do, the last few things list seems to continue to grow no matter what I get.
Snowhound1 Saturday night went out with another couple for dinner, back to our place for coffee and sweets, lit the fireplace, doused the lights and used my Aladdin lamp for light. Beautiful and such a warm comfortable looking glow with the parchment shade. Our guests got a kick out of it, but they still probably think I am insane! By the way, the heat the lamp gives off is incredible, about 1200 degrees. Use extreme caution with these lamps. Hopefully it will be a source of secondary or even tertiary heat. Enjoy using it even when I still have electricity! Luckily bought another case of Aladdin oil. Even changed my old kerosene lamps wick and oil to the Aladdin oil. For those who can not bear the smell of kerosene, the Aladdin oil claims to be distilled rather than refined. Don’t know how they do that, but it seems to work, as DW does not notice any scent at all from it.
MO Molly,
Another option would be ordering the Berkey from e-Bay. There is one seller who has them at a pretty good price. If you do a search you will find them. It is specified in the description whether or not the water filter comes with the black Berkey filters. They have the Big Berkey (stainless steel) with the black filters for $235, free shipping, which seems like a good price to me. I was going to order this until I discovered the AquaRain, which is even less money and seems equivalent. Also, the AquaRain is 1″ shorter than the Berkey and will fit under my kitchen cabinets, while the Berkey will not.
I have not ordered from this seller, so I only know what I’ve read at e-Bay.
Snowhound1 and Northstar, I’m like you. I know that I got at least part of it from my parents, though (rural life, lots of canning, efficient resource use, planning ahead). As a child I read “How to survive in the woods” cover to cover repeatedly. In fact, I have to buy a new copy now that I’m out of the familial home and don’t have one. Bizarre security blanket, huh? ;) I’ve always been interested in ways to get by on the natural resources to be found around us. Having food stored seems only natural. As much as I fight the idea of fate, I’m starting to wonder if I will actually be putting these (seemingly useless in today’s society) tendencies of my personality to use one of these days.
We will be moving to a large city in a few months and my spidey-brain freaks out with a combination of “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” and “Timmy just fell down the well!” and flashing red alarm lights every time I think about buying a home anywhere that is not as rural as possible on the city outskirts. If we could find that in a location with good schools, it would be perfect (no kids yet, but maybe in the next 10 years). My DH does not have the same spidey-brain, and is not “on-board” with prepping for over 2 weeks, so I am just going to have to cash in the next several years’ of luck to find the right place, and have faith that we’ll either be able to bug out or get through whatever comes … (sarcasm alert!) on a month’s worth of preps and a Katadyn water filter and flashlights, and whatever alligators I can beat to death with a Maglite flashlight and wrestle onto a grill. At least I could tan the gator hide if I get my Christmas books.
Good luck to all of you prepping with a less-than-fully-supportive partner!
Pseudorandom – at 19:50
Would you mind telling us the author’s name for “How to survive in the woods” or a ISBN# if you have one as this book sounds interesting.
Thanks
Pseudorandom at 19:50, ohh Lord, that was funny! Gators are abundant where I live…I hate them. But did enjoy some Gator-bites at a local restaurant. There’s a gator farm/packing plant about 10 miles from here…I’ve thought of them as a resource. Sure beats trying to beat one to death with a Maglite. Oh my God, that is so funny! I will have to share that. I needed the laugh. Thank you! “wrestle onto a gril” oh Lord, I wish you were moving next door!
MO Molly – at 13:58
Telephone # for manufacturer of the Big Berkey is 1-(888) 803–4438
How to Survive in the Woods is by Bradford Angier. There are several editions.
Sailor- at 21:07
Thank you very much for the Big Berkey phone number. I am going to call and order one tomorrow. My early Christmas present to myself.
mom11 – at 12:24 You can dry fresh cranberries without blanching them first, as long as you are willing to cut them in half first so the warm air can get past the skins. The ones you buy commercially dried are always halved, so I tried that and it worked for me. They won’t be sweet like the commercial ones though.
Orlandopreppie: not quite next door, but relatively close by car - Jacksonville, south/southeast side. Gators and rice, the new health food? Side of homegrown collards to go with it? ;)
Sailor, Jane’s got it pegged. I don’t know what edition we had except that it was a little green paperback during the mid-late ‘80s. I went hunting for it at Amazon.com a few months ago and the reviews were mixed as to whether one should buy it or the Army survival manual instead. Fair warning - I thought it was great reading, but I wasn’t exactly a literary critic at the time (nor am I now).
Mo Molly - the website is http://www.berkeylight.com/start.main.html
You’ll love working with them. Call and enjoy true service.
mom11 at 12:24. We have dried sweet potatoes quite successfully!
Scrub scrub scrub very clean but don’t peel. Steam the potatoes whole, with a lid on the entire arrangement to hold the steam in (don’t cut them because they will get mushy, and you don’t want that). When they are cooked through to the center, take them off the heat. This shouldn’t take more than about 20 minutes - you’ll want them still a bit firm, definitely not soft. Slice into sections about 1/4 inch thick. Our book says to dehydrate them 8–10 hours…we may have run it longer than that. Ours turned out kind of leathery, almost brittle.
The nice part about them is, when reconstituting, drop in hot water for only a couple of minutes. By the time the water starts boiling, they are soft and ready to eat. And delicious! We couldn’t tell the difference between them and fresh-cooked ones.
Come to think of it, these would be an excellent item that would not require much cooking, if fuel supplies were running low.
Thanks everyody!
I can’t wait for this thing to come and want to try lots of different things! I really want to dry cranberries, since they are so abundant now. I also have lots of sweet potatoes ready to dig!
Mom11
On the cranberries, I like the zing they add to trailmix, so I buy then fresh and prick each one with the tip of a knife and throw them in my very cheap, non-fan dehydrator. I leave them there until they are crunchy as they draw any moisture (usually 1 to 2 days, depending on the humidity in the house). If stored in a tightly closed (not pressure sealed) canning jar, they last me from December to December. YMMV
Dragonlady, I have some in the freezer I want to get out and do just like you in my cheapo dehydrator — I was planning to cut mine in half, but if a prick from a knife or fork will work — that’s great! thanks!
I-W-O-I I don’t freeze mine (no room in my freezer w/ all the rice) so I don’t know if they would be too mushy for the dehydrator. But the fresh ones are very crunchy when first dried, but after I mix up the nuts and other dried fruit the cranberries soften and are less crunchy and more chewy. Trying to cut fresh cranberries is like trying to cut marbles, but my knives are sharp enough for a small vent hole in the fruit with few vent holes in dragonhide.
Thanks Dragonlady and I’m-workin’-on-it!
I hope this thing comes tomorrow. My chicks love cranberries and I want to dry bunches. I have the cheapo dehydrator too, but I am gone so much that I was either under drying things or even burning them. I have a friend I am passing it to, that has a little family and very little else. I know she will use it lots. I’ll share all of your drying tips and ideas with her, as well.
I dug peanuts and more sweet potatoes this evening. Some of the sweet potatoes have some kind of black, slimy bugs on them. I may have to peel those and mash and freeze them.