What did you do to Prep today?

Hey Henry, I was discussing the process of canning with a man who claimed that he cans all of his food using the hot bath method. He claimed that the new type of seals within the jar lids made the pressure cooker obsolete, because they no longer need the high amounts of pressure to seal.

Does this information ring true with you?

Any recommendations on knives/machetes and sharpeners?

Hey Henry, I was discussing the process of canning with a man who claimed that he cans all of his food using the hot bath method. He claimed that the new type of seals within the jar lids made the pressure cooker obsolete, because they no longer need the high amounts of pressure to seal.

Does this information ring true with you?

Yeah buddy. K-bar.
I've got 3 of the older US made USMC Kabars. It's my preferred blade. It's what I carry hunting. It's what's in my kit, it's what I cut most of my venison with too.
Even skinning.
almost that time again......I need to sharpen my K-bars too.
More for my list.

A lot of people assume that a generator will be useful. Personally I doubt it. They are very loud and will attract undue attention.

Why have one? Primarily it's an issue of saving your refrigerator and freeze food. Most likely the best strategy is not to rely heavily upon those kinds of items now, but to switch to more canned based storage. Only fruits can be canned without a pressure cooker.

This means altering the normal way of consuming your food, using up what will spoil first. It's easier to eat it before it spoils than waste it. It might be wiser for neighborhoods to divide it up too rather than it going to waste.

Even if you had one, you could only use it on a very limited basis to briefly power up at odd times, and then ultimately the diesel or gas will run out. I believe that money could be better allocated.

If the SHTF, the time that you use a generator will be very short. You'll adjust when you do things based upon the length of the day and sunlight. Having lots of open flames inside will cause accidental fires by people unused to using candles, so special precautions must be made. It's far better to have a solar panel and a marine deep cycle battery and an inverter to recharge your batteries for long lasting LED lighting. Bring inside rechargeable solar outdoor lights to use them too and save your battery flashlights.

Candles burn inefficiently. Oil lamps burn better, but of course if one tips over, unless it has the safety feature, can cause a terrible fire. Ultimately the paraffin oil will run out and you won't be to fire it. Some people might make vegetable oil lamps, but it's not smart as it would be far better to add that oil to meals for calories and energy than to waste it on unnecessary light for peace of mind. Save all dripping when cooking as well to get more calories per meal.

If its an issue of using the generator to stay warm, well then it won't last. Put everyone in the same room and try to keep that one room warm, but maintain air flow if using combustible material inside as carbon monoxide will bind more easily to hemoglobin than oxygen, and people often will die in their sleep.

It would be very wise to purchase inexpensive 55 gallon or equivalent food grade barrels for water storage given the huge need for water and the seasons when water collection is difficult. You'd fill these up before things get iffy and rotate it and add to it keeping a reservoir. Many water municipalities will run out of water treatment chlorine and no doubt will try to ration it to maintain the supply for a while, but the integrity will decrease.

Sewage systems will fail, and if you live in a low lying area, it could back up into your home. You might have to cap it off.

I've got a couple 50 gal poly drums that had food grade cooking oil in them. Never cleaned them out.
I might put one under one eves trough downspout that "azzhole" took one of the 800 gal water tanks I had from......(they ARE his, he paid for them),
Put some dish soap into the 50 gal drums and let the rain water that's not getting to the other end into another 800 gal tank and let it rinse that for me.......
Need to get them clean and filled.
Thanks for reminding me.

also, been thinking of buildng an out house........

Dangit, my list just keeps growing.

I do have 4 generators. Only one is running though. 2 need minor repairs (my list again) but in the event of needing electrical power would only be used briefly. I do have a little stored fuel, premium no ethanol with added sea foam for long term storage. I would run one only long enough to get everything out of my small freezer and canned.

I'm needing to get after my 12 volt lighting and radio system.....need $$$$ for batteries. Don't have enough.

Just got a propane delivery.
Price is dirt cheap right now. Wish I had more $$, price right now is $1.19 per gallon.......
Also intend to set up one generator on propane.
I think orifice is #56 drill bit?

I need to check that. Of course that is based on size of motor. And all the other variables, I know.

Today I will be setting connibear traps. As cantelope and watermelons begin to produce, my "community salad bar" also becomes the snack hotspot of the county.
I got most of a hotwire barrier up yesterday. 90% done. I either need to find more insulators in my shed, make more or buy more to complete that.

What state allows trapping in July when animals have young ones depending on them?

Good point. No comment. OPSEC.

On the other hand, many PEOPLE depend on me for food.
which is more important, baby possums that eat pheassant eggs when they grow up or my freinds?