I'm screwed!

[DanO]

OP - Some good advice here. SemerFi is right about your food stores. Get some basics at Aldi's or a bulk food place. Beans, oil, Wheat, SALT, sugar, honey, dried lentils and peas, pasta and cans of sauce. You will be able to afford a lot of basics which will keep you alive, at least. You can store water in 2 & 3 liter pop bottles with a drop or 2 or bleach in each. Check out Buckshot Bruce Hemming's website where he outlines a quick way to start your food preps.

Look at your budget and figure where you can trim it to afford more stuff. Finds some way to make a extra $$ that go right into preps. You will be surprised how quick it goes.

Look on Craigslist or Freegan for a woodstove cheap. You can install it with some work, especially if your home is 1 storey.

 

[sbcman]

I'd recommend starting with water filtration and storage. You never know. Back during the summer we had a water main blow out and the whole town lost water. I had to be a wedding in a few hours, along with half the town. No problem- the water reserves we've been sitting on was used to bath and cook. Good to go!

 

[Zoub]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

Woodburning stoves were mentioned. How much are they? Where can you get them? And how do you install them? My house is brick, and I can't imagine how I'd go about using one...

Skip that singular expense for now.

Portable / flexible heat sources using kero or propane may be better for now. You only have to heat 1 or 2 rooms at a time. Buy 20 lb propane tanks and refil them cheap or put in 100lb tanks

30 days food and water. That also means able to cook it, eat it and clean up after. A lot of camping and tailgate gear can be used here. I just spent 90 days using that exact gear in an empty house. Good way to test my stuff and look for changes in my preferences.

30 days can be 30 days worth of paper plates, bowls and paper towels. Plastic cups, plastic utensils. You need soap and hot water. Immodium AD too . In case you don't clean up so well and get sick.

I keep 30 days worth of freeze dried food in one large mil spec container I can lift (by myself) and toss in my truck and GO. Multiple water jugs ready to go.

Food, water, hygiene. Write down ALL the things you use and touch for the next week.

One example: Do you want to use paper towels or maybe synthetic? Wash and reuse versus toss and burn. Needs water but takes up less space than paper towels. Storage space becomes an expense in itself.

 

[abnk]

Start with the budget.

That. However, it really doesn't take a lot of money to prepare. With the $100 you have now you could purchase enough food to sustain you for months.

Or machinate to plunder your neighborhood.

 

[LEaSH]

Planning for next winter, I've been learning about wood burning stoves and pricing them. I'll buy everything and have it all together by mid-summer.

Interesting to me is that on Craigslist alone, is that the prices of the ones I'm finding in indiana are higher for nothing special. On the Craigslist for northern michigan there is a wide variety and prices are much lower. I'm surprised a lot of the old tech isn't as valued anymore up there.

 

[jeremy]

tag

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

Planning for next winter, I've been learning about wood burning stoves and pricing them. I'll buy everything and have it all together by mid-summer.

Interesting to me is that on Craigslist alone, is that the prices of the ones I'm finding in indiana are higher for nothing special. On the Craigslist for northern michigan there is a wide variety and prices are much lower. I'm surprised a lot of the old tech isn't as valued anymore up there.

That should tell you something. Those are people that HAVE to have firewood in order to survive a winter. The more efficient the stove the better the chance you'll make it through a winter.

Right now Menards has a sale on wood burners. I wouldn't screw around with a used on unless it's one of the really high dollar stoves.

 

[Keith_Indy]

Good advice here. Stick to the basics at first. Food, water, shelter.

You've got shelter, so keeping warm during the winter is a priority. I bought a small kerosene heater at our old place for emergency heat. Don't plan on heating the whole house. In a pinch, try to get down to using 1 or 2 rooms. Close of the other rooms.

Water, you've got your water tank, but a couple of 5 gallon containers will give you peace of mind.

Food, start with canned food that you can eat uncooked. Otherwise, you have to plan on having some sort of stove to cook on, plus fuel. Once you have 2 weeks, then keep adding, as time and budget allow. Be sure to rotate through, and replenish your stores.

 

[kolob10]

Your best bet now is to put together a 72 hour kit or bug out bag as some call it. Put together a backpack/bag that will sustain you for 72 hours if you lose utilities or need to evacuate due to an emergency. You will more than likely us this before a SHTF scenario comes your way.

Starting small on your preparedness plan. Buyan extra can or two each time you visit the store. Store what you eat not what others tell you to store. Mark each can/package with the purchase date and rotate your what you store. Buy a couple cases of bottled water and rotate that as well. Instead of buying and expensive light source - buy a small led lantern that has a couple brightnees settings and lay up a few batteries. Think small and cheap-it works just as well.

 

[longbow]

shelter
water
heat
food
protection

Then make sure you have three ways to do do/make/have each one.

heat

1. electricity
2. wood stove
3. kerosene heater with fuel

Then work on your durations of how long you can be on your own.

50lbs of rice at Sam's is $17

 

[kybares]

Being winter, $40 for a working kerosene heater, off Craig's List. $40 for 10 gallons of kerosene. $20 for dried beans and rice. Cook on top of the heater. 2 liter bottles of water, free, tap water already has chlorine in it. You immediate needs are now met. Wood stoves, water filtration, chainsaw, BOB, GHB, gardening, canning, weapons/ammo, generator, months of food all take time, money and planning. But your initial $100 will get you covered for immediate needs, and then you can build up from there. You are now prepped far better than most. As the days are quite short, if you have any change left, tea bags and sugar. You and yours may find yourself sitting by a romantic fire having more conversation than you have in years. Plan for the good times too!

 

[Tactical Dave]

You need a gallon of water per day, per person.

At least for my family we can get away with far less then that...... if we are outdoors and it is hot then yeah but for being in place a gallon a day per person might be on the high side for most. A half gallon may be more realistic for a lot of people and like has been talked about on here a lot in Indiana water is fairly easy to find......... just find water a filter/boil it..... less to store then....

 

[strahd71]

to the origional poster for this thread. i understand what you meant by "your screwed" but i just wanted to add this as encouragement.

you may not have your preps in place, i know i dont!

but the simple fact that you are aware of the fact is so important and gives you an immeadiate advantage compared to the folks who refuse to see the need to prepare for whatever. just having this mindset is part of prepping!

good for you and good luck

jake

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Woodburning stoves were mentioned. How much are they? Where can you get them? And how do you install them? My house is brick, and I can't imagine how I'd go about using one...

Don't waste a bunch of money on a wood stove. For less than $100 you can build and pipe in a barrel stove that will heat just about any sized house with plenty to spare. I have less than $75 in mine using the existing chimney from our old fuel oil furnace. Without an existing, LINED chimney the cost goes up, but not a lot. I'll also add that our barrel stove is the ONLY source of heat we have and so far this winter, no problems keeping the whole house 72 degrees with the flue and damper turned WAY down. I was born and raised in northern MN (International Falls) and the barrel stove has always been a staple up there, still is today. For most people down here in IN prepping, it isn't even necessary to actually install and use, just be sure to have all the components stored inside a 55gal drum stashed in the corner of the garage. Oh, and try to have at least enough wood put up to get half way through a winter, 3-4 cords should take care of that easily, figure 5-9 cords for a whole winter here.

 

[BigJ3780]

I may be out of the loop, what are you guys preparing for? I have been practicing for any event sine I was 13.

I have a backpack at home and in the car, and a fanny pack in the need of having to downsize.

It includes water, food, maps, tent, light, etc....

 

[ol' trucker]

I may be out of the loop, what are you guys preparing for? I have been practicing for any event sine I was 13.

I have a backpack at home and in the car, and a fanny pack in the need of having to downsize.

It includes water, food, maps, tent, light, etc....

I would say your good to go. especially if you have a fanny pack

 

[BigJ3780]

Thats what I call it, dont judge me.e I may look silly but that little thing will keep me alive for a week. Its also only 8lbs.

 

[ol' trucker]

No one is judging Sir.