This weeks preps check-in

[BillMasen]

Y'alls lockdown must be much stricter than ours. We're allowed to go out for walks as long as we stay away from others not from our household, which suits me just fine.

Our lockdowns are similar to yours Kate but because the UK is so overcrowded we needed to pick times to go out when we are least likely to bump into other folks, the best routes around here are quite busy so we have to go further off the beaten path.

 

[BillMasen]

boy,I do feel lucky we don't have a lockdown like yours Bill.
staying fit is so darn important,you ain't doing shit,if you die walking when you go down the stairs from exhaustion..

My problem was compounded by having massively increase the amount of driving I have been doing lately which left much less time for exercise, and often when I could / wanted to go out the rural areas were full of other people so i didnt bother. I made the problem worse for myself also by focusing far to much on intel gathering online and / or online time looking for extra supplies. I got tardy and am paying the price.

I dont like getting old, when i was soldiering still in my 40s we were running 5 miles a day in full combats with pack and rifle. Its just caught me out how EASY it is to lose muscle tone.

 

[BillMasen]

C'mon jontte, my 1st EDC is over 2 kg and the 2nd EDC is 12 kg. BOB goes for 24 Kg without water. Get a move on and get into shape again. I've had surgery for a broken backbone and have cracked my breastbone too. It is better to burn out than just slowly fade away!! Have fun on your trip tho and build up a bit of comradery. GP

My day bag of EDC gear contents is only 3KG without water, My GHB is 6 KG. I like to travel as light as possible

 

[DrPrepper]

I have been focused on saving money for awhile now. I am doing okay with it. So my preps are not as fun to talk about.

I did have to pull everything out of my trunk yesterday to get some yard work stuff from Lowes. I recharged my jumper for my car, and checked batteries. I also had a solar cell charger and it is now missing from my bag. I am not sure what happened to it, so I will be ordering another one.

I am checking flashlights and such around here today as we are in for some late afternoon bad weather.

I am also looking for sales on meat to stock up. I am reading about the possible shortages that people have posted on here... might as well be prepared

 

[DrHenley]

The lockdown here is mostly aimed at businesses not individuals. Of course a lot of individuals are affected by what is happening to the places they work.

Even though we are under "lockdown" I can go anywhere I want, pretty much do anything I want...except of course if it involves a business that has been shut down.

 

[bigpaul]

Our lockdowns are similar to yours Kate but because the UK is so overcrowded we needed to pick times to go out when we are least likely to bump into other folks, the best routes around here are quite busy so we have to go further off the beaten path.

if you think the UK is overcrowded your living in the wrong area Bill.
yes some of it is overcrowded, the South East, the Midlands, but a lot of it isn't.

 

[Arcticdude]

So I got up early yesterday to make the trip down south to the farm/ranch supply store. I hooked up my flatbed goose neck trailer and headed out. Normally it's about a 2-1/2 hour trip one way.
A few miles out of town I had a flat tire. A couple miles later I found a place wide enough to pull off the road. Got the truck jacked up and pulled the tire off, simple. Until I tried getting the spare off the holder. I ended up having to cut the spare tire holder off with my Leatherman (the greatest invention of all times).
Put the spare on and it was flat. About that time a young man stopped. And he just happened to have an air tank on his truck! There are some good people out there, in fact most people are good. I gave him a couple cold beers for his help.
Finially made it to the store. I picked up a couple hundred more fence posts, wire, gates, calf table, vet supplies, miscellaneous parts and tools, chicken feed and fuel and propane. Also found some blackberry and grape plants there.
Even though I got home before dark I was tired and not feeling good. So I just got firewood, ate a salad and went to bed.
I talked to the wife yesterday while I was on the road. They're saying now that they may keep her at work until winter. It changes daily.

 

[DrHenley]

Your supply run yesterday was a lot more interesting than mine, LOL.

 

[Arcticdude]

Your supply run yesterday was a lot more interesting than mine, LOL.

My truck is a '97 Ford and yesterday was the first time that spare was ever off the truck. I better add checking spares to my annual maintenance list.

 

[Danil54grl]

Maybe add in a portable air compressr. . . . Might take awhile but still. Good thing that young man came along.

 

[BillMasen]

You can also get HD / Light Truck puncture repair / inflation aerosols, they are handy to keep in the truck. They usually contain a sealant and enough air to inflate a large Light truck tyre.

 

[Brent S]

WOW, lots going on with you solar project. My thoughts when going with AGM is if they last a couple years, by then either lithium will have become cost effective or a better type would have hit the market.

If things work out as I hope, I will greatly increase the size of my system. In addition to the Frig, the other main (must have) is the well pump (240v), which the current system cannot handle. Adding extra batteries is always a good idea for those period where you don't have sun for a few days.

As a electrician, you have should be able to work out the necessary breakers and fuses. That is what most concerns me. I have an idea what is needed but that is the area which makes me nervous.

If in doubt, put it on a fuse... most of the electrical is common sense. Now that I said that I’m likely to toast something....

 

[Brent S]

I checked the spare on my FJ recently, down about a third. The dealer I got it from said they filled it with nitrogen. Lying dogs, that spare hadn’t been checked in ages. I’ve had enough flats in my lifetime that I commonly check them now.
I installed seven of the 10 door and window alarms I got yesterday. Loud little buggars! They aren’t exactly a high tech alarm system but will wake dead people in the middle of the night. It was a good ‘peace of mind purchase’.
Last week I worked on the drain field for the septic. Expanded the field and tied it together. Major pain in the butt. Anyways today I saw water trickling up again on the ground. I followed the water with the backhoe and discovered the 4” line from the septic had uncoupled and fallen into the infiltrator chamber and was sitting on the bottom so it couldn’t drain properly. Where it uncoupled was the only place it could drain and of course was working its way above ground. So long story short, all that other work wasn’t necessary. I guess it’s a good thing to increase the capacity of the drain field at least. I am meeting a crane to drop a light pole tomorrow and while out I will get some 4” pipe fittings to make the needed repairs. Crappy job.... at least I found the issue and have it all dug up and exposed for the repairs now. I’m really glad I’m not a plumber though. Doing this daily would suck.

 

[Arcticdude]

Maybe add in a portable air compressr. . . . Might take awhile but still. Good thing that young man came along.

I do carry an air compressor on my atv's. I'll have to add one to my truck too.

 

[Arcticdude]

You can also get HD / Light Truck puncture repair / inflation aerosols, they are handy to keep in the truck. They usually contain a sealant and enough air to inflate a large Light truck tyre.

True. And I do carry them on my atv's. The tires on my truck were my winter studded tires that I bought in 2000. I planned on replacing them this fall so I was trying to squeeze out every mile that I could. In this case the tire shredded, no punctures. I run 80 psi on my truck tires so I'd need a good sized compressor.

 

[Arcticdude]

Slow day today. Only got 3 posts in the ground. All solid rock. Only 6 more posts to finish the corral. Then I'll start bolting up the 2×10 rails and install the squeeze chute and calf table. Might be done by next week.

 

[tmttactical]

Got all my food cabinets completely filled. We are now back to full capacity, food wise. Both freezers brimming to the top, House refrigerator /freezer full. Now we simply restock what is used. Reloading is going to accelerate. I picked up two extra cordless drill motors and can now handle the brass prep much faster. All in all, things are progressing very well, except the rifle range is still closed. I don't want to reload the 6.5 Creedmoor, until I can chronograph the loads. I need the range to open so I can test the loads but if it starts to get real ugly, I will load them but just under the max powder loads. Just moving forward as best we can.

 

[BillMasen]

Trying to improvise an antenna to get my CB/ Ham radio set up so I can try and get more sigint.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I got about a dozen more food grade buckets from the local grocery stores, that I'm going to clean out today to store more food.

Hey U.P you come use my range.... bring some xtra ammo, I'll provide the food.

 

[Brent S]

I have been focused on saving money for awhile now. I am doing okay with it. So my preps are not as fun to talk about.

I did have to pull everything out of my trunk yesterday to get some yard work stuff from Lowes. I recharged my jumper for my car, and checked batteries. I also had a solar cell charger and it is now missing from my bag. I am not sure what happened to it, so I will be ordering another one.

I am checking flashlights and such around here today as we are in for some late afternoon bad weather.

I am also looking for sales on meat to stock up. I am reading about the possible shortages that people have posted on here... might as well be prepared

Saving may not be glamorous but it’s one of the smartest things I’ve read here....