Practical Prepping Protocol even if Poor

Personally, I don't use much salt but I enjoy a good fiery salsa. I worked at a place where some punks set off pepper spray at the cash register and the only person that could stand to be in the area was me. I thought it was great!

So, yeah, I need to think about a year's supply of jalapenos and how to keep duplicating that effort.

But I was thinking along the lines of the different tastes that make up food. Indeed, we could just eat food as it comes in from the field but how much better is it to have salt, pepper, vinegar, herbs and spices, butter and sugar!

And olive oil. :)

One of the only wild sources for caffeine is the Yaupon tree.

It grows wild everywhere around this end of Texas. Should be easy to grow almost anywhere.

For those with a caffeine addiction.

BTW, my goats LOVE Yaupon leaves.

Seems like that would take a very hot climate similar to Texas, not my wet, cool area. Unfortunately.

Both olive oil and vinegar are in my "stuff". Hope everybody has vinegar - posted something about all the uses recently, including disinfection. Very important stuff for cleaning and many uses, as well as lovely flavor.

Eww and ouch! I avoid even the heat of normal black pepper because it burns my throat. Cannot imagine choosing to eat hot peppers.

You can grow and dry hot peppers very easily. Might want to get right on that! You can do so in containers.

good morning/afternoon Pooka

ya, I feel when SHTF that we will not be online or have communications.

I base it off these scenarios.

After Armageddon - Full Movie - YouTube



Jericho Episode 1 The First Seventeen Hours Pilot - YouTube

I have researched and have reason to believe that cellphones will work at times, though perhaps not for great distances. Those of us lucky enough to be prepared to listen for these times will be able to communicate, by planning ahead.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 02:41 PM

Something may or may not work, we really cant count it out or count at it all, we really do not know, so I still agree

I would use location plans, like location A, B and C. Make sure everyone is on the same page. I have already done with one person online so far and it has taking years.

Also while you are it, might as well talk about how it is all going to work. The time for communication is now.

Slowly there will be some type of communication lines in someway but for long distances you will need a HAM radio operator.

If cells works, the Samsung SGH-S125G [Home] - TracFone Wireless [link to support.tracfone.com] will be the one to have for me. Charges in 45 minutes and stays charged for 5-6 days. No GPS or location tracker. And a Kindle Paperwhite 3G - Released 2012 - Fact Sheet [link to www.amazon.com (secure)] because of the battery life and FREE 3g cell downloads if there is still cell service.

It's all handled, JD, thanks. We don't want to share any specifics like this online, please.

Did everyone have a look at the links I placed on the preceding two pages last night? Worked really hard and there are close to 20 links of all sorts of information. If everyone finds even one suggestion or hint new to them per link, you will be well enriched and better prepared! No question at least one idea will be new to you no matter how long you have been at this.

Enjoy!

For those communities that have power it wouldn't be hard for a tech savvy person to rig a local telephone network. The main ingredients are wifi coverage and a spare computer to dedicate to the purpose. Basically you install Asterisk or some other VOIP server on the computer and install a VOIP client on each cellphone in the network.

Just like that, as long as you have wifi you can call anyone in the network.

It doesn't take much of a computer to run it, I played with the idea using an old Pentium III running at 500Mhz. Had a conference call with five people from around the globe over a dialup internet connection. Amazing stuff.

Bay leaves, neem leaves, cloves, peppermint - leaves and oil too, whatever you can get. Even a stick of peppermint gum in your containers and pantry shelves will help; just keep putting a fresh one in. All of these will repel weevils. If you suspect weevil eggs but don't see any weevils, freeze the grain or flour from it to kill them.

Amazon has it all, of course, but you might want to check out the old San Francisco Herb Company - I've been buying from them since the 1970s - for some very good prices by the pound:
[link to www.sfherb.com]


You carry it to protect you from the evil eye! Fun article about it:
[link to www.leaf.tv (secure)]
We drank it as kids for a spring tonic. You can make a nice skin toner with it as it's good to heal up many skin problems. You can get it and the gumbo file -that's pronounced fee-lay, with accent on 1st syllable - made from the powdered leaves on Amazon - that's what gives gumbo that black color and thickens it a little. Gumbo file was in every supermarket in Texas but I haven't seen it in NM at all, except in an herb store. Weird.

Want a stimulant? Try Mormon Tea (also called Desert Tea and Brigham Tea) which is a bush with leaves that look like little sticks of bamboo. If you have a friend living in northern AZ, they can pull up a whole bush for you; they used to grow right outside my house in AZ, the 'painted desert' area. That's American ephedrine (ephedra Americanus) and is guaranteed to keep you up.
[link to amazon.com (secure)]

Are you familiar with that pharma drug Claritin, the one they prescribe for allergies? The active ingredient is 'pseudo-ephedrine' which means a fake version of it. That stuff keeps you up all night, it's a side effect for most people. Get the real thing and be safe. It's funny that Mormons 'won't' drink coffee because it's a 'stimulant' but that desert bush knocks coffee out of the park and they drank so much of it, it was named after them.:)

Simmer that tea till it turns red, like Red Zinger from Celestial Seasonings.:) A simmered tea with that and rose hips on the back of my woodstove got rid of a nasty 'cold' doing the rounds with chest and head congestion and cough (who knows what all these new virus types going around now are?) in 24 hours.

Nicely done, AC! We have to chat once you have a star for at least a month. Thanks for your input!

ya I agree. The network can be built called an intranet and be a combination of wired and wireless. Seen this project for Detroit to get people on the internet that is already doing this. Get server technology now like MySQL, php, etc and keep them ready to go in safe place.

great input AC

Whispering Leaves, thank you for your post on so many interesting herbs and native plants.

Have to say the side effects and warnings of sassafrass tea leave me uninterested in trying it, but other things are very interesting!

Seems like preppers might want to find the Mormon Tea plant or purchase online, to help us stay awake when necessary. Could stand us in good stead down the line.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 04:19 PM

P.S. I forgot to log out and I see my 'Smile' on the Amazon link. I support ASPCA with every order there. I'll come in and change it when I figure out how.:)
Here's an article about natural brain-boosting stimulants:
[link to www.ethnoherbalist.com]

And don't worry about the FDA's 'cautions, Pooka. Americans would have died out before we got out of the 1700s if any of that were true. It's synthesizing and pulling out one special component of natural herbs - and overdoing the dose therewith - that gets people into trouble. Leave things in their natural form; they balance themselves out.

Just click "Edit Post", make any changes you wish, then click Update. By the way, no "smilie" shows in your post on my end.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 04:31 PM

People having any special spring projects on tap for the weekend? I'm catching up laundry and going to paint the first pallet, from the suggestion in a video Godblessya posted, about attaching planters to pallets. Hope to try the first planters on it next week. Raining this weekend so painting in the garage.

How about you? Spring cleaning? Gardening? Anything? Everything I do now has prep thoughts running in the background - for example I was four loads of laundry behind - that's not acceptable. If the earthquake hit before the laundry was done - I'd be very unhappy with myself. I usually do average three loads per week, being single, but this time I also need to do throw rugs and furniture throws. First load in dryer, second load in washer.

That's because I copied the link to a notepad doc, took out everything but the item and put it back in.:) It did show, to me, originally. Now you made me wonder if only I could see it because I'm on the same device I use for most of my ordering! There are a lot (far too many) of really dumb ordinary things that I don't know and I am constantly trying to fill those gaps. It comes from being alone out in the middle of nowhere about 99% of the time and having nobody handy to ask.
Here's another article about herbal teas with stimulating effects:
[link to botanicalshaman.com (secure)]

By the way, did you know that in the American Medical Association Journal in 2007 (can only be worse now) they admitted that over 250,000 Americans die yearly from prescription-drug-related causes?! They sure have a nerve trying to tell us that Mother Nature is 'bad for us.' Just say NO to drugs.:)

Had all kind of things I wanted to do,rumor has it were getting a snow event the end of this week. Whip up a crockpot full of chili I guess and laundry. This wildlife will be the end of me!

SnoPro, I am shocked at your debauchery! You are morally bereft and probably don't even belong in this thread with all your wild carryings-on!!

Sorry to hear you are expecting late-season snow. State? We are in early spring - all my fruit trees are budding and even blossoms already showing on the blueberries. Frequent rains, as is normal for spring here. WA state, west side, on the coast.

Whispering Leaves, I've noticed throughout the forum that many people do not know how to edit their posts, so they open their own post and change it as though replying to another person's. Needless.

You, and anyone else, are free to ask me questions. I certainly do not have all the answers, but I can find out in a hurry, usually.

You may have noted that nearly all of my posts show I edited them - usually it's a matter of a typo, which annoys me so I have to fix it. I edit mine all the time.

SnoPro - I deleted your duplicate post. No problem - happens to all of us, often when there is a delay in the server.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 05:20 PM

but how much better is it to have salt, pepper, vinegar, herbs and spices, butter and sugar!

--------------

Salt & pepper you would need to stock up on (or get it from fish eyeballs).

Chives & thyme are easy to grow. I've had a patch of chives for over 15 years...they just come back stronger every year and I don't even have to do anything.

Garlic is a bit tougher, but certainly doable - I have a small garlic patch.

For sugar you could tap maple trees in the spring & boil it down. (need to buy maple taps now...but they are cheap).

Last Edited by Mental Case on 04/06/2019 05:21 PM

Plant elephant garlic - it's huge and sweet and the best garlic ever! I plant mine with rosebushes, as it keeps many pests away from them.

Have to laugh - last fall I harvested much of mine, and gave a large piece to someone, with very, very clear instructions on planting. Next time I saw her, she said she had put it in water and nothing happened.

Sometimes I wish never to speak to another human again. LOL It's such wasted effort so often.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 05:23 PM

Pooka,sorry about the double post! I have been on this site for years as an ac,joined still have a hard time. Would be quicker using the pony express . Michigan,near the Cherry capitol. Wanted to start using the big planters like we talked about,sounds like weather won't cooperate . Have traveled most of this country,want to hit Oregon,Washington state and up too Alaska. May have waited too long.

Please - no sorries for double post - as I said, usually it happens when we click Post, and nothing happens, so we think we did it incorrectly and click again. Meanwhile, the server had a momentary glitch, and presto! Duplicates!

Tell you what - when things start to look - well - you know - come on up to WA and we can take care of each other and get through it. Then if we have something approaching normal life return, you can go on up to Alaska, then back down, stop by for a break, and down through Oregon. Dream realized, and safety found.

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 06:03 PM

Pooka,deal! I'm typing on a kindle and I can't type! We can ride around on our electric carts. My cart will look like a Abrams tank,like my weapons!

I don't have one but will absolutely applaud you as you go!! Is it a golf cart? I have an electric wheelchair that might do for some adventures!

Last Edited by Pooka on 04/06/2019 06:40 PM

We can put wheelie bars on it and I'll give you a shotgun! The reason I even started posting on this thread and I have lurked for years is the people I follow the most are posting. You of course,Crunch on the the Oroville thread,Mental case because I like the handle and Denholm(I had Husky sled dogs) miss and love them. The thing I find missing is security! You can have all the preps in the world and it you can't protect them they are no good. I'm willing to share if anybody cares.