IRL Planners

[aldersprig]

1) This contest is kind of fun... I could probably find a use for "Approximately 2000 calories per day for 375 days"... considering Weightwatchers, that's almost 2 people x a year.

2) This TV Show, Doomsday Preppers, was a lot of fun.

Why don't preppers ever stock clothes? Or razors?

(edited to change "why don't they stock food?" to what I meant: "why don't they stock CLOTHES?")

Comments

[clare_dragonfly]

Wow, I definitely want to watch that show.

I'm sure preppers do stock food... maybe not the ones on that show? I know in one of the threads on the Apocalypse Whenever group on Goodreads (honestly the best group I've found, and not just because of the name) there's a discussion about someone stealing the MREs from her prepper neighbor in the event. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a religious group (Mormons?) that are supposed to keep a year's supply of food around to prepare for the apocalypse.

Razors, I'm not so sure about. Straight razors would be really useful, though, not just for shaving.

[aldersprig]

Talk about my stupidest typos: "why don't they stock CLOTHES?"

Changing that now.

Mormons, yes.

They have the BEST bunkers!

Fleas, ticks.. not having body hair isn't just a comfort issue.

[clare_dragonfly]

XD Yes, that makes more sense. I always figure I'll be able to make my own clothes (starting with the cotton--sheep would be better, of course, if it weren't for the allergy) after the apocalypse.

Hmm, I don't know that fleas and ticks are any less likely to show up if you're shaven. Though I suppose they would be easier to find.

[aldersprig]

You'd have to have access to the cotton, a spinning mechanism, a loom, scissors, and sewing.

If I were getting into this, I'd vac-seal a couple bolts of sturdy utility fabric, but I'd still want stuff I could pull off a shelf and put on my kids.

From experience with a flea infestation... they bugged T., and the fur on his legs, less than me.

[clare_dragonfly]

Access to cotton would be the trickiest part. Certainly if I were getting out of my house in response to the apocalypse I'd bring my spindle, knitting needles (I don't know how to weave, except in theory), and sewing implements with me. Assuming I had a chance, of course, but I could probably make a spindle and knitting needles if necessary.

[aldersprig]

knitting is good, too (I don't know how to weave, either)

[lilfluff]

It is also my understanding that it is suggested Mormons use their regular cupboard for that years supply. The theory being that you will be more likely to keep on top of (and less likely to run into a problem with) expiration dates, or notice that pests got to your supply, if it is made up of what you are actually regularly eating.

A vacuum sealer is also a nice thing. You can buy bulk packs of stuff then reseal in saner portion sizes. I have also found that my best experience with re-heated pasta is from a vac-seal bag tossed into a pot of boiling water. And you can use it to seal up non-food items into a water proof bag.

I really need to clear off the counter so I can get my vac-sealer in use again.

[aldersprig]

There are some lovely FIFO setups for large stocks of canned goods.

There are also 20-year-storage food supply, vacuum-sealed stuff that you can put in your basement and forget.

We want a vac sealer someday. When we have a house, 1st thing will be a chest freezer, though.

[lilfluff]

If we had just a tiny bit more room in the apartment, and an electrical system that didn't date to the 60s, I would in an instant get a small/medium sized freezer.

I wish the Foodsaver vac-seal canisters were easier to get. They're pretty handy to. For a while I would buy a small sack of flower, stick it in the freezer to kill anything that was in it, then transfer it to a vacuum canister. I've never had any problem with bugs showing up in the vac sealed flour. Even if a canister would get shoved to the back of the shelf and lost for a month.

Storing Food

[(Anonymous)]

We use a couple of those first-in-first-out (FIFO) shelves, they're handy. Ours were purchased, not made. They're strong enough to do their job, but are made of thin metal and plastic. I've seen some really neat units that people have built out of wood on Pinterest. Maybe one day we'll undertake a project like that.

The freeze-dried food you mention is definitely the way to go in my experience. If kept cool and dry, much of it is said to last up to 25 years, which is pretty good insurance against hard times. I've tried a lot of different varieties. My family has bought various kinds and tried them so we know what we like, and we don't end up storage a bunch of stuff that we later fine we hate eating. Our favorite so far is Mountain House for taste. Some of the Wise entrees are pretty good too. I like that they come in stackable buckets. I think just adding hot water to rehydrate will be incredibly helpful during stressful events (as opposed to cooking meals from scratch) ... especially for shorter duration emergencies.

http://toolsofsurvival.com/food-storage/mountain-house-food-storage/

Having said all that, can be very expensive to buy enough freeze-dried food to last you a long time, so adding dry baking ingredients, seasonings, other canned goods, etc to your storage is also a good idea. Vac sealers are awesome! Costco sells them and they go on sale once or twice a year! The bags/film that they use also goes on sale at Costco occasionally, so it's a good idea to stock up when you see the sale hit.

Prepping by stockpiling clothing

[(Anonymous)]

I think clothes are an afterthought for many, but they're important. Food and water are more top of mind, and are more immediately important.

We try to buy several sizes ahead for our kids for just this purpose. We store the clothes until they grow into them. If there were ever an event that made it difficult or impossible to buy new clothes, we would probably be fine for a while. Because we're buying ahead, we can buy off-season to save money. We also buy new looking clothing at thrift shops and yard sales. We end up saving a lot.

I've thought about buying some bolts of fabric (like denim) too, but haven't done that yet:)