2008-09-28

Winter Planning - Ramblings

I keep watching the talks of this massive bail out and keep wondering how it will affect me. Well I have came to the conclusion we all will have to pay for these idiots. I say let them come down, let the market corrected it self. We have seen and heard enough on this bailout, so on to another subject.

Are your walls to your castle strong and fortified? There has been nice time of working around the castle. I tell you this I am not completely prepared, but I am much better prepared then when I started this blog.

I would suggest all prepper's check out www.freecycle.org it is a great way to get prep supplies for free. It is basically a network of people in your area that give away different stuff to keep items from going to the landfill. Sometimes there are great finds others well they just need to go to the landfill.

Compost - As I sit here to write my blog I have to keep dealing with a squirrel that keeps using my antlers from a deer to sharpen its teeth. Does anyone have a great way to get away from my compost pile and off my antlers?

I was going to shot it with a BB gun that I have, but it needs to be repaired. I think I will contact Crossman and see if they can repair it. It is one that I have had since I was kid. I don't want to give it up just yet. If anyone has info on repairing of BB guns or where to find it please drop me a line.

Now that it is fall don't forget to put all those nice leafies piles and grass clippings into the compost pile and have good soil for next years planting season.

Winter - Who is ready for it? I am starting to prepare for my winter time strategy. We are looking to cut down on heating cost, so we are investing in a kerosene heater. We have started going through our blankets and seeing if any need to be replaced. We need to get all the good stuff to make my bean & ham soup. It is awesome, just ask the Wife. Time to whip out your winter plan, if you don't have one put it down on paper.

Today- I will be going over my B.O.B for and making sure they are ready and complete to be used when need be. I need to have two different sets for... the wife & kids and one for me. I will bring the list of things in there later today.

On a side note, Sorry for not posting in such a long time, but had to deal with my family issues. The ones that know what I am talking about everything is now fine.

Working on the moat...

Rook

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

BB gun repairs can be dogpiled (dogpile.com). Most of these shops repair and refurbish vintage BB guns and will be expensive.

Get yourself a Gamo air rifle; greater velocity and accuracy. That'll fix those squirrels but not the moose.

streakr

Rook said...

Streakr - Thanks for the heads up. I haven't seen them back just yet. I bet they are in their nest laughing at me.

Rook

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tip on freecycle, I hadn't heard of that one yet.

Anonymous said...

I belong to freecycle in Ft. Lauderdale/Broward county. Most of the items people post are household goods of all types. I get upwards of 60 emails each day. Many of these are emails that indicate items were taken.

Depending on where you are be prepared to respond and go after items immediately.

streakr

The Scavenger said...

Rook, I repaired an old bb gun of my own so time ago. I searched the make and model and found a complete break down of the gun. Just can't seem tofind it now though. google it and I'm sure you will find what you need. Good luck.

Chris

Anonymous said...

To get rid of the squirrel,

Go get some Old Spice aftershave. They hate the stuff. Put it into a spray bottle, you can dilute it 1:1 with rubbing alcohol if you need to.

Spay it where you don't want them. You may need to reapply it every 3 days or so, but eventually they get trained to just avoid the area.

Mayberry said...

BB guns are easy to work on. I recently replaced the pump cup on my old Crosman I've had since childhood. You can find parts breakdowns on the Crosman web site. They're very helpful, and will get you what you need. Cheap too, my part was six bucks delivered...

Anonymous said...

Mr. Prepper,

When the shit hits the fan and the world virus / plague takes over, or the markets crash, or everything goes "off grid," you'll be safe in your house with your bullets, band-aids, and beans.

You'll be snacking on cukes and salsa, grateful for your moat and your highly polished gun and brand new boxes of bullets.

The mattress you sleep on will be nice and lumpy of all the stockpiled cash that wasn't left at that nasty bank that failed in the midst of all this catastrophy!

So, let me ask you a few questions:

Where are you going to relieve yourselves? Do you think your toilets will still flush? Perhaps you should be digging a latrine and not a moat.

How will you keep warm for 8 months of the year? Unless you live in Florida or Hawaii, are you stockpiling firewood and matches?

Where will your clean drinking water come from? When the "Beast" of a government shuts off the power, that water wont come into your house all nice and conveniently through the pipes anymore.

And what about nutrition? Where will you get your protein to build muscle so you can chop that wood? Are you drying meats, or do you plan on eating the neighbors after they dare to cross your moat? Planning on fighting scurvy? Growing some lemon trees in your basement?

Planning and weaving your own cloth, or will you all just cover yourselves in bandaids once your children outgrow their clothes and shoes?

Wake up and smell the coffee. You are worrying about things you cannot control. Grow your garden because you enjoy it. Can your goods because it is nutritious and tastes good. Compost your yard waste because it means you are being a good steward to the environment.

But all this doom and gloom end-of-the-world drama just shows that you obviously have not thought out the entire plan. You cannot have it both ways -- if you hate our government, then move out of the country. If you hate technology and modern finance, well then move to the Rain Forest.

Don't preach about "caring for your family" while talking about stocking up bullets and bandaids and building a moat. Who are you planning on shooting? That is a *great* way to sow those kids you love them -- let them watch you blow those bloody looter's heads off when that world-ending tragedy occurs. They can even help you drag their lifeless bodies into the woods behind your house (beyond the moat, I'm sure!).

let me ask you a couple of questions:

Anonymous said...

I can't seem to understand from reading these postings and reading the comments. It seems that when ever there is a comment posted to bring light on to the fact that you preppers (sorry not all of you but most from what I have read so far) seem to be a bunch of anti-government nut jobs. There does not seem to be any reply to those posting. Why is that, could be because you have no reply or are afraid they person is right. I have to agree with the previous post,that if you have a problem with the government leave the country. I think you will find that you would be crying for this government to lend you some aid of somekind or other.
Also to add a comment about the squirrels that seem to be such a bother to you. IF the big bad beast of a government takes control of the banks and the "grid" is shut down and all the stores are closed. You will be hunting all over for squirrels or other small animals for their meat. So if you are prepping for what you say you are it does not sound like you are thinking far enought ahead.

WrethaOffGrid said...

Glad to see you back! About squirrels, when I used to garden in town (at my Dad's house), one year the squirrels were real bad, they began to get into the tomatoes. I wouldn't have minded except that they would take one bite from EACH tomato! I didn't want to kill them (unless I was going to eat them!), I went to the store and got a package of sticky rat traps, the big ones. I strung these up in the garden, mainly in the tomatoes. I had them tied with twine to the tomato cages.

The next morning, one of the traps had fur and feces in it, it seems that the little bugger got stuck, took a dump as it pulled it's fur out while departng the tomatoes.

Well, he (or she) must have told all of his/her buddies about the horrible tomato monster, I didn't have any trouble with the squirrels for the rest of the summer. :) Squirrels are smart, and remember, especially negative, painful things.

Wretha

Nancy Chisum said...

I hope this was not your last post. Ran across your blog while looking for info on foraging. Good luck with your preparatiions. We are doing the same.

Anonymous said...

M.D. Creekmore of The Survivalist Blog is offering Free E-books:
Build Your Own 12 VCG Engine Generator
W.E Fairbairn - Shooting To Live
CIA - Lock Picking Field Operative Training Manual
The CIA Book OF Dirty Tricks
Lee Enfield Rifle Manual
U.S. Army Survival Manual
Improvised Munitions Handbook
Boobytraps