Topic: Rededicated to Preparedness

[Libertas]

I guess it is only natural for people to think about themselves and their loved ones when something devastating like the earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan happens...there but for the grace of God and all.  But if anything positive can be gleaned at such a time it is that everyone cannot take where they live for granted.  The unique, even if not apparently frequent, conditions that can arise in the areas in which we live need to be accounted for and incorporated into any preparedness plans we undertake.  I think most here are probably cognizant of these possibilities, but I guess the fact cannot be stressed enough.  I guess the other takeaway from such disasters is how easily overwhelmed first responders can be.  Looking to ourselves first and foremost for our safety, security and health may just be common sense, but its importance also cannot be stressed enough.

Here's to hoping y'all stay safe!

I'm going to dedicate the rest of this day to reviewing preparedness.

This invariably includes spending time reviewing probably the single best site out there on the subject -

http://www.survivalblog.com/

[charlesoakwood]

Mr. Dilatory here has accumulated quantities of necessary stuff and piledstuffed stored it wherever there was a vacant spot.
He should organize and catalog it, create a go bag, and a check list.

Did that in '01, it's time to do it again.  I mean, how many memos does one need to receive?

 

[Libertas]

I hear ya.  I spent a lot of the afternoon going through Survival Blog, see what I may be missing, have a new shopping list for a few items as well as a desire to better organize my own stash.  Fairly well organized already, but I've acquired a lot more stuff the past few years and need to better stage things if a bug-out situation arises.  Looks like I need more go-bins!

Rotating some first aid stocks right now.

There's always something to do!

And this growing season is going to be a big learning curve what with expanding the garden up north and trying heirloom seeds for the first time!

[Pandora]

If you suspect you may be short on rice, now is the time to get it.

I placed an order with beprepared.com last week and was told then they're 3-4 weeks behind - even the potassium iodide tablets! - without including any rice.

[AmericanPatriot]

I'm not the most prepared out there but am working on it.
Part of my thing comes from having Depression era parents and hearing about it every day while growing up
I moved back to my homestead 2-1/2 years ago.
I have 3 acres and can comfortably till and plant over 1 acre in garden without messing with the yard.
I have about 1 acre in woodlot and just bought a wood/coal furnace.

Besides inheriting my dad's 1949 Farmall Cub with all the implements, I got hundreds of my husband's canning jars.

My wife thinks I'm nuts (she may be right)
And sees all this stuff as an expense because we can get everything cheaper at the store.
Although I have a few chickens now, she'll have a bird (pun intended) when I get the new flock in a little over a month.

I have some guns but they're  hunting rifles not military

I do want to add a few bullets.

But, I am not prepared for a societal collapse

[Pandora]

I'm not the most prepared out there but am working on it.
Part of my thing comes from having Depression era parents and hearing about it every day while growing up
I moved back to my homestead 2-1/2 years ago.
I have 3 acres and can comfortably till and plant over 1 acre in garden without messing with the yard.
I have about 1 acre in woodlot and just bought a wood/coal furnace.

Besides inheriting my dad's 1949 Farmall Cub with all the implements, I got hundreds of my husband's canning jars.

My wife thinks I'm nuts (she may be right)
And sees all this stuff as an expense because we can get everything cheaper at the store.
Although I have a few chickens now, she'll have a bird (pun intended) when I get the new flock in a little over a month.

I have some guns but they're  hunting rifles not military

I do want to add a few bullets.

But, I am not prepared for a societal collapse

You're kidding, right?  You're already far ahead of the many in that you're even thinking about it.

As long as she believes things are cheaper at the store, indulge her with a few flats of canned goods.

Get yourself ammo, some seeds to go with that Farmall and a pressure canner and, baby, you're good to go.

What state are you in?

[AmericanPatriot]

I'm in western Pa about 50 miles north east of Pittsburgh

She hates to see more than one of anything on the shelf.
But she does have about 9 bottles of Jack Daniels bbq sauce and Jif peanut butter. (Those are hers)

I don't have a pressure canner.
Respectfully, I don't see the need for it. I know the arguments.
My mom canned meat for years without one

I do have a pretty good stock of seeds which I'm getting ready to order some more.
Fresh water is a concern. I have a 200' well and my water has a lot of rust.

I have a couple spots that stay damp most of the year and wondering if there's some kind of small spring

I have less than 1000 rounds including a brick of 22 LR

I originally got on this to go gray

[Pandora]

I'm in western Pa about 50 miles north east of Pittsburgh

She hates to see more than one of anything on the shelf.
But she does have about 9 bottles of Jack Daniels bbq sauce and Jif peanut butter. (Those are hers)

I don't have a pressure canner.
Respectfully, I don't see the need for it. I know the arguments.
My mom canned meat for years without one

I do have a pretty good stock of seeds which I'm getting ready to order some more.
Fresh water is a concern. I have a 200' well and my water has a lot of rust.

I have a couple spots that stay damp most of the year and wondering if there's some kind of small spring

I have less than 1000 rounds including a brick of 22 LR

I originally got on this to go gray

Respectfully accepted; please keep in mind the meat was different then, too.

For your rusty water, you may want to consider re-sleeving your well pump with the plastic-compound piping they use now; it's the iron pipe that's doing that.  Experience, and a 240' well.

[AmericanPatriot]

Actually, I think it's the water off the coal that is providing the iron.

New well 7 or 8 years ago with all plastic casing.
The old well was 58' but was starting to cave in and fill the pocket.
It was red as blood too.

I'm looking at getting one of those baling buckets (think that's what they're called) that go down inside the casing and pull up a gallon or so of water

[IronDioPriest]

We have only city water now, but at our old house we had a well, and it was so damn rusty, we went through well pumps, water softeners and iron filters like you can't believe. Some sources are just filled with iron, and that's pretty common here in Minnesota.

Pan, I've been seriously considering getting a pressure canner. I'd be interested to know what you're referring to when you say the meat was "different" then.

And AP, I'd be interested to know your reasons for eschewing the pressure canner, and what is your preferred alternative.

[Pandora]

We have only city water now, but at our old house we had a well, and it was so damn rusty, we went through well pumps, water softeners and iron filters like you can't believe. Some sources are just filled with iron, and that's pretty common here in Minnesota.

Pan, I've been seriously considering getting a pressure canner. I'd be interested to know what you're referring to when you say the meat was "different" then.

And AP, I'd be interested to know your reasons for eschewing the pressure canner, and what is your preferred alternative.

50 or so years ago, the meat was just raised differently; less factory farming, more small, local sources who knew who their feed suppliers were. 

I should have emphasized that it's mostly the slaughtering that I'd be concerned about here.  According to the USDA, the meat is supposed to be inspected for "safety", and in most cases it is fine, except when it isn't.  Can't order a medium-rare burger here (it's ILLEGAL) because of "safety" issues, e-coli,  with ground beef.

The canning concerns are botulism, as well, if it's not done properly.  AP's mom probably used the hot water-bath method; the jars of meat are just boiled, not pressure-boiled.  The pressurizing is done to force the water to temperatures higher than you can with just boiling, therefore it kills more pathogens.

[John Florida]

Actually, I think it's the water off the coal that is providing the iron.

New well 7 or 8 years ago with all plastic casing.
The old well was 58' but was starting to cave in and fill the pocket.
It was red as blood too.

I'm looking at getting one of those baling buckets (think that's what they're called) that go down inside the casing and pull up a gallon or so of water

 Where I lived in Conn. we all had wells and all went about 200/220 down.3 out of four done by the same guy and only one didn't have Iron(mine)everybody else had culligan systems.  We drank what came out of the ground.


 But I did have the lowest producing well on the street at 5 gals. per minuteEverybody else had atleast 15 gals per minuteand up. According to the well driller it was because I didn't have a lot of water that I didn't drag up a lot of the nasty stuff and we all had iron casings.


 A lot of it is where you are and then there's the luck of the draw.(no pun). Have tou tried a hand dug well (which is really done with a back hoe).I've seenthise come in nice as hell and clean.Cheep trial hole will tell you.

[AmericanPatriot]

John, I have not tried a hand dug well.
I'm near the top of the "mountain" The second highest point in my county is about 100 yards off my property line.
The water is deeper here.
As I get time, I am going to investigate a couple damp areas for the possibility of seep springs.
As it is, my present well only produces around 3 gal/min.

IDP, I'm not opposed to a pressure canner. There's only so many $100 bills at any one time and I consider it less important than other things I need right now.
And I can only sneak so many things in around my wife.

No argument on the quality of meat. We grew all of our own when I was a kid. Processed it,too.

I don't have enough ground for a beef but could find one locally to buy a half or a quarter.
Everyone here (except me) is violently against pigs.

I have too many guns.
There's a line even I won't cross with my wife.
She's a town girl and she tolerates some of my things. Sometimes more quietly than others

[charlesoakwood]

If you flush the whole system out with 8 bottles of clorox at 6 month intervals it will help with the rust.  Be sure and flush all the pipes for 10 minutes with fresh water to finish.

[AmericanPatriot]

I may give that a try with the clorox.

Sometimes I accidentally run it dry.
When it comes back, it's really red for quite a while.Up to a week or more
I have a softener. Stopped buying salt because it makes no difference in color or smell, only hardness

[charlesoakwood]

The iron in water will not rust until it comes in contact with oxygen.
The water in your well is not rusty and probably not the water pipe from your pump to the top, assuming you have a submersible pump.
ETA: Quite possibly the red is rust sediment is stirred up from the bottom of your tank.

This is best done when you are gone for the weekend or overnight.
Turn the breaker off to your well.
Drain your tank.
Your casing is probably 3 to 5" in diameter and is covered by a plate    
 with the line pipe coming out the middle. Beside the line pipe is a
 plug, probably a 5/8 hex, unscrew the plug and pour in the Clorox.
 I use a funnel.
At the breaker bump it a couple of times to stir up the Clorox.
Let it sit until tomorrow.
Hook a hose to your tank and place the nozzle at some weeds, it may  
 kill your grass.
Turn your pump on.
Let the tank fill.
After tank is full turn on all fawcetts, bathrooms, kitchen,  
 outside, and the tank; flush the commodes. Allow this to continue until
 the Clorox is flushed out.

If you have calcification and an electric water heater turn it off, drain it, and pour a couple of gallons of white vinegar in from the top. While you have the water turned off is a good time to do this. Attach a drain hose to the heater to evacuate the now liquefied calcium.

ETA: Caution, make sure the water heater is full of water before turning it back on. 

[Pandora]

Are you referring here to the water heater or the pressure tank?

[charlesoakwood]

The first part refers to the water well tank which is pressurized.

The second part, "If you have calcification..." refers to the electric water heater.  The sequence is a little out of order. The first thing to do is attach a hose to drain the water heater.

Caution, make sure the water heater is full of water before turning it back on.

ps

I have toyed with the idea of pouring some gallons of vinegar down the well casing (well digger says chemicals will not hurt pump - he substitutes chlorine granules used for swimming pools instead of Clorox)
to clean the pipes.  I have not attempted this. I think the water heater should be clear of calcification before this trick is attempted.  Although if one started with a clean hot water tank, a gallon of vinegar each month may eliminate the necessity of annually cleaning out the water heater.



 

[John Florida]

John, I have not tried a hand dug well.
I'm near the top of the "mountain" The second highest point in my county is about 100 yards off my property line.
The water is deeper here.
As I get time, I am going to investigate a couple damp areas for the possibility of seep springs.
As it is, my present well only produces around 3 gal/min.

IDP, I'm not opposed to a pressure canner. There's only so many $100 bills at any one time and I consider it less important than other things I need right now.
And I can only sneak so many things in around my wife.

No argument on the quality of meat. We grew all of our own when I was a kid. Processed it,too.

I don't have enough ground for a beef but could find one locally to buy a half or a quarter.
Everyone here (except me) is violently against pigs.

I have too many guns.
There's a line even I won't cross with my wife.
She's a town girl and she tolerates some of my things. Sometimes more quietly than others

 Mountain are doesn't mean you can't have a hand dug. The water table can be just as deep in a valley.If you have damp areas you might be in luck because the table might be shallow enough to where you can do a hand dug even if you use it for the garden only but if you have it tested and it's clean you're in like flint.


 As for live stock you might want to look into goats(YUMM)as they'll eat anything or even rabbits(YUM) my father raised then in town and had an endless supply of meat. Look to Flemish Giants fast growing and huge in 90 days they're big enough to pop into the freezer.If go this route don't do any rabbits with floppy ears they get ear mites and then you have trouble that never ends as it keeps spreading back and forth in the group.

[AmericanPatriot]

I have cursorily looked at goats.
Only ate it once and I would have to acquire a taste. And I've heard keeping them in can be a challenge.

There was a lady on Coast2coastam a short while back on prepping and she was big on rabbits.
backyardfoodproduction.com
Her thing was fast reproduction, small area and easy to feed. And pellets for good fertilizer.
We had a few rabbits when I was a kid for a short while

I will be investigating the seep.  One spot probably wasn't runoff, others may be