Preparedness Lessons from COVID-19

Yes, I did have to give serious consideration to the kind of meals DH could/could not eat in a SHTF scenario. Rice is a no-no for him as well as most breads/grains. He can eat a small amount of beans without a blood sugar issue - but he is a challenge. I, however, took advantage of the situation to eat as many carbs as I could stuff into my face, lol. You know...as a sacrifice and all that.
 
Britesea said:
Yes! I will lose an awful lot of information if computer and internet aren't available for some reason.

I've also learned I need to make sure I have room to do Tai Chi if it's too cold to do outside.
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I typically do a bookmark, and a download,PDF, and a print out if it is something I really want or need in a hard copy.
 
Keep on keeping on. I am oh so thankful that God prompted me to take action before the rush every. step. of. the. way. And, He has met our every need, every step of the way. From leading me to 2 good supplies of duck eggs of the breeds I wanted, to supplying a free chest freezer, placing me in the store in time to get the last package of hamburg, or the very last of this or that... The minute the first reports of this disease started coming out of China, I told hubby that we needed to take this seriously, in terms of supply shortages. Whether the disease became a personal issue for us or not, the supply shortages have impacted everyone. So, we are better prepared than most. And, I'm keeping my incubators going to help fill the gap for folks who want to start chicks (and ducks.) I was talking with a neighbor yesterday. Per her grape vine, she says that folks who want to start chicks can't get any until August, if even then. So... I've got first batch set aside for myself, and more ducks and chicks due to hatch in early May. May set 2 more bator loads of chicks for May. Then... see how the supply/demand is looking.

The one short fall I'm aware of: Too much dependence on info on the computer, and not enough at my fingertips here in the house. One issue we're still dealing with on a monthly basis is the total incompetence of the pharmacy in seeing to it that hubby's meds are available when he needs them. He's supposed to be on auto fill, with a phone call every 90 days to puck up his medications, but... it's a non stop battle with no end in sight or resolution to the incompetence. If he does not have 2 of his key meds, he is a dead man within a week or so.
 
I have learned that I am pretty well prepared too, which was a lovely surprise :D . I am not even on to the last pack of loo roll that I had stored before the virus started.

I learned that hiding chocolate from myself is a bad idea, because then I spend a lot of time looking for where I have hidden it, only to find I have eaten it all. Maybe if I can see how much I have left, I wouldn't eat as much... maybe. Haha.

A freezer would be really handy for meat, but I knew that before anyway. The stimulus isn't going to cover a new freezer for me with the increased costs elsewhere, but I am still looking into it. I wanted a chest freezer but someone told me they cost more to run.

Mental health wise... well I am shocked people are having SUCH a hard time of it. There are more adverts for mental health care here than there are for the virus now. I have felt a real improvement in my mental health without the pressure of conforming to a social system I have never fit into. I have managed to join my congregation twice a week via zoom when the travel is prohibitive in usual times. I have saved money in petrol costs, clothes and energy in avoiding social contact.

I do use the internet a lot and if the electricity went out, it would not be fun, but I would survive. I have plenty of cookbooks, some gardening books, camping, rope skills etc. I would like a crochet technique book as I have to look online a lot for that. I'd also like to get a book that tells me which plants of australia are poison and which are useful as if things got bad I would utilise the natural bushland more.
 
I look at this as a trial run, a test. TP got to be an issue because it was time to restock. Haha. So from now on, I will keep a better back stock. We buy Feed once a month. I don’t keep more than that because it gets old. We did go stock up and buy enough for 6 weeks, same with dog food.

We had plenty of everything else. We could live for 6 months to a year, as long as the power stayed on.

In a true SHTF, no power would get real serious real quick. Our mobile home gets hot and stuffy in the summer when power goes off. It would be miserable.

What I learned is that animal feed would be critical. Chickens would have to rustle up their own. We don’t have enough grass for horses and sheep. Even with what I have planted and what I will plant, there wouldn’t be enough to go around. SHTF would mean no tractors making hay.

I need to print the recipes I saved on the computer. I need to review the sites I saved to my favorites. If there is something important, I need to print it out.

I learned you can’t be prepared for everything. But being prepared means you can take care of your family and be a help in your community.
 
Something others have learned: some children are thriving with home school- they are able to get more sleep because they don't have to be at school at a specific time, they find they do better without the distraction of social interaction in class. ON THE OTHER HAND... a lot of parents are developing a much deeper appreciation for just how much work teachers do.,. and they aren't even having to deal with an entire class, just whatever number of children they have.
 
Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

1. If you have the infrastructure, equipment, knowledge, and a little money you can pretty much be back to capacity in two weeks. I had downsized a lot with the intention of moving this summer and hopefully purchasing a place. However, that does not look to be the sensible. So, I have been able to bring all of my livestock projects back and go back to "survival gardening" in no time.

2. Don't underestimate the power of grains and protein in long term storage. Every meal includes one of each.

3. I am thankful for the library that I have invested in over the years. I have dozens of how-to, gardening, and preparedness books that I have purchased. Plus, theology books and fictional books to read during the down time. That's information and entertainment.

4. Finally, the biggest lesson I have learned is the power of time. My biggest problem the last few years has been the lack of time to dedicate to self reliant living. I now have the time needed to be efficient at this way of living. It is really a reminder to me that I need to slow down when things resume as normal.
 
Daisy said:
A freezer would be really handy for meat, but I knew that before anyway. The stimulus isn't going to cover a new freezer for me with the increased costs elsewhere, but I am still looking into it. I wanted a chest freezer but someone told me they cost more to run.
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I have always hear that chest freezers are better for energy efficiency - they cost less to run. Keep it full for best efficiency also. If nothing else, freeze milk jugs of water to take up space and help keep the cold. If the power goes out, throw blankets over it to help keep the cold in.

Every time you open an upright freezer, all the cold air falls out. Open a chest freezer and the cold air stays right there in the freezer.

I took the following from this article: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/upright-freezer-vs-chest-freezer/

Chest or upright freezer?
This really comes down to personal preference and space. These two different appliances have pros and cons to consider before you go shopping.

Chest freezers:
  • Chest freezers have around 20 percent more usable space than a upright freezer.
  • The temperature in a chest freezer stays consistent because it doesn't have a self-defrost system. Here's how to defrost a chest freezer.
  • Air doesn't circulate as much in a chest freezer. This helps prevent freezer burn better than uprights.
  • If there is a blackout, the chest freezer will keep your food frozen longer than an upright.
  • They also tend to use less electricity than uprights, but be sure to compare Energy Saver tags while you're shopping to see which models are more energy-efficient.
  • It's really hard to find the food you need in chest storage without rearranging and searching.
Upright freezers:
  • Upright freezers are easier to organize because they have shelves.
  • Upright freezers take up less space. A 22-cubic-foot chest freezer uses a rectangle floor space of 2 feet by 6 feet, while an upright 22-cubic-foot freezer only takes up 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet of floor space.
  • They usually come in a variety of finishes.
  • Chest freezers tend to be around $100 cheaper than upright versions.
  • Though they are convenient, the temperature of door shelves are often warmer than the inside of the freezer.
  • Uprights are typically noisier than chest freezers.
 
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