This weeks preps check-in

[GaRp58]

Hey Silent Earth, you mentioned buying your fire lighter/starters...if you mean the little blocks of sawdust mixed with wax or the white cubes, would you consider making your own lighters? I make mine with the old newspapers from myself and the neighbors. Start rolling it real small and thin, about 3-4 inches before you have finished the whole page, insert another page and continue rolling just like a cigar is made. After about 12-15 pages, your paper cigar gets about 1 1/2 inches thick. Tie it off every 2 inches with some twine, cut the cigar through with a hacksaw between each of the tie-offs. Melt a bunch of old candles, I bum them from the local restaurants after they are almost finished. Dip the rolled up and tied off paper rolls in the melted wax until no more tiny bubbles come up and let them cool down. The wax/paper combo really is a waterproof way to start fires while camping or, like you maybe in the fireplace at home. Always got a few in my BOB and in the car. live free, GP

 

[Arcticdude]

Maybe he'll come back all on his own

I was going to town today and the road was blocked by a cattle drive. My bull was with them. They'll separate him out and leave him in a corral for me. One of these days I'll go down with a trailer and pick him up and bring him home.

 

[Brent S]

I got my FJ Cruiser a few weeks ago finally. I added a 7pin wiring harness and a brake controller to it and towed the camper up to the Smokey mountain park. The wife and I stayed in a small campground just on the southern edge of the park that had power, water and sewer. Since my wife dosent have a lot of experience with camping I figured it was wise to ease her into it with utilities before we go dry camping next. Not like dry camping is that rough in a camper, but you have to conserve power and water strictly if you want to stay more than a couple days. I had allready added a second battery and propane tank a while back to the camper, and got a 100w solar panel to help recharge with. I even added a 12v wire on the car to recharge the batteries when driving. Hopefully we will do well on a three night test soon. The weather finally broke from the intense heat and I hope the wife can live without the AC for a few days. Excited to start taking some long weekends away and be able to bring the dog with us.

 

[Brent S]

Picked 35 gallons of muscadine grapes, finally clearing the vines for the season. I just started 20 gallons today in 4 buckets, and froze the rest to start them later on. Picking, washing, sorting, crushing and sterilizing 20 gallons of work was an all day job. I’m beat! Glad that part is over anyways.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Picked 35 gallons of muscadine grapes, finally clearing the vines for the season. I just started 20 gallons today in 4 buckets, and froze the rest to start them later on. Picking, washing, sorting, crushing and sterilizing 20 gallons of work was an all day job. I’m beat! Glad that part is over anyways.

I'll be right over with some empty bottles.

 

[Brent S]

I'll be right over with some empty bottles.

Unfortunately there is about a year lag time before the batch is ready for bottling! Luckily I have several years batches in the root cellar, in closets, and in furniture around the house. This hobby has my wife getting a little upset over the storage issue thing....

 

[Arcticdude]

I looked at another piece of property yesterday. It's in the valley about 10 miles down the road from here. It's only 46 acres but it has a large pond and a good spring. The advantage of this property is that it greens up at least a month before it does here at home, so I'd be able to start grazing that much sooner.

 

[Maverick]

I was able to walk outside on crutches, first time in over a month. Looks like the kids already took care of everything as far as prepping for the winter, wanted to sharpen the chainsaw's up so I tried to get a fire going in the shop to no avail couldn't get down on my knees, decided to go back in the house.

 

[Silent Earth]

Hey Silent Earth, you mentioned buying your fire lighter/starters...if you mean the little blocks of sawdust mixed with wax or the white cubes, would you consider making your own lighters? I make mine with the old newspapers from myself and the neighbors. Start rolling it real small and thin, about 3-4 inches before you have finished the whole page, insert another page and continue rolling just like a cigar is made. After about 12-15 pages, your paper cigar gets about 1 1/2 inches thick. Tie it off every 2 inches with some twine, cut the cigar through with a hacksaw between each of the tie-offs. Melt a bunch of old candles, I bum them from the local restaurants after they are almost finished. Dip the rolled up and tied off paper rolls in the melted wax until no more tiny bubbles come up and let them cool down. The wax/paper combo really is a waterproof way to start fires while camping or, like you maybe in the fireplace at home. Always got a few in my BOB and in the car. live free, GP

A good idea and making them now when alles ist in ordnung and setting them aside, sadly I'm already fully occupied so I just buy a load of boxes of fire lighter tablets, they are Hexamine, a white flammable block, get about 100 in a box. I store about 6 boxes of them. My primary SHTF fire starter is my beloved Blazer PB 207 butane lighter / soldering torch. I have always had one in my pocket since 79 when I was stationed in your wonderful country. Current one is 15 years old and still insanely reliable.

https://uk.knivesandtools.eu/en/pt/...MIqKrizvqK5QIVBcDeCh17BQycEAQYASABEgIzCvD_BwE

 

[Silent Earth]

FYI German E Bay supplier

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2528808913...MIqKrizvqK5QIVBcDeCh17BQycEAQYAyABEgJLnfD_BwE

 

[Brent S]

I was able to walk outside on crutches, first time in over a month. Looks like the kids already took care of everything as far as prepping for the winter, wanted to sharpen the chainsaw's up so I tried to get a fire going in the shop to no avail couldn't get down on my knees, decided to go back in the house.

Glad your starting to get around again at least. I bet it was nice to see the kids pitched in and took care of what was needed to be done.

 

[GaRp58]

Hi Silent Earth, yeah I got something like that. Windproof and shoots a flame about 2 1/2 inches into the tinder. I just like to make my own also and when camping, I recycle or now they say "upcycle" the old candles and newspaper. Got some Hexamine too, plus sawdust mixed with paraffin, and some socalled "woodwool" coated with wax. It looks like curlycue woodshavings from the old stuffings in old chairs.

 

[Silent Earth]

Hi Silent Earth, yeah I got something like that. Windproof and shoots a flame about 2 1/2 inches into the tinder. I just like to make my own also and when camping, I recycle or now they say "upcycle" the old candles and newspaper. Got some Hexamine too, plus sawdust mixed with paraffin, and some socalled "woodwool" coated with wax. It looks like curlycue woodshavings from the old stuffings in old chairs.

One habit I still do at times is collect lint / fluff from the tumble drier and mix it with petrolium jelly / Vaseline and keep it in little tubes to use as fire starters for when I'm out in the woods.

 

[jontte]

haven't posted here for a long time,but I realized I have obtained this and that,small things like glow sticks,batteries,knives,ammo,mags for my 10/22 and food stuff,thouhg I gave my son a "starter kit" to his new place from my dry food and cans department

 

[Maverick]

Since I can't hunt this year (elder abuse), I re-loaded ammo for the kids to hunt with.

 

[Silent Earth]

Since I can't hunt this year (elder abuse), I re-loaded ammo for the kids to hunt with.

first case ever of self inflicted elder abuse

 

[Silent Earth]

Smashing our local supermarket just screwed up in our favour, we just blagged TEN 1 KG (2lb) jars of Doue Egbergs Pure Gold Coffee for a £1 a jar. Methinks it should have been a £1 OFF the regular price of about £8 a jar. Going back later to see if they have any more


Cawfee, I's just lurves my Cawfee, Really ah do !

 

[jontte]

damn,that's a bargin, that coffee is prized like gold here, I'm always on a lookout for something like that here.

 

[Silent Earth]

damn,that's a bargin, that coffee is prized like gold here, I'm always on a lookout for something like that here.

Number one item on my preps after water Doue Egbert coffee and Coffee mate, got about 20 KG in total now.

Did you know many scandinavians come over by ferry with large vans to go food and grocery shopping in NE England, they come from Danske and Norge to Newcastle, often in HUGE numbers in the run up to Christmas. Apparently a lot of our cash n carries are much cheaper than Scandi stores.

 

[jontte]

that coffee for that prize is something I should fly over and buy,my dad used to buy that brand when I was a kid and it tastes good.