Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Sorry for starting the thread so late this week.

The garden is starting to get in full swing now. Picked our first zucchinis and cucumbers yesterday and there's quite a few that'll be ready in a day or two. By the end of the week I'll be @ss deep in cucumbers and firing up the canner for pickles, that's for sure.

The squash was delicious. :tongue_ma:

Jalapenos are coming in nicely, as is the cabbage.

I have about a kajillion green tomatoes that look like they'll all ripen at the same time, then I'll be doing stewed tomatoes! Life is good.

Planted three more eggplants. I love the stuff.

Picked up another 150 rounds of 5.56.

How are y'all doing this week?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Posted some on last weeks post, but can do again:

Ordered 2 30lb propane tanks from walmart for 44 each, shipped to local store.
Local relative has access to used oil drums, he is picking me up 2 this week. 1 for diesel and one for kerosene. Should add to the fuel pile handsomely, but will need a loan to fill.
Recieved 2 super pails of white wheat and one of popcorn yesterday.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Bought a buncha cans and stuff this week... also got about 2 dozen 5 gallon pails and some Mountain House dehy not in the piccy. Then our "regular" food supply.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...cture005-1.jpg

Picture is deceiving- there's a fair bit of food there. Maybe next week I'll get another Costco shelf. :D

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Ordered more long-term storage food, some #10 cans for storage and some #2-1/2 cans with which to play around with some recipes I want to try with storage foods. I also ordered a bunch more "junk food" (ahem...comfort food) MREs from Long Life Depot. I can't eat regular MRE meals because of the modified food starch in them, but luckily, most MRE snacks don't have those additives. When the SHTF, I'll be living on potato sticks and pretzels...:D... j/k...

I also overhauled the "get home" packs in my trucks...changed out the water, etc.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Picked this up yesterday at Walmart. It's the 22" barrel, stainless version of the 10/22. If I like it, I might pick up a second one to have for a friend when I take people to the range. Also grabbed 2 more 550 boxes of federal 22lr:

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

I love the 10/22. Now go pick you up some eagle 30rd mags while you still can.

My stainless has the synthetic stock, I really like the looks of that wood stock alot better.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

We got the garden planted and then turned on the news just in time to hear the frost advisory. Odd spring. Picked up a foodsaver with the wide mouth jar attachment ala Techguy (by the way, nice start on the propane thread too). Having trouble finding 1/2 gall mason jars and will likely have to order them from ace but they seemed quite expensive there. Plans are drawn up for the water barrel system and now I'm hunting for barrels.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Not much this week.

5lbs vac-packed brown rice.
1lb vac-packed whole grain mix.
2 cans of coconut milk.
35gal of bottled water.

I hit up th Asian Market but mostly bought groceries for the week. I did find a food dehydrator on Craigslist for $10 but haven't gotten a response back from the seller yet.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

We got a little extra at the grocery store, as we generally do, plus ordered a case of hard winter wheat from the wheat thread. We do not intend to bake with it, but sprout it. Wheatgrass will really help if eating stored foods.

edit - I forgot I ordered in light bulbs of specialty types we use plus supplements.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Ok, I love wheatgrass but know absolutely nothing about sprouting hard winter wheat or whatever you call it. In fact I know next to nothing about wheat except that I like wheat bread and wheat beer.

Can you expand a bit?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Yeah, I'd not have a clue what to do with "hard red wheat berries". They sound awful, like something you'd crunch in your teeth while grimacing and tearing up the roof of your mouth.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

6K rounds 9mm brass.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Too bad you forgot the lead!! j/k

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

I looked through the walmart special order catalog today and it said that model with the 22" barrel was made by ruger only for distribution at Walmart. I was wondering why I could not find it anywhere else.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

I've got an old '40's Winchester bolt-action 22 that was sold through Sears only. It is a Winchester rifle but the brand name does not appear on the rifle. It's a nice piece I still take out to the range.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Wheat berries are raw wheat. Grind it into flour to make bread.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

OK- I just received my shipment from Eden Foods of 100 lbs hard red wheat berries and 50 lbs green lentils - all organic :)

Now, my plan is the following:

1. check the moisture level of the grain and beans. I guess I will use the method of cracking it with a hammer to see if it is brittle and shatters or if it is soggy and makes a sound like I stepped on a frog

2. if the moisture level is too high, umm... don't know exactly what to do... leave it out in the sun?

3. if the moisture level is OK, which is what I'm really hoping for, then I will begin to fill up mylar bags perhaps 5 lbs grain per bag, lob in a few oxygen absorbers and then seal the bag with a hot iron or maybe try a heat gun (kind used to shrink wrap stuff)

4. place these sealed mylar bags into 5 gal buckets and store them in my cellar

this sound right? first time doing this...

also I am kind of worried about the conditions in my cellar. it is pretty cool and plenty dark but the problem I have is moisture. It is always damp in there especially in the summer. I always have problems with potatoes and onions sprouting in there soon after I buy them. should I be concerned about this considering I will be packing my grain into sealed mylar bags? are they 100% moisture proof?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Oh, NOW YOU DID IT!!!! heh, too tired just now to come up with a quick one, so I'll just say ye olde lead potte far exceeds the needs of ye newe brasse stash.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Been a good week for prepping. Stocked up on a couple hundred $$$ worth of food plus managed to can around 80 pounds of food in mason jars. Ordering one of those 22 rifles that was posted that Wal-Mart had for dirt cheap. Got another 14 ounces of silver. Also got my first piece of gold.

http://www.teletrade.com/lotimgs/coi.../c25312269.jpg

$67 shipped thanks to a new customer discount.

:s9:

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Darkside, looks like you've gotten no answers.
IF your product is dry and sealed properly in Mylar/Oaborbers/5 gal buckets then your product is safe.
I've got the same storage/humidity problems here in SE Oh...but so, far so good....after 5 years.
Air circulation in my storage area is important during the high humidity and temp. season.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Nice stash there Mone,
Finally its dried up enough to dig the footers for our Greenhouse.
I can't wait to get this cranked up and productive.
Not much store bought stuff except some half price busted up bales of peat moss at the feed store.
Peat moss is good for mixing into the garden beds and making your own seed starting mix.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

Received my O2 absorbers and mylar bags this week. Got 6 6-gallon plastic buckets to fill this weekend with rice, dry beans, peas and lentils. Also bought (2) # 10 cans each of powdered eggs and milk substitute from Honeyville grain. Also bought (3) #10 cans of TVP from Nitro-Pak (finally received last week!).

My wife really doesn't understand this at all. I know she's not the most intelligent person around. She gets frightened by the idea of prepping and PM's. I've tried to discuss this with her, but she is one of those people that believe the system will never fail, the stores will always have food, FRN's will always have value, etc. It is extremely frustrating to me, living with Jane 6-pack! :banghead:

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

The local Ace store here had the 1/2 gal. Ball jars for around $9 a case, which is a tad more expensive than a case of the quart size jars at Meijers. But nowhere near as expensive as ordering them delivered over the Internet. That way, including shipping, is around $40 a case. Now that's expensive!

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 18 May - 24 May
 

This is not a bad price if you need 81 cases at a time.

http://www.goodmans.net/get_item_bl-...allet-of-8.htm