lets discuss preps for disasters

[Soundguy]

Lots of folks worry about the power going out and no well water. A pill bottle on a string can bring up enough water to survive. Just takes a lot of trips up and down the pipe.

Someone mentioned tornadoes and it is kind of hard to run from them. Always store some basic hand tools in the basement and another set in the garage. If you don't have a basement, you should have a tornado shelter. Anyhow. Bottled water, some bleach, some hand tools, some dried foods, a first aid kit!, an ax!, waterproof matches, some cotton balls soaked in vaseline, and it can't hurt to have a bottle of multi-vitamins. You never know what your diet might have to consist of, and there might be a chance you won't be getting enough vitamins from eating the weeds in your neighbor's yard, so it can't hurt.

i gotta ask about the lubed cotton balls. ?

 

[Soundguy]

Having swallowed a lot of pool water over the years, I wouldn't hesitate to purify and drink pool water either.

heck, if chlorinated.. might be safe as is.

 

[Soundguy]

Get a clothesline and a washtub, too. And some bar soap.

soaps good!

I make soap.

I usually have 20-30 bars on hand.

when I make a batch I pour 12 bars per mould.. I have 4 moulds for bar soap, and 4 for decorative soaps.. deco soaps have 20-24 smaller soaps.

I don't always pour multiple moulds, but usually do pour at least 1-2, and any leftover out of hte batch goes into the deco moulds.


On the subject of soap.. since I get to control the ingredients.. you can make some soaps that will help with the survival aspect.. certian oils like mints, clove and tea tree can help
with wound management and bugs in general. lotsa bugs are repelled by those... not to mention ancedotal evidence of wound care uses.

 

[Soundguy]

More along the line of catastrophic times - but ..........

Antibiotics are essential. You can get these without a prescription by buying bird/fish antibiotics. These are the exact thing your doctor prescribes for you.

If you are one to consider the possibility of massive grid failure - lasting for many months - this will make sense to you.

Borrowing from a practice I use on animals, it's easy to make 'bulk' antibiotic ointment using a tub of petroleum jelly and a bag of powdered antibiotic. For instance, swine, cattle, and fowl antibiotic many times comes bagged and powdered.

mix that with some vasolene and it makes a cheap ointment.. vs buying tubes of the stuff at the pharmacy.

lets face it.. when a cow gets a cut on a board or fence.. a tube of antibiotic creme for 4$ don't go far.. but a 4$ bag of AB from the farm store and a quart of walmart 'jelly' for 5$ goes a looooong way for ol' besse...

Normally I keep a tub of nitrofurazone for the cattle and horses.. but have run out before..

 

[kcflhrc]

I recommend keeping one bullet for yourself.

 

[paulharvey]

I would bet that for around $100, you can be more prepared then 90% of the general public. Beans, rice, flour, and peanut butter are cheap, keep a 2nd 20# propane tank full, and have a plan for water; you'll be better than most.

Something we used to do a mom's house, that no one has mentioned: if you have a deep freeze, it should be full at all times, with jugs of frozen water; it keeps you from loosing all the cold when you open it (yes I know there is no 'cold' only less warm), and in case power goes out, with 75% of the deep freeze full of frozen jugs, and not opening it, you might keep food for a week. It's not end of times ready, but thunderstorm, tropical storm, and about 90% of the hurricanes ready. Worst case, it all melts, you have water.

So at a basic level (one week)
Fill bath tubs with water if you see it coming

Freeze jugs of water to keep food frozen

Extra propane

Batteries

And a healthy stock of "normal" cabinet foods.

 

[Soundguy]

and those jugs of frozen water.. in the end.. are water!

 

[Jstpssng]

Somebody touched briefly on dogs and cats... what about those of you who keep livestock? Do you have enough feed/water ahead for them, or are they on their own?

I keep about a dozen laying hens, a bag of feed lasts about 3 weeks and they can scratch to survive if need be, (except in winter). I would have eggs for a while, and a regular supply of meat for a month or so. (My two roosters wouldn't be around long. ) I usually have about 3 weeks of dry dog food on hand, and he can share the eggs and whatever. I can survive a natural disaster, and as I said before I don't want to worry about an end of the world, SHTF event.

 

[paulharvey]

Somebody touched briefly on dogs and cats... what about those of you who keep livestock? Do you have enough feed/water ahead for them, or are they on their own?

I keep about a dozen laying hens, a bag of feed lasts about 3 weeks and they can scratch to survive if need be, (except in winter). I would have eggs for a while, and a regular supply of meat for a month or so. (My two roosters wouldn't be around long. ) I usually have about 3 weeks of dry dog food on hand, and he can share the eggs and whatever. I can survive a natural disaster, and as I said before I don't want to worry about an end of the world, SHTF event.

Eggs also last for upto what, 2 weeks, from fresh; without refrigeration. I also have 10 hens, and no roosters. They are only laying 3-5 eggs with this summer heat, plus they are only 5 months old, but with 5 eggs, you probably fill in a nice sized chunk of the families protein requirements.

The feed issue reminds me... Rats... dried beans, peas, rice, corn ect; put the sealed bags in tin cookie cans to protect from rodents. I keep the chicken feed in 15 gallon galvanized steel cans.

Soundguy, the OP, I know has horses, and I don't know how long they last with out added feed and hay. They should be able to get a fair portion of their diet from grazing, but not 100%

Edit; I also have a mostly full bag of powdered tetracycline laying around in the house somewhere, I know it can be used by humans, but has side effects (don't know what) and I don't know what it would treat

 

[Soundguy]

Tetracycline is commonly prescribed for humans. Hit wiki-google and print out what organisms are susceptible to it. Lee that with your baggy.

As for my animals, using this year as a guideline, we are keeping enough rain and sun to not have to supplement feed ( I do however as it keeps them friendly and happy . ). This usually lasts 9-10 m in Florida.

They do need minerals though, I use blocks.. Between bulk feed and minerals, I can have a year of food easy in the barn, if rain holds average.

If not and in the apocalypse where 50% of the pop are dead, hopefully I can use son neighboring land as grazeing, to cut food needs. Chix/ turkey/roosters won't last long..