The Preppers Diary: What did you do today to prepare...

[drjean]

The flyers went out to the neighbors. Hopefully we won't need the information this year

I am still dehydrating various items... trying a lot of different stuff (all yummy but some don't look it hhhh).

I have bought different clothing.
I recall back in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew. Having no roof under which to dry all the wet clothes, I hung up rope and complete with hangars, hung the clothes out in the air. However, it continued to rain every day (very unusual after a hurricane, btw) and the clothes could not dry.

I've since learned about cotton and how it does not really dry fast and how it actually holds moisture against your body. So it really is not the best fabric to have in dire situations.

I've bought some very new material that is more like rayon but not, and also some fabric shirts that are made from trees... oh my modal? These wash and dry fast, and also wick the moisture from your body. Light weight and pack up really small.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

The flyers went out to the neighbors. Hopefully we won't need the information this year

I am still dehydrating various items... trying a lot of different stuff (all yummy but some don't look it hhhh).

I have bought different clothing.
I recall back in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew. Having no roof under which to dry all the wet clothes, I hung up rope and complete with hangars, hung the clothes out in the air. However, it continued to rain every day (very unusual after a hurricane, btw) and the clothes could not dry.

I've since learned about cotton and how it does not really dry fast and how it actually holds moisture against your body. So it really is not the best fabric to have in dire situations.

I've bought some very new material that is more like rayon but not, and also some fabric shirts that are made from trees... oh my modal? These wash and dry fast, and also wick the moisture from your body. Light weight and pack up really small.

Some interesting issues I never thought of. We do not own a dryer now... have not for years. Too much electricity. Plus the old circuits in the house are bad about knocking off the breakers... for no apparent reason. So we have racks we use to hang clothing. We also use fans to help dry. Moving air it seems increases drying a great deal.
Humidity is an issue down here in SC. I wanted to set up an air-through-wet-mesh type cooling system but that only works in arid climates.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Garden garden garden. Not everything counts as prepping. Normal everyday things like watering and weeding etc. I do not count as prepping.. but canning, dehydrating, and long term soil improvements I count as prepping. We have put several hundred $ into soil improvement in the last couple months alone. The garden has been pretty successful, especially since this is the first year in this ground. We are averaging 3 - pounds a day of squash, tomatoes, beans, etc. Not a lot by large garden standards. We have about a 500 square feet... and about a dozen bags and 10 or so plastic containers.
We put about 2 hours a day into the garden and the yard. Being retired... it is a pretty good use of our time. About 5 $ a day of veggies... It will take a couple years to get our money back. But in a Stuff Hits the Fan situation... this food will be priceless.

 

[drjean]

<--- We, my owner and I, ate the bag of dehydrated eggs to see if it will work for us. They had been cooked prior to drying... and were rehydrated somewhat... I didn't mind but it probably isn't for everyone... a little spongey for the average person but my owner is used to camp and survival foods so no problem. Nice change (threw in a bit of wiener too ) yum

 

[drjean]

Harvested heirloom tomato seeds.
These are the real "cherry" tomatoes being about 1/2" - 3/4" inch wide. I received the original seeds from my mom's best friend years ago. I no longer have a garden but usually have a plant or two volunteer that I don't accidentally mow down, as was the case this year (1 plant).

Amazed that it blossomed and yielded by itself

So while I watched my dad wash seeds for his nursery I never thought about doing it for my little tomatoes. :O I just collected as many as I felt up to and assumed (correctly) I could and would get a few plants the next year.

But I have washed maybe 75 seeds (from a few ripe tomatoes) and am now soaking them. I never knew why dad let the wash sit a few days...and never asked because I figured he had other things to do first. Well, now I know that it allows them to somewhat "ferment" and also sort themselves out.

The fungus that begins to grow in a few days helps with the disease resistance of the seeds/plants.

The bad seeds float.

I enjoy learning. Just wish I had learned this 30 years ago when the opportunity availed.

BTW I can't eat tomatoes so they will be a bartering chip I guess---or a give away---.

 

[drjean]

Hi folks! Just wondering if any of you have "prepper mind" when you go through life, day to day. I don't dwell upon it except for preparing my van for living.

SOOOOO Today I scheduled a short trip (to Disney World for my birthday) to the camp ground to take some time away from the house (too convenient to rely upon and replace something or swap something out) to see just how it really is now.

PS My doggie is in acceptable range of blood platelets so while it will be very hot up there (no sea breeze) we will only be in one park part of the day and the rest probably inside the air conditioned van and the woods. Pray this goes well?

(Yes I will be hooked up to a/c for this outing, and will have some electric kitchen cooking items and a small refrigerator running...)

I guess it is more about supplies... and getting away before returning to sell house.

 

[Southernscotty]

Went to store after church and bought some Skippy, The stuff in MRE packets is NOT good peanut butter and I think it may be concrete mix?

 

[drjean]

I'm about to order a book by my fav Dr Joel Wallach (Dead Doctors Don't Lie)... Prepare
He's a terrifically intelligent person... and his Dead Doctors book is in the Smithsonian because of the "cures" he found for nearly every disease... of course MDs and Pharms deny this... yea that's why it's in the Smith. Supposedly this is a new book... but does anyone have it?

 

[Southernscotty]

Just dug out a whole case of 100 hour candles :] WOOHOO!!!

 

[drjean]

I bought a single element countertop cook surface. $10. But what I want is an induction top! I'll try the regular element one this trip and make sure I want to cook like that (I usually use sterno or propane or campfire) and if so then I'll get a $45 induction top so it won't be an issue for burning myself.

 

[drjean]

Well I haven't ordered any books yet...going out of town for bit first.

I am also thinking about buying a very small microwave < cringe > I hate microwaves, unless I'm sending audio through them... they disrupt my body somehow... BUT ANYWHO... a very small wattage one is only $48 and would fit somewhere in my van. Somewhere. I'd make it fit.

I am disabled and becoming concerned about my dog and I eating when out in the woods and unable to function well. I have a genset on the van for such times... it would be safer and quicker for sure...

(and some way to easily cook those free-range duck eggs and gators! ) rofl

IDK

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Midlands of South Carolina has been up and down. Last few days were relatively cool... mid 80s. Now it is back up to 95 feels like 101. Power bill was up to $245 as we run 4 air conditions during the day and 2 at night. 1 in the bedroom and 1 in the prep room.
I am surprised how well the garden is taking it. Usually the tomatoes and peppers are drooping in this weather. As long as I keep them watered they stay perky. The cucumbers are giving out after a solid month of 5 and 6 nice ones every day. The okra is liking the heat and our little 6x6 bed is giving us a good sized handful every day. Tomatoes are doing ok... we have been fighting stink bugs on the tomatoes and the peppers. The summer squash finally gave it up... mostly due to those nasty vine borers. Winter squash is doing ok. Maybe a half dozen on 3 vines. 8 watermelons on 3 vines. Finally seeing some cantaloupe on 2 vines.
After several years trying to grow Jerusalem Artichoke it looks like we finally have a crop. Full sun in the morning with shade in the hot afternoon. Water them if they look droopy. Put a grape vine in the ground today. A second fig tree will go in the ground tomorrow. Only 5 of our 8 blueberry bushes made it.. and they are struggling. Maybe the wrong species. Potatoes have been growing like crazy since May... but no potatoes! Dug one up the other day expecting to find some nice new potatoes... no dice. We will leave the rest until August and then have another look.

 

[Southernscotty]

We wen't from straight rain to drought and everything around here is crunchy. Tomatoes look good though. I wanna plant some Jerusalem artichokes next season.

 

[drjean]

I have some heirloom seeds garnered from little cherry tomatoes if ya want some!

 

[Southernscotty]

I have plenty of Cheery tomatoes but thank you Sister :]

 

[SavedByGrace3]

We wen't from straight rain to drought and everything around here is crunchy. Tomatoes look good though. I wanna plant some Jerusalem artichokes next season.

We are entering drought. Usually we can expect the normal summer afternoon shower and the day cools down. Not happening now. I am watering.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I have some heirloom seeds garnered from little cherry tomatoes if ya want some!

We currently have some cherry tomatoes and some pare tomatoes. Very tasty. We might take you up on the heirloom seeds.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Put a second fig tree in the front yard today. I researched and was surprised that many people said it was ok to do this in summer. We shall see. 10 bucks from Lowes. Could not resist.

 

[drjean]

If you harvest your cherry tomatoes dry the seeds and replant several now just to see if they are viable and reproduce. That's what I have.

Today, this weekend, I am downsizing in the van! My assistant is amazed! Here I have what I need and lots of what I want in the van yet... I'm removing more and more of it. I stocked up too much for one thing, and other things well, I just haven't used in a year of trips (and won't need for survival anyway.)
Today I removed nearly 3 cubic feet of "stuff". That is a HUGE amount of space freed up inside a van, folks. It's good anyway, as it allows even more space for emergency food shopping storage (and water too!)


I checked the bottled water that I bought "Spring Water" from Publix grocery (a well-respected market in Florida). I had thoughts that maybe the "Spring Water" was just a name of it... real spring water is best...it's filtered for impurities but the minerals and such are there, and no flouride is best too. Distilled and Purified waters are not good for you... I mean, they'll hydrate you but...

So onto the Publix.com/water site... selected what I bought, the size, and the code on the plastic (ugh) bottle... voila! WHO KNEW? Publix SPRING WATER comes from a real spring (near Deerfield Beach)!

 

[drjean]

Today I ate some of the dried apple slices I dehydrated... you know, just to be sure they're still good.