Category: This week’s preps

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – well, preps since May 12 2018…

I haven’t really done any “prepping” for 88 days – over 12 weeks. I’ve been so distracted, busy, whatever that for the past 2 months I skipped CERT meetings, permaculture meetups, and I didn’t even stay for my prepper group meetups. That last one is a shame because the topic was map reading.

Life happens…

So what happened? Life. We picked up my in-laws and moved them in. Our rental house project turned into a really MAJOR project. I found myself suddenly in need of being able to secure a $200K loan (!!!) with really crappy credit. Still working on that one… Oh, and I managed to crash my truck. It’s still driveable but the side of the bed is wiped out. Another $2500 to get that fixed…

Life goes on…

Even though I’ve been slacking, I still got some things done that maybe could be considered prepping. I finished an online class in programming embedded computers. My brother and I have the back yard looking really good. He even caught a quail that he cooked and ate. Last weekend I took him and my sons to watch our first IDPA pistol match. Last night I loaded about 300 rounds of 9mm. We keep working on the garden 🙂

I’m also working on my personal library and I’ve had the chance to read some really good books. Maybe not prepper books, more suited to the backyardsman than a prepper. Some are Nothing To Do But Stay, Truck – a Love Story, and The Warwolf. Tomorrow night is my monthly prepper’s meetup so hopefully it will nudge me back into a more formal prepping routine…

What about you? What have you been doing to prep lately?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – May 12 2018

I’ve been pretty busy the past few weeks, too busy to write about it. Mostly working on the back yard (I guess that’s one thing Backyardsmen do…) I have a bunch of tomato plants started and a few squash. It finally got warm enough to release the worms, so I put the wigglers in my composting bed and the European night crawlers in the bean bed. I’m in the middle of putting in 40 feet of new raised beds*. I’ll have them filled by next weekend and hopefully by the 27th it will be warm enough to plant my beans and corn.

My prep group met this week and talked about finding or building expedient shelters in case you get caught outside in a storm or other event. Also talked about bugging in vs. bugging out in the event of a large scale natural disaster. CERT meeting is next week, even if I’m too busy I’ll have to make time to go since I missed last month’s meeting. Studying for my General class amateur radio license. I have to pass in June because the questions change after that and I don’t want to have to buy a new study guide. Lots of other things going on too. got a new pack, planning a road trip, working on plans for a chicken coop, etc. Pretty much just staying busy. Oh, and my wife’s sister and brother in law are moving here next month from China, so we’re getting a house ready for them. Like I said, busy…

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

* – Yes, I know I’m running late with the raised beds…

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – Apr 15 2018

Back to prepping, well back to writing about it at least. Last week was pretty busy for me. We have a rental property that has a collapsed shed in the back yard. Now that we’re almost done fixing up the inside it’s time to move onto the yard, so I started tearing down the shed. It was fun (still in progress) and I got the chance to try out my Stanley FatMax Xtreme Fubar. It works pretty good, but I wish I’d gotten the 30″ version instead of the 18″. The shorter version doesn’t have quite enough leverage for tearing down stuff that’s screwed together.

In our back yard I got more locust roots pulled out of the ground. Those things are nasty. “We” also got rid of “my” wood pile. I wasn’t too happy about that, but I’ll get over it. Eventually. Right now I’m still a little PO’d.

We have all our seeds (almost all are heirloom, open pollinated) and started some. Had to go to the store and get another starting tray today so the rest will be done by the end of the week. I started 2 worm bins and got enough redwood to build 4 more raised beds. Once those are done I’ll just need a couple more.

The prepper group I go to met last Thursday. We talked about water collection and purification. I guess my next project will be a Berkey system using their filters and 5 gallon plastic buckets. I also want to build a rain water collection system.

For next week, I hope to get the raised beds finished and the rest of our seeds started. My CERT meeting is next Thursday, and next Saturday the Permaculture group is having a hands on class for sheet mulching. Oh, and I have an old axe I want to start working on.

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

CERT-ified – my fingerprints and background check cleared so this week I get to pick up my credentials from the Sherrif’s office. I’m now officially in CERT. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what I’ve been doing to prep the past week…

Getting ready to garden…

Last year we had a pretty decent garden. We had so much squash we were able to give a lot away to friends and neighbors. Our okra and tomatos also produced well, but the beans were only so-so. One thing we found is vegeatbles in the raised beds did really good. The ones planted in the ground did poorly. So I’ve been reading about ways to make cheap raised beds… how deep the soil needs to be, etc.

The other thing about last year’s garden was that everything we grew was a hybrid. Fine for eating, but you can’t save seeds from your harvest and use them the following year. Well, as a prepper I’d kind of like to be able to not have to depend on always buying seeds… so I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about open pollinated vegetable seeds. It turns out you don’t need hybrid seeds to get good crops. So this year most of our garden (except for Zephyr squash – long story…) will be grown from open pollinated seed.

Packing

Also getting ready for summer, I took my kid to the local REI store to try on back packs. We found one that fit him really well. The salesman loaded it up with about 35 lbs and let him walk around with it. He loved everything about it except the color. He wants camo. No one makes a good quality kid’s backpack in camo. I ordered him a Camelbak surplus military pack. It should be here tomorrow, we’ll see how well it fits…

Coming week’s preps…

This week I have my monthly prepper’s Meetup. I’ve perfected my beef jerky, so I’ll probably do a couple batches. I also need to start my online FEMA courses. Until next time… What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep… lately?

This week’s preps – Feb 23 (???) 2018

It’s not like I stopped prepping for the last 2 – 3 weeks, just nothing that fits into a nice little “what did you do to prep this week” label…

So what HAVE I been doing?

I got to go to my prepper group meeting on the 8th. As always it was good information, but the specific topic was something that really isn’t on my personal list of imminent threats. On the 15th I went to my monthly CERT group meeting. This was about situational awareness and the speaker was very good. Plus they gave out a free tool (gas shut-off wrench)…

Prepping for health…

I joined the gym at my work and I’ve actually been going. I also bought a pair of 30 lb dumbells and started using them. Even my normally critical wife has is noticing the difference in my smaller belly and (very slightly) bigger arms. My plan to not drink is working out well (OK, “pretty well”) as is my attempts to eat healthier foods,

Back yard preps…

I ordered two more blackberry plants (should get here next week) and started looking for some heirloom squash seeds.  Got some yard cleanup done. Bought two camping/survival stoves – a Kelly Kettle and a Solo stove and pot combo. Both burn wood so they should be fun to experiment with.

Misc. preps…

Talked to my kid about backpacking this summer. Took him to the REI store to look at packs. Found a nice kid-sized Osprey and tried it out. Clerk was very helpful. Adjusted the fit for us and loaded it up to let my son try it. He loved the pack except for the color. He wants a “military color.” Only problem is I can’t find a good kid’s backpacking pack in anything except bright blue or bright green. I think the pack makers are missing out on a good marketing opportunity here…

I joined ARRL and the NRA. NRA because after the recent rants from the left about the “need” to destroy the 2nd Amendment and anyone who supports it, I think it’s important to do something to support and show my support for our American Bill of Rights. ARRL because they’re an incredible technical resource for anyone interested in radio communications. Speaking of radio comm, I also got a couple of really good antenna design references…

What did you do to prep over the last couple weeks?

Peace out,
porcupine

Related Links:

Kelly Kettle
National Rifle Association
ARRL

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – Feb 04 2018

Prepping for me over the past week was not so much. My kid had the flu really bad. So bad that we spent most of Wed. night with him in ER getting checked out and hydrated. I did manage to get a couple things done though. I got a Hatfield SGL shotgun and a Daisy 880. Yesterday I spent some time with the Daisy in the back yard and today I took the Hatfield out. SInce I was taking the shotgun out I also brought my RIA GI Commander and shot it for the first time. It was really nice to get out. I haven’t been shooting in at least 8 months. Managed to pick up about 150 rounds of range brass too…

I’m working on learning skills that might be useful to others, so I picked up a torch and some copper pipe. I want to learn plumbing the old school way. Started researching how to build an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) based on this post from PrepperRalph and started getting supplies. Other than that, not a whole lot. It’s getting warm so I need to get off my lazy butt and start getting more things done.

Next week…

Next week is the monthly meeting of a prepper group I belong to. The topic will be Hawaii’s false missile alert. Should be interesting.

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – Jan 30 2018

Another day late and a dollar short. OK, two days late… or two weeks… Well, it’s not like I haven’t been prepping for the last two weeks, it’s just that I haven’t done any thing. Or at least done much…

But, what I did do is start dieting. Not a real diet, just a change in what I put in my pie hole. Lots less carbs, more meat and veggies. I’m also drinking smoothies every night. Organic yogurt, celery, wheat grass, frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and a little bit of honey. Tasty. I also started working out to the program in Convict Conditioning. I also started taking prescription level doses of vitamin D. For the past two weeks I’ve been rucking around my neighborhood. Not just on hump day either… I joined the gym at work yesterday. Today I bought two 30 lb dumbells at Walmart and started working my arms and shoulders. I’m kind of sore right now but it’s a good kind of sore.

All this is because two weeks ago my left ankle started acting up again. I got a new doctor who is very aggressive about finding out what’s wrong. She ordered a complete blood panel, including testing my uric acid level. The great news is my uric acid levels are well below what would cause gout. (See honey? I told you it wasn’t gout.) The good news is my cholesterol levels are almost normal in spite of being over weight and NOT taking my prescription cholesterol medicine for over a year now. My doctor said I can probably get it well into the normal range with just exercise and a fish oil supplement. The bad news is my liver enzymes are high and my vitamin D levels are low. Hence the no more beer, wheat grass smoothies, and prescription vitamin D. Oh, and my left ankle and knee still flair up too often (even though it’s NOT gout) so I’m working on leg strength and losing weight.

Besides that, I bought Forging the Hero for one of my friends and started some winter lettuce.

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

This week’s preps – Jan 14 2018

This week all I did was go to my monthly prepper group meeting. We didn’t have one in December so it was good to be back. Two of my friends (married couple) were sick and couldn’t make it. That sucked because I was looking forward to seeing them. On the plus side, there were 3 new people. That was nice since we haven’t had any fresh faces for quite awhile. One of the new guys did a nice presentation of a simple solar oven. Only five pieces: small piece of sign board, 9 x 9 inch mirror, 9 x 18 inch piece of aluminized mylar, small glass jar with lid, and second glass jar large enough to fit over the smaller one. I hope to build one soon and post pics and a how-to here…

We had a good discussion about “what is prepping” and what’s the difference between preppers and crazy, paranoid people. This was brought up by another one of the new guys. When I think of prepping, most of it would have been considered common sense not all that long ago. Know how to grow your own food. Know how to prepare, preserve, and store your own food. Be part of a resilient community.

Opsec? What opsec?

It was nice seeing some new people, but it also reminded me of the importance of Opsec. I guess going to a meeting isn’t an “Op” but you still need to know when to STFU when talking to people you don’t really know. So… the only thing I talked about was Baofeng radios and getting an amateur radio license. Better to just fly under the radar until I get to know them better (assuming they come back).

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

“We become what we do. If we sit around and let ourselves get old, fat, and decrepit, guess what? We become old, fat, and decrepit.”

The author of that passage is blunt, but 100% correct. So in the spirit of that, I finally started a serious diet this past week. Not a starvation diet, just an “eat healthy food” diet. It’s been a whole 4 days with minimal carbs and about a 50-50 mix of veggies and lean meat. Also no beer which has been the hardest part. I really do like relaxing with a cold one (or four or five) after work and on weekends.

I also started the exercise program outlined in Convict Conditioning. I’m only doing arms (pushups and pullups) for now. Last time I tried squats I blew out a knee and was laid up for a week. Once I get my weight down a little I’ll start working on the squats again. I also ordered an exercise pad so I can lay on the floor in my bedroom and work on core exercises. My goal is to lose 15 lbs by the end of April.

Homemade beef jerky…

I’ve been wanting to try making homemade beef jerky for awhile. Lately in Walmart I noticed they have some really lean cuts of beef that are about 3 – 4 inches around and 1/2 – 5/8 thick. Perfect for chunk style jerky, so I bought a pack. First try was a disaster – I marinated them in a salt/garlic brine for 2 days. I figured the meat needed time to absorb the flavor. Well, it absorbed the flavor all right. The crap was so salty I couldn’t eat it. The texture was fine so at least I was on the right track…

For my second try I didn’t bother marinating it, just sprinkled some salt on both sides and cooked it. Actually came out pretty good but not quite salty enough. Also, a little too soft and not dry enough. On the third try, I used a little more salt and adjusted my cook times and temperatures. Finally I think I’ve got it. I’d say it’s just as good as my formerly favorite beef jerky from Mahogany Smoked Meats. Plus mine doesn’t have MSG… It does take about 6 hours to cook but that’s a good excuse to not have to go shopping with the wife.

What did you do to prep this week?

Peace out,
porcupine

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What did you do to prep this week?

Day late and a dollar short, but you know the holidays… Spent last night doing a comm drill with the local Citizens Corp Program (CPP). Met a few new people and learned about how local law enforcement will react to an emergency situation. Other than that it was pretty boring. After testing radio comms we sat around monitoring local events. Nothing bad happened so it was a quiet evening. Got home this morning at 1:30. Oh, and I learned that my 50+ year old self doesn’t handle over nighters as well as I used to…

Went to Costco, not usually a big deal but I’m figuring out a way to stealth prep a bigger food supply. Got my kid to liking certain things that make good medium term food so just pick up a little extra, right? With wife’s blessing of course… so picked up an extra pack of Dennison chili and a pack of lentil soup.

Got a couple more books (reviews coming soon) and got the rest of the things I need to finish Cody’s survival kit. Once I get it all put together I’ll see if it fits in my pack. If not, either get a bigger pack or re-think what I need to carry.

That’s it for today (still recovering from last night)

Peace out,
porcupine