Preparations Update

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Amish Heart said:
I stripped the leaves off of our kale a number of weeks ago because of the little green worms. The chickens loved them. And I kept the stem and it's back again looking good. Glad I didn't have to pull the plants.
Click to expand...
I never thought of that - might try that or might not. I don't like where I planted it this year. It's not convenient when I need it. I thought I might plant some more out back where the rest of the food garden items are since we should be done with the 100+ degree weather.
 
Slow day.
Wheeled the trash container out to the road for trash man 8 AM pickup (empty). Back in the house doing other stuff when wife asked if I was getting ready to take out the trash, nope already done. We go through this every Monday, wife wants me to wait until she empties the wastebaskets, when I wait, trash man is already pass our road before the wife is "ready". One Saturday I empty the wastepaper baskets to prevent the drama on Monday. Wife was upset because I was going to throw out her "good" wastepaper basket bags ?!?!?!?
Got a 6 PM meeting. Wife promised she'd have the car back before then, she has a history of always being late. I have a Plan B in place.
Solar for the RV is scheduled to be delivered today. 200 Watts to keep the RV batteries charged. I'm going to a competition next month and I wanted a way to keep the RV's batteries charged. Solar is portable so it can be used for SHTF situations too.
 
Last edited:
The Lazy L said:
Solar for the RV is scheduled to be delivered today. 200 AMPS to keep the RV batteries charged
Click to expand...

I politely request you start a thread about portable solar chargers........especially high quality units.
 
Sourdough said:
I politely request you start a thread about portable solar chargers........especially high quality units.
Click to expand...
There are already a number of threads with solar charging discussions,
Solar Power Recommendations number of them listed....
DIY Solar Charging Station
Adding solar to an old on grid homestead
Solar powered barn? (gable fan, lights, heat, etc)
Need solar charger for my flip phone.

There are so many threads it becomes difficult to cover/follow everything....

I agree, that it would be nice if @The Lazy L would post his DIY-RV Solar install progress and results under one of those threads....
 
UrbanHunter said:
There are already a number of threads with solar charging discussions,
Solar Power Recommendations number of them listed....
DIY Solar Charging Station
Adding solar to an old on grid homestead
Solar powered barn? (gable fan, lights, heat, etc)
Need solar charger for my flip phone.

There are so many threads it becomes difficult to cover/follow everything....

I agree, that it would be nice if @The Lazy L would post his DIY-RV Solar install progress and results under one of those threads....
Click to expand...

I just want to know what is the most prudent purchase for $200.00 or for $400.00 or $600.00 it is far to to complex for me to DIY. I want to purchase it, and plug stuff in.
 
Sourdough said:
I just want to know what is the most prudent purchase for $200.00 or for $400.00 or $600.00 it is far to to complex for me to DIY. I want to purchase it, and plug stuff in.
Click to expand...
I'm All in with you there @Sourdough, I am trying to patch together a small "DIY" kit myself.. I have some batteries, a couple of inverters, a controller, the specialty wire some connectors and tools but no solar panels yet. I am finding that to do what I want I am going to have to spent between $400 and $800.

I see Renogy is having a sell with 12% off some of their kits, they have a 200 watt kit for $307 with free shipping ( 200 Watt 12 Volt Solar Starter Kit) so $335 with tax..., but I would prefer 400 watts so it would be useful as an emergency backup, they have a kit with a PWM controller for $581 with free shipping, so about $630 with tax. It would give me something to build to... But I am hesitant (the sale ends in 3 days)....

The kits seem to have everything but the battery, the cables from the battery to an inverter, and an inverter.
 
What I am "questing" for is a solar unit that is complete package, as in one compact foldable unit. In the winter, I am going to need to leave a vehicle at the bottom of the mountain, and will need a way to solar trickle charge the batteries. "BUT" I desire that the unit did more in the "Non-winter" period. So I want more then a small trickle charger. I want (for example to be able to take my "predator call" to the middle of nowhere and recharge the battery pack, for a week or months.
 
Dragged out my massive pillow water tank out of storage ready to set it up under the house only to find out that the rats had chewed holes in it. Gahhhhh. Went and priced a new one and thank goodness I was sitting down. Then I went and priced patch kits and it looks like I'll need at least 8. 8 patch kits are cheaper than buying a whole new tank. So next pension I'll be buying patch kits and not down spout fittings, diverters and flat hose because I don't want to spend all that money not knowing if the patch kits are going to work.
I got the feathered up chicks out on the chicken pen in a semi wrecked dog crate. The door was mangled and I removed it with a pair of bolt cutters and Jerry rigged a new one with some weldmesh and ring clamps. It ain't pretty and it ain't really strong but I ain't keeping in Buffalo or Landsharks either.
I'm happy to finally get them out of the house. The Landsharks prey drive ment I lived in constant fear they were going to end up as horderves.
 
After work yesterday the wife was making squash casseroles, 1 to eat 1 to freeze, I had the meat sat out in the fridge to make meat loaves and she decided to mix up a double batch..... She made 3 mini meat loaves to freeze and then gave the rest to me to do what ever. So while the meat loaves and casserole were baking I did the dishes (including canning jars), I canned 6 pints of meat loaf, while I was waiting watching the dial I washed everything we had used in the kitchen. Was done by 10 PM and called it a night, but we had 3 meat loaves and a squash casserole in the freezer; plus 6 pints of meat loaf on the counter cooling.
 
Sourdough said:
What I am "questing" for is a solar unit that is complete package, as in one compact foldable unit. In the winter, I am going to need to leave a vehicle at the bottom of the mountain, and will need a way to solar trickle charge the batteries. "BUT" I desire that the unit did more in the "Non-winter" period. So I want more then a small trickle charger. I want (for example to be able to take my "predator call" to the middle of nowhere and recharge the battery pack, for a week or months.
Click to expand...
They had a 10 watt unit for trickle charging car batteries (the kind you sit on the dash) and they had 50 and 100 watt units that fold. Either would do what you want. I have used the 10 watt ones for keeping car batteries charged. If your cigarette lighter works when the key is off you can plug the trickle charger into that and place it on the dash (works best if the window is facing south). I have to be honest that if the car is covered in snow the charger stops working......

In that case having 50 or 100 watts of solar charger in the trunk could be helpful to charge the battery while I spent the day waiting, I would not want to leave one of those unattended, even in the middle of nowhere things grow legs and walk off.... I think both of those units could be taken up to your cabin and used to charge a battery to support some of your electrical needs there..... Possibly a backup to your backup....
 
Stocked up on canned foods this morning ( dated 2-3 years out)
Insect spray
Lysol wipes
paper products
pastas and noodles
vitamins for me ( daily and D3)
foot powder and spray for hubby
He ordered some waterproof boots for this winter

Had my little Toyota Echo worked on and she had a whole makeover. Found out it had 1 broken engine mount and 2 others were cracked, so they were all replaced. New tires, new air filters, fixed the ac which hasn't worked for about 10 years lol.
There was so much done, I can't remember it all. It works now like its brand new off the line. Its 21 years old. The last time I checked it was getting 36 mpg but that was years ago and it depends on how much weight its carrying

Next up is the FJ Cruiser. I think it just needs tuned up. Right now I'm getting 23 mpg on it and I want to see how it does afterwards. I think the gas gauge is wonky but I'm not sure. Hopefully it'll be put on the machine to check the computer and see whats going on.
Have to get this done before winter hits.
 
This is a prep planning update.... We have decided that I will take a very long weekend on Labor Day just to can ready/quick meals and meats: But there are a lot of problems as we don't have the refrigerator space to store all the fresh food that will needed to do all the canning. But, the Lord provides a way, each week we get 2 Styrofoam 3 gallon coolers with medicine and fake ice, so we will save them for the next 4 weeks and that will give us 8 coolers and fake ice to store all the diced vegetables without using the refrigerator.

The current plan is to put all the recipes into a spreadsheet (I love spreadsheets) and have it add up all the stuff we will need (Gives me a shopping list), we will try to use as much as we can out of the garden and venison in place of any beef requirements, this should help us keep the cost down a little....
We will plan the logical order for doing the canning so we can move from recipe A to B to C... in logical order to save time...

Then we will figure out how much chicken stock we are going to need, we will make chicken stock the weekend before and store it in the refrigerator(s)

Week before Labor Day:
On the Monday evening I will do the grocery store run for everything on the "List"
Starting Tuesday or Wednesday the wife will start chopping vegetables and putting them in food safe bags and then into a cooler.... This will allow her to chop all the vegetables using the food processor with only 1 clean up....
On Wednesday evening I will run the dishwasher with just jars
On Thursday Morning we heat up some stock and start canning, we will try to cold pack what we can, anything that needs cooking will be done early on.
Rinse and repeat until resources are depleted.....
Labor-day is expected to be a cleanup day...
My best guess would be to put up about a 3 month's supply of food in 2 weekends.....
 
One step forward and one step backwards and all of it costing me money that I don't have.
I rang an upholstery shop in town to see if they were able to patch my tank and they suggested that I bring it in to get a free quote. It's going to cost me $80 to get it fixed which is awesome. Plus they are going to do a proper job of it. They're going to cut a long slit in the seam so they can patch the holes on both sides and then plastic weld the slit once they're done.. They said that it's the proper way to do it because it will stand up to the water pressure better than patching it on one side.
The head on my whippersnipper melted off. The whole internal thread was smooth. A new head and knob is going to cost me $30.
I was planning on buying a refurbished laptop to replace the one the Landshark destroyed but it looks like that will have to be pushed out to later. I'm not happy about it but you can only do what you can do.
 
i made my cc cry today and bought a jackery 500 W solar generator. i have a small 250W ive had for years that i pull out when the electric goes out now and then in the winter and i already have an 80W solar panel. id hang in the window to recharge it just thought it was a good idea to get a larger one before they cant be found or i cant afford it. with a discount on amazon it was around $440

im also trying to stock up on vitamins and minerals and other supplements i can from puritanspride.com and swansons when i can cause i believe that stuff is going to g4et hgarder to find or afford-.
 
I just ordered more canned Red Salmon, this should give me seven cases. I started burying them today. They will stay safe from freezing and forest fires.
 
Sourdough said:
I just ordered more canned Red Salmon, this should give me seven cases. I started burying them today. They will stay safe from freezing and forest fires.
Click to expand...

When our home burned in a forest fire, the freezer didn't look too well n there wasn't any food left. Just another thing lost that maybe folks don't think about. Years supply of food gone.
A freezer is one of the first things my beautiful wife bought after the fire n concentration finding food on sale n donations of extra salmon, moose, berries, garden veggies n such. She also bought a canner.
Just a reminder that folks who burn out need clothes but food n long term food storage is just as important if not more important
 
Aklogcabin said:
When our home burned in a forest fire, the freezer didn't look too well n there wasn't any food left. Just another thing lost that maybe folks don't think about. Years supply of food gone.
A freezer is one of the first things my beautiful wife bought after the fire n concentration finding food on sale n donations of extra salmon, moose, berries, garden veggies n such. She also bought a canner.
Just a reminder that folks who burn out need clothes but food n long term food storage is just as important if not more important
Click to expand...

Sorry about the fire, wildfires and cabin fires are my number one SHTF concern and I take great pains to guard against it. But often this is something we don’t control. Fires suck.
 
Well Ive reassessed my spending plan for tomorrow's pension.
I'm way ahead on rent ( about 10 weeks) so I can allocate those funds to buying the laptop. My nine kilo lpg bottle ran out of gas when I was in the middle of making lunch. Perfect timing really so money that was going to be allocated to buying a new whippersnipper head is now going towards getting my bottle refilled. That will make two full nine kilo bottles. If things go pear shaped I'll need them to can up the meat in the freezer.
 
Spare parts for all weapons. Inventory all food items. Same goes with firewood and other items for heating. Check car items for the up coming winter and such. Clothing update for all seasons. The big one is the Medical bag. Inventory and update it.
 
So, today was take all the best laid plans and intentions and rip them up and throw them to the wind.
Yeah, I brought the refurbished laptop, got the quail and chicken feed, the 9 kilo propane tank filled...then things got hella twisted.
Went off script when I realized I need more heart worm meds and ear infection drops for the Landshark.
Ear infection AGAIN because I accidentally used the same scoop for the chicken feed to measure out her insanely expensive grain free dogfood.
That tiny sniff of grain was enough to give her ear infections, a rash on her belly and have her chewing her paws.
Went to Aldi and Woolworths and was ballsy enough not to use the QR code once.
Got 2 x 5 kg bags of rice, 2 kgs of chicken legs, a lot of pasta and various household cleaners.
Didn't get chipped once for not using the QR code but I did chose my moments.
Proud of me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top