This weeks preps check-in

[Danil54grl]

A pressure cooker. Only thing I can figure.it was the canned veggies. Gonna get yum from the produce section this time.

A cooker, not canner? If a cooker that would have been the problem. When using canned veggies they would turn into a mush. Another possibility if using a canner would be that the veggies broke down into a mush making your stew too thick to have the heat penetrate thru all the way. You can use either fresh or frozen when canning. When I don't have a full canner from the garden produce, I will go ahead and blanch to have ready to go then throw in freezer. When I go to use, I defrost and then warm before canning. Only thing I have used in soups and stews from canned goods is tomatoes since those are water bathed. Those can be recanned into something else ok.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

Bought an Army intermediate sleeping bag for $4 or 5.00 from a local auction maybe August timeframe. It had maybe 8 rips and some small abrasions on it. I finally got it all sewed up so it is fully mission capable now. I washed it twice. Once rightside out and once inside out to get any icks it may have had. It will now be put into a BOB that does not have a MSS in it. I do want to get an MSS Gortex bivy for it. Just an extra layer of protection for it during a SHTF
When I was getting ready to bid on it I was figuring how much I was going to spend, placed my bid and then nothing. No other bids. Either I got really lucky or we are truly a throw away society and nobody wanted to mess with the repairs. If there would of been no tears I would of put the sleeping bag into the very good to excellent category.
My wife worked my a*s off this summer and fall. From all of the yard sale crap to trying to cut firewood. I went from a 38" to a 36" pants waist size. Before I left the military I was a 34" so I am happy. I just need to finish loosing this pot belly or beer belly or what ever its called today. I just call it fat.

 

[DrPrepper]

We had our roof replaced several months ago due to hail damage. We have only turned the heater once. There have been several facebook postings in my town (we have a town page) that many people are reporting the venting pipes came apart in the attic while the roof work was being done. The roofers didn't inspect the attic after the work and now people are experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. I stopped off at work and got 2 new carbon monoxide detectors. I had 2, but they were both old and I recently tossed them both out. I called the roofing company to have them stop by one day to go in the attic and check ( I would do it, but I don't really know what I am looking for). I am still waiting for them to call me back. Hopefully, I will hear from them today.

 

[WGregMiller]

We had our roof replaced several months ago due to hail damage. We have only turned the heater once. There have been several facebook postings in my town (we have a town page) that many people are reporting the venting pipes came apart in the attic while the roof work was being done. The roofers didn't inspect the attic after the work and now people are experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. I stopped off at work and got 2 new carbon monoxide detectors. I had 2, but they were both old and I recently tossed them both out. I called the roofing company to have them stop by one day to go in the attic and check ( I would do it, but I don't really know what I am looking for). I am still waiting for them to call me back. Hopefully, I will hear from them today.

If you heat with gas of some sort, that isn’t a bad idea. If you heat with electricity (that goes for water as well!), it is t a problem as there shouldn’t be any combustion vents in your attic.

And, unless the roofers were REALLY careless, I doubt that they’d screw up any plumbing vents.....

 

[Brent S]

If you heat with gas of some sort, that isn’t a bad idea. If you heat with electricity (that goes for water as well!), it is t a problem as there shouldn’t be any combustion vents in your attic.

And, unless the roofers were REALLY careless, I doubt that they’d screw up any plumbing vents.....

That was the first thing I thought about what kind of vents are we talking about. If a gas water or tee, then it could be worth checking. If they are just air vents then a leak would be your worst worry.

 

[Arcticdude]

Got the firewood all stacked and covered with a tarp. We ended up with about 7-8 cords total. It should last the winter, but in case it doesn't I left a few standing dead trees around the cabin. I figured I'll need to heat from now until about May. So far I only need to start a fire in the wood stove once in the morning and once at night and then let it burn out. Have to keep several of the windows open so it doesn't get too hot inside the cabin.
Started on another deck on the west side of the cabin, and will begin construction on the barn extension next week. It's supposed to start snowing tommorow and is expected to last several days. If it does then it'll be a good time to work inside laying the tile flooring, finishing the trim and plumbing the bathroom.

 

[Brent S]

Got the firewood all stacked and covered with a tarp. We ended up with about 7-8 cords total. It should last the winter, but in case it doesn't I left a few standing dead trees around the cabin. I figured I'll need to heat from now until about May. So far I only need to start a fire in the wood stove once in the morning and once at night and then let it burn out. Have to keep several of the windows open so it doesn't get too hot inside the cabin.
Started on another deck on the west side of the cabin, and will begin construction on the barn extension next week. It's supposed to start snowing tommorow and is expected to last several days. If it does then it'll be a good time to work inside laying the tile flooring, finishing the trim and plumbing the bathroom.

I'm going to upgrade my wood stove here. It's one of those cheap voglezangs that aren't airtight at all. It works, but has seams all over it that puff out smoke when lighting it and you can't close it off with all that ventilation.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

Since you guys are talking woodstoves.

Last fall was our first in this house. I have a wood stove insert in the basement and one up stairs. Whe had the chinmney sweep come clean the chimney and inspect everything. My wife was in the impression that you only had to clean every couple/few years. I told her heck no, were getting it done every year because 1 I don't want a chimney fire and 2 I don't want a build up making it a pain to clean. So your choise is the chimney sweep or we can buy the brush and rods.

We bought the brush and rods. The stupid thing is they had all of this on clearance last spring and she blew me off.

 

[Brent S]

Since you guys are talking woodstoves.

Last fall was our first in this house. I have a wood stove insert in the basement and one up stairs. Whe had the chinmney sweep come clean the chimney and inspect everything. My wife was in the impression that you only had to clean every couple/few years. I told her heck no, were getting it done every year because 1 I don't want a chimney fire and 2 I don't want a build up making it a pain to clean. So your choise is the chimney sweep or we can buy the brush and rods.

We bought the brush and rods. The stupid thing is they had all of this on clearance last spring and she blew me off.

I clean mine each spring. I also burn pine, which is fine as long as you clean the flue yearly. I got the brush but use a telescoping fiberglass rod that was intended for painting. It works great and I already had it.

 

[Arcticdude]

I'm going to upgrade my wood stove here. It's one of those cheap voglezangs that aren't airtight at all. It works, but has seams all over it that puff out smoke when lighting it and you can't close it off with all that ventilation.

That sounds like the same stove that I put in the cabin. When I lit the first fire it wouldn't draw and filled the cabin with smoke. It was an EPA (government) approved stove. Like everything else the government does they made something that worked fine before in to something that wouldn't work now. Years ago, pre EPA, I had the same stove and it worked great. So I pulled the stove out and replaced the damper, cut out the cast tabs that prevented the damper from closing all the way, removed the tray inside the stove and threw away the fiberglass blanket that prevented the smoke from going up the chimney. Then I added some stove gasket material around the door making it airtight. This little stove works great now.

 

[Arcticdude]

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[MaterielGeneral]

I clean mine each spring. I also burn pine, which is fine as long as you clean the flue yearly. I got the brush but use a telescoping fiberglass rod that was intended for painting. It works great and I already had it.

You scared me when you said pine. I guess if it is working for you that's all that matters.

Now with you saying that I would use it for a backup.

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[Brent S]

You scared me when you said pine. I guess if it is working for you that's all that matters.

Now with you saying that I would use it for a backup.

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I like it for getting the fire started. It's never my first choice as it burns too fast, but it is fine to burn as long as you're cleaning the flue each season.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Yes rich/heart pine is the best fire starter.

 

[Arcticdude]

I like it for getting the fire started. It's never my first choice as it burns too fast, but it is fine to burn as long as you're cleaning the flue each season.

I'd rather not burn pine either, but many people do. You burn what you have available. I burn Doug fir and larch and have a lot of pine for backup if needed.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

I like it for getting the fire started. It's never my first choice as it burns too fast, but it is fine to burn as long as you're cleaning the flue each season.

I see. Using for kindling or whatever to get it going is no biggy.

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[Brent S]

Basically I will burn anything that I have around. I just put the hardwooods on at night so they will last a little longer. As long as I'm up and keep restocking the pine warms just as well.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

I'd rather not burn pine either, but many people do. You burn what you have available. I burn Doug fir and larch and have a lot of pine for backup if needed.

Basically I will burn anything that I have around. I just put the hardwooods on at night so they will last a little longer. As long as I'm up and keep restocking the pine warms just as well.

How long do you age pine? Do you do anything different from hard wood?

 

[Arcticdude]

How long do you age pine? Do you do anything different from hard wood?

All of my firewood, pine included, come from standing dead trees. These trees have been dead for years and are dry and ready to burn. We don't have any hard wood around here.

 

[DrPrepper]

The roofing guy came by to check the vents. We have a gas heater. He went up and checked (and admitted he didn't when the work was completed in the summer). He said everything was fine. Then he said that he made one fit more "snuggly" and then later on he used the word reconnected... hmm. I got the carbon monoxide detectors plugged in. I don't know if "reconnecting" and making something fit more"snuggly" would have caused us any problems, but when I proactively take care of something, or prep for something in advance and found out I did the right thing. ... I feel like I have won something... like some kind of score. I don't know how to explain it, but it makes me feel really good.