Most unusual item that you have in your preps

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Sentry18

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What would you say is the weirdest or most unusual item(s) you have in your preps? Might turn out to be something we all have. Might turn out to be something very unusual. We won't know until you tell us!


Mine could well be the 30 lb box of root beer barrels or the 30 lb box of butter scotch candies I bought from a candy supply company for $45 each. I was just getting into prepping beyond what I considered to be normal staples and had a lot of little ones around the house. I was looking for treats with a long shelf life and I ended up with 60 lbs of candy. Which is especially odd since I don't eat or promote the eating of sugar. At least they are individually wrapped and haven't morphed into one large block of candy. :p:):cool:

They could very well become a barter item for me I guess.
 
I think the only weird thing to do with my preps is ... me!
 
Would it be my 5 gallon bucket of brown sugar and several jars of maple flavoring to make syrup for pancakes, waffles and French toast? Quick and easy food in tough times. Maybe the cans of blue corn I canned when I borrowed a canner from the LDS storehouse? I threw out several cases of ramen noodles, but my guess is that many people have those. Jars of Indian simmering curry sauce? Rice noodles for gluten free Asian cooking? Maybe the containers of No-salt for re-hydration beverages and the packets of koolaid (just the powder) to go with it? Maybe it is the cases of packets of atole that a neighbor had put out in the alley. I would never go out and buy any, let alone cases of it, but if someone was pitching it, why not? And, it is gluten free.

Atole, also known as atol and atol de elote, is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mesoamerican origin. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole. It typically accompanies tamales, and is very popular during Day of the Dead and Las Posadas. Wikipedia
 
What would you say is the weirdest or most unusual item(s) you have in your preps? Might turn out to be something we all have. Might turn out to be something very unusual. We won't know until you tell us!

They could very well become a barter item for me I guess.
This stuff:
img_2308-jpg.14882

Everything tested and working:).
If I need them, it's unlikely that I will barter them:(.
 
I don't think anything is weird. I need it all. Even all the different kinds of chocolate chips I have vacuumed sealed in gallon mason jars, because I like them for baking. Like butterscotch, peppermint, thin mint variety, milk chocolate, dk chocolate, semi sweet, butterfinger bits, german chocolate, large chunks, minis, white chocolate. You name it, I probably have it.
My seed collection is a little out of hand. I got boxes of seed pkts from our son who works at a plant nursery. They get rid of them at the end of the season each year. Everything you could possibly think of.
 
I don't think anything is weird. I need it all. Even all the different kinds of chocolate chips I have vacuumed sealed in gallon mason jars, because I like them for baking. Like butterscotch, peppermint, thin mint variety, milk chocolate, dk chocolate, semi sweet, butterfinger bits, german chocolate, large chunks, minis, white chocolate. You name it, I probably have it.
drool.gif
Mmmmm!
Few things could pry some dosimeter pens out of my hands, but chocolate quickly became the standard barter currency in WWII for a really good reason:lil guy:.
People living in survival conditions for months would trade unbelievable stuff for a simple Hershey bar:I agree:.
Gold coins? Worthless.:rolleyes:
 
This stuff:
img_2308-jpg.14882

Everything tested and working:).
If I need them, it's unlikely that I will barter them:(.
You are wise to have this collection. I have looked at purchasing some, but have not yet. One of my colleagues took a group of children on a field trip which I knew nothing about, and they all got a free geiger counter. I have no idea what it looked like. I only heard about it after the fact. I was pretty jealous!
 
You are wise to have this collection. I have looked at purchasing some, but have not yet. One of my colleagues took a group of children on a field trip which I knew nothing about, and they all got a free geiger counter. I have no idea what it looked like. I only heard about it after the fact. I was pretty jealous!
I got them before Fukushima.
After that happened, the shelves in the US were emptied of everything for a long while:eek:.
A few dosimeter pens and a charger would be a great place to start. They would be enough to keep you safe.
Most people don't know that a nuclear exchange that is half-way around the world can lead to dangerous fallout here.
HairOnFire.gif
The meltdown in Chernobyl was actually outed by a Swedish tech at a facility there that couldn't get his meters to zero.
The Russians had kept it hidden for weeks.
I hope I only get to use mine whenever the FIL gets a nuke cardiogram:).
The CDV-700 goes nuts even 10-feet away from him:eek:.
For a while, he's a very 'hot' guy:D.
 
You know, I agree with Amish. I don't keep anything weird. If I don't use it, I don't keep it, other than some first aid/ medical item that are just wise to have. I do keep extra canning jars in case long term power outage - I could can a good lot of meat that's in the freezer. Not sure how weird that is though.
 
I got them before Fukushima.
After that happened, the shelves in the US were emptied of everything for a long while:eek:.
A few dosimeter pens and a charger would be a great place to start. They would be enough to keep you safe.
Most people don't know that a nuclear exchange that is half-way around the world can lead to dangerous fallout here.View attachment 34939The meltdown in Chernobyl was actually outed by a Swedish tech at a facility there that couldn't get his meters to zero.
The Russians had kept it hidden for weeks.
I hope I only get to use mine whenever the FIL gets a nuke cardiogram:).
The CDV-700 goes nuts even 10-feet away from him:eek:.
For a while, he's a very 'hot' guy:D.
It was right after Fukishima that I was looking. I am sure that the rest of the world was as well.
 
You know, I agree with Amish. I don't keep anything weird. If I don't use it, I don't keep it, other than some first aid/ medical item that are just wise to have. I do keep extra canning jars in case long term power outage - I could can a good lot of meat that's in the freezer. Not sure how weird that is though.
I think that is wise. Sometimes I see something for free and I take it, like the atole. It is also gluten free and that is important in my preps.
 
It was right after Fukishima that I was looking. I am sure that the rest of the world was as well.
The Japaneses bought everything!
Eventually the stocks came back up. Overpriced was the norm for a long while afterwards though:rolleyes:.
I'm ringing up a few on eBay sellers to find out what range the pens are for you; because they just won't mention which pens come with themgaah. Most only come with CDV-742s.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jordan-CDV-750-CHARGER-AND-8-PENS-GOOD-WORKING-CONDITION/303482384919
"The dosimeter provided for general operational use is the CDV-742 which has a measurement Range of 0 to 200 roentgens. Until these were available in sufficient quantity, the CDV-730 with a range of 0 to 20 roentgens and the CDV-740 with a range of 0 to 100 roentgens had been furnished. They are still usable. Dosimeters resemble a fountain pen in size and shape. The CDV-742 can be identified by its bronze or gold colored pocket clip. CDV138 is the lowest level, 0-200 milliroentgens.
Don't buy any of the silver Soviet pens. They are 0-600 roentgens. Basically their scale means: Might live-<150--will die slow-<300--will die quicker-<450--and 600>TOAST!:eek:
 
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55 Gallon steel drums with locking and removable lids. Also 120mm ammo cans.
 
I got them before Fukushima.
After that happened, the shelves in the US were emptied of everything for a long while:eek:.
A few dosimeter pens and a charger would be a great place to start. They would be enough to keep you safe.
Most people don't know that a nuclear exchange that is half-way around the world can lead to dangerous fallout here.View attachment 34939The meltdown in Chernobyl was actually outed by a Swedish tech at a facility there that couldn't get his meters to zero.
The Russians had kept it hidden for weeks.
I hope I only get to use mine whenever the FIL gets a nuke cardiogram:).
The CDV-700 goes nuts even 10-feet away from him:eek:.
For a while, he's a very 'hot' guy:D.
We bought a detector not long after Fukushima happened, for one thing a lot of things from Japan were showing up on our Oregon shores, boats, a huge floating dock and a lot of trash, all containing sea life not normal to our coasts, what a lot of people don't realize is that the Japanese warm currents travel on a straight line to our coast, since the radioactive water coming out into the ocean is in huge amounts, it's probably also taking that straight line, I have been reluctant to eat fish from our coast line unless we test it with a detector, most of the time we just don't eat fish from there, if we can get fish from Norway, that's probably the cleanest and least likely to be contaminated.
 
During the Civil War, that would have been called a huswif and men carried them with them - not weird at all. Good to have! Might upgrade the thread a bit. What usually comes on those little spools isn't very reliable. I would actually wind a surgical type thread around a couple in case there is a cut to suture.
 
We bought a detector not long after Fukushima happened, for one thing a lot of things from Japan were showing up on our Oregon shores, boats, a huge floating dock and a lot of trash, all containing sea life not normal to our coasts, what a lot of people don't realize is that the Japanese warm currents travel on a straight line to our coast, since the radioactive water coming out into the ocean is in huge amounts, it's probably also taking that straight line, I have been reluctant to eat fish from our coast line unless we test it with a detector, most of the time we just don't eat fish from there, if we can get fish from Norway, that's probably the cleanest and least likely to be contaminated.
Amen! We thought we were the only ones who realized what was/is happening. It is still leaking too. The fish numbers have plummeted since then. Why doesn't the media hop on that one?
 
Toenail clippers. I keep toenail clippers or fingernail clippers in every bag. Having a torn nail is a serious nuisance and can inhibit your ability to do stuff. Not properly trimming toenails can lead to painful foot problems. Plus they can cut stuff, remove splinters, etc. And they take up little space...
I have a few kits that came with toenail and fingernail clippers, tweezers, emery board and orange stick. It is interesting how often these get used. What did our ancestors do before clippers like this were made?
 
I have a few kits that came with toenail and fingernail clippers, tweezers, emery board and orange stick. It is interesting how often these get used. What did our ancestors do before clippers like this were made?

Here is my guess (and it is only a guess). I am betting our ancestors nutrition was not as overabundant as hours and perhaps nail grew slower and were more brittle, which means hard work alone would break them and wear them down. After that I bet it was either files, sharp blades, or chewing that kept 'em trim.

I also stock multiple nail clipper, file, and tweezer sets. Plus several hair cutting scissor/razor/comb sets.
 
I have all of this stuff, and I don't think any of it is unusual. :thumbs: The one oddball I keep in my BOB and my EDC is a Sillcock key.


It is not likely I would bug out to the woods. In an urban area this can be very helpful. If there is an outside spigot with no handle this is what you use.
 
I have all of this stuff, and I don't think any of it is unusual. :thumbs: The one oddball I keep in my BOB and my EDC is a Sillcock key.


It is not likely I would bug out to the woods. In an urban area this can be very helpful. If there is an outside spigot with no handle this is what you use.
I have seen this suggestion before. I never seem to remember this when I go to the hardware store. I need to put it on a shopping list.
 
I have seen this suggestion before. I never seem to remember this when I go to the hardware store. I need to put it on a shopping list.

Me too. lightbulb I'm not that bright. I had to write it down, and make a special trip just for that. Luckily the hardware store is close.
 
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