A question for the more seasoned preppers

[Kiwichick]

You are certainly doing much better than you were and I’m thrilled to hear it! Agree that a house is more important than meat. Grow your garden and can or dehydrate any excess you can produce. Thrilled that you got some dwarf fruit trees!!! Which one came?

Thank you
3x mandarins and 3x oranges arrived today. There's 3x apples coming in a couple of months. All different types that ripen at different times. There's already an old lemon tree here which I'm working on getting healthy again.

 

[Kiwichick]

How´s fire fighting gear? Extinguishers? Smoke detector?

Smoke alarms are all good, got them in every room except bathroom and laundry. I have 2x fire extinguishers. I honestly hadn't thought much about fire issues.

 

[user 7482]

My only heatsource are wood fired ovens. There are three of them in the main building. When the Kids got old enough to enlight the fires independently the amount of fire-extinguishers increased magically.

A burning house is the scenario where you have to have your BOB really ready.

 

[Illini Warrior]

in regard to DIY home fire fighting >>> always been a top priority SHTF with me - a definite tangent SHTF to any domestic rioting & looting SHTF scenario - with the DNC hiring the BLM & ANTIFA scum & miscreants to attack the country - it came even more center focused >>> little doubt they'll be making a return next year to stop the GOP Congress changes ....

might be overkill but the article has good mindset and links >>>> Fire on the Neighbor's House, by Neil Gunton

 

[lonewolf]

start with the usual, food storage, water, heating, lighting ,cooking, first aid.
if your house is made of wood or other flammable materials then you need some fire extinguishers ,and fire blankets for cooking fires, and a fire exit if you have to get out fast.

 

[GaRp58]

I have 2x fire extinguishers. I honestly hadn't thought much about fire issues.

Have you shown all the kids how to use them? Start a small fire outside and demonstrate what to do and how to effectively put the fire out with a video on youtube...
Maybe show them how fast a shirt or curtains can go up in flames to get their respect for fire strong too.
Another thing, ABC extinguishers are full of baking power like material and a bit of salt. You can douse thirty people in the face with one and they will not breathe or see well for a while. The same material pretty messes up your house and furniture too. Try to find a CO2 extinguisher if you can.
The A fire is a solid material fire like wood, paper and furniture. The B type fire is volitile liquids like petrol and oil. The C fire is a flammable gas like propane or butane or natural gas. IMPORTANT!! If you have a propane or other gas fire....do NOT EXTINGUISH it!! let it burn and try to find the valve nearby and shut it off, like on the street or in your gas box...if you put a gas fire out, the gas CLOUD will get only bigger and eventually explode! Just let it burn and let the professionals get it out or turn off the gas line.

 

[user 7482]

We burn our christmastree at summer solstice. Always very impressing.

 

[Tornad0Alley]

Not to derail the fire-building conversation (and such conversations are critically important for all), but back to the original post; I just prepare for anything, really. Yeah, things are bad these days with war threatening to fever-rush western Europe and yet another round of COVID outbreaks here in the states, people are all still grumbling about 2020 in all of it. I think things are better today than back then in 2020, but I think the world's still a bit of a powder keg, and I do mean the United States in that regard, too. I'm a bit anxious about the upcoming elections end of this year, and of course all the supply chain and inflation woes we're going through are worrisome as well, just to name a few of the things that can keep you up at night.

But right now, at this moment, things are stable. I can go to my local store and purchase preps; food, water, medical. In my region hell, even guns and ammo are in abundance and, believe it or not, prices are going down on such things. So, yeah, time to stock up, get those preps in line, and keep living life confident that even if things don't get better we're all prepared. All the while keep an eye out on the danger zones, politically, financially, even socially. I'm a realist with optimistic tendencies, so I think things will get better somehow (inflation will level and start to decline, far more of the right kind of folks will win the election, etc...) but if not, I'm ready for what may come instead. Stay safe out there.

 

[Dave2001]

I started building another storage shed last fall. I'll finish it this spring. We have some plumbing to reroute under the house and when we're finished we'll move alot our stock under the house. Can't have too much storage space.

I just finished a 40 X 120 storage building thats protected last year!!!

 

[TexPrep]

Thankfully our house is all brick so setting it on fire will be difficult.
The roof has class A shingles and are very fire resistant as in you wont be burning me out that way.
We have six fire extinguishers spread throughout the house and garage as well as smoke detectors in the attic that are connected to the home security system.

 

[tmttactical]

Thankfully our house is all brick so setting it on fire will be difficult.
The roof has class A shingles and are very fire resistant as in you wont be burning me out that way.
We have six fire extinguishers spread throughout the house and garage as well as smoke detectors in the attic that are connected to the home security system.

An additional prep is to install a water sprinkler system on the top of the roof. The sprinkler system can serve two purposed. One to cool the roof during hot spells and second to prevent the roof from being set on fire. The runoff water can be captured from the gutter down sprout and channeled back into a water harvesting tank / barrels.

 

[TexPrep]

An additional prep is to install a water sprinkler system on the top of the roof. The sprinkler system can serve two purposed. One to cool the roof during hot spells and second to prevent the roof from being set on fire. The runoff water can be captured from the gutter down sprout and channeled back into a water harvesting tank / barrels.

Not sure I'd drink that water unless you have a good filter system.
There's gonna be a bunch of bird crap in it.

 

[lonewolf]

Not sure I'd drink that water unless you have a good filter system.
use. There's gonna be a bunch of bird crap in it.

any water unless it comes from the mains has to be treated as suspicious and filtered and boiled before use.
even more so post collapse.

 

[TexPrep]

any water unless it comes from the mains has to be treated as suspicious and filtered and boiled before use.
even more so post collapse.

I wouldnt trust tap water even if the SHTF doesnt happen.
Back when we were kids we drank out of the hose but I sure as hell wouldnt do it these days.
We just got a Berkey,havent tried it yet but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it works.

 

[user 7482]

I got different filtersystems. For stationary use I also have a Berkey on the shelf. Luckily our tap water ist quite good, but very chalky. It´s provided out of our area, so the community is up to keeping the dwells clean and the pipes in good working order.

Propper waterfiltration is a very important basis/ preparation for survival! So is the storage of good drinking water.

 

[lonewolf]

I wouldnt trust tap water even if the SHTF doesnt happen.
Back when we were kids we drank out of the hose but I sure as hell wouldnt do it these days.
We just got a Berkey,havent tried it yet but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it works.

tap water is safe where I live maybe its different where you are.

 

[GaRp58]

I can drink my well water straight from the hole. No filtering needed, I do have a sand pre-filter on the pump to protect it but no active charcoal or such is needed.

 

[TexPrep]

tap water is safe where I live maybe its different where you are.

It may be safe now but if things go bad your tap water can become contaminated which is why they put out boil warnings.

 

[Mountain trapper]

No, I can't risk getting kicked out of this house. Worst case scenario I'll just be vegetarian or trade. It wouldn't be the first time I've been too poor to have meat I remember at one point in the early 2000s I had $2/day for food.

But my stored food increases each fortnight. I've plenty of heirloom seeds. The first of the dwarf fruit trees arrived today . I have a good network of friends. When I was off work for a fortnight with covid they were dropping of food/meals/medicine almost daily even though I never asked. ❤

Isn't there any fish in NZ? There was when I was there. Seems like there's lots of rabbits and possums too. There's your meat.

 

[lonewolf]

It may be safe now but if things go bad your tap water can become contaminated which is why they put out boil warnings.

if things go bad all water is suspect even tap water. in fact tap water wont exist post SHTF.

 

[Kiwichick]

Isn't there any fish in NZ? There was when I was there. Seems like there's lots of rabbits and possums too. There's your meat.

Good point. Fish and eels are starting to return to the local River. Fonterra (milk factory) screwed up the rivers and the government blamed it on run off from dairy farms. I'll have to get permission from a local farmer to trap rabbits and possums but that shouldn't be too hard.

 

[user 6493]

you mention possums ,I have lived here in Arkansas since 2004,,,, I have never seen one here not even as road kill,,, they have to be here,,, I have been all over the US and have seen them in most states,,,,,,,,,,, they are hiding from me

 

[Mountain trapper]

you mention possums ,I have lived here in Arkansas since 2004,,,, I have never seen one here not even as road kill,,, they have to be here,,, I have been all over the US and have seen them in most states,,,,,,,,,,, they are hiding from me

The first possum i ever saw was when I worked as a welder in Oregon and it wandered in to the shop. I thought it was a huge rat.
FYI, the New Zealand possum and the American possum are very different looking critters.

 

[Mountain trapper]

.

 

[M0del_31]

The American possum is awesome. Nearly immune to snake bites and rabies and they eat insects including ticks and also snakes. They will clear your yard of creeping crawling vermen. They are honored guests at my place.

 

[Holly1]

I find it interesting that you did not just ignore the post, but instead had to respond in a negative manner. You might want to consider why someone bringing up The Lord would offend you. Take care BigPaul and have a wonderful day!

Well the book of Revelation makes it clear that this world is reserved for fire and that no one is is getting out without Our Saviour. Anyone can buy all the food but IF this scenario is true, then all the food in the world makes it no use to them at all. May God bless you and your family.

 

[Holly1]

No, I can't risk getting kicked out of this house. Worst case scenario I'll just be vegetarian or trade. It wouldn't be the first time I've been too poor to have meat I remember at one point in the early 2000s I had $2/day for food.

But my stored food increases each fortnight. I've plenty of heirloom seeds. The first of the dwarf fruit trees arrived today . I have a good network of friends. When I was off work for a fortnight with covid they were dropping of food/meals/medicine almost daily even though I never asked. ❤

Can you get Coturnix quails instead, friend? My tiny flock lay a whole bunch of eggs daily and the males are almost silent as long as they have females to mate. Eggs can be brooded out making more birdies for meat for dinner. Not trying to upset anyone here - just saying.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Good point. Fish and eels are starting to return to the local River. Fonterra (milk factory) screwed up the rivers and the government blamed it on run off from dairy farms. I'll have to get permission from a local farmer to trap rabbits and possums but that shouldn't be too hard.

I used to do a lot of fishing in the ocean around the south island and Stewart Island. Caught a lot crays too. Good eating. With all that ocean I dont know how anyone could ever go hungry.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

The American possum is awesome. Nearly immune to snake bites and rabies and they eat insects including ticks and also snakes. They will clear your yard of creeping crawling vermen. They are honored guests at my place.

Possums also pass a virus in their feces that can kill a horse. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). It is a neurological disease. It is horrible to watch. IF they survive, they are often can never be safely ridden again.

 

[M0del_31]

Possums also pass a virus in their feces that can kill a horse. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). It is a neurological disease. It is horrible to watch. IF they survive, they are often can never be safely ridden again.

That would suck for folks that have horses. Horses seem to be one of the more fragile land creatures. I really don’t see how horses or dogs survived before there were vets that charged thousands of dollars over the life of the animal.