Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Sloooow week. Two flats each of canned soup, corn, and carrots. One 24 roll pack of tp. Two cans of Nido milk.

And y'all?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

50 lb of high-gluten bread flour to add to my immediate use stock, not for long-term storage. Also 6.5 pounds of salt.

I just ordered a Royal Berkey and two extra Black Berkey filters, and a Country Living Grain Mill.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Ordered 2 Superpails of white wheat, 1 Superpail of Yellow Popcorn. 1 case of misc. provident pantry #10 cans. Also did another trip to Sams and bought 16 more canned salmon, 10 pack of canned chicken, 1 case of canned pineapples, 1 case of beef stew cans, one case of beans.

Going this wed. to pick up 4 (hopefully) cases of white and red wheat from the LDS cannery that we were unable to pick up last week.

Planted small garden this weekend, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, onions, and some misc. herbs. First time using containers so we will see how it goes.

Next week ordering water filter, cannot decide between berkely ($225+) and the gravidyn ($165+)

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Awesome week Techguy. I need to get my behind out to the store again. I have been begging my parents to get a months worth of water and food on their shelves, but I think it is falling on deaf ears. I will probably be helping them out with my stuff.

Going out today to buy more canned meat (tuna, salmon, chicken breast), rice, Oatmeal, sugar, beans, and canned veggies, pasta, etc.

Could be an interesting week for our banking system. I feel a big test of the system is right around the corner.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Have you considered the "AquaRain" that BsDetector has been telling people about, I think it's the best deal out there, I bought one even after I already own the Katadyn.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Thanks, it is getting a little easier, wife is 90% on board now.

I feel like a big test is here too... We are getting to make or break time, all in, all or nothing.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Here are the pics of some of our new containers, our soil is pure clay, so we chose to see if this is going to work this year, and if it does, we will expand big time next year.

Big plusses: No weeding, fewer bugs, no kneeling, higher yeilds, I control the soil totally, no chemicals.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

150 lbs of wheat packed in mylar bags and buckets.
25 lbs. of Misc. canned tuna, chicken breast and ham.
Planted 16 lbs. of Jerusalem Artichokes.
Prepped misc. cedar and metal parts for the new greenhouse.

And finally after many months; we went out back and did some plinking with the 22s and SKSs.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Let me guess, the plinking cost you as much as the other? It is getting dang expensive to shoot these days.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

TECHGUY, Hmmm.. musta had a little techno blip in "the system" for my replies.
We also have very heavy clay soil and we use many raised beds in all kinds of shapes and configurations...just keep amending with compost and a good organic fertilizer
Skip the Miracle Grow or your raised beds will turn into blue powder junkies.

Yeah, the SKS plinking was pricey, but I did a cost average per round over the last 7 years, so it didn't hurt too bad, not to mention the extra noise and fun.
I think we may be straying OT, but it looks like you 've got a good start for your garden.
Good luck

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Why would you buy popcorn that way? Wouldn't the shipping more than kill any cost saving?

I also don 't see the sense in the shipped in grains and grain mills. If TSHTF the thing that will get prohibitive is shipping things, so you'd want to be able to restock from locally grown produce. Just my 2 cents worth, there.

For me, I'm just trying to accumulate at least a years worth of what we actually use when its on sale, so that we can use from that and replenish. So, for example, this week flour was 30 cents a lb, and I bought 150 lbs to add to the 100 lbs I'd bought last summer at 20 cents a lb. they also had a sale on canned veggies for 39 cents, so I picked up 3 cases of green beans, and a case of corn, which will get us up to close to a year's supply for those. They also had canned pineapples on sale for 59 cenmts, and the kids like that on pizza, so I picked up 2 cases of those. Got 4 more 3 ltr cans of olive oil for $12 ea, to add to the 3 I have left. They had 26 oz pasta sauce on sale for 99 cents again, so I picked up 3 more cases to get me up to 6, to go with the 50 lbs of pasta I got for 33 cents a lb last summer. I also bought about 10 lbs of different kinds of dried beans at 79 cents a lb, and 100 lbs of jasmine rice for 48 cents a lb to get us up to 1.5 yrs supply there. They also had sugar on sale for 25 cents a lb, and I picked up about 50 lbs.

I'm going to order some plastic bags and pails, and put the different bulk things in different colored pails, marked with the contents and date so we can keep them dry and bug free, and use them in order by date purchased.

The things I hate to buy are the stuff you wouldn't be willing to eat unless you were desperate. Not sure what to do, there.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

It's still early to plant anything in the garden here in NW Indiana, except for peas. I finished planting mine today. All 5 varieties: Wando, Super Sugarsnaps, Snowbird Snowpeas, Capucijners and Mammoth Melting Sugar peas. Now I have to get all the pea fencing rigged before the peas germinate and actually need something to grow on. Yukon Gold potatoes go in the ground in a couple of weeks.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Here is texas, opposite problem, plants need to get established now, before the unbearable heat hits.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Will be getting a similar order. On a side note how do you generally eat the salmon?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

There are a few on here who stock it and eat it regularly, we just started. Wife is planning to make some salmon patties (recipe on back of can) this week. Will post how good they are.

h

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Bought some cool looking copper coated lead weights with a big hole in the middle.

Reloaded them up and have 200 Sierra Hollow Points to go with my 80+- Corbons and 50 Golden Sabers.

Now I need some range stuff.

E-A

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Racked 5 gallons of Blackberry Melomel Mead into a third carboy for long term storage before bottling (3-4 more months).

Started new batch of a basic sweet mead with White Sage honey. Should be deadly tasty. I figure ten more gallons will buy me a good 6 days of drinking as the world goes down the toilet. Unless I share which is more fun...

Also, picked up a veggie brush. Gotta get the dirt off my potatoes.

Oh, and started fixing my magazine problem with my Romanian AK.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Hey Techguy: Got a link to your supplier? I have not yet started with the pails, mylar and O2 absorbers but am hoping to jump in soon.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Other than the LDS storehouse, we ordered this time from http://www.beprepared.com

Decent prices, really good shipping prices, 12 bucks for over 250 lb order. It can be had cheaper sometimes, but I have had good luck with them so far.

You can also check out http://www.waltonfeed.com but their order process is excruciating.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Super, thanks. I'll be checking them out. Found a local whole foods store nearby who said they can provide 25 and 50 lb bags. Red wheat at 99c per. From what I've read so far, that is pretty competitive. Git n ready.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Hey TechGuy,

Are you a LDS member? If not a member how do you get in the LDS cannery? The local LDS store in my area only allows church members in to shop.

Gb1980

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

You either have to be a member for have a member friend take you. It has something to do with the tax free status of the Church.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

My wife's family are all members. We don't go to buy food from the storehouse, that is specifically for members only. What we do is contact the local ward's cannery person and ask to be in on the next canning session. They will tell you if you can come and then when the order cutoff time is. We put in our order over 1 month in advance of the actual canning session.

You don't get something for nothing, it is work, and you are actually canning your own food, and we do pay for the cans, and for the food. But you can't beat it, and there is something to be said for actually canning your own food, lots of satisfaction there.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

I'm trying to get in on that here. In the meantime, the only reasonable alternative is the produce stores, it seems.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

I think the LDS is so right on their 'be ready for lean years' stance. They held on to pioneer values. My grandmother considered it part of her duty as a wife and mother to put by enough food for a bad harvest year. But we have gotten so far from nature most of society has almost forgotten we are part of nature and how to live accordingly.

If many truckers strike the 1st we may get to see what mild and isolated shortages are like. I think that would do people good. A gentle wake up call.

I buy preps on our grocery runs and bill paying time once a month, so none this week.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

LDS knows a heck of a lot about food prep. A shame that spirit has been lost on most people. Even farmers used to have long term storage in case of bad years.

Thrifty_bob, where exactly are you buying at such rock bottom prices? How does one store ground flour? I figure that the oils would make the flour go bad in short order. I can't stand the white refined stuff, it is always wheat for me.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

2.8 european kilos of honey today! :bear_thumb:

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Read Hive's post about cracking up (seperate thread). Decided I need to immediately start two more batches of Mead. Will pick up yeast and 30 more pounds of honey tonight.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Vodka, vodka, vodka. Picked up about 2 cases. Might come in handy for trading.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

I'm pretty frugal, and basically since I'm in the burbs, there are MANY oddball grocery and produce stores around here desperately competing for business with weekly sales. So I check them all each week and am accumulating store able/usable items as things go on sale. You can tell when they are selling under cost because it will be on the front page and "limit 5" or whatever. When something i really want is on a limit like that, I take the kid with me, and give him money to buy some too. sometimes i go back twice, too, like the other week when the King Oscar sardines were 4 cans for $5. They are usually $2.50 each.

As for storing flour, its good for about 2 years, just putting the 5 lb bags in a plastic bag inside a plastic bin. I don't have a mill, and I couldn't buy wheat here if my life depended on it without it being shipped in.

My goal is just to try to have as much as I can of things that I would use up anyway by the time it gets too old, but basically shooting for an overall 6 month supply. That's a heck of a lot of food, I've found. The wife is completely against the whole thing, so its a nightmare trying to hide it all from her. I've even got the boat filled with food and covered by a tarp.

I found an LDS site called providentliving and it has all the LDS food storage info. I am going to try to buy some things thru them locally, but in my area even the LDS people are oblivious because they are too affluent to need to store food, I guess. Anyway, hooking up with them is more to learn than to save money on what I get. They don't have a huge selection, but the people seem friendly and knowledgeable. I'm hoping there will be things they know that I wish I knew, LOL.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Wow,works of art!

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Warrifles is sponsoring a big group buy on Red Feather canned butter, canned cheese, and various meats in conjunction with MREdepot. The prices are extremely low. I believe the butter is $65/case.

Certainly worth a look at.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Yes, much better than mine

Baby plants started inside, can't plant here for another 4 weeks, about

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Originally Posted by mightyspuds View Post
Wow,works of art!


Thanks, I am pretty happy with them, I am already thinking about expanding. So far everything looks good.

And yeah, we can plant early (upside) but the extreme texas summer heat will pretty much kill everything by August (downside).

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 23 Mar - 29 Mar
 

Bought BEANS and more BEANS.

They had navy beans for 59 cents, so I bought ALL they had, and Pinto beans for 69 cents, got 10 lbs of those, 8 lbs of Kidney beans (expensive) at 89 cents a lb, and 5 lbs of Lentils at 99 cents a lb. Got more cheese, too. they had grated Asiago for $1.99/lb, so I bought 12 lbs to freeze, at that bargain price. I make home made pizza all the time, so it will certainly get used up. Asiago mixed with provolone and mozz makes great pizza. Got some 89 cent a lb precooked sausage links, too. Bought two 5 lb packages. At that price, I couldn't pass it up.

There is literally zero space left in either freezer now. 5 lbs of cheese didn't fit. I have to use a 5 gal oil jug to hold the lid closed tight on the big freezer. Wife will kill me if she opens it up, LOL.

I think I need to find more cheap pasta. There is no such thing as 3 lbs for a dollar, or even 2 lbs for a dollar anymore, so I may buy the 69 cents a lb stuff, and a few more cases of sauce if I can figure out someplace to hide it from the wife. Need cornmeal, too. I can always make mush or cornbread out of it.

Its not easy to get to 450 lbs of grain and 90 lbs of beans, and all the stuff you'd need to go with them, that can actutally be used in normal use before it gets too old. The crazy thing is that if I get to the goal, its only enough to last 6 months.