Practical Prepping Protocol even if Poor

Top Five Antibiotics when SHTF
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[link to shtfsource.com (secure)] Seems expensive to me.

Last Edited by Pooka on 02/10/2019 01:33 AM

Great idea, GBY!!!

Fish antibiotics used to be a lot cheaper before prepping became more mainstream. Once they figured out what people were really buying them for, the prices went up.

If you're going to buy some, I suggest you do some research and make a list of what antibiotics work for which things. You need to know dosages and how many days of treatment.

I have bought Thomas Labs before. The pills/capsules shape, coloring, & imprints are identical to the human version. Drugs.com has a pill identifier. I wouldn't trust any other brand.

I have read that they can be good many years (up to 10 yrs) after the expiration dates if they are kept. I wouldn't recommend taking them that long after, unless of course, that's all there was.

Maybe it was Joel's Junk Drawer Helper in Season 2 of Mystery Science Theater 3000?

I wonder why you think two ladies in one kitchen is ever a problem, especially a mother and daughter; it's one of the few places I can think of where we do not argue.:) Preparing food together is one of the most peaceful and therapeutic things I can think of for families to do, especially when you've done it so many years that you can just relax into the grooves.

Sometimes my brother, who was a hippy, was an annoyance, in our youth, if he got in my way doing nothing useful but I could just shoo him out. Our whole family liked to hang out in the kitchen, both my parents cooked brilliantly, but we excelled at different things and depending on which of them was most needed, the others would help with prep and cleanup. Mother said I was the only one who could work with my father because it was like 'working in a defense factory cooking with him.' Our rhythms were similar somehow, so we did well together.

We all l-o-v-e-d food (and wines and ales:)) and I can look back now with more gratitude, for with maturity I understood better that they spared no expense or effort, in fat times or thin, to feed us richly. My parents' art as individuals is what gave me my personal standards and tastebuds for excellence in the first place, so wherever I found myself, or rustic my circumstances, or how meager my supplies, I could bring my culture and civilization to that place. And I can hold them intact through TSHTF too.:)

There are non-electric sewing machines to be had, are there not? I admit I did become OCD about organization from living way out in the sticks with no modern conveniences: there was always so much to do just to live that I didn't have time to waste looking for things I misplaced.

A good link for the uses of trash bags...and there are some good links to follow for instructions in this article as well

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I love the article, things I never would of thought of.

I get these black plastic bags that are huge.

[link to www.kroger.com (secure)]

rethink how you might cook...

the 50's had many pantry staple casseroles.

Everything made with canned goods that could store well.

I do not cook with creamed soups EVER..blech. But I have some in my storage for just this reason. Very cheap, calorie intensive, and filling.

Tuna casserole...

some quickly cooked pasta...can of peas, can of creamed soup of some sort, 2 cans of canned tuna, 1/2 to 1 cup of reconstituted powdered milk or evaporated milk, some dried herbs if you have, mix all together, sprinkle top with kraft parmesan (stores forever) and bread crumbs and bake..you can use minute rice instead of pasta to minimize cooking...or no cooking at all.

Minute rice reconstitutes with just cold water in a few hours so you have to plan. Pasta needs boiling or it turns to slime just soaking in water.

can do with canned salmon, canned chicken etc. Add different veggies, whatever.

Used to be a few times a year the grocery stores would have cambells creamed soups on sale for 2 for 0.50, now it's more like 2 for $2, but in other areas you can likely find them cheaper. Not a bad item to have for rib sticking recipes when calories might take precedence over healthy clean eating.

Last Edited by godblessya! on 02/10/2019 02:30 PM

if you have a yard with sunny areas, plant some herbs.

Chives, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary(bring indoors in winter in cold climates) are all perennials which will come back year after year.

Parsley is biannual, which means it grows leaves this year, overwinters, then flowers the next year and sets seed. start one patch this year, another patch next year and they will reseed themselves.

Annuals like basil, cilantro, marjoram will die over winter, but you can save the seeds and replant every year

Happy to know you have it all under control :)

Ha! I wish I could say that! Cleaving to your family in hard times by the few strings that unite you is the easy part, just because it's familiar and there is no stronger force in the world than familiarity - for good or ill. In fact, Mother used to warn me about that when it came to picking a relationship. She said if I didn't fit well with their background and raising, no matter how much I liked that individual, it wouldn't work out when we got older because with age 'people tend to revert to their beginnings.' And with age, I have seen that she was exactly right.

Here's my bugout dilemma: the places where we are least likely to be bothered by lots of population and all the trouble it brings are those least desirable and least hospitable to human settlement. The hard country is the most affordable and the first option: bad winters, frying pan summers, not enough water or too much of it, ferocious winds, inacessibility to services because of distance and bad roads or bad weather locking you in. If you could just stick a piece of kindling in the ground and it would sprout, it's either already been bought up by the rich or you're bound to have lots of company soon.

I live in very hard country, the high windy desert in the least populated county in the state, in a state that doesn't have so much population to begin with. Pros: it is almost 100% conservative (well-armed) voters: ranchers mostly and those who come from outside, in the main, just want to be left alone. It is about 95% white, and that's hard to manage in a 'border state.'

There is not an inch of Indian tribal land in the county so we don't have to worry about politicians making deals with rich casino-owners to yank our water and land rights out from under us during the night without telling us - as happens too often all over the southwest. I picked this area with all the above in mind, not minding that getting to a hospital might be 'problematic' so I can't bring somebody out here who's had more than one heart attack already.

After living and teaching on a reservation for over 20 years, I'd seen enough of 'diversity' for ten lifetimes. If I ever had one cell in my body of liberalism and PC, it had died a horrible death after the first 6 months I was there. My mother is, mostly, on the Left, alas, but even she wouldn't take a contract with Indians because they always tried to cheat her out of her pay and they only want to benefit themselves, not the rest of the people of the state. I think her being a Democrat is just an old habit - familiarity again.

I'm sure most know this, but dehydrate your own veggies

No dehydrator? You can use your oven.

Three pounds of cauliflower reduced to 1 cup..

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The suggestion of coconut milk is a good one, even if you still have milk or cream. A splash of coconut milk gently carries away that sulfur smell and taste from all the brassicas. People that 'just don't like' vegetables like cauliflower and brussel sprouts will then eat them without complaint. Another addition that always works for the objectionable sulfur is the herb sweet marjoram. Works every time!

Sometimes the oven dehydrates the outside, leaving the inside to spoil after storing.

I've dehydrated in the sun very well, even in WA summers. Slice VERY thinly, lay out on cookie sheets or anything you have, cover with cheesecloth, place in sun. Might turn things over after about 24 hours. Works very well, and we have high humidity.

Warning about peaches - they don't dehydrate worth a darn, in a wonderful dehydrator or in the sun. They are determined to hold enough moisture content to spoil.

I have dehydrated broccoli, which all the books will tell you is impossible, and reconstituted it into a great veggie again.

dont forget about acorns.

If all else is unavailable, gather acorns.

You have to let them dry...the shell will pop off and the meat will be a little contracted in the shell.

After shelling them, grind them. If you have nothing else, you can grind them into a coarse meal with stones.

Then you have to leach them. You won't be able to eat them without leaching as the tannin content is huge and they are very bitter. Do a search on them and learn how to make acorns edible.

You may never have a need, but having the knowledge is a good thing.


also, if you can, gather some wild lettuce and plant in your yard. If not, buy seeds and plant them. The milky sap is supposed to be a kick ass pain reliever. Never tried it, not sure it works, but can't hurt!

Always with the wonderful ideas! I've heard of bread baked with acorn meal - sounds scrumptious!

Wild lettuce is a great idea - and if the pain reliever part is true, perhaps a good substitute when a person runs out of prescription pain meds.

As the lady says - this research all needs to be done NOW - supposing an EMP hits today, and you have thousands of acorns just outside your door. Umm how do I prepare them? Oh, that's right - I don't know how yet. Ooops

I am giving myself that same advice, trust me! LOL

Last Edited by Pooka on 02/10/2019 08:24 PM

Batteries are the same length.

So if you need "C" batteries and all you have is "AA"...you can wrap tape around them until they are the same thickness as a "C" size battery and use it.

Now "AA" batteries wont last as long...but they will work as long as you make them fit into place.

I have an ICE DAM built up on part of my roof :(

A trick I do to prevent water damage is tomorrow I'm going to fill 3 knee-high nylon stockings with rock salt.

Tie them closed with fishing line and leave about 15 feet of line on each one.

I toss them up on the roof and then pull the fishing line to drag the salt-stocking back over the ice dam so it's hanging off the edge of the roof by about an inch or 2.

In about 12 hours that stocking will melt a channel thru the ice damn & allow any water to flow off the roof (rather than pooling on my roof behind the ice dam).

This is HUGE because on tuesday we are expecting a heavy wet snow...bad news after the 3 snow storms we just had in the last 4 days.

rethink how you might cook...

the 50's had many pantry staple casseroles.

Everything made with canned goods that could store well.

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Great point Godblessya!

Canned meats (spam) are so high in salt so all you need to do is add the veggies and you have a large pot of stew.

Granted, I would like more herbs and spices...but in a pinch...it would work.

Sure! 'MRE Flameless Heaters case of 24'
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You always have the most amazing ideas! Congratulations on sparing your roof with rock salt stockings! Sounds like you've done it before!

Sorry to hear you have more snow coming! So do we, though not in the amounts you experience. It's already a very crazy winter - just as expected with the mini=ice age starting. Still, it's quite amazing to watch!

Thank you.

Congratulations on sparing your roof with rock salt stockings! Sounds like you've done it before!

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Yup, I've done it quite a few times...that's why I'm a guy & have nylons in the linnen closet :D

A 20 pack no less!

But I haven't had the need to do it in 4 or 5 years...the conditions have to be just right for an ice dam to form.

There are companies who use high presure steam to remove ice dams...costs hundreds of $.

I solve the problem for pennies!

Round trip flight to Mexico.

You are probably just having fun slinging those hose around!

Welcome. I need to ask you, and everybody else, which brand of small size flashlights do you find most dependable, so I can look for that instead of what I've been getting? Small, only so I can stick them in my pockets without losing them.

Now, I did finally find a solution for the connection starting to get loose after a few months, till I had to shake them to get them to light up: crumble up some foil and stick it under the batteries so they maintain contact with the bulb housing at the top and stop wobbling around.

Problem is, many of them - and price doesn't seem to matter - simply stop working at all and far too soon. I need to use flashlights every night of my life where I live and while I don't mind having to fuss with the few I have at hand for everyday, I need something better for a SHTF pack that I'm putting aside. Any suggestions?

but what if you had to leave your home?

You are probably just having fun slinging those hose around!

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You'd be amazed at how long a knee-high gets when you fill it full of rock salt :)

but what if you had to leave your home?

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That's what a bug-out-bag is for.

So you can still provide yourself shelter, water, fire and food.

The very basics in a bug-out-bag to do that is:

A good knife or machete, a fire starter, cordage (rope), and a metal pot to boil water.

Then you add items from that point.

When you have an hour or two of free time, drive around all the back roads between your house and where you work. I used to have a 17 mile commute on the freeway but took the time to learn all the alternate routes on surface roads, as well as which neighborhoods to absolutely avoid. If anything major happens while at work, you will want to get home as fast as possible. So will everyone else. It was helpful several times when major accidents locked up traffic.

While we're on the subject, make sure everyone in your family knows Plan A and Plan B in case of major catastrophic event while in separate locations. Will you all make your way home? Who will pick up younger children from school? Do you know that schools have the "right" to lock down your kids indefinitely? Would you want your kids to "escape" lockdown and make their way home? Make sure all responsible adults in your family are on the school's list as authorized to pick up the kids.

Discuss various scenarios, and have everyone participate in creating potential scenarios for the group to evaluate. Make sure everyone knows and understands the reasoning behind your thinking, so in case they ever have to wing it they have a better chance of choosing the right plan of action.

When SHTF, there's a good chance your family will be spread out in various locations. Every vehicle needs a get home bag, with walking/hiking shoes, jacket, hat and gloves as appropriate to the season, water and energy bars, cash, tube of sunscreen, emergency blanket, small flashlight, and paper road maps (free to AAA members). In my state, I also keep a loaded pistol and extra mags and a box of 50 rounds, tactical belt and holster, and in winter a shovel to dig out of snowbank.