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Caribou

Caribou

Time traveler
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
10,369
Location
Alaska
A young man offered to hunt for us. This is legal in Alaska with the proper paperwork. Another friend had a freezer that she wanted to get rid of so we gave her $50 and brought it home in anticipation of filling it with game. Well, we never got the game meat due to never having a tag when our hunter was available.

Fast forward a year or so. Our main freezer quietly died. We lost a few things but being able to plug in our spare freezer and move everything into an empty freezer and the other half of our two fridges saved us way more that the $50.

Another benefit is that nobody stocked the freezer that the wife wants. We had the luxury of being able to wait for our preferred freezer to be shipped in. We were expecting it today but have been informed that there is a delay.

Do you have any unusual "spares?"
 
No many but an extra freezer would be nice. What few preps we have is dried or canned. We do keep some food in freezer but not alot.
I searched for a freezer with low amp voltage and no self defrost in case we can use it on our solar.
In reality I'd trust our neighbors about as much as the gangs that will be coming looking for food. Good thing is most of them are preppers but also people change in survival mode. Nobody wants to leave their place and build forts. Bugging out at our age is not possible.

Car I like this song do you? I kinda feel like what it says. Hubby an I try to live for today.

 
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I have double and triple redundant everything. But just on the subject of freezers. I have three......a new never ever plugged in large up-right that I bought about 15 years ago in anticipation that I might someday get old, and would prefer the easy access of an upright freezer. I have two fairly new 7.5 Cubic Foot chest freezers, that I use. I have both running in the winter and full of supplies, but as soon as it appears that I can get everything into one. That is what happens after cleaning it. Then I clean the not to be used till fall/winter one and fill it with 96 rolls of paper towels. This blocks the lid open, for air circulation, and get those darn 96 rolls of paper towels and some butt paper a out of the way storage.
 
That is a sweet ride Terri. When my wife retired she had a small refrigerator in her office and couldn't give it away so she brought it home. We have been storing it ever since. A friend of ours had her fridge die and she wasn't able to purchase a new one so we hauled our small fridge in and she used it for a few months till she could get something better. It certainly wasn't great but she could have milk, etc. in the meantime. The wife wanted to toss it but wasn't willing to fight me on that one.

I like the idea of using the spares as storage.
 
Caribou said:
That is a sweet ride Terri. When my wife retired she had a small refrigerator in her office and couldn't give it away so she brought it home. We have been storing it ever since. A friend of ours had her fridge die and she wasn't able to purchase a new one so we hauled our small fridge in and she used it for a few months till she could get something better. It certainly wasn't great but she could have milk, etc. in the meantime. The wife wanted to toss it but wasn't willing to fight me on that one.

I like the idea of using the spares as storage.
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Car remember all that solar stuff we bought when on the other site?
Its still stored because we can't figure out where to put it. Van roof is not big enough for the panels. Thinking of putting it on utility trailer and somehow camoflage it in case we decide to sell or have to leave .
Today we got materials for van bed and materials to set up antenna for boat radio. Still thinking about pontoons just in case :thumbs: I can talk him into it.
 
Glad you had that spare freezer Caribou. It's heartbreaking losing stuff in the freezer. It happened to us once. We lost a half cow. A friend of ours wanted to help us save power and unplugged everything in the barn before he left for the day after he borrowed a piece of equipment.:oops: We found out about a week later. That just broke my heart.

We do have a spare freezer since DH bought one to put in the back of his pickup for hunting trips. He plugs the freezer into the generator at night and is able to keep ice and keep any meat or fish cold without the worry of spoilage. He's taken it to the wayyyyyy back country in Canada. I don't think I would like that kind of camping. I'm more of a "glamping" kind of girl.

I have spares of just about everything since we have a camper. We even have a spare generator for the camper along with spare propane tanks as well.

I found an old copier at Goodwill last year for $8 that is just like my old one that I've used for years. My old copier just quit working. I'm sooooo glad to have that gem I found at Goodwill, since I use my copier a lot and it uses the same ink cartridges! When I find something I really like that works well, I try like heck to make sure I have a back up. Since I still use a lot of my old VHS tapes, I have 3 DVD/VHS combo players. I also have 2 spare radio/DVD/cassette players b/c I won't give up my cassettes. My parents moved a few years ago, so they had a lot of stuff up for grabs. It seems like we have at least 2 of everything now from vacuum cleaners to lawnmowers to canners to dishes, etc. Pretty soon we're gonna need another barn!
 
Terri9630 said:
Its ok. The biggest problem is that it was designed and built with no cup holders and no where to put one. WHERE am I supposed to put my Dr Pepper????
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I used one of these for years in my truck with a bench seat.
419bhBhoStL.jpg

https://smile.amazon.com/Custom-Accessories-92200-Plastic-Holders/dp/B009IKAARQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3603HDUQQECZR&keywords=window+mounted+cup+holders&qid=1560291993&s=gateway&sprefix=window+mounted+cup,aps,675&sr=8-1

When I buy a fishing lure I always buy 2 just alike. Went bass fishing and caught a nice fish real quick. Next cast the line got into the trolling motor prop and cut it off. So I tied on the duplicate. First cast, FIRST CAST, the wind caught it and it flew into the brush never to be seen again.
$6.00 each.
Now I haven't been able to find a replacement but when I do I will buy 4.
For those that want to know it was a Rapala Rattle Trap in chrome and blue.
 
I have often thought about important things to have in multiples. These are not large items like an appliance, but could make a big difference. I have many BOB items in multiples.

flashlights
lighters and other forms of fire starters
pocket knife
toothbrushes
lip conditioner (chapstick)
hats
gloves
socks
 
backlash said:
That's it. I've had several of those in my Amazon shopping cart for awhile but I was hoping to find them locally.
Guess I better just order them.
I have a theory about fishing lures. They aren't made to catch fish, they're made to catch fishermen.
Some lures cost $15 or more, that's insane.
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Wooden plugs uses to be the preferred lure for salmon. You would run across used ones all the time. You always wanted to get your hands on the most scratched up ones you could. Those were the ones the fish liked. An identical looking one would be almost pristine. If it didn't have bite marks don't bother. Commercial fishermen would buy a box of a dozen hoping that one or three would be good lures.
 
backlash said:
I used one of these for years in my truck with a bench seat.
419bhBhoStL.jpg

https://smile.amazon.com/Custom-Accessories-92200-Plastic-Holders/dp/B009IKAARQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3603HDUQQECZR&keywords=window+mounted+cup+holders&qid=1560291993&s=gateway&sprefix=window+mounted+cup,aps,675&sr=8-1

When I buy a fishing lure I always buy 2 just alike. Went bass fishing and caught a nice fish real quick. Next cast the line got into the trolling motor prop and cut it off. So I tied on the duplicate. First cast, FIRST CAST, the wind caught it and it flew into the brush never to be seen again.
$6.00 each.
Now I haven't been able to find a replacement but when I do I will buy 4.
For those that want to know it was a Rapala Rattle Trap in chrome and blue.
Click to expand...


I have one but they don't hold well on bumpy dirt roads, I have the open side tied shut with zip tie. Half mile wash board down here or 11 miles of fairly decent roads with only a few spots of washboard areas headed up to the mtn place.
 
backlash said:
That's it. I've had several of those in my Amazon shopping cart for awhile but I was hoping to find them locally.
Guess I better just order them.
I have a theory about fishing lures. They aren't made to catch fish, they're made to catch fishermen.
Some lures cost $15 or more, that's insane.
Click to expand...
I refuse to buy those $15 lures. If you're not getting snagged on rocks, weeds, and logs, and losing a lure here and there, you're not fishing where the fish are. I buy RoadRunner jig heads 4 for 3.95 and put cheapo jig bodies on them and it works just fine. I caught a largemouth on a $3 Arkie plug just yesterday. I'd rather spend the money on the experience, not the lure...
 
Spikedriver said:
I refuse to buy those $15 lures. If you're not getting snagged on rocks, weeds, and logs, and losing a lure here and there, you're not fishing where the fish are. I buy RoadRunner jig heads 4 for 3.95 and put cheapo jig bodies on them and it works just fine. I caught a largemouth on a $3 Arkie plug just yesterday. I'd rather spend the money on the experience, not the lure...
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I agree. Getting snagged and losing lures is inevitable if you are fishing where the fish are. That's why I lost 2 in a row. They were NOT $15 lures however.
 
we have this saying " 3 is 2, 2 is 1, and 1 is none!, you can easily lose something, if you don't have a back up you wont have it at all, mostly to do with small items that are easily lost or broken.
but post SHTF things will break down, be lost, or even stolen, everything especially man made things are finite, the only things that aren't are skills and knowledge which will last a lifetime.
 
Lawnmowers/lawn tractors are definitely a good thing to have two of. Those damn things break down all the time...I always advise people who are new to acreages to get a good mower, and then find an old 30 inch rear engine rider for $300 bucks. We used to keep two old Snappers on the farm just for that reason. It might take forever to cut the grass with a 30" cut, but it'll get done and the yard won't be a foot tall when you get your good mower back from the shop...and those old rear engine riders were cheap to fix and fairly easy to work on.
 
Spikedriver said:
Lawnmowers/lawn tractors are definitely a good thing to have two of. Those damn things break down all the time...I always advise people who are new to acreages to get a good mower, and then find an old 30 inch rear engine rider for $300 bucks. We used to keep two old Snappers on the farm just for that reason. It might take forever to cut the grass with a 30" cut, but it'll get done and the yard won't be a foot tall when you get your good mower back from the shop...and those old rear engine riders were cheap to fix and fairly easy to work on.
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Excellent idea. I just replaced the belt on my riding mower, and got half way through the lawn when the new belt went and I figured out that I need to rebuild the deck. Harrumph! Boy am I glad the wife likes the push mower.
 
Weedygarden said:
I have often thought about important things to have in multiples. These are not large items like an appliance, but could make a big difference. I have many BOB items in multiples.

flashlights
lighters and other forms of fire starters
pocket knife
toothbrushes
lip conditioner (chapstick)
hats
gloves
socks
Click to expand...


Weedy that is a good one and we have all of it too.:thumbs:
 
lonewolf said:
we have this saying " 3 is 2, 2 is 1, and 1 is none!, you can easily lose something, if you don't have a back up you wont have it at all, mostly to do with small items that are easily lost or broken.
but post SHTF things will break down, be lost, or even stolen, everything especially man made things are finite, the only things that aren't are skills and knowledge which will last a lifetime.
Click to expand...
This is true. Keeping small but necessary items like a fire steel, it is easy for them to get lost or hard to find in your pack. I like to keep things such as fire making tools, together in an Altoid mint tin. It keeps things organized, and keeps them from breaking or getting damaged. I write on the edges of the tins, the contents. Altoid kits: sewing, fishing, fire, first aid, and so much more. I have tried to use hobby sized, sandwich, quart and gallon sized zip bags, but it isn't long before they don't close or the edges are worn and they are useless.
 
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