Lessons learned during the pandemic...

[Tryin']

I learned it costs $1200 to turn a capitalist into a socialist.

My, how the times have changed. It only cost $300 in 2008. Inflation hasn't been THAT bad...

 

[Car Ramrod]

Some preps need to be better organized. Feel like I pretty much have what I need, but it needs to be better organized.

That has been my project the last week. Organizing everything.

 

[Jackson]

I wasn't rotating effectively. In some cases, not at all. I've been slacking.

 

[maxwelhse]

I wasn't rotating effectively. In some cases, not at all. I've been slacking.

I've considered building some FIFO can storage racks for exactly that reason. Good point to bring up!

 

[Phase2]

I wasn't rotating effectively. In some cases, not at all. I've been slacking.

Two thoughts:

• As much as possible, eat what you store and store what you eat. That way, you can first "shop" from your stores rather than going to the grocery as frequently. Simply add to your stock when you see you are getting kinda low on something. Also, if you have such a stock, it is actually easy to economize as you don't have to run to the grocery frequently for particular items you need for dinner. Instead, if you see a sale on something you store, you can buy a bunch at a time.
• "Best by" dates are not drop-dead dates for food. They are actually how long the producer guarantees quality. Many things last well beyond those dates. I've eaten a couple of cans of green beans that were 2 years beyond their best by date with no problems. To check, you can open up the container. If it looks, smells and tastes okay, then it may have lost some nutrients, but should still be good to eat in a pinch. In other words, you can do what grandma did with her canned goods to determine if it was still okay before the government dictated labeling.

 

[dieselrealtor]

I believe we may go to a written (paper or electronic) inventory of overstock. We have had a couple of extra family members at the house for the past couple of weeks, meat was a little low when things started to go sideways. Picked up a few pounds a few days ago, lot of deep freeze space wasted on other things that should have been used for ground beef, etc. We were pretty well stocked on most things & some of the things that disappeared quickly in "the run".

 

[Ark]

Biggest lesson is that it was a huge mistake to neglect PPE and respirator prep. All that stuff is basically extinct for the next year or two. It was on my mind as a wish list item but just kept getting pushed back and back in favor of other things.

Another lesson is the tangible feeling of how many people are gunning for you because you prepared and they didn't. The prepper subs on reddit have been FLOODED with first time posters bragging about how they surrendered all their (nonexistent) PPE to the local hospital and imploring others to do the same. Never mind that said hospital network had all the time in the world to stock up and prepare instead of wasting money on executive bonuses. Opsec is vitally important because, to many of the sheep, the solution to their lack of preparedness is "force the people who did prepare to give up their stuff".

And, of course, the final lesson is just...more. More of everything. More food, more water, more ammo, more gas, more PPE, more money in the bank, more everything.

 

[KittySlayer]

What have you learned during the pandemic?

About your preps?

About your hardware?

About your skills/training?

About other preparedness?
Thanks!

I am pretty well stocked for this particular crisis. Need to watch expiration dates and restock more frequently. I am okay with food/drugs a little past their expiration dates and all mine are in my comfort level for now.

Good on hardware for our (wife & me) needs. Always lust for more but it would only be buying extras.

Need to get serious about more firearm training. My wife is glad we have protection but still is apprehensive about guns. Need to get her some training so she is more comfortable.

OPSEC We don’t broadcast what we have but everyone assumes we have stuff. Delivered TP to my sister. Need to look more sheep like.

Media is generally useless in providing relevant/accurate information. They are just talking heads chasing ratings. Need to get up to speed on HAM radio.

Seeing how the the general public has reacted makes me take pause. While challenging this ain’t all that bad. Imagine if this had been an EMP with no power or running water? It would have quickly become crazy dangerous fast! Use this as a preview of how you need to up your game no matter how well you are prepared.

 

[dieselrealtor]

Opsec is vitally important because, to many of the sheep, the solution to their lack of preparedness is "force the people who did prepare to give up their stuff".

And, of course, the final lesson is just...more. More of everything. More food, more water, more ammo, more gas, more PPE, more money in the bank, more everything.

^This^

Remaining silent & being invisible should help with this. Some of our close friends know we have extra things on hand. One of them asked me a few days ago, "did you believe this was really going to happen?" (regarding the run on supplies). My answer was a confident yes, eventually. Not sure what "this" would be but something causing a general panic.

We were minor preppers years ago before I ever heard the word. We buy things in bulk on sale, have generally always had a lot of extra things in the house. We sold a house once & put a note in the pantry (stocked full) that we weren't afraid of y2k (humor) but that we just really liked to eat.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

OPSEC is probably the single most important item when in comes to preps. Don't advertise what you have or your capabilities, be grey. Blend in with the sheep, do not antagonize the sheep, do not trust the sheep. I spoke with my brother years ago about having extra supplies, water, first aid. He replied that it was a waste of money. I tried to reason with him and his response was the same. I've never mentioned it to him again. He is a Bernie supporter, so why waste my time...

 

[KittySlayer]

Another lesson is the tangible feeling of how many people are gunning for you because you prepared and they didn't. The prepper subs on reddit have been FLOODED with first time posters bragging about how they surrendered all their (nonexistent) PPE to the local hospital and imploring others to do the same.

Planning is not hoarding. I did not go out and buy ## N-95 mask last week to hoard them. I bought the mask I have years ago so I would be prepared when they were no longer available and I had a need. No way am I surrendering my supply because someone tries to make me feel guilty.

Kind of reminds me of the recommendation when going to a S.hole country to carry your own personal sterile suture kit to give to a doctor if you need sewn up. You are not carrying the suture kit to supply the hospital with much needed supplies, you are carrying it because you know S.hole hospital lacks proper supplies to treat you.

 

[Ark]

Planning is not hoarding. I did not go out and buy ## N-95 mask last week to hoard them. I bought the mask I have years ago so I would be prepared when they were no longer available and I had a need. No way am I surrendering my supply because someone tries to make me feel guilty.

Kind of reminds me of the recommendation when going to a S.hole country to carry your own personal sterile suture kit to give to a doctor if you need sewn up. You are not carrying the suture kit to supply the hospital with much needed supplies, you are carrying it because you know S.hole hospital lacks proper supplies to treat you.

The people who are scared and angry and vulnerable are not distinguishing between people who flooded stores last week and people who bought masks two years ago. If you have one, you snatched it right off the face of a hardworking doctor or nurse, and you deserve jail/fine/prison/guillotine/whatever if you don't donate it IMMEDIATELY because your life just isn't as important.

I'm working on trademarking CoronaKaren, the specific breed of keyboard warrior who is stuck at home from her yoga studio job or whatever with nothing to do but identify and harass people on the internet for committing CoronaSins, the list of which is ever-shifting and expanding.

 

[Car Ramrod]

I just know I am getting real tired of babysitting my mother-in-law's granddaughter right about now...

I have learned that teachers and daycare workers are way under appreciated.

 

[DangerousDave]

One thing I have noticed recently on other websites is people posting ads wanting to buy a shotgun. Some of those people were originally against firearm ownership are now realizing how crazy this can get if it continues for an extended period of time. There are always going to be those out there that want to take away from those that have saved and stockpiled for just this kind of emergency. A recent trip to the store just showed how crazy everyone is becoming. Thank God I had a good supply of staples put back. All the hard work last year preserving food from my garden has really paid off. I may have to eat a lot of beans and cornbread but at least I won't go hungry.

 

[Jackson]

One thing I have noticed recently on other websites is people posting ads wanting to buy a shotgun.

There are websites other than INGO?

 

[Trigger Time]

I bought mine on amazon but I've seen them for sale in the camping sections of rural king. I would caution that if your buying commercial long term food store to pay attention to the meat content. A lot of these companies are just selling oat meal, noodles, and instant mashed potatoes with "meat flavor". Personally I'm partial to mountain house.

Agreed. Mountain house is the best.
I became a wise dealer to buy in bulk from them but the mountain house tastes better and it reconstituted much faster and easier. Also more nutrition.
None of them are cheap but you will get what you pay for. Good luck finding anything now. Everytime there is a panic I know mountain house sells out fast. The military has also used mountain hoise for years for certain operations. I have some military mountain house meals too.

 

[Trigger Time]

I realized that I didn't know what I didn't know. It never occurred to me that something like this would happen at this large of a scale. Who knew that TP, bleach, rubbing alcohol, kids medicine would be gone... I get food and water I think that was just a given but the rest is surprising. Just like everything else in life though this lesson was learned the hard way and will not be a problem again.

Pool shock for making bleach. You'll be able to make more than you can ever use with one package.

Edit: just saw Spencer rifle best me to the punch. Glad others are well informed.
I was at the store the day they closed down schools (I needed to buy a couple new fish lures) and for giggles I walked down the bleach isle, already no bleach. Walked down the pool supply isle by toys, fully stocked with pool shock. I bet it still is. And I bet bleach is still gone.

 

[maxwelhse]

Pool shock for making bleach. You'll be able to make more than you can ever use with one package.

Edit: just saw Spencer rifle best me to the punch. Glad others are well informed.
I was at the store the day they closed down schools (I needed to buy a couple new fish lures) and for giggles I walked down the bleach isle, already no bleach. Walked down the pool supply isle by toys, fully stocked with pool shock. I bet it still is. And I bet bleach is still gone.

I posted last night that the Dollar General has no regular bleach, but a shelf absolutely piled with scented bleach. Same price.

People are dumb...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Pool shock for making bleach. You'll be able to make more than you can ever use with one package.

Edit: just saw Spencer rifle best me to the punch. Glad others are well informed.
I was at the store the day they closed down schools (I needed to buy a couple new fish lures) and for giggles I walked down the bleach isle, already no bleach. Walked down the pool supply isle by toys, fully stocked with pool shock. I bet it still is. And I bet bleach is still gone.

A couple of years ago when DoggyMama severely broke her ankle, requiring a couple of surgeries, she developed a really bad infection, and one of the things that her infectious disease doctor recommended was to soak it in a bleach solution made from pool shock. It literally only took a few drops of pool shock for like 2 gallons of water. That stuff is highly concentrated compared to regular bleach. After she was done, I gave what was left (most of the gallon we bought) to the nextdoor neighbor that had an above ground pool.

 

[dieselrealtor]

Seeds, haven't done a garden in several years & have -0- on hand. Need to change that as soon as reasonably possible, my list keeps growing.