Forum: Preps You Might Forget V

Continued from here

25 October 2006

HillBilly Bill – at 06:00

Dishpans. Not only for doing dishes, but also for washing up when water is limited. Remember to get double the amount, one for soapy water and one for rinsing. It’s a good idea to do a practice drill and remember to save all waste water for flushing.

Get some medical skin glue..(not for deep wounds) if you dont know how to suture a wound this would be handy, just clean the area and put the glue where it needs to go. Voila! No need to suture if you dont have to :)You know those skin cuts around your fingers that just wont heal quick enough and the butterfly bandaids that wont hold it together ??? Perfect stuff for that. Take Care.

I think it’s Quartzman and family who just added a baby to the family — made me think that I would want some Ambesol or similar remedy to treat the irriation of baby teeth popping through the gums. I think there are some natural tooth soothers but I can’t remember what they are. Anyway, Ambesol is in our bag of goodies for tooth aches.

And leave an opening for drainage; do not seal it entirely from end to end. (As I remember from an earlier discussion)

With dishpans, don’t forget dish soap and dishrags. For the soap, look for the kind that will stay “soapy” for long periods; use dishrags that can be wrung out and hung to dry, not sponges. In warm, humid climates, sponges can get moldy

Bronco Bill – at 10:40 Good point! Thanks!

Bronco Bill, I second your idea about not using sponges. Damp sponges are big bacteria factories. While I have a good supply of sponges on hand, these days I only use those HandiWipe things in my kitchen. They look kinda like a thin cloth, are reuseable, rinse out well and dry really fast. You can get a box of 12 of them (rather small in size, but they work) at the Dollar Tree store, or get a 6 pack of them (larger size) at the grocery store for about $1.50. In my experience one of them will last for at least a couple of months before they finally start to shred.

Kim – at 10:48 --- Wow, Kim!! I forgot about those. I remember my Mom used to use them when they first came out for dishes and cleaning around the house. And they’re great for working on the car after their “household chores” are done!

I don’t worry too much about my sponges, but that is because I soak them in a bleach solution for a minute after doing my dishes. Then I squeeze them out well and let them dry. The bleach makes the sponges wear out faster, but they never get stinky (germy) either. My son has immunity problems, so I use a sanitizing solution after I rinse the dishes, and the sponges get sanitized too!

One thing I “did” learn a few years ago about dish sponges, this from a respected On-TV Doctor: If you have to use a sponge to wash dishes, then at least once a week, microvave it for about 60 seconds (make sure it’s wet so it won’t catch fire!). The heat generated by the nuke oven and the steam should kill the bacteria in the sponge.

Only problem is the oven doesn’t get rid of the smell of a used dirty sponge…

deborah – at 11:04 --- Good thinking. That’s not a bad idea for sponges or dishrags…

When I lived in Bolivia, newspapers and plastic grocery bags were big items to save. Newspapers for warmth, cleaning or campfires. Plastic bags for storage, trash or covering casts/bandages.

When I lived in Bolivia, newspapers and plastic grocery bags were big items to save. Newspapers for warmth, cleaning or campfires. Plastic bags for storage, trash or covering casts/bandages for showering.

Sorry mods.. you can delete one of those :)

Bronco Bill, putting a fairly damp sponge or rag in the microwave and then nuking for about 60 seconds is also great for cleaning the microwave if it has lots of baked on spatters inside. The steam will penetrate the spattered-on food and make it much easier to scrub out. Kill two birds with one stone!

Kill two birds with one stone! I like that pun! ;-)

you can also put the sponges in the dishwasher. The hot water/soapy water will kill germ/bacteria.

Broke a crystal picture frame just now --- man did it shatter and on carpet! And I have curious cats with the softest little pads on their little feeties….Fortunately I grabbed me Swiffer sweeper to pick up most of the chards I couldn’t see easily before going to get out my vaccuum and I got to thinking what I’d have done if the power was out….gonna have to shop for a battery charged handheld vaccuum.

I’m-workin’-on-it – at 16:23 :

I wonder if one of those carpet flick things would be good to store for a situation like that? The debris sticks to a sticky insert that you toss out after using, and for glass that sounds particularly handy.

even masking tape, wrapped around your Swiffer (or hand), sticky side out, would help

Suppose ruminants don’t get sick? (and chickens, ducks, dogs cats, pigs, ect, do) Should some locals turn rancher?

…”Ruminants include cattle, goats, sheep, camels, llamas, giraffes, bison, buffalo, deer, wildebeest, and antelope. The suborder Ruminantia includes all those except the camels and llamas, which are Tylopoda. Ruminants also share another anatomical feature in that they all have an even number of toes.”…

Hm looks like ruminants get their own diseases, though, (Tom DVM, what the heck is “Peste des petits ruminants”?)

;-)

deborah – at 17:00

Yeah! That’s what I’ve got! Love it — I’ve got the one made by Swiffer! I hadn’t thought about the masking tape idea, but that would work great too! Even packing tape would’ve helped!

Miss Bliss at 11:09 on Oct. 24th - I also live in upstate NY and I know Buffalo got hit really hard. Glad your power is back! We had contemplated getting a backup sump pump for a couple years, and finally recently had one installed. We looked at the basepump, and others. I talked to two plumbers, and both recommended a Libery Pump (model Sumpjet) from Liberty Pumps out of Bergen, NY. It seems to be well built, and is also water-powered backup. Like the basepump it also sits above the sump crock and uses suction to draw the water out. We haven’t had occasion to need it, but did test it and it works very well, almost as fast as the normal electric pump. I would highly recommend it. We paid $450 installed. By the way, both plumbers mentioned that they have had problems with a model by Zoeller. Hope this helps!

crfullmoon – at 18:29 …what the heck is “Peste des petits ruminants”?

“Plague of small ruminants”

Lake Effect-

I’m also in Upstate N.Y. Glad to have you onboard. Doesn’t seem to be too many New Yorkers here.

Hillbilly Bill: instead of dishpans, I’ve gotten a variety of metal mixing bowls. They’re inexpensive, and if worst comes, a filled medium sized one can stay in the sink for hand wash-ups — large ones can be used for sponge baths and little ones for cooking. And since they’re metal, they can be put on a heat source for hot water.

Northstar – at 23:51 Excellent idea!

I’m-workin’-on-it – at 23:53

It sure is! Another item on my list of things to get.

(Dennis in Colorado – at 20:12; “Plague of small ruminants”

sounds like something they are, not something they get! ;-))

Lake Effect, thanks for the Liberty Pumps idea; powered by municipal water, eh? Hm…

For those looking for metal bowls: Kmart has a good “medium’ for $3.50 and Aco Hardware often carries a humongous one for not too much… about $6 IIRC.

Lightbulbs. I cannot believe how fast we go through lightbulbs around here.

Pixie at 13:35: Perhaps that’s because you’re up at all hours monitoring the news in Indonesia and elsewhere, to our benefit (do you ever turn any of your ligtbulbs off?) Maybe we should chip in on your lightbulbs since you’re burning them for our benefit. :)

Thanks, De jure! :) We’re also book addicts in this house, and it would be such a nighmare to be SIP without the requisite light to read them by. :o

Pixie at 13:53: Speaking of books, have you read or been reading the book, Deep Survival, that Monotreme was talking about a week or two ago? It’s so good, I can’t manage to put it down. I’d highly recommend it.

Me too De jure, I love it (still reading Deep Survival). DH is teaching a class in human factors as related to the airline industry and wants to read it since it deals with that issue. (This would be a good book to read before taking the class.) That said, it deals with larger issues, it is a book you will think about everyday. We all will have some insight- an Aaa Haaa moment. I think this book should be required reading for every one. BTW Thank you Monotreme for recomending it.

Pixie – at 13:35 Lightbulbs. I cannot believe how fast we go through lightbulbs around here.

Switch to compact fluorescents.

They last for years.

Bird Guano – at 15:50 Switch to compact fluorescents. They last for years.

I had thought about switching to them, but they contain mercury. I guess I do not like buying things with mercury just in case they break (I don’t want to contaminate my house) and I do not want to add more mercury to the landfills.

De jure - at 14:30:

Yes, I commented on that thread that I had read “Deep Survival” when it first came out and it is one of my all time favorites. It gives one a lot of ideas, doesn’t it?

Maybe my having read that book is one reason that I get nervous when I hear of all this convening of official panels and meetings, congenial group discussions, the release of modeling software so that we can model more, and lots of talk, talk, talk. No one in that book talked their way out of their predicament. Sharp observations and assessments were made, followed by decisive decisions, whether they were made by individuals for themselves or by individuals for their group. No overconfidence and yammering - just assessment and deliberate action. The communities who want to survive a pandemic need to proceed in that manner, rather than begin to convene panels. Better that they observe and act, rather than talk about acting.

Bird Guano – at 15:50 - Thanks - I was considering getting a bunch of those and wondered if they did last as long as they claim. They will be great to have on hand as back-ups.

If you end up picking up your kids from school have them bring all their school books home.

My reading list keeps getting longer thanks to you good folks. Besides my meat..order I also got “Deep Survival” in the mail today. That will be my bedtime reading which will get my subconsous thinking while i’m sleeping.

Manure;-) Yes, manure. A prep you do not want to forget…if you garden. Otherwise, yea…you might want to forget it.

If you garden, get with your local livestock salebarn or racetrack or dairyfarm or…you get the idea. They will likely be happy to give away a dump truck load of the stuff. I just recently got four loads. One for the lawn, three for the garden. Hire a dump truck driver to go to the site. The guy I hired cost $65/hour. They should be able to load his truck up with a on-site tractor frontend loader. Have him dump it close to your garden. Put a tarp over it and then let it compost over the winter. If you live in town this might not be possible. It is a bit aromatic for a while. Anyway, now is the time to do this. Senthetic fertilizer will take you just so far. There is nothing better than old fashion composted manure to make your garden grow. Being able to get the most out of your garden might be the difference between life and death in a severe pandemic worst-case scenario. If it don’t happen, sell the excess at the local farmers market of give it to your friends and neighbors.

Just make sure the manure has composted a few months so no bad bacteria have survived by the time planting time comes around. (Remember the recent spinach and e-coli episode?) Composting will take care of those type of little nasties.

Probably silly - but just got a big fluffy chenille robe and am soooo snuggly! Have been able to keep thermostat way down (furnace hasn’t even kicked in tonight) and just feel luxuriously warm.

Aaaaaaahhhh………that sounds sooooooo nice!

I’m-workin’-on-it – at 22:31

The manure or the big fluffy chenille robe?

;-)

Okieman – at 22:33 ROFL! There was a time (when I grew sweetcorn in the backyard) that manure actually provided warm fuzzies. I’ll take the chenille. (Still have my fruit trees and beries, tho:)

I’m-workin’-on-it – at 22:31 Indeed it is nice! Simple pleasures… so important in hard times.

Yep, Wolf is right….I was exclaiming over the soft chenille robe not the manure, but I can sure understand gettin’ warm fuzzies knowing you have good manure when you need it! :-) I hadn’t seen the manure post when I did my post — that’s toooo funny how that happens sometimes. Makes reading these threads so fun!

I love my chenille bedspread collection oodles and scoodles — and I love using the thin ones as lightweight blankets underneath my comforters which can get hot sometimes!

Start at the very beginning (it’s a very fine place to start…)

http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.PrepsYouMightForget

;-) crfullmoon

arh! you americans! Dont even know how to dishwash by hand, (and manual can openers, who the heck need a machine to open a can of tuna!!) Your hands must be thin and weak ;-D For washing the civilized world uses brushes, then no grease on hands, and no germgrowing experiments for the kichen…

and the brushes may look like this

and by the way, we also uses manual thooth brushes! yes that righ, you mowe your hand bak and forth, over and over, untill theets are clean, remember to change the angle, dont brush to hard, yes thats very nice :-D

whats is the next thing they will come up with? Electric bread slicers? >8-/

prep you may forgot: hot slippers,, damm cold those floors in winter, especially if no electricity..

Maybe this has already been suggested at some point..I would look into basic cpr training for yourselves and family members.

Urdar-Norway – at 18:04 Yep, we’ve gone the way of wimps more often than not on household cleaning and personal care trinkets! :-)

FriscoParent – at 18:33 that reminds me I have a manual blood pressure cuff & stethascope I need to learn how to use!

get a solar panel to keep your vehicle batteries charged. if you sip for several months, and don’t run the vehicles, the batteries will go dead. you can get a maintenance panel for $30, or so.. if there’s still no electricity when you need to run the vehicle, it sure would be nice to have a charged battery.

Sniffles – at 15:53 I think the stores that sell compact fluorescents have to take them back, for safe recycling; ask around. I think that is how it works here.

plastic or wooden clothepegs are very good items. Use them to hang clothes outside to dry- but also for closing plastic bags etc.

Urdar-Norway – at 18:04: HA! I’ve never owned a dishwasher nor electric can opener - wanna thumbwrestle?? :) And I’ve got the matching chenille slippers too (damn cold floors is right!) I’m-workin’-on-it – at 18:56: At my age, and with my habits, I was seriously considering purchasing BP equipment - please post type you purchased and ease of use. As an adjunct to above, I’m one of those dastardly cigaret smokers and have been rolling my own for years. Am stocking up on supplies - figure will make for verrry good barter.

Scissors - dh just trashed my “kitchen” pair I use for opening packages, on food, etc. I use these all the time! And my kids ruined my best pair of regular ones, eventhough they have their own “kid” pairs. And I will definitely get some backups.

LauraB – at 21:13

Let me guess, he cut or stripped some wire with them? Thats my usual crime.

I’ve found a lot of uses for those XXXL ziploc bags that are now out.

I’ve also added topical pain relievers to my “wanna buy” list. I had some Aspercreme in the cabinet that I used on my hip that was throbbing where I bumped it moving preps around. Worked better than the pill did for pain relief. I was actually able to sleep … and it didn’t upset my stomach which was great.

HBB - you men are all alike! Yup, cutting wire! Who knows what the kids did with the others.

Urdar-Norway – at 18:04

“whats is the next thing they will come up with? Electric bread slicers? >8-/ “

Actually—the hand held electric meat slicer works pretty good on bread. LOL

They have battery socks to keep your feet warm-don’t have any of those.

OK, say you have a blood pressure cuff and you don’t like the numbers. What are you supposed to do to make it better? That question has stopped me from buying the thing even though it’s on a list.

Roofing materials for heavy rainfalls, plenty of bug spray, cement to repair adobe walls, an extra mouse and keyboard, a replacement toaster (all the things you’ll run out of or that will stop working at the most inappropriate time).

Sorry that was me above. Don’t know what happened but I won’t rest until I find out.

Hand Warmers - box of 10 for $5.00 at True Value… in a pinch you’ll be glad you have’m

A good wire brush to clean your grill off with outside, and some instant cold packs (single use) for any sprains or broken bones - (Walmart $1.47 each)

Good curtains or window coverings in the kitchen so people can’t see all your manual dishwashing and can opening.

Agree on Anbesol or other tooth pain meds — dental pain without recourse can can be pretty dire; I remember reading it’s a cause of suicide in other cultures (no verification links, sorry) but it’s one of the more minor pandemic situationa that’s scary in itself.

Frozen peas make a great cold pack.

Olymom, so do frozen popcorn kernels (if refrigeration is available).

c3jmp – at 19:10 - any links on where to find a solar panel to charge vehicle batteries? I haven’t seen any of them anywhere. Thanks for suggesting it!

anonymous at 22:50 wrote about getting a spare toaster; why not try one of the non-electric toasters that sits on your campstove? It’s just a metal disc with wire arms that fold in and out, and it sits above the fire. It may look like a hokey piece of junk, but I use one at our cabin for making toast and it works surprisingly well. You can get em at Walmart in the camping section (other places too I’m sure) for about $5 or so.

those of you planning to SIP with babies or grandbabies — if they are “addicted” to pacifiers — might want to lay in a little stash of their favority brand.

blackbird, Harbor Freight sells solar vehicle battery chargers… a little one for about $11 and a 3 panel beaut now on sale for about $200. Can’t vouch for how effective either one is, though…

Here are some choices from Northern Tool. A warning about this company, they send you a catalog that has just about everything you would like to have. At least that is how I felt when I leafed through it.

Yup — me too (Northern Tool Addiction.) Hey, maybe someone can organize a Group Buy with THEM?????

I quite dealing with Northern Tool several years ago due to some really poor customer service issues. I have been buying solar for 20 years and I stick with established dealers that know about what they sell. Backwoods Solar, http://tinyurl.com/7ehrs Kansas Windpower, http://tinyurl.com/y8v7wy and Alternatine Energy, http://tinyurl.com/vmn6e are a few. You get what you pay for. Kelly

NP1 – at 10:28

Northern Tool was more than fair with me when I recieved a shipment damaged by UPS. I do agree that Kansas Windpower is a great company, I just wish they were easier to order from.

Kim - I’m the one who wrote about spare toasters, etc. Thanks for the info about the camping toaster. I’m going to look for one. I already have a solar shower, camping coffeepot, portable lantern and fans, a Franklin stove, and an outdoor grill. So I figure now I will be able to get up, take a shower, and have coffee and toast - all without electricity!

History Lover, when you look at the camp toaster you’re gonna think “I’ve been taken, what a hunk of junk”. But it does work really well and makes perfect toast. I use it on top of my propane 3-burner stove, but they are meant to use on top of a Coleman stove. I think you could probably use one on a grate over a campfire too. You just prop the bread on the wire arms and regulate the heat so it won’t burn, then when it’s toasty on one side you flip the bread over and do the other side. Here’s what one looks like if anyone’s interested (I think Coghlan’s makes most of em, bright green and yellow packaging). The first photo is what mine looks like, the 2nd is the Coghlan model (I don’t know anything about either of these stores, they just had good photos of the product)…

http://tinyurl.com/yamx2d

http://tinyurl.com/ycsv8w

Thank you Northstar and HBB. (I already get the Northern Tool catalog, because I bought some things from them already. I just need help interpreting what they sell, how it fits together and what I’d do with it. I got a small solar phone/ipod charger from them — which I understand — plus a voltage tester, which I do not. :-)

HBB - is this what you meant? item #339973 Northern Industrial Tools Solar-Powered Trickle Charger — 5 Watt

Going to look at harbor freight now, as well.

blackbird – at 12:12

That one should do the job, it sounds like a decent price to me.

Kim - I don’t care what it looks like, as long as it makes toast I’ll be in heaven! Actually I think these things are reproductions of what they used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Before long, we’ll all look like Victorian-era homesteads.

Thank you, HBBill. Much appreciate your time in looking and responding. :-)

It’s kind of interesting that some of these preps are starting to come together and make sense. Pretty much. I also like the 3 panel solar one from Harbor Freight. Their description is nice enough to tell you what else you need to make it work.

Another item to consider is the AeroGarden. Made by a smallish company in Boulder, this countertop hydroponics mini garden allows you to grow lettuce and herbs at a time when such things will be luxuries at best. Check out www.aerogarden.com.

I just got back from Lowe’s. They carry a white Duck tape (brand name) that is a bit stretchy and can be peeled off fairly easily without leaving the sticky residue behind. I got some to use as substitute adhesive tape for my first aid kits - bandaging, etc. At $6.00 for a 30-yd roll it’s MUCH cheaper than regular adhesive tape. (Be sure not to tape directly to the skin - use only over bandages or other wrap type material.)

I also use it for labeling the plastic storage boxes (from WallyWorld) that my preps are in. A regular pen or magic marker works equally well, dry quickly, and they don’t smear. Plus, it’s easy to remove if you need to change the label.

My husband has a infrared thermometer that gives instant read out when you pull the trigger. So for example I wanted to find out the coolest place in my basement pantry for root vegetables. I point at a spot and instantly I know. As well I wanted to know the warmest and of course non-food items were placed in those spots. It also helps to pinpoint cold drafts when sealing up windows and doors as we do for winter.

For those of you in Canada Superstore has fluorescent rechargable lanterns (both 110v and car adapter) on blowout sale for $7.84. Fantastic price. For me the car adapter is most important because my solar charger will accept that adpater. I paid $40+ for a LED (28 leds) lantern but could never find that model on any shelf since I bought it so I was real happy to get these fluorescent ones. I bought only two more because I now have 6 kerosene lanterns plus many candle type lanterns.

I have to find old pantyhose to put over the N95 masks. Some research showed that nylon stockings can hold the mask against a person’s face so the virus doesn’t pass around it. It’s much better than the tape idea because it won’t be irritating, especially if you have to do it more than once. The professor says it looks macabre, but it should work. (It was tested on rhinovirus.) This is a news story from Oct. 25, but I haven’t seen anyone mention it with regard to preps.

mask+nylons

blackbird – at 01:03

northern tool is a good source, though you’ve already found it. brunton, too. i’ve been using a brunton panel on my truck since y2k - don’t have to buy batteries nearly as often as i did before, and it’s always charged. it’s an older truck that drinks alot - so it doesn’t get out much…. mpg aside, it’s a really handy way to store 35 gallons of gasoline. folks that have generators - top off your tanks, and buy a siphon. :-)

Thanx, c3jmp. Good advice.

bump

Just got my new weather radio! Broke my old one. Noticed Hormel dinners were down in price at my grocery store, more in line with WalMart’s price.

c3jmp, that brunton panel you refer to, is that one of those little solar chargers you put in the windshield? Thanks.

I dont think anyone will consider this a “prep you might foreget” but I’ve heard that laundry lint is a good fire-starter..

Mr Heater has 5′ and 12′ propane adapter hoses that can be used to furnish propane from bulk tanks to appliances that use 1 pound disposables. Tractor Supply (TSC) stocks them in their stores, but does not show them online. Appliances that use 1 pound disposable cylinders have regulators built in, so there is no need for a regulator on this adapter hose. They cost musch less than the Coleman adapter hoses.

I know this has been mentioned again and again, but if you have something that is breakable if dropped, buy a spare. In the past week we’ve had several items bite the dust because they were dropped. <sigh> If you are wore out and/or sick yourself … dropping things might be a bigger problem than you think.

Jane @ 22:16 nov 5

Do you think you wear the leg of the panty hose over your head like a bank robber for lack of better words? Can’t quite picture this and the article didn’t give any visual details.

no name, I think that’s the idea, since the writer said it was macabre. Or if the stocking part is too tight, use the panty part. Whichever you can tolerate without cutting off circulation to your nose, I guess. The point is to make the mask seal to your face without gaps, so you are breathing through the filter. I think it’s brilliant, since few of us will try 5 or 10 styles of mask to find a good fit. And pantyhose comes in different sizes. Maybe we can use the queen size and get 2 stockings from it? The article also said the mask is reusable, if we put today’s aside to dry out, and alternate (3 or 4?) until they disintegrate. (Now that doesn’t sound good, because its filtering would be lessened, but it might be necessary, or unimportant if it’s mainly as a reminder not to touch one’s face. ? )

Perhaps they meant cut a 3–4 inch wide section out of the leg & slip that over your head & over the mask — sort of like wearing a stretchy headband but pulling the top down past your eyes & just wear it over the mask area. Does that make sence?

That should be ‘sense’ in the last line above.

I can’t believe how many small baggies I’ve been using this year — more than last year for some reason. And I haven’t been keeping a good supply on hand of either small or large — that’s gonna change! :-)

Northstar – at 08:23

yes - i keep it up on the dash.

White or light colored washcloths. No one can ever have too many washcloths, and also small dishcloths (I mean not dish towels, although they are great, too). I don’t get the cheapest junk ones but I don’t spring for the fancy expensive ones either. I recently bought piles for 2 sets for $5. IOW, ten washcloths or dishclothes for $5, which is a very good price.

If they are white or light colored, you can see when they are dirty, and they can be used for everything from sponge baths, emergency towels for the human body, cooling poultices for fevers, warming poultices for chest congestion, cleaning the kitchen countertops (or anywhere), dishes, etc. I use either different colors or designs so I can keep the bathroom and kitchen ones separate, and dish and human body ones seperate. Or you can identify them by writing “B” or “K” in the corner with magic marker. Paper towels get used up and that’s that, but dishcloths and washcloths can be re-used again and again.

And they’re small enough to be washed out by hand, wrung out and dried on a line or wooden clothes dryer. I already have probably 50 and i just got about 30 more. I still feel like I don’t have enough of them

Also wooden clothes drying rack, in a pinch you can also dry clothes on hangers. Helps if you pound nails in the ceiling beams if they’re exposed. (You can tell I’ve done this.)

Several nailclippers.

Toilet repair parts. Hubby had to make an emergency trip to Home Depot this weekend when the downstairs toilet (the most used one) stopped pumping water into the tank. The part he needed came in as a complete set and cost around $7.00.

Cool Mist Humidifier, We use a Ultrasonic model which is about 10 years old and is due for upgrade. We find that it helps a lot with congestion due to colds and flu’s. We have the model which we can direct the vapor directly over the person in the bed which has proved to work better than using a general room humidifier.

If you are cold and want some heat while you sleep, then get some ‘heat wraps’ at the local walgreens or Walmart. These are usually used by us who have arthritis and they help with pain. But, the heat lasts for 8 hours and come in various sizes.You can use them on the coldest part of body in a pinch. We also got a cd player that runs on C batteries. Gotta have some music to calm the soul while fearing the worse. My prepping neighbor told me about getting Baby Washcloths that have just a bit of soap in them for body washing. Found pkg of 160 at Walmart for a little over a dollar. This will save on using water to wash the cloth washcloths. If you have a separate freezer and the grid goes down, use it to store some water and your most nutrional preps, throw a blanket over it and top it off with some old crap laying around to hide it from any break-ins.

I found this use of infant Tylenal very interesting. Saturdays I sit with an elderly couple to give rest to the attending family from 8pm to 8am. I am just a mom nothing more, earning some extra money. The gentlmen in my care began with a fever of 102 and unresponsive. Family said he had not eaten or drank the entire day. When I arrived at 8pm they began cool compresses to reduce fever. Then gave him one infant suppository, only one. I then gave him infant Tylenal every 2 hours (2 droppers each time). By the second dose( 4 hours later) he improved. Temp was managed and he accepted ice shavings. By 6am he was answering and sipping water. For reference, He is very frail, his time is soon coming. His body weight gone only skin and bones. But the Sat. prior he was up and around. db

I found this use of infant Tylenal very interesting. Saturdays I sit with an elderly couple to give rest to the attending family from 8pm to 8am. I am just a mom nothing more, earning some extra money. The gentlmen in my care began with a fever of 102 and unresponsive. Family said he had not eaten or drank the entire day. When I arrived at 8pm they began cool compresses to reduce fever. Then gave him one infant suppository, only one. I then gave him infant Tylenal every 2 hours (2 droppers each time). By the second dose( 4 hours later) he improved. Temp was managed and he accepted ice shavings. By 6am he was answering and sipping water. For reference, He is very frail, his time is soon coming. His body weight gone only skin and bones. But the Sat. prior he was up and around. db

sorry for the dup. above. The point of infant Tylenal was that it was possible to admin. to someone unresponsive. Just use dropper to squirt in cheek. He did not swollow the first dose, but it remained in his mouth since volume is small. I used a dropper for water too. Spoon was messy and sipping from straw was not possible. Just my 2 cents for item that my be useful. db

I have a good stock of multiple use adhesives such as 5 minute Epoxy, Super Glue, Tech Steel (steel reinforced epoxy putty for various metals ,glass etc. I will use these types of products to repair items which break. I am also a fan of the small assortment plastic boxes of fastners, washers, screws etc. They are available for reasonable prices and when not available will be priceless when you need them. A soldering iron and solder is good to have.

db, excellent suggestions, and, from someone who has had to call on someone like you to help care for an aging parent, I thank you for what you’re doing for this family — there’s no way to express how much a relief it can be to know your loved one is in super hands while you catch some sleep!

You are very kind I’m-w. Thank you. Just a sad note. The gentleman passed away 2am today. Very peacefully I am told. db

Get a janitors mop bucket with a squeezer, and get a plunger. You now have a clothers washer with a wringer—and an agitator!

from planforflu supply list

db…so nice when it’s a peaceful passing, but painful and sad for survivors all the same. Your kindness won’t be forgotten.

bump

I found some 55 gal plasitc barrels and have filled some of them with water for washing and for drinking (bleach solution for purification has been added to these) also I allocated one for gasoline for my generator. I have added a stabilizing agent, Stabil which keeps the gas “fresh” for a long period.