That will probably be among the most used items on the place. My folks have one and we all use it constantly. Pa built a set of racks for it and it's great for getting firewood.
Preparations Update
- Thread starter Sentry18
- Start date
Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
I got my rain barrel set up. Upon opening the box (I hadn't even done that yet) I was pleasantly surprised. It came fitted with the screen on top and the nozzles at the bottom. All I had to do was set it on the stand. Well, that was easy! It is supposed to rain this weekend so I will see how it goes. Rain will be coming off a metal roof so I'm cool with that part. Anxious to see how it goes - at least until freezing weather is expected. I'm thinking I would like to get it set up on something with wheels so I could roll it around - will have to see what I come up with.
Here's the one I got in case anyone is interested.
55 Gal. Grey Rain Barrel GRO - The Home Depot
Here's the one I got in case anyone is interested.
55 Gal. Grey Rain Barrel GRO - The Home Depot
I just got back from Seattle. I have a pallet of groceries on the barge early next week.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2022
- Messages
- 190
I'm surprised you hung a dead cat from your target.
That looks like a moving target.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 8,023
I had to go out of town and had some time to waste, so I wandered through an Aldi. They had sliced potatoes! I have never seen canned sliced potatoes there before, just whole. So, I picked up 2 cases and then returned and got 2 more. They also had some fruit snacks that they quit carrying in my local Aldi, so I picked up a case of those too. Then I wandered in WM and picked up a couple 10 packs of D batteries since I'm a bit short on those at the moment and they have a 10 year shelf life. I got the last pack of 10 on the shelf.
I also had a solar generator delivered with panels. I'm calling that my Christmas present. It was something I'd been looking at for a while and have just never pulled the trigger on b/c I wasn't sure I really "needed" it. Well, I don't.....but I got it anyways. Now I'll be able to charge my double and triple A batteries even without a gas generator. I'm glad to have the ability to be able to do that.
I also had a solar generator delivered with panels. I'm calling that my Christmas present. It was something I'd been looking at for a while and have just never pulled the trigger on b/c I wasn't sure I really "needed" it. Well, I don't.....but I got it anyways. Now I'll be able to charge my double and triple A batteries even without a gas generator. I'm glad to have the ability to be able to do that.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2017
- Messages
- 7,968
TENS unit + electrode pads
might have mentioned this before but for $35 it is totally worth getting your own TENS. runs on a 9 volt battery. for anyone wth any chronic pain likew lower back, shoulder, neck problems, when the day comes you cant go to the chiropractor and get fixed, havong your own TENS unit will make a real difference in dealing wth injury or chronic pain.
get some extra pads and some of the tubes of gel that lets you reuse the pads when the stick-um wears off.
several options but this is the one i like also good to get a couple extra of the wire cords.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCRE4GO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
might have mentioned this before but for $35 it is totally worth getting your own TENS. runs on a 9 volt battery. for anyone wth any chronic pain likew lower back, shoulder, neck problems, when the day comes you cant go to the chiropractor and get fixed, havong your own TENS unit will make a real difference in dealing wth injury or chronic pain.
get some extra pads and some of the tubes of gel that lets you reuse the pads when the stick-um wears off.
several options but this is the one i like also good to get a couple extra of the wire cords.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCRE4GO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A friend took me to a store called WinCo in Seattle. They are in multiple States. Some vegetables were $0.58/can. I would pay $1.50 or $1.25 for the same can here. I am really impressed at the prices.
Last edited:
Lol I’m used to the big city, grew up in it, but my husband grew up in small town Montana, so he didn’t lock his doors when he was driving the pickup until he met meLol, Seattle is definitely dangerous, thought a doc would be used to it by now. In bigger cities hospitals are in some of the worst neighborhoods imaginable. Especially LA. I'll never forget being sent to East LA Doctors Hosp, I find the entrance to the parking deck. There was a pile of broken cinder blocks where the guard shack used to be. Someone got mad at the security guy and drove their car over the shack.
Just one a dozens of dangerous hospitals I've worked at. Methodist hosp in Indianapolis is another. Herds of crack addicts roaming the neighborhood at night. My hotel was 2 blocks away with an off duty cop working the lobby. At 7:30pm I started out to get something from my rental car. The cop told me in no uncertain terms... don't go! I listened to his advice.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2020
- Messages
- 199
Kwik Trip (WI gas station) had “restaurant size” bakers -russets- for $.99/10 lbs! Limit 2 bags and I now have 4! We grow only organic reds and Yukons- It’s because I basically only like Yukons and reds. But
with the amount I give to people with meals over the winter, we are constantly running out.
Other people could care less what kind of potato it is. I plan to slice and roast a ton of these and stack them in bags in the deep freeze. May even try dehydrating.
I don’t think anyone has ever seen 10 pounds of these beautiful potatoes for that price in a long while. I peel all of them unlike my own potatoes because it does get rid of some of the chemicals used on the potatoes.
Wisconsin is a huge potato growing state.
with the amount I give to people with meals over the winter, we are constantly running out.
Other people could care less what kind of potato it is. I plan to slice and roast a ton of these and stack them in bags in the deep freeze. May even try dehydrating.
I don’t think anyone has ever seen 10 pounds of these beautiful potatoes for that price in a long while. I peel all of them unlike my own potatoes because it does get rid of some of the chemicals used on the potatoes.
Wisconsin is a huge potato growing state.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2020
- Messages
- 199
The biggest thing we did was to replace 16 regular solar batteries in our back up system with 4 lithium ion batteries. Battery system was 11 years old. Beyond the life expected of it.
Very expensive but totally worth it to us.
We are in the middle of honkin’ nowhere.
The new batteries can run everything at our house for a full week even if there’s not a minuscule of sunlight. Obviously our entire house is based on energy conservation as it would not run a normal house that long. Heating and electric stove and dryer all 240 volt excluded. But I have other ways of doing all of that.
Big decision but why wait until our money is worth nothing and then have the existing standard batteries go. Our batteries were at the end of their life and beyond.
We decided to think this way (spend $$ now before it loses value) this whole year. Adding more raised beds to our food garden in spring. We bought the beds 1+ years ago, but need the landscaper guys to come extend the fence and grade the site so drainage is correct.
Very expensive but totally worth it to us.
We are in the middle of honkin’ nowhere.
The new batteries can run everything at our house for a full week even if there’s not a minuscule of sunlight. Obviously our entire house is based on energy conservation as it would not run a normal house that long. Heating and electric stove and dryer all 240 volt excluded. But I have other ways of doing all of that.
Big decision but why wait until our money is worth nothing and then have the existing standard batteries go. Our batteries were at the end of their life and beyond.
We decided to think this way (spend $$ now before it loses value) this whole year. Adding more raised beds to our food garden in spring. We bought the beds 1+ years ago, but need the landscaper guys to come extend the fence and grade the site so drainage is correct.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 10,034
It cost $150.00 to $209.00 for a new one. This one was to small, so they bought a bigger one & sold this one, it is way too small, but worth fifty dollars.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2018
- Messages
- 803
I have an upright freezer of that size that i only use for meat and it's amazing how much it holds. I later bought a 5 cubic ft upright. When I got them it was hard to find any freezer in stock but I'm very pleased because they fit in small out of the way spaces. For $50 and it's only a year old? I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 10,034
I bought a used mobile home about a year after I married, do not believe in renting.
Anyways, they left a large up right freezer in the house & we used it until we sold the mobile home.
I never liked up rights, but now I wonder if I should get one because of it's small foot print.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2018
- Messages
- 803
I prefer the uprights because it's easier to get to the food in them. There are advantages and disadvantages with both styles but it's hard for me to reach down into a chest freezer any bigger than the one you showed.. My little ones make no noise and haven't raised my electricity at all. When my kids were growing up I had a big chest freezer - 21 cu ft - and the only place I could put it was the garage where it did use more electricity.
I like WinCo! They also have a great bulk section.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 8,023
The local grocery had a sale on cheese so I bought 10 of them to put in the freezer, even though I have little room.
Bought all the wild rice they had for $1 each that were the 6 oz box sizes instead of the new rice-roni 4.3 oz boxes.
I nabbed some buckets at a local bakery for less than $2 each and they came with lids and were cleaned out.
Took delivery of 48 rechargeable batteries.
I spent some time in the pantry organizing recent purchases and packing some other stuff away.
Bought all the wild rice they had for $1 each that were the 6 oz box sizes instead of the new rice-roni 4.3 oz boxes.
I nabbed some buckets at a local bakery for less than $2 each and they came with lids and were cleaned out.
Took delivery of 48 rechargeable batteries.
I spent some time in the pantry organizing recent purchases and packing some other stuff away.
Smaller footprint, but holds a lot less food and is a lot less efficient, and the space it does take up can ONLY be used as for the freezer, my chest freezers double as table tops in my storehouse for food prep, packaging etc.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 10,034
Table top, bad ideal, I have had a chest freezer 90% of my 61 years & the top having any weight on it will break the plastic cover, that hold the insulation in the freezer lid. A shelf over the freezer will work, but in time you will break your freezer lid.
My big freezer is only 27 years old & every time I went down starts there would be some thing on the freezer.
I refuse to whip a grown woman with a belt, so thing continued to be on the freezer.
Now I have to replace the freezer, because the the insulation is hanging out of the lid.
Oh it works great at long as you do not open it.
I bought an upright the summer before Covid because I thought my 20-year-old chest freezer was dying. In hindsight, the best thing I did. Nearly three years on, I have two freezers
My chest freezer is still plugging away. I keep my meat in the upright because its newer, and easier to find stuff when each drawer is dedicated to a type meat. Bags of veg, chips, bread, dog bones, pastry, soup and cheese take up the other one. TThoughI've started stocking up on full chickens- 2kg ones of good quality and locally grown have been 5.50 lately, so I cook one for sandwiches and a curry or pie. Cheaper than the sliced meats with would be 3.50 for two slices of dubious chicken. If we are notified of blackouts. It's probably upping my elec bill, but sort of worth it as I save on diesel.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2020
- Messages
- 1,357
I've only ever had uprights. Currently we have two. The older one is from 1980~ish. Got it from Sears and it's still going. Light burnt out and can't get the cage that covers it off so it's dark in there. It needs defrosting every year. Summer of 2020 we decided to get the other one out of fear of the older one tanking. There were none to be had easily. Called the store where we get all the appliances for the multi-family building and our saleman is their top dog. He moved us to the top of the list when the next delivery came in. Old one still worked so we kept it. Almost all my meat is in the new one with vegetables, butter, and prepacked stuff in the old. I find them easy to organize and, more importantly, keep organized with regular use.
Dug out one of the five "Super-Super Sleeping Bags" from a connex and brought it in to warm for a few days. Prepped the smallest of six pair of snowshoes for "Stand-by" active duty (currently only 12" of snow). Burned what will likely be the last barrel of trash till pre-spring. Dumped the half full poop bucket in the woods.
Note: for those figuring to use a 5-gallon poop bucket in a post SHTF event, best give some thought (now) where you could dump it, remember the SHTF might be months or years, best have a back-up seat for your buckets, and lot of 13- or 15-gallon plastic bags. Here in Alaska, they are called "Honey Buckets".
I need to pay attention to the temperature below zero. I am currently inventorying about 22 cases of booze and was "shocked" to learn it starts turning to slush at eleven below zero, and at sixteen below can freeze solid breaking the bottles, near $2,900.00 of booze, they are stored in unheated connex.
This past week hauled many loads of canned goods and other supplies up the mountain using the small (Otter Brand) sled.
Note: for those figuring to use a 5-gallon poop bucket in a post SHTF event, best give some thought (now) where you could dump it, remember the SHTF might be months or years, best have a back-up seat for your buckets, and lot of 13- or 15-gallon plastic bags. Here in Alaska, they are called "Honey Buckets".
I need to pay attention to the temperature below zero. I am currently inventorying about 22 cases of booze and was "shocked" to learn it starts turning to slush at eleven below zero, and at sixteen below can freeze solid breaking the bottles, near $2,900.00 of booze, they are stored in unheated connex.
This past week hauled many loads of canned goods and other supplies up the mountain using the small (Otter Brand) sled.
My freezer lid is metal. I've used it as workbench when setting rivets, had a couple hundred pounds of other food on top of it while processing so I think I'm safe.
We were always told alcohol doesn't freeze - but maybe we don't get the temps needed. Picked up extra buckets with lids from a restaurant, and stocked up on drinking water also in case of blackouts and no pump.
I knew a guy who kept vodka in his freezer! A lot of it, never froze.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2020
- Messages
- 1,357
Now you know two people.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2017
- Messages
- 10,034
That what DW said for 18 years, she was wrong & it is costing me money, I hope you are right, but remember you heard it here first.
Fair enough...if I have to fix it in 18 years, I'll try to remember your warning.
It depends on the amount of alcohol and water. If you have 80 proof booze it is 60% water. Put that against Everclear which is around 190 proof or 95% alcohol.
I just got this book after having it on my "wishlist" for a very long time. I like his site and appreciate his point of view. I will show the cover and index so you can see what sort of information is included. It's a very large book, just shy of 500 pgs. I've perused it and read tidbits but have not thoroughly read it yet so can't offer a real review yet.
Last edited:
