anyone have to hide your preps?
 

This is my first time starting a new thread, so go easy on me. :15_1_70v:

I am very excited because I am organizing my food preps for rotation. I am pleased with the work and expense that I have put into this, and it makes me feel better about whatever may come. The stuff that I wouldn't normally want to eat will store for many years, and the stuff that I would normally eat I will eat in rotation, so it looks like this is going to work out financially and emotionally. I even have non-hybrid seeds!

(By the way . . . I learned most of this by lurking here - THANKS!)

Family members (father, sisters, their families) are completely unprepared for tomorrow, much less a disruption of service of any kind. Boyfriend would think I am a lunatic if he knew what I've been up to, and I've been very good at hiding my stash. Friends - forget it. I don't need 10 hungry people showing up at my house unexpected. I probably wouldn't be able to shoot a friend, so I'd probably have to feed 'em. My neighbors (who are like family to me) are smart, and I have a sneaking suspicion they are doing preps, but I don't want to broach the question, just in case.

I was just wondering if anyone here has to hide their prep work from their significant other and/or family members? Or if you're not in a serious relationship, are you concerned about exposing your preps to the new person you're dating?

(And yes, the thought has crossed my mind that the bf and I may not be compatible. :banghead:)

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

No matter how much you prep your stash it won't compare to a tight family or group of friends.
That being said hide all your preps from all how are not prepping themselves.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

That is very sad, because at this point, I am all alone.:bawling:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I've sort of in a similar situation to yours. I just started food prepping a few months ago and so far have only done a very little that I feel the need to do for my family of 5 (me, wife, children ages 10, 4 and 2). We aren't rich but we are debt free except the house and have a bit of emergency cash. So we are in a position to cash-flow some preps and if my wife were cooperating with me we could get a lot done in a short time.

Problem is she isn't actively cooperating with me, at best she is tolerant of my "obsession" as she sees it. Oh she doesn't mind having some food in the pantry but for most all of our married life (nigh on 18 years now) I've been pretty oblivious to cooking and food storage. So me trying to get into this is meeting with resistance.

Now I am interested in getting a food dehydrator, a pressure canner, a grain mill, storage buckets and a couple pallets of mason jars, and lot's of food for preps. But I have to go slower than I would like so as not to upset the wife. I'm hoping that over the next year I'll be able to get the preps done, assuming there's that much time left!

I had a thread in this sub-forum that addressed my woes, it is here.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I feel your pain. The first time I bought some food preps, the g/f promptly dipped into it within a few days because "she was in the mood" for something in the stash. I was irritated to no end.

There are times where I think she is on the same page with me, but other times I think she is just another sheeple thinking things are fine. For example last night there was talk on 60 Minutes about the next housing crisis and her reaction was "who cares?" She has no idea how bad things can get. Every time I feel like she is finally getting it, she does or says something to make me believe otherwise. Ugh.

Maybe we need to start a GIM matchmaking service...lol

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Thanks WilliamC, I'll read your thread. I haven't gotten into the do-it-yourself dehydration or grain mill phase yet. I think my next step will be a vacuum sealer.

And CoinHunter, thanks for sharing. Do you ever think that her . . . not being in tuned with what's going on (for lack of a better term) is a deal-breaker?

Because I am starting to think that for me, it's a deal-breaker. I mean, this isn't the only thing we disagree on, but I really shouldn't have to hide my preparedness. I guess I don't have to hide it, but I know he will ridicule me. Maybe I just need thicker skin?

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Ridicule you? Whatever happened to R-E-S-P-E-C-T ? My significant other and I have been together for 37 years. I would never intentionally say anything to belittle him or to make him feel small. I hope "ridicule" wasn't really the word you were looking for because if it was there are relationship problems that are bigger than your preps or lack of preps. I say, try thicker skin and let him get used to it.

As for hiding preps in general, I've given thought to a false wall in my basement pantry. Haven't done it yet because it's expensive and a lot of work. But I'm thinking that making my food store invisible to intruders might be a good idea.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I just looked it up to make sure, and yep, that's the word I am looking for and yep, you're right - bigger problems than exposing my prep addiction.

I admire marriages like yours, where two people respect each other.

Oh, and I love the false-wall idea. Since I was a child I have dreamed about something being hidden in the walls. Just a little something left over from a previous resident.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I guess I havent thought about it that way. Sometimes she seems to be on the same page, and then other times seems oblivious to the plight we are in. When I bought my handgun last month, she shocked me by being 100% supportive. She is cool with me doing the PM preps but I am not sure she understands fully why I do it. She may just think it's a hobby....I dont know.

As far as the food preps go, my biggest concern is that she will open her mouth and tell her friends and family. I dont plan on prepping enough to feed anyone who comes to our door. My thought is that if I pay for it, I am the one who will decide how it gets allocated, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. As long as she is on the same page from that standpoint, then that will go a long way.

I dont really feel like she will ridicule me for what I am doing because I think by now she realizes that I dont do things spontaneously or without putting thought into it. She used to work where I used to work (thats how we met) so she had a chance to see how I was while at work, and saw that my thought processes and behaviors carried over to my everyday life so I guess that's a good thing...lol.

Anyway, best of luck to you. It sounds like you are in a tough situation. I guess tell him how important it is to you to be prepared (give examples of natural disasters or bring up the recent power outage on the east coast) so that he can see that these things do happen to everyday people. Tell him the worst thing that can happen is that you have a pile of food that you two will eat anyway, so what's the harm in having a few months worth of food on hand? Have him pick out some of his favorites and maybe the involvement will be the stepping stone to getting him on board 100%.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I assume that my siblings and their kids will all arrive at my house, and I have extended the invitation so that they know that they are welcome. I'd rather have all the extra hands available to defend the household and run the farm, then sit alone eating all that food.

Plus, I love my family. I would die of starvation before I let the same fate hit my little nieces and nephews (all under 5) Extended family is another story. There are a few that are welcome, others that I would allow to camp out or live in farm buildings and harvest part of the crop to eat. But, there are a few people that I am technically related to that I would be prepared to scare off with a gun. Like my cousin with a drug problem or my uncle that defrauded my grandmother as she was dying of cancer. They are not welcome. But those that I regard as my family are always welcome.

But I say this while living on a 28 acre family farm. I have food put away, and the means to produce much more. I also selfishly want the cheap family labor and to see my citified siblings who are used to 9 to 5 jobs slave in the fields.:565:

That said, my food storage is not all in one place. Should TSHTF and I get robbed, the thieves could not get all the preps, because I don't store them all in the same place. Counting my kitchen cabinets, I have 7 different storage spots. Good luck finding them all.:452:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

CoinHunter has actually given you very good advice. In addition, you can point out that you are purchasing things today that will be much more expensive in the future. The official inflation figures are bogus (don't know if your BF is clued in to that or not); but if you are spending your hard-earned fiat today on things you'll need in the future, that's actually a very smart thing to do.

By the way, your avatar is perfect, I think (although I don't know you at all). Puppies, like all babies, are vulnerable and innocent. And dogs in particular love us unconditionally. If you are actually like that, you're quite a girl and your BF is luckier that he apparently knows. But it may be time to toughen up.

Partly what we're talking about here is a function of age. Young people think they're going to live forever and can survive anything. As you age, you learn that isn't true. When you get to be truly old, you may even feel at risk walking down the street or down a flight of stairs because you know by then that you could be mugged or trip and fall and break a hip. Broken hips are deadly for old folks. After a certain number of years you will come to realize, as will your BF, that the world is a dangerous place and you aren't going to live forever.

So, I have to say that I take great comfort in knowing that I have preps stored up that will keep me going if hard times come my way, which I know from experience is bound to happen! I sleep comfortably at night. I can't put a price on that.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Unfortunately, he's a little brainwashed. He's an anti-gun liberal. :puke: Like I said, we've got other differences too.

Thank you! I am not sure if anyone would describe me that way, so the disguise is working! :applause_

You nailed it here.

I think this is my best reason, too. I feel more comfortable knowing that I am (at least partially) prepared for a "disruption in service". That's what I am calling it instead of SHTF or doomsday or TEOTWAWKI.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

If I had a 28 acre farm, I'd want my family and friends there to help work and protect it. I live on an acre, and I could use a couple more people to protect it, but I think I can manage the "farm" (garden).:biggrin:

I read about the portable farms on WilliamC's thread he mentioned earlier. I am going to look into this, and I think that (or something like it) will be my next big prep purchase.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

The other day one of my college age kids ....made a smart-azz comment about dad and his paranoid obsessions out of my hearing to my significant other...

she told him he needed to rethink his attitude twards someone going to this much trouble, thought and worry to take care of him in case things get bad. and he should be honored that i cared enough to do what i was doing no matter what happens

i got a tear when i heard about it

now we all smile and tease light heartedly when we talk about Dads paranoid obsessions

and YES i am Paranoid and i dont think i am going to recover :biggrin:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

You need to educate him, take him to a gun range for a day and maybe his testosterone will go up.

IF not, you need to dump his worthless carcass.

I am serious.

Yes, I am just some schmuck posting online, but if there is a huge difference in such a fundamental issue, I will tell you plain and simple, the chances of you 2 making it are very small.

[yes I am married.]

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Sometimes 'getting rid of your friends' is the best thing one can do to improve their lot in life.

It's never to late to change relationships, especially if there are 'differences'.

Sometimes these 'differences' grow and become major obstacles to a happy marriage.

A guy marries a gal thinking she'll never change, and she does.

A gal marries a guy thinking her love will change him, and he doesn't.

People are who they are. The only way someone changes is if THEY want to change.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

As things get worse and worse and finally TSHTF if you don't have anything hidden real well you will have nothing left. You will either start dipping into your long term supplies yorself or you will be robbed. We American's, assuming that, are so spoiled and we want everything right now. Even when we don't need it. You shouldn't break into your long term suplies until nothing is available at the stores or you really are destitute.

If you are rotating some of it, great!!! BUT you must replenish that, or you won't have anything when it really counts.

s

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Thanks for your harsh honesty.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Oh yes, I am absolutely planning on replenishing it, and adding to it.

Well, I guess you are suggesting that it be well hidden from everyone. So, maybe bury it in the crawl space? I have thought of that, but what about bugs? I think I will have to kick my preps up a notch for that, investing in a vacuum storage and 5 gallon pails. (My preps have been #10 cans and grains up until now.)

Sorry to be so girlie here, but going under the house . . . eeek! I am by no means a sissy girl. Spiders don't bother me, snakes don't even bother me, but roaches hold a special place in the horrors of my mind.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

We could always launch a GIM singles thread ... imagine the power of two TEOTWAKI prep stashes combined. :)

:36_3_12:

I'm not available, but maybe there's someone out there with a 28-acre farm just waiting for a like-minded prepper.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Ferfal is an Argentina man who is living thru SHTF down in Argentina right now and he is living and surviving. In 2001 their economy collasped and he has an blog along with great advice on surviving.

http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/cgi-b...1;t=044387;p=1

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

What I did when I was first getting started, and this works even when you don't have a lot of money, was: When you use something from your pantry, mark it down on a grocery list and buy two of them on the next shopping trip. That way, you are not only replenishing, but building. I also walk every aisle when I shop and look for coupon deals or sales and pick up things that I might not use every day, or didn't think I might. Then I find dishes to make with those items.

I also look in the bargain bins, and buy stuff that I would never have thought to pay full price for, just to see if they are worth it. I've found a couple of really good items in that manner.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I hide them from some, I hide my "intent" from others. Pretend that it is strictly long term budgeting, getting bulk grain is cheaper. I also emphisis health aspects of the whole grain. You dont look quite as nutty that way.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Well, maybe. At this time I don't have any preps buried. Most of my preps are in things I wouldn't want to get at unless there is nothing left in the cupboard or grocery store and then they would require some preparation. So that in itself takes away the tendency to "dip" into them. I do rotate some of them also.

As time moves forward if things do get worse and gangs are roaming around I will then takes steps to hide or secure things, or separate them.

Here's the big problem. Even if things get bad slowly, eventually you won't be able to even get some of these things that would be invaluable, even if you have the money. But you can get them now. You can't prepare for everything, but it would be nice to at least have the basics. Food , water, shelter, protection.

You've obviously here, so you have at least thought about this. That is the first step.

s

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

The A/C repairman had to go into my storage room. He asked, "what the hell is all that", pointing at my food stores. I quickly stated it was for a food shelter and that it would be moved in a day or two. Now I have a curtain covering that side of the room.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

If you would stop using the term "PREPS" when describing groceries and other household items, you would sound a lot more normal, and maybe your friends, spouses, etc would not think you were mad.
I shop a lot, but I dont stand on a steet corner chanting with a sign that says "the world ends tomorrow"
Your Mileage May Vary

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

:111::111::111::111:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I dont hide my preps but I have hidden a real nice NIB Colt 45 Pistol in my preps.

The wife does not need to know about every gun purchase right ?

You cant have too many guns ya know.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I agree, and I don't say "preps" to anyone but GIMers. I thought it was acceptable terminology here.:23_1_22:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Why was this a problem? Can't you simply replace what she ate? This is why I prefer that stash food essentially be the same as "regular" food.

Or did she grab from the wrong end of the rotation?

Or maybe she opened up a bulk item just to eat a small portion. (This is the downside of bulk items.)

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I've thought about using the space under my house also. I've been under there twice, once before we bought the house and were having it appraised, the other time when we had a chipmunk trapped in the wall and before we discovered it was in the wall I crawled under the house looking for the source of the scratching noise (we ended up having to cut through a section of paneling in our den to release the critter, whereupon he promptly escaped into the house at large for a couple of days before he was caught and released outside. Quite funny actually).

Where was I? Oh yes, the crawl space. Well ours does have a layer of plastic over the dirt and it's not infested with anything more than the odd bug or spider and it is dry, so assuming the food is sealed then it could be put under there for a while. However it would be very inconvenient and the only time I would consider doing this if I knew there was going to be someone looking for my stash.

Now if we ever get around to getting our foundation cleaned and sealed like I would like to anyway to save energy and reduce indoor pollution, then it would be a much more "attractive" alternative. Alas for now I have filled the pantry as much as I can without buying/building new shelving, and even that is a fraction of the space we really need.

In the long run I don't really know what to do. Can't afford a bigger house, maybe someday we can afford to remodel and add on to this one, the attic gets too hot in the summers, and the wife will be very resistant to storing food outside the pantry. Well, something will work out one way or the other.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I wish I sealed my crawl when I first got my house. It was so clean under there. Now, 4 years later, there's pretty good layer of dust. No bugs or animals though. As soon as I figure out how to get the majority of the dust out of there, I'm going to seal it good!

www.crawlspaces.org

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Actually, my wife had the same problem with cockroaches.

She FINALLY figured out how to solve that. She started naming them.

The first two that hid in our garage she called 'Fred and Ethel'. Then there was 'Ricky and Lucy' that ran under the patio.

That pretty much resolved her fear. She even got to where she called to them, telling them she was coming into their area of operation.

That's what worked for her. ME? I just scoop them up, take them outside and let them loose. I know, whacko me.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

It was something that I had just bought that didnt need to be rotated for one. Two, we had plenty of other food in the house to choose from. Three, it was a case that she opened to get one can out.

The biggest problem I guess is that I am the one doing the prepping not her, so she had no intention of replacing it. She doesnt seem to get the concept of emergency food, so like the OP, we dont see eye to eye always for the need to prep with our significant others. :confused_ma:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

My X wife had a problem with my "preps", however she did enjoyed the heat, food, and water during a winter storm that knocked the power our for a week.

I did hide preps from her, I felt like I had to in order to avoid the grief she gave me over buying extras like food, fuel, and ammo.

As far as hiding preps, I do not promote the fact I have "preps" during the above mentioned storm I did give supplies to a "good" neighbor who I knew would aslo help me if I needed it and provided propane to his mother for heat. He is also aware if it was more of a long term deal I could not give out supplies to him or anyone else and the gate will the locked and the M4 would be loaded for the not so "good" neighbors.

Hiding preps is not a bad thing, but fighting with the spouse over preps is.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

That sounds SO FAMILIAR!!! My wife is great about most of my stuff, but occasionally gives me a little grief about our food stash in the utility room. I tend to keep a good bit of the prep stuff out of normal sight (in garage cabinets, out in the shed,...), which minimizes her concern.

During our 10 day power outage in mid-September, we had excellent food (even bread baked in the Coleman camp stove mini-oven), enough electrical power from our generator, plenty of gas for the generator, water for bathing heated on an outdoor propane wok burner (Big Kahuna model). We were able to enjoy "luxuries" like using our electric coffee maker, toaster, and rice cooker.

About halfway through our "camping at home" adventure, she said that she was glad that I had the stash of supplies ahead of time. There's also been a lot less grumbling about the pile of food in our utility room. Sometimes it just takes a little "reality check" to help people understand.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I'm a senior at college, well away from home. I have half of my food preps at school and they are Impossible to hide...Resident assistant sees them, roommates joke about my Holocaust food shelter, even friends hanging in my room tend to find out.

Just tell them you're making an economic decision. The dollar is going to collapse. You've purchased food that you will eat when everyone is scrounging up pennies. Wow them with your Nostradamus skills.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

nothing wrong with having a 'pantry' of food.

I remember my grandmother's pantry. It was a long narrow room with a door and many shelves. There was a lot of food in there....

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I hate going under my house too, and it has nothing to do with the wildlife. I've been under a lot worse houses in my life. Unless it has easy access, I'd avoid trying to store anything down there.

My wife is fully onboard with the food supply, in fact she does most of the purchasing and storing, If I didn't know better I'd think I married a squirrel. Wait, I'm the one that's nuts, maybe I did marry a squirrel. LOL!

She objects some to me buying any more firearms, but doesn't say anything about how much ammo I buy. She just thinks, if I have one gun to shoot stuff with, why do I want another if it's also to do the same thing. She might have a point.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

That's another characteristic where the bf is at the opposite end (and balances me out). He scoops them up and lets them loose outside. He can hold them in his hand, no problem.

Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

I love this advice!

It's pretty spooky that you say "like a pet" because sometimes lately I think it has come to that. It's difficult to admit, and it would hurt him to know that.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Maybe you just THINK you are alone, but all of your friends are likewise prepping in secret.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

You know, I have thought of that too. There is one friend of mine, whose husband is a very rugged outdoor type, and super smart . . . the kind of smart that doesn't necessarily believe what the television tells him. A critical thinker, I should say. They're my only hope. All of my other friends/sisters and their hubbies are sleepwalking (what GIMers call "sheeple"). They're in debt up to their eyeballs, zone out on television as "recreation" and they just want the latest Coach whatever.

But yes, very good point since I have not revealed what I have been up to, it's possible that they haven't as well.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

You need to move. Get away from all of the leeches and negative influences from your pre-red-pill days. Set up in another state, and start hanging out with people who are like-minded.

I'm being serious.

Also, you might consider reading a short bit from "The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy". Read the chapter on how to prepare (later in the book). I has a lot of good advice on how to build social networks that will help to sustain you when your preps fail.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

You are probably right about moving. And, thanks for the book recommendation.

I was hoping that my next move will be out of this country, but I think my window of opportunity has closed. At this point, I don't want to be the new American foreigner (outsider) when times get really tough.

I am hoping to make some friends around here that share my concerns.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

If you hide or bury some preps I would avoid putting too much in the crawlspace. If people know you have food and really want it, they will look there. Also, if the house burns down you've just lost all your preps. Spread them around. Don't put all your eggs in the same basket.

s

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Hey, 3x3:
Some relationships are like that. When and if you do decide to get involved with a man for marriage make sure your opinions and beliefs are a good fit.

I will say this, my wife and I have HUGE differing opinions on some issues. We have had them since we met. Amazingly the differences are NOT critical to our marriage. Otherwise we are great team!

The Great Ag

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

You need more than one (or 2 dozen) firearms so that your wife can clean the dirty ones while you're shooting the clean ones. A family bonding experience. Sort of.:wink:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

If the wife is cleaning the firearms, who is digging with the shovel?

[evil grin]

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Where are you located? Nothing specific, just a state or region if you feel comfortable telling us.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

Got it covered and then some, why she says I have enough.:ok:

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

My wife has her head firmly planted in the sand, we live in different worlds. I woke up about 8 years ago and I don't know if she will ever awaken. I've been stealthily prepping for years, a bit a time. She knows it's there, but doesn't ask questions, as she doesn't want to hear the answers. Same deal with PMs and firearms. I don't make a big deal about it and neither does she.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

That's what the kids are for, isn't it? I mean, come on! They've got to earn their $0.12/week allowance SOMEHOW. If they do a really good job with the shovel, I might even splurge & give them a whole $0.15 for that week.

Re: anyone have to hide your preps?
 

My beloved started to say that nasty word "enough":rant: or something even nastier "too many guns":rant: years ago. Maybe it was because she was having trouble finding closet space for clothes with all the metal & wood sculptures I've got stacked in them (+ the safe + gun lockers +...).