2012 TSHTF Preps

[big brown horse]

OK so maybe 2012 will bring catastrophic events and maybe not. Lets not debate that here. IF it were to happen, how would you play out the next 2 yrs to prepare?

know I am missing tons, so jump in!

If you don't want to prepare for a catastrophe, don't participate in this thread. Simple as that.

I believe our dear friend Dace asked that there not be any debating here. She is looking for ideas. If you can't offer any, go to another thread where you can.

 

[delia_peterson]

I guess those of us who live in tiny apartments where the most we can stockpile is a week's worth of groceries are going to end up being someone's burden.

I disagree that a small apartment can only hold a weeks worth of food.

I lived for years in tiny apartments. I now live in a tiny house. Creative storage can get you at least several months worth of food on hand without making your house look like a fall out shelter. My coffee table is a wicker chest. I got it at a garage sale for $10. It is full of dry goods. My end table is a wood chest too. That is about half full. Another end table is one of those big snake charmer looking baskets. Between the three I can get about 6 months worth of beans, canned meat, dried veggies, honey, steel cut oats, quinoa, lentils, nuts, canned tomatoes, salt, dried herbs and other long term storage items.

After those three are full, I can get a 4 pack of small storage tubs that fit under the bed for $4 (the large ones don't always fit underneath so I don't buy them anymore). Buy one 4 pack a month and fill it up and stuff it under the bed.

As for my address....hee hee hee. Go to Colorado and head straight. If you get to Pueblo, you've gone to far


One more thing...
I don't worry about stuff going bad. First of all, I only store stuff that can last for years without getting nasty or degrading too much. Second, I am practicing cooking with all the of the stores ingredients to make sure I know what I am doing. Hubby is enjoying his guinea pig status and really likes my ham and bean experiments. 3rd, if I really think I might not be able to use something, I donate it while it is still in good condition to the local food bank.

I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Thank you for these ideas, WZ! I also live in a small place and am using all my pantry and under the bed spots...now I see more options....

 

[okiegirl1]

where did I see, someone said something about how to store tons of toilet paper. Removing the mattress from the extra bedroom and replacing it with toilet paper, put a foam layer on top, and wa-la!
storage and an extra place to sleep.

not sure if it'd work or not, but gets you thinking outside the box

 

[Blackbird]

There was a thread on here about having secret passages and hiding spots in your house to hide people and things, it was very interesting.. anyone know where that thread went?

 

[big brown horse]

Anyone thinking about clothing? Coats etc. What about tools to make clothes and sweaters and shoes. Noobie wasn't it you who posted those cool, hand-made, recycled-material shoes?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

The viking shoes? Yeah, those were cool
BB, I want that thread! We must find it!
Okie, I know a woman who did that. You never would have known unless you pulled up the covers & looked. They had like 3 sheets sets on them to muffle the crackle of the plastic wrap.

Needles & thread (& the ability to use them)
Scissors
Fabric stockpile or knowledge of tanning for buckskin & furs
Knowledge of thread making from sinew or plant fibers (flax anyone?)
Knowledge of pattern making (even rough patterns)
Duct tape
Firemaking skills
Shelter making skills (in case you had to bug out without a tent/canvas)

 

[okiegirl1]

Okie, I know a woman who did that. You never would have known unless you pulled up the covers & looked. They had like 3 sheets sets on them to muffle the crackle of the plastic wrap.
)

that's probably where I heard it.

for some reason that thought has never been far from my mind. I think it's such a neat idea.

 

[okiegirl1]

Anyone thinking about clothing? Coats etc. What about tools to make clothes and sweaters and shoes. Noobie wasn't it you who posted those cool, hand-made, recycled-material shoes?

is using a knifty knitter a marketable post-apocalyptic skill ??

 

[big brown horse]

I was using mine when I typed that.

 

[Ldychef2k]

A week ago, The History Channel ran a special called something like "After Armageddon". It was a two hour show which created a scenario of a global pandemic which led to the breakdown of society, then followed a fictional family as they came to the realization that their world had changed forever. Parts of it were laughable, and parts were incredibly sobering. The authors overall did a good job of taking it step-by-step, focusing on one possible evolution of events in a fictional family.

One of the largest lessons of this show was not to watch for a big WHAM of an event, but rather a series of small ones which compound on top of one another, until the characters had to come to the difficult conclusion that the poo had definitely hit the fan. They denied it for a VERY long time, but when looters were going door to door in their neighborhood with bats and guns, they figured it out and went on to make the exterior of their house look like it had already been looted.

I came away from this show with an increased sense that I need to really be ready for most anything with some very basic things. I am good to go for probably two years on my stored foods. I built a rocket stove, have a solar cooker made from a car reflector, and am STILL working on the cob oven. I am on a learning curve in the building of a solar generator. (Which is my contribution to the list being created here.) I have hundreds of candles and firestarters made.

I have stored water, but not nearly enough. I have alternative sanitation methods, including now more than 250 rolls of toilet paper. Someone mentioned storage: You can cut WAY down on the space the TERM PREGNANCY occupies by removing the tube and flattening the roll, then cramming them into boxes !!!

Has anyone mentioned the need to have a cache of over-the-counter and prescription medications? Bleach? Ammonia for cleaning? I have read all the posts, but can't remember...

Anyway, today I went to my volunteer time for the local charity and we decided that I am going to prepare a survival handbook. We deal with desperate people who are at the end of their rope and need some basics, like food and shelter. Once we hook them up with that, we then want to give them some skills that will help prevent a recurrence of the crisis. That's where my little handbook will help. My priorty these days is helping others prepare for, or hopefully avert in some small way, the S hitting the fan.