Continued from here
03 September 2006
MaMa – at 11:59
not sure if anyone mentioned these yet…
Don’t forget replacement light bulbs for your flashlights. I always have lots of batteries, never thought of the bulbs until one blew when I really needed it. Learned that one the hard way.
Black electrician’s tape to repair split cords, etc. Extra little plastic caps to safely cover wire ends are nice to have on hand too
Basic plumbing tools and supplies like a pipe wrench, extra washers for your taps, a new wax toilet seal, some silicone sealant (the kind that will work in wet conditions)…and a manual or a good friend to show you how to use it all.
A new door handle, hardware for each of your exterior doors and tools to replace for each of your exterior doors, they break at inconvenient times(like in the middle of a blizzard:-). The directions are usually on the box (and if I could figure it out with 2 toddlers attached to my leg, anybody can:-)
A roll of heavy guage plastic sheeting, hammer and nails, narrow pieces of wood, a saw and duct tape for emergency window repair. Not pretty but effective.
MaMa – at 12:10 …and to go with all of it one of those headlamps is nice to have so your hands are free while making repairs in dark places and bad weather.
Anon in uk – at 13:54 I dont know if you have this one it is quite handy.Dry shampoo if anyone is ill or water is too short.we have it here in mobility-Disabled sites
Not only plastic sheeting for windows, but we’ll have to construct a plastic room outside on our porch, with one of those Home Depot zippers in it to use it to come and go from. Go through it, open our front door, set down your ‘stuff’ and spray with Lysol, place shoes in cleanser, GermX for your hands (already sitting on a pedestal inside a pretty little red bag so it at least sort of looks like it should be there), then down the inside steps, through another sheet of plastic with a zipper and into the house.
Just read a phamplet about travelling with prescription drugs. One good idea was if you need to keep your meds refrigerated or cool; fill thermos with cold water, empty and insert meds (I guess in a ziplock or watertight container). You could refresh cold water every day and keep it for a longer time.
That’s a clever idea!
Recent problems with refrigerator reliability have made me more sensitive to temperature issues. SuggestionL get a refrigerator thermometer and test out your cooling preps.
Some folks have mentioned using kitty litter to control odor if you have to use buckets for human waste. That’s an unusual prep unless you have cats.
Two or three times more Ibuprofin than you think you’ll need. I recently tore a couple of tendons in my shoulder (will probably require surgery) and have used almost all of my ibuprofin preps in 3 weeks. Doc told me to take 800 mg 4x/day, plus 1000 mg vicodin every 6 hours. If you injure yourself (moving around preps), or whatever, think about how you will treat major pain. I’m reserving most of my vicodin for my preps.
bump
Just because you have a match box doesn’t mean you have a box of matches. <sigh> Found out my husband and son were using the matches to work on some model pieces. — Don’t ask. — and that they were using different boxes of matches.
Turns out, once I condensed all the matches to get rid of the partially filled ones that I had several boxes less than I thought. Also, get some fine sandpaper to keep on hand for when the strip on the sides of the match boxes get used up.
For any veterans… the VA has started stocking Tamiflu now. It is now possible to get a prescription! This is new… they didn’t have any in April of 2006 within their system. I just called the pharmacy to ask today and she confirmed it is now in their pharmacy system.
ALL former military, even without a service-connected disability are eligible to receive medical care at a VA facility. It may take a while to get an appointment if you are less than 50% disabled, but you can get one.
VA prescriptions cost just $7 MAXIMUM!!! -no matter what drug it is for. They also offer a walk-in flu shot clinic. Flu shots are available starting on Oct 2nd this year. Pneumonia shots too, but they require a prescription to get.
TIG at 10:14 - Thanks for that info!!! DH is a veteran.
A spare set of keys (home/car) for each person in the household, to be kept separately from the usual keys (college locker, office, hidden place near work/school); 1 extra spare set located very well hidden outside of the house/flat, for the “boss” of the house. Do not put name or address on the key rings!
I just got through putting in large cement posts and a gate at the “bottom” of my drive. I would think someone could drive an SUV through it, but it will give me a place to hang my quarantine sign and my wireless driveway alarm. The idea is for social distance. If someone comes to “visit” they will have to stop at the gate instead of driving up and standing in my doorway.
DennisC – at 15:31 Speaking of “flu signs” I thought I would premake one, on an old worn sheet of plywood, which only says “FLU”, in large but kinda messy letters on the board and hang on my 6 foot chain link fence,,,,,after a period of time when the flu starts in the area out here. Not too early, but when I am aware of cases in the area, thereby not drawing attention to “that desert bloke is sick”, but just one more in a mess of people in the area. The wife and I do plan to SIP in place, and can do that for a couple of years if needed,,,,,
Gary- I am not sure what to put on the sign. I was thinking about “Robbed nothing left but the flu”. If the flu hits in the winter- the snow will keep most people without a snow plow from coming to knock on my door. I have those radio driveway alarms. I just want a little notice before someone shows up.
I am somewhat of an “no guns” type, but most people will not know that as they approach. I am somewhat lucky in that there is only one drivable approach to the house- even in a 4 wheeler. I have motion lights on the house and I got me some of those “scarecrow” water sprinklers. They are motion activated and I have them between the driveway and the house. They are feed by a seperate lawn water system so I can add red dye, formic acid and peper oil if needed. I also have planted sting nettles, wild roses, thorns, etc along the outer part of my down hill side and there is no approach from above. That should slow down people if I turn them on. My problem is that I don’t like to think about such things and I don’t really think things will get that bad.
PS- stinging nettles are good in vitamin C as are rose hips.
Another thing that I will be doing after the pandemic begins, is not to shave,,,,,,so that I will look real frazzled (hey more than I do now), and will appear that I am not well. Also when I go to the pump house or/and the garage larder for more food and preps to bring to the house, will do this after the sun sets, so wont be showing the extra things I bring into the house. When news of a H2H pandemic begins, overseas (I mean a full blown H2H pandemic not what is going on now), will bring alot of supplies into the house into the spare bedroom and place on the shelves, so will have those and not have to be running back and forth between the garage larder, pump house, and the house. I do not plan to flaunt any preps I have (mum is the word, but I do have lots of extras for close family and neighbors,,,,IF it does get to that point)
I don’t care how bad it gets, I’m gonna shave
anonymous – at 01:19 each to their own,,but the reason I will not shave is too give the appearence of not being well (a 60 year old guy, thats how they look,,,sickly when not shaven) but I wont be going out into any public area at all but the neighbors could see me….and well who wants to hug a whiskery grey haired guy. Not many.
Hey, I hug one every day.
Do bear in mind, though, that a full beard is incompatible with a good seal for a face mask (for those who plan to use masks).
Treasure Island Girl - Thanks for the info. I sent it to my brother who is a vet.
When pandemic comes we are told that thorough handwashing is going to be of utmost importance. I’m going to make sure we have a nailbrush beside each lavatory and sink. A nailbrush really helps get your hands and nails as clean as possible.
bgw in MT – at 12:29
Great suggestion regarding nail brushes!
I think this has been brought up before but bears repeating. Make sure you dispose of an extra packaging your preps are coming in. Some of it can be recycled, but it really is surprising how much extra “stuff” there is. When TSHTF, you don’t want to be setting all that trash out, heck if they are even dumping trash at that point.
Poison Ivy treatment! Both dh and I got it this weekend while doing yard work. I bought some for the kids because one has had it before, but I’ve never had it. Miserable. Glad I had the stuff on hand - Tecnu. A friend who works landscaping says it’s the best stuff he’s used. It definitely has helped.
Windshield wiper replacements. Which led me to think of all the vehicle stuff. And bike parts. Just did a new roof. How is yours? Awful to have it leak during SIP.
good ideas, mj. Also plumbing. I recently had something fixed in my house that would have been a BIG problem if happened during SIP.
eye dropper for measuring out clorox to disinfect water.
amt – at 00:01 - You’re much better off getting a syringe calibrated in ml and tsp. I got one from my grocery store pharmacy. Drops are out - ml/tsp are in!
Ten days’ worth of baby food in glass pots, per person, in case feeding a sick person with normal food proves difficult.
FrenchieGirl – at 13:27
Excellent idea. This could be optimized for someone recovering from nausea/vomiting by concentrating on the elements of the old pediatric “BRAT diet:” bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. Substitute saltine crackers for the toast if necessary and you have a good bland diet that can carry a person through 2–3 days.
FrenchieGirl – at 13:27 I also have some “ensure” for “feeding” a sick person. Not great, but it can you can use a bendable straw if needed.
Preps You Might Forget Draino for when my long haired daughters show up.
Chlorox also unclogs drains!
Ensure also makes a pudding. If it isn’t on the shelf, ask the pharmacist. Sometimes it is stored behind the counter, or they can order it for you.
Today I found a product by Gerber called LiquiLytes. It’s an instant ORS for infants, in apple flavor. There are 6 packets in a box, with directions for making 6, 12, 24, and 36 ounces. I plan on using for my grandchildren who aren’t infants, who won’t drink pediolyte, and who probably won’t drink the standard ORS mixture.
JV – at 22:14 Chlorox also unclogs drains!
Yes but it can really mess up your septic tank if you use a lot at once.
DennisC – at 22:12
We have four long-haird females in this house. Me and our three daughters. Do you know who clogs up the drains more than us? My husband and son. <grin> Wanna know why? I’ll tell you anyway. LOL!
Growing up I was always told to thoroughly brush my hair prior to going to washing it. Two reasons really … (1) it distributes the oils in your hair, and (2) you brush out most of the loose hair so that it doesn’t go down the drain.
Shorter-haired people rarely think to do this. The other thing that gums up the pipes … though I now have a once-a-month schedule of checking all the drains for impending clogs … is soap and shaving scum. That stuff will grab any hair that is going down the drain and really gunk up the works.
Also, never ever poor anything that is greasy down the drain. Aside from the obvious clogging problems, you can also get a odor problem from putting that stuff down the drain. <ick>
OK … for my mindless prep of the day. My dustpan broke. Dustpans aren’t a big deal for most people … that’s what a vacuum is for right?
But we our floors are ceramic tile so we sweep a couple times of day and not having a dustpan is a pain.
Also, if the power goes out people will be sweeping their carpets and having a dustpan will mean you won’t have to sweept everything from one end of the house to the other before you can sweep it out the door.
SWIFFER!!!!!!
The Can Opener Gourmet cook book uses baby food for some of the recipes because it has no additives or preservatives. She has plum sauces and soups using baby food, I plan to use bananas for breads and puddings when SIP. Another item I’m glad to have is the silicone mitts when cooking with fire. They are on the spendy side, 15 to 20 dollars, but I have seen the pot holder type for fewer than 5 dollars at Wally World. Hoping to avoid any bad burns.
Careful, one of the brands of floor cleaners for wood and tile (swiffer?) can cause serous sickness in your pets. I can’t think which one it is now but do some research.
KimT – at 13:53
Urban Legend. See link below for debunking.
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/swiffer.asp
Thanks Dennis in Colorado – at 13:56 !!!
Just heard that Walmarts in Florida will be supplying people with Generic drugs on prescription of 30 days for $4….. Only in certain areas, then next year all of Florida. If you are a Floridian check this out.
Also the other day I saw a lot of flu related things marked in Sale red on the end aisles. Bought a lot of things including something Homeopathic by Hyland for $5. I keep a shopping bag separate for all the flu things like Samubcol and so on. I don’t mix them with anything else. While I have my bare bones items, as a lot of these things are very cheap I am getting duplicates to keep on hand.I bought a new mouse trap put out by Tom Kat which also has a liquid aroma that mice love. Will be setting traps tonight as I’ve seen a few skittering around. They are 3plus at Walmart vs. 4.98 at Shoprite. Also putting a bucket out with water on the bottom, a little stick leading up to another stick which will rotate if the mice try to get the food on it. This for my basement. The darned meese will eat anything, They chewed into plastic bottles of lotions.
Kathy in OR – at 12:43 …..but I have seen the pot holder type for fewer than 5 dollars at Wally World
Or $1 at dollar stores.
I’m-workin’-on-it at 23:12 …. good old dollar store! Saves money to buy more preps. Thanks for the tip.
Magic markers and sharpies. I use them all the time to mark and label stuff. I couldn’t find one the other day. (Even use them when a bug bites to monitor spread of swell.)
Also, different sizes of rubber bands.
Speaking of Sharpies (which I love, and use all the time also), use caution if you decide to get some of those “washable” markers (for your kids or for some other purpose). In my opinion, they’re not very washable at all. I bought some to mark the stud locations on my newly-painted kitchen walls in preparation for hanging the cabinets. I haven’t found anything yet that will take that %&(# off! Soap, magic eraser, TSP, every kind of cleaner I have, nothing touches it. Now I get to repaint the walls (and hope I don’t drip any paint on the new cabinets). Grrrr.
Kathy in OR – at 12:43 Yup, gotta get some silicone mits, especially after the ER visit tonight. Tried to take a 400 degree iron skillet out of the oven with a damp cloth mit - heat went right through it. Vicodin is another essential. Hospital gave me SilvaSorb gel, which is supposed to be good for a lot of wounds. Helps keep oxygen out of burn and lasts up to 3 days with 1 application. Highly recommend having some in your medicine stockpile.
Kim – at 22:09 Try some shave cream. That’s what my daughter’s preschool uses to get it off the tables.
Kim, did you try hairspray? Works on ink pens.
Lehmans’ Carries wind-up wrist watches !
I bought a locking gas-cap for my vehicle. I have a Coleman dual-fuel stove and if I were to run out of Coleman Fuel I plan to use the gas in my vehicle as back-up…I don’t want anybody else to beat me to it.
You may want to test siphoning gas out of the vehicle. Most newer ones prevent you from doing this. PS ever gone on a Jeep Jamboree USA?
Screening that covers your gutters. I’m looking for it right now and wish I would have picked it up in the spring when I saw it originally. <sigh> I do not want to have to go to the trouble of making my own … I’ve got enough to do as it is … but I will if it comes down to it.
My gutters will be an important part of “finding” water in the event that the power goes off.
Also, if your children are used to having flouride in their water … check what is in your local municipal water … you may need to make sure that you have a tooth rinse with flouride in it to keep potential tooth decay at bay.
A product called goof off will remove pretty much any ink if not some of your skin as well. If that doesent do it go to home depot and buy grafitti remover in an aerosol can. There are several brands available usually its a mixture of methanol and other solvents.
I can barely imagine housework without an electric vacuum.
I will need a broom. Someone mentioned a dust pan, above. But if power goes out, and you want to clean your porch, patio and kitchen floor, a broom will be handy. A new one is always most efficient. You can make a dust pan out of duct tape and a small cardboard cereal box.
Things I remember from my grandmother: A small wisk broom (hand held size) is also handy for cleaning upholstery, dusting off clothing that can’t be washed, or getting into tight corners. Very handy if there’s little water.
A rug beater or substitute (a baseball bat can be used but is not as effective). Shaking out dust from rugs means less water washing.
You can make a floor duster out of a broom stick, a wire coat hanger, acrylic knit material, or acrylic yarn, and duct tape.
Anybody:
Any good “solutions” to frequently clogging drains?
I suspect it is dog hair, as we have huskies, and I get the clogs right after washing throw rugs, etc. or giving them a bath in the shower. ( do put a seive in the drain, and I do shake out the rugs before washing — but it happens.)
I have tried baking powder and hot water. Vinegar and hot water. Both of them at once with hot water.
Liquid plumber doesn’t seem to work. Draino did’t help. Plumber’s “Snake” didn’t clear it. 250.00 minimum for a rooter call, and I would like to avoid that if at all possible.
We don’t have a septic tank — city sewer.
Any suggestions what to use and where to get it? thanks
I’ve used drano MAX with really good results (its in a red bottle), when nothing else works that does.
Someone said that bleach will clear a hair clog.
I think the baking soda and vinager is mostly for greasy clogs not hair.
heddiecalifornia – at 17:40
WOW, memories…..At Officers Training School we cleaned everything with masking tape. I bet we had 100 rolls in the supply closet. We used it on everything from cleaning lint out of the dryer filters to “sweeping” the floor(yardstick with a length of tape halfway attached). I still use tape to get the lint/hair off of table runners,car seats decorative pillows, anything that may be ruined if you threw it in the wash.
I did an inventory of my preps yesterday and realized that each bottle of Adult Liquid tylenol was only 8 doses worth! So I need to re-evaluate how many of those I stockpile for when an ill person can’t “swallow” pills.
Also room de-ordorizers (Glade- the old fashioned kind that doesn’t need electricity to work!)
heddiecalifornia, if you’re at all mechanically inclined (or have the money to pay a plumber) consider replacing any cast iron drain pipes with PVC pipe. If you live in an older home you probably have cast iron drain pipe. If you were to cut one of those open, you’d likely find that the opening inside it has narrowed to the thickness of a pencil (or less). There’s just something about cast iron that catches and holds every little bit in your wastewater. PVC pipe is smoother and will take a LOT longer time to clog up like this. It really isn’t difficult, all you need is access to the pipes, a reciprocating saw with carbide blade to cut the cast iron, PVC pipe, and rubber sleeves with pipe clamps to attach the new PVC to any cast iron pipe that’s inaccessible and can’t be replaced. If you do it yourself you can probably get by on less than $100.
Seven or eight years ago had tree roots clog sewer line from house to street. Rotor Rooter time. Have been told that copper sulfate/chemicals do not work very well. Anyone have any experience with this problem? Think it will be a good idea to repeat this before TSHTF.
NauticalMan- that happened in our house awhile back. An older home, with trees around it, and the roots basically collasped the main drain line from the house. I was running the washing machine, dishwasher and I don’t know what else at the time it happened, but it all backed up into the house and basically flooded everything with raw sewage. Good golly what a mess. Luckily our insurance paid for cleaning and replacing the carpet (thru the house) and paid for a new drain line in the yard. /word to the wise, check out the condition of your plumbing!
For the last couple of years, all I have used is Chlorox for clogged drains — whether the drain is the bathroom shower or sink, or the kitchen sink. It seems to me that Chlorox clears out organic matter. Correct me if I am wrong. I do not have a septic tank.
I was told that Draino can hurt the drain pipes sometimes.
what are you going to make with all those dried grains? Do you have the recipes? Is there anything you forgot? If you had to cook over a fire pit could you? Lentils IMHO are terriable, try instead split peas, navy beans, northern beans. I am putting away some canned chicken and ham, I plan on making alot of soups.
Surprise gifts and crafts for the kids for somewhere in the duration of SIP.
If you had a lot of free time right now at home what would you like to do? Is this something that could keep you busy during SIP? Do you have the materials you need. What books did you say if I had the time I’d love to read that one, do you have them yet?
Try to think about what you might miss the most or long for after you’ve been away from society for awhile dental floss, chocolate, jelly to go with all that peanut butter, a glass of wine? Whatever it might be that soothes your soul make sure that you have pleanty of it on hand.
For clearing clogged drains you will also want a ball-type plunger and a drain auger. You can get these at hardware stores.
My kids have been playing with sidewalk chalk alot these last few days. Its really cheap at the dollar general. Something like 12 sticks for $1. We will be stocking up on that for SIP. If you have a patio or a deck and small children you might wanna look for it too. Even my eldest (14) likes to go outside and draw with it.
Carrey in VA – at 12:40 I don’t think going outside during SIP is wise, especially to go outside and draw on the patio. The ground is the worlds worst for germs. Gravity and H5N1 airborne, deadly combo. You might want to reconsider. Read the thread, “going outside during SIP”. Prepmatic made some pretty impressive points, that were later backed up by a news source, I think you will find that under aerosol something or another (sorry, cannot remember the exact name for the thread).
I had a big chalk board in the house when the kids were young, we had a lot of fun using it, and I used it for messages, teaching and tick-tac-to.
I have white boards now for leaving messages and reminder lists.
Personally I’m not too concerned with going outside on our patio or deck. We live very rurally, so no worries of catching things from people. And I’m not worried too much anymore about catching the flu from birds. I will have the kiddos wash thier hands and spray their shoes with lysol, but other than that, staying in the house for a year isn’t really feasable.
I remember teaching all the neigborhood kids how to play hopscotch, jump rope.. and all the other kids games years ago…don’t they teach these things anymore? Anyway you can now get these things that you could roll out on the floor for hopscotch for inside or out, I bought this big pack of playing cards at sams club a while ago, I thought about learning how to crochet again, all I ever managed to do in the past is a big long chain.
Jump ropes are cheap entertainment too, playing telephone with can and string, jax, marbles
KimT,
I bought a set of games from toysRus not long ago that had marbles, pick up sticks and jacks all in tin cans and shrink wrapped together. They were VERY cheap like 5$ for all three games. It had the rules to all the games too. Who knew there were so many different rules for marbles? lol
The day after tomorrow – at 21:36
“I plan on making alot of soups”
Me too!!! I found some dry “red” lentils the other day at a local market. I have never seen them before. Look like split peas, except red. (Said lentils on the package.) I bought a package… and thought I’d try to figure out what they were! I’ve been dehydrating a whole lot of vegetables to put into these soups to enhance nutritional value. Also, I have been stocking up on ABC noodles… to add to some of my soups. Soups can be made into such a wide variety of different meals by changing the stock, thickening agent, spices, herbs, meats, vegetables and/or starches. I even use some basic canned soups, like bean with bacon, to add to beans (like navy beans). Also, V-8 juice adds a nice taste to soups. I’m always on the look-out for soup additives and soup recipes.
Carrey in VA – at 13:52
Your area makes it condusive to playing with chalk outside, mine however does not. I live 2 miles from a hospital, scary. Carrey, another prep I picked up at the dollor store, playdough, the kids seem to have a ball with it (no pun intended..LOL) even the teenagers :o)
EnoughAlready – at 19:35
If I may ask you a question, is it [possible to can meats without a pressure canner? Thanks.
Birdie - at 19:52
Your right a city would be bad enough, but close to a hospital would be so much worse. Yes playdough is always good, I like to play with it too LOL. I love to color in coloring books too LMFAO
Birdie – at 19:52
EnoughAlready – at 19:35
If I may ask you a question, is it [possible to can meats without a pressure canner? Thanks.
NO
You will kill yourself.
Lentils take very little time should you forget to presoak all the other beans overnight. I use them in soups, chilis, enchiladas etc. especially if I’m in a hurry. You can get dried instant lentils, canned lentils, red, yellow and green lentils in bulk. They are very versatile and healthy as are the other beans. These just happen to be the ‘quick’ bean in our house besides the fact that we really like them.
I use red lentils to make kedgeree. Other ingredients are white rice, then in a frying pan saute an onion, when it’s getting golden brown, add coriander seeds and cumin (both in ground form) to heat up and get fragrant. Then warm up the rice and lentils in the frying pan and mix together. (btw, when cooked, the lentils turn yellow.) I cook the rice and lentils together. If it’s white rice, then the rice gets really done. If it’s brown rice, the lentils fall apart. I guess it would be possible to add the quicker-cooking ingredient later, but I haven’t. :/
Here’s one for your list — a comfortable rain gear outer suit made by Frogg Toggs that you put on over your regular clothes. I’m not involved with the company — but I sure wish I was!
If you’ve got to be out in the rain for any reason, from chopping wood to playing golf, a set of Frogg Toggs are in order to keep you DRY! They breathe well, smush up into a small wad for easy storage, come in colors as well as camo print, have all the conveniences like easy access to your OWN pants pockets, zip at the ankles so that they slip over your shoes — you can pack ‘em in a pocket to take to a ballgame where you might get rained on & if it starts raining, you can easily slip the jacket & pants over what you’re wearing including shoes in just seconds without having to take clothes or shoes off.
I vacuumed sealed 2 sets & keep ‘em in the first aid kit in my car trunk.
You can find them at sporting goods stores, but look on ebay for deals.
I quilt, knit, crochet and spin my own wool; so to keep me from going “stir-crazy” during a SIP situation, I have stocked up on all my crafty stuff. On wool alone, I have almost 150 pounds of wool, that’s ready-to-spin ! Extra parts for my spinning wheels, copies of patterns, rolls of batting, thread, etc. I will finally have the time to learn how to knit a very intricate lace shawl in a laceweight wool !…and if THAT doesn’t make me crazy— NOTHING will ! LOL !!
Jane – at 21:21
Thanks! That recipe sounds goooood! I looked it up on internet… it’s a traditional English recipe (breakfast) that originated & was adapted from a dish from India. I just love eating food with a history!! Now, I can add… collected on fluwiki from Jane! :)
Madamspinner – at 00:44
spinning wheels--- well, now I know how you came up with your name! That is just awesome! I come from a sewing family, but nobody had a spinning wheel! I’ve put up needle work in my preps. I took a lace making course years ago, and swore I’d never do it again after I got through that class. :( I love to sew… on a sewing machine. I’ve put up bolts of material, etc. In case and in hopes there is electricity! (Thinking may need to make masks, feminine products, and aprons!)
Madamspinner – at 00:44 I’m glad to see you out and about on the board here too. What an art to have mastered! It’s great knowing something that you enjoy doing is something that you can also do during SIP. I need to work on re-developing my SIP hobbies of choice more….reading would be first on the list. Love your name!
How much Chlorox might clear a drain without killing a septic tank?
(Sorry if dumb question - I avoided bleach for years before buying it for H5N1. Still not comfortable using the stuff.)
Kim – at 22:09
Someone probably helped with this already but just in case……My three year old wrote all over the wallpaper of a house we were renting with dry erase markers. I was able to remove it with fingernail polish remover.
Kim – at 22:09
Someone probably helped with this already but just in case……My three year old wrote all over the wallpaper of a house we were renting with dry erase markers. I was able to remove it with fingernail polish remover.
A prep I had not considered before using my new generator this weekend:
A funnel to use when adding/changing the engine oil.
(Lamp oil probably also goes better into lanterns with a designated pump and funnel.)
Don’t forget some fly poison ! I got some no-name granules from the feed store…that doesn’t work very well….so I tossed it and hunted down some GOLDEN MALERIN…looks just like bee pollen granules…but must have an attractant in it…and it kills flies FAST.
If the BF does what we think it will…we will have a Ba-ZILLION flies.
Madamspinner – at 17:32
From the Texas Cooperative Extenstion (Texas A&M):
“Golden Malrin (Starbar Corp.) is a fly bait containing 1.1% methomyl and 0.049% (Z)−9-Tricosene (muscalure) and is applied at a scatter rate of 8 oz per 1,000 square feet. It has restricted use around confined animal facilities, and care needs to be taken not to contaminate animal feedstuffs. Use only in areas inaccessible to food-producing animals, children, and pets. It cannot be used in milking parlors.”
http://tinyurl.com/gw8ym
Dennis in CO—
Yes, Dear, I know all this. ;-) LOL !
I was raised on a dairy farm. I can stand alot of “things”; but flies and rats are 2 that I can’t. I have used the Golden Malrin in the past with excellant results. It “should” be standard knowledge when using ANY poison, for people to keep it out of the reach of kids, pets, etc. But you never know with some peoples…
I tested the no-name junk outside my windows; the summer storms were driving the blasted flies inside with a vengence; but that stuff was crap. Then I hunted down the good stuff.
Thanks for the url, tho !
I found my receipt for the fly bait I tossed. It was the Quick Bayt, mentioned at that url. It was 8.95 for a 1 lb can. Ok if you can’t get anything else; but I’ll stick with my first choice.
I found my receipt for the fly bait I tossed. It was the Quick Bayt, mentioned at that url. It was 8.95 for a 1 lb can. Ok if you can’t get anything else; but I’ll stick with my first choice.
It’s also a red-hot pink color that stains everything it touches if it gets wet.
Crfullmoon - don’t know about bleach clearing drains, esp. with septic systems, but the last time we had to have someone come work on our plumbing, the guy said the best thing he even found was to use a box of baking soda chased with a bottle of Coke or other soft drink. Said it worked every time. We havent needed a plumber since.
Buttermilk, or sour milk… feeds the “bugs” in a septic tank. The “bugs” are what make the syestem work. A chemist uses this method religiously! ;)
we use a funnel for our kersone heater. Got tired of that plactic hose thingy. the funnel is tied to the container with bread ties.
Things I got today that I had almost forgotten and recommend to anyone else who may be equally forgetful - lots of extra shoelaces. a landline phone. A camera for the computer so that we can see some loved ones (who also have computer cameras) during sip…
I’m baking bread again & not in my bread machine. I updated my baking pans for bread, pies, squares & cakes. I figure if I have to use alternative fuel sources I might need some heavy duty pans.
Finally found some vital wheat gluten that I can add if need be. In Julia Child’s book The Way to Cook she recommends having it on hand in case the type of flour you are forced to use is low gluten; by the way she says 1/3 cup wheat gluten flour to 3 cups of your main flour.
Stocked up on fresh lemons since they are a natural enhancing leavening for bread.
Does anyone know if they still make plastic for the Decasonic Food Sealer; I have one that I used for my flour and while I have two more rolls of plastic I haven’t seen it in the stores. I don’t want to buy the Food Saver. I also used some commercial grade plastic food storage bags to seal sugar etc. and then sealed in buckets; seemed to work well and is so cheap. Any comments on use of these bags.
I ended up throwing out about 100 pounds of flour that I had on hand which was not sealed and I had for 2 or 3 years. I didn’t realize until I came to this website that flour could become rancid. Funny thing was until I bought fresh I didn’t know that what I was smelling was a rancid smell; my husband thought the flour was fine as well. I do think in a pinch I would have used it because it wasn’t bad smelling or tasting; just tasted off.
Energy drinks.
RockStar, Redline, etc.
With lots of caffeine.
For when you NEED to stay awake for several days.
I got several cases today.
staying awake for several days is a bad idea in my book. I’ve seem how this has affected people in an emergency situation. Bad idea.
Eletromechanical “shake n bake” LED flashlights, Wal-Mart and elsewhere, LED’s are supposed to be good for 10,000hrs.
Dogfood, hey if the poor elderly really do use it as a dietary staple why not, we’re talking about the possibility of extreme survival (+ 3 months to forever) conditions right? Maybe not balanced specifically for humans, but so far as I know it’s nutritionally denser that cerial grains monkey or even hog chow might be better. Keep dry and store in metal rodent proof cans.
Prepping Gal – at 23:39
Have you been able to locate a distributor for Grain Mills in Alberta? Thanks
Can anyone tell me how long flour will keep if it is stored in vacuum sealed bags? How about Bread Flour and also Whole wheat flour? Thanks alot.
new name, (I should know where this is on the Flu Wiki, but, ) I know where the flour storage issues thread is over at CurEvents .
Sailor I checked out Ribtor’s yesterday and got a couple of coffee grinders but not any grain mills. I didn’t see any and they were so busy I didn’t even ask. I saw online I think it was Berry Hill had the Country Grain Mill (which I read was a quality mill) but holy smokes it was $750.00. I think I saw a couple at the Community Health Food store in Calgary but that was 6 months ago and I wasn’t considering mills seriously. I’ll keep lookin. Where would I get wheatberries in large volume say 50 pound bags reasonably priced or any other grains? I was thinking of going to UFA; again I believe Community Health Food store near Chinook had some but I suspect they are expensive there. I don’t want to go the mill route but if things are that bad then its nice to source these items out ahead of time.
Several people have posted positive reviews of a grain grinder called something like “Country New Life grinder” — I searched ebay for one and it looked great — but was still a spendy $200 (and bidding wasn’t over).
Somewhere on fluwiki is a hilarious account from a woman who requested a grinder as a gift. She got precisely what she asked for and it ended up being the demon machine from hell. Sounds like a grain grinder is an item to research very carefully. You might look at “Lehman’s” too (country store on line)
Prepping Gal – at 17:00
If you are looking for wheat just phone around to some of your local farmers and ask if they planted wheat this year. If they did they would likely sell you some right out of the bin but you would have to clean it by screaning it to remove weeds etc. You may be able to get cleaned wheat from a farmer that sells seed grains. You should be able to purchase 50 lbs from a farmer for around 5$. You will likely have to supply your own bags etc. if you get it from the Bin.
Princess Auto had some cheap ( 15$) manual grain grinders earlyer in the summer which were made in china, but will work hopefully in a pinch but would still like to get a good one from some where in Alberta.
How about heavy duty Bolt cutters? You may have to go through some locks in an emergency.
Re grain mills, there’s a most helpful discussion on the Grains thread.
Vermont Country Store- online or by catalog- has non-electric sweepers (like used in restaurents, hoipitals etc) for about $65
If electric grid down- For those of us with carpet and animals, horrified by the thought of all those hairs not be vacumed- this could be the answer. Mine is in the mail, on its way.
Spices
I got a ton of spices for half price today. Funny how that makes me happy! :)
On another thread someone mentioned maybe not being able to get new glasses. A magnifying glass could help someone see even with a too-weak prescription. Maybe a back-up, too, since they’re fragile.
Don’t know if anybody has mentioned these items, but you may want to have some extra print cartridges on hand with extra paper for your printers (if we have the luxury of power for awhile), also today I picked up some “window slide stops” (locks) that fit on the frames of windows so they will only open as far as you want. I live where we worry about heat, not cold, but do not want my windows open all the way while we are sleeping, I think I would rather hear someone breaking the window, than just quitely removing screen & opening. Also for those that have food in 5 or 6 gal food grade buckets, don’t forget the heavy duty plastic wrench to open them, $1.97 @ Lowe’s, the window locks were $2.47 for 2. One more thing - a boat horn for warning/alarm when electricity is off - about $10.00 @ wal-Mart.
A knife sharpener.
MLKaty, where did you find those window locks?
Instead of window locks, you can drill a hole through the window frame of a double-hung window (both top and bottom sections) when the window is closed and when the window is opened a few inches. Then put a long nail through the holes for the level you want to secure. The hole can be slanted downward a bit if you want, but we’ve never had the nails fall out of our level holes.
(We put holes on both sides of the window.)
Kim - I am using window locks found in child safety section of stores. I think I got mine at hardware store or Wal Mart. Inexpensive and they work.
Yesterday I bought 2 different types of solar battery chargers off ebay, and also 2 solar floodlights. I don’t think the floodlights will “flood” the yard with light, but if they’re as good as my incandescent light bulbs for a little while when the motion thingie trips, that’ll be great! The seller and them listed as either a buy it now or make them an offer so I made an offer for all four things, and sort of offered a lower price than I normally would have if I had just been buying one or two things, since I figured he’d be making more money with me buying 4, and he accepted my deeper discounted price on all four pieces!!
Be sure to test your solar charger. Mine didn’t charge the D rechargeable batteries I bought separately.
Thanks all for the tips on the window locks. I found some at KMart today and bought 2 sets for $2.49 a set (4 locks total). We just put in new aluminum thermal windows and although I knew of the old “screw in the track” trick, I was reluctant to be drilling holes in these brand new windows.
All these little locks are are a piece of channel aluminum (and a rubber piece that sits inside it) that is tightened onto the window track with a thumbscrew. If one had aluminum windows and didn’t want to fool with these locks, it would be easy enough to drill and tap a hole in the window track just for the thumbscrew… tighten the thumbscrew down so it protrudes into the track to prevent opening too far, then unscrew so it’s flush with the inside of the track when you want to throw the windows wide open. Thanks again!
Not only get tools to sharpen knives and axes: stones, strops, honing powder, files, steels; But LEARN NOW how to use them.
Protein powder to fulfill the protein requirements. The average person needs 60 grams of protein per day. I have had a gastric bypass, and have already “taste-tested” MANY brands.
Isopure Brand is expensive BUT—THE BEST: tasting, dissolves INSTANTLY, you can add many flavors to it. They make many flavors, but I use the Vanilla as a base and add different flavors to it: fruit, extracts, peanut butter,cocoa powder etc.
And it’s gives you 50 grams per 2 scoops. Comes in 3 lb jugs and 7.5 pounds buckets.
I only make up 1 scoop at a time, twice a day; because you NEVER want to MIX ANY protein powder up and let it set more then 30 minutes, AND the body can only absorb about 30 grams of it at a time.
From the “mundane but potential sanity saver” category:
I was thinking through kids’ activities to SIP yesterday and suddenly had a picture of the electricity being down, the kids sitting at the table with an entire end-roll of newsprint paper and a stack of coloring books…and all the colored pencils wearing down/breaking.
Those little dime-sized plastic sharpeners are not going to cut it and SIP is not the time to frustrate kids (or mom!) further. I’m off to find a good old-fashioned wall-mount manual pencil sharpener (actually, I do believe my parents have an unused one in their basement).
(This way they won’t have any excuse not to finish their math, either. ;o)
Madamspinner – at 18:08 … you NEVER want to MIX ANY protein powder up and let it set more then 30 minutes,
What is the reason for that?
This is because the protein starts to break down after about 30 minutes w/no refrigeration ( and the body needs that protein BEFRE it gets “old” )
and also because that protein base is a PERFECT medium for bacteria to grow. The labs actually use a layer of pure protein in the petri dishes to grow some things.
As long as you drink it as soon as you mix it up, no problems.
Small children grow very fast. Might want to have the next sizes of important things decided upon so as a last minute prep they can be bought for stashing. I am thinking specifically shoes and clothes for staying warm would be very important to have fit. Also diapers (personally I used cloth, so I could just change the fold size as they grew; rubber pants needed to be upsized though). For any new mothers who might be nursing, anticipation of how to deal with mastitis might be really appreciated. It REALLY hurts! (probably need prescription discussion with OB-GYN).
Birth control considerations are prudent for many ages.
And on a lighter note, I am addicted to lemons, which will be a real problem since even the liquid concentrate needs to be refrigerated after being opened (we are not planning to count on having power). We are getting restaurant size (individual serving size) packages of lemon juice and mayonaise to deal with that no fridge issue.
sorry - cleaned cookines last night and dropped my AUTHORship.
LEG - at 19:12 “ We are getting restaurant size (individual serving size) packages of lemon juice and mayonaise to deal with that no fridge issue.”
Where are you finding those? I’d also like to get the little individual cellophane envelopes of oyster crackers for soup, but so far I’ve had no luck in finding the restaurant size packets for any of those things.
Pixie – at 19:47
I know that Sams has individual packages of mayo and ketchup, I wonder if they have the lemon juice too? And I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the little packs of oyster crackers there, over with the normal crackers.
LEG- have you tried True Lemon? http://tinyurl.com/6bk5z
Thanks Chesapeake! I sent for the samples the website offers.
Carrey in VA - Sam’s is where we are getting the mayo; using a restaurant supplier for the lemon juice packets (unless this True Lemon works out).
Hey Chesapeake — since you mentioned it here, YOU can get free samples too — if you’ll go to their Community section it tells you what to do.
I sent for a sample as well. Thanks.
Thanks LEG & Carrey in VA. I’ve tried Costco & BJ’s but will venture to Sam’s!
I picked some up on sale at my local grocery store to flavor my ORS packets. It is good stuff. Grab them when they go on sale. I have not tried the lime. Free Samples are good.
temporairy cavity tooth filler
Madamspinner – at 18:39
Thanks for the explanation. I thought perhaps you were referring to some deleterious effect attributable just to the dissolving of the protein powder in the carrier liquid. I use homemade protein drinks almost every day for breakfast and lunch (2 cans of sugar-free/caffeine-free soft drink + 1 scoop of GNC whey protein powder + 1 ounce cream). I often make them the night before; they are sealed in 1-liter water bottles and refrigerated. I certainly agree that they ought not to be left open & unrefrigerated after they are made. Whey protein powder is also part of our prep pantry.
True Lemon and True Lime are great. Our diabeties instructor suggested them at a meeting and had coupons. Comes in packets and a “salt shaker” type jar at our local Krogers. Cook with it, season, drinks. No fat, no sugar, good stuff. Got the lemon juice packets (at GFS) before I found true lemon. The packets have use by dates.
I mean the liquid juice packets have earlier dates than the true lemon.
The website says the True Lemon (they also have True Lime) is good for 2 years. Thanks for the heads up on it Chesapeake!
I ordered the free True Lemon samples. Thanks for the tip!
Watchout for high sodium levels in protein powders.. especially for those of you with high blood pressure.
Irene – at 13:15 - The instructions that came with my solar battery charger said that rechargeable batteries should be charged all the way with a plug in charger a couple of cycles before expecting them to charge well with the solar charger.
FriscoParent – at 23:35 Watchout for high sodium levels in protein powders
I don’t know about other brands of whey protein, but the GNC product I use has only 120mg sodium per serving.
Portion Packages
Here is a link to where you can order just about any condiment under the sun in either pouches or small jars. I have not ordered from them yet as prices seem a bit high for me but you can get a great array of product/brands here.
The link is http://tinyurl.com/y743op
They do have wholesale pricing available on orders exceeding $250. If anyone orders from them, let us know what kind service do they provide.
OK, just checked my whey protein, Designer Whey, only 110mg sodium per serving.
Something that we are getting now that the storm has passed (we were without power for a week) will be a water powered back up base pump for our sump pump. When the power went down, my sump pump stopped running. A back up is water powered, works like a syphon, and keeps the basement dry when power is out. For those with sump pumps, it should be a helpful addition (pricey, but better than losing everything in the basement!)
Wow! Lots of good info here….thanks to Irene & Mari for asking and answering about the solar charger - I didn’t know that and don’t even have any rechargeable batteries yet, so I’ll buy some & a regular charger as well!
That condiments list is AWESOME!!! I’ll be ordering some of that too, and packing some of that away with our MRE’s!
My husband’s GNC 100% whey protein has 150mg sodium….gotta watch that stuff!
I’m-workin’-on-it – at 11:18 My husband’s GNC 100% whey protein has 150mg sodium….gotta watch that stuff!
Everyone’s tolerance for sodium is different … but most would not consider 150mg for a full meal to be a high amount. For someone on a diet restricted to 2gm of sodium, 150mg would only be 20% of their daily allowance. If ya wanna look at high sodium foods, check sour cream & onion flavored potato chips, at 1238mg for a 7 oz bag — or SPAM at 1533mg for 4 oz <grin>.
By the way, a wide array of nutrient values of many food items can be found at
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Havn’t followed this thread so I hope I not repeating Don’t forget footwear. I recommend at least a pair of good hikers. Better still would be gor-tex hunting boots that are water-proof in case you have to walk long distances for some reason. The footwear needs to be broke-in ahead of time so that blister are a major problem,. Don’t forget good socks also.
Tuck57
Tuck57 that’s very important — you’re right! That’s one area you don’t want to scrimp in!
I just bought 6 pairs of wool military socks. Cheap and warm!
Cabela’s had a huge bin of wool socks for $1.99. Great price.
Wish we had a Cabela’s nearby.
I’m in the process of renewing my Canadian passport. I don’t plan to do any travelling but I decided that having that flexibility might be worthwhile even in a pandemic. Crossing between Canada and the USA is getting more difficult and that may be in both directions. I think it’s something to be considered.
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.
Thread getting long, so closed and continued here
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