wide scale preparations scenario

[patandchickens]

Okay- We live on a lake and even in the summer the water is still pretty cold. I was thinking if we have no electricity we could take all of our meat and fridge stuff and put it in a cooler or even just a garbage bag and lower it with a rope into water. I wonder how cold that would keep the meat??

Reasonably cold most of the time, if you get it deep enough. You know how lakes stratify in the summer, so you get a layer of warm water on top of cold water, with a very abrupt transition from one to the other? (Swim down as deep as you can in, like, July or Aug and you will see what i mean). As long as you can get the food down below the thermocline into the cold water, it should be in the 40s-50s F which will do reasonable good, esp. towards the low end of that range.

The two things you have to watch out for is complete overturn of the lake, as can happen after a storm or in late summer or early fall, where the whole thing mixes together and suddenly the temp down where yer food is is much warmer; and (mainly, I'd think) the waterproofness issue. A cooler or garbage bag will not be nearly waterproof enough. A gamma-sealed bucket might. It depends somewhat on how deep you have to park the stuff to get below the thermocline, as pressure starts becoming an issue and making normally leakproof things tend to leak.

If you figured the loss of power was going to be prolonged, as in the topic of this thread, I think it would be Real Wise to quickly get as much as possible of your meat and other perishables into canned or dried form, though.

Pat, aquatic biologist in former life

 

[old fashioned]

Modern Pioneer-I'm not too sure how to say this.......but.......me thinks you're a bit touched in the head

 

[On Our own]

What about those relatives??

I had a conversation with my sisters. We live out in a rural area and are fairly well stocked and knowledgable about survival skills. One sister is an armed sociopath so we invited her along for protection; all we asked she bring is weapons and ammo. The other sister is pretty useless. Sociopath sister and I both agree on that so we gave her a very specific stock list and told her we would let her in if she showed up with those supplies - otherwise she was on her own!! (Her list was something she could stockpile - meds especially anti-biotics.

I also stockpile rot gut hooch for bartering, and DH learned how to build a still.

But, I question one aspect of this scenario - the worthlessness of the dollar would come about slower than that I think simply because americans refuse to believe it is worthless. So they will keep trading it for a while.

My area just got socked with a massive snow storm and we are not used to it. DH made out like a bandit since we had a tractor, snow plow and fuel. I baked bread and sold eggs. People were demanding, but willing to part with many worthless reserve notes for what they wanted.

 

[Jamsoundsgood]

For my part, I'm going to stock pile toilet paper for barter, while barter is still good. People are willing to do without a lot of things, but not their double-ply. I can use old t-shirts and wash them at the creek just fine, but I doubt some of the city-fied lake people down the street could, and we are going to need access to the lake for fresh fish.

 

[SKR8PN]

Modern Pioneer-I'm not too sure how to say this.......but.......me thinks you're a bit touched in the head

Yup......I'm pretty darn sure me and him can find our way into some trouble....without even TRYING!!

 

[modern_pioneer]

SKR8PN see post #38

Me nuts.....Hmmmmm.... I swear it was 100% good humor, that's all. I suppose if I didn't know me, I 'd feel the same.

Just a twisted sense of humor is all, that's normal isn't it?

 

[hennypenny9]

My prep would be to not be in my present location. Get to family that has property and also have brains. I can't tell you how silly some people are with their land. Why have five acres of lawn? Anyway, if I've gotten to somewhere with people I trust, then that's about all I can do. Becoming more self sufficient is always good, but it isn't helpful if someone just shot you for your garden.

 

[dacjohns]

I want a dune buggy and a half-track motorcycle like that.

 

[justusnak]

MP, skr8PN....you 2 crack me up!
HOWEVER....ahem...I am a pretty good cook, I can spin wool...and crochet. I think I would be pretty handy to have around.... (hint hint)

 

[FarmerDenise]

MP, I love it!!.
I'll skip SIL's place and come to yours with all my dehydrated food, hunting and fishing gear and medical suplies. And a few how to books, just in case we need to look something up? Especially herbal remedies. I also have a good collection of seeds. And spent my adolescent years living in the country, way in the country so I know a thing or two about making do and doing without!