100 Items to Disappear First

This looked interesting and I thought may be something we could get some ideas from.....


100 Items to Disappear First

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky.
Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried,
for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce,
stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD
CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term
lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is
dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings,
experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if
with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail
clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

From a Sarajevo Survivor

10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Food Storage 10 Years Ago

By Kellene Bishop

I hate having to learn dumb lessons. Don’t you? As I’ve looked back and realized all the simple tricks and strategies I’ve learned over the last 10 years, I cringe at the thought of all of the money, time, anxiety, and energy I’ve wasted. So I decided to share them with you. You’re sure to learn something in this list! I hope you’ll learn from my mistakes NOW!

1. Yeast will last indefinitely if stored in your freezer! Outside the freezer it only lasts a year, but inside that freezing climate it lasts over 5 years—so far. When I use it in my bread, I just use it directly from the freezer into my bread dough with no problem. I cringe at the though of all of the yeast I’ve wasted over several years.
2. I can obtain food storage for FREE or better, and certainly inexpensively, if I just use coupons and an organized system! Now that’s really something to cringe about! I acquired a great deal of my food storage over the years from Costco, but now that I can get name brands for free or dirt cheap elsewhere, I figure I can’t afford to shop at Costco, thanks to coupons! It really IS worth using coupons. I can’t believe I was so pious to think that coupons were “beneath me.”
3. Cooking with a pressure cooker is a sanity saver. They are fast, nutritious, fuel friendly and SO easy to use! I wish I hadn’t been afraid of them way back when. I’m so grateful that a patient teacher showed me their merits!
4. Yes, you can CAN MEATS! And it’s the easiest thing in the world to can. Simply stuff the RAW meat into a mason jar with a bit of salt, put the clean lids on it, put the jars in your pressure canner for the recommended period of time, and VOILA! You have BETTER THAN CANNED meat. (The canned stuff you buy has been processed twice.) This meat will be SO tender, so juicy, and will save you a BUNDLE over the canned stuff! (Let’s see. Tastes better. 25% cheaper. Easy to do. Dang! I wish I could relive the last 10 years!)
5. Cheese wax is a God-send! I can have all of the REAL cheese I want if I simply use cheese wax to preserve it! The cheese will keep for 25 years using this method. Now I’ve got Swiss, Monterey Jack, Colby, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar, Gouda, Blue Cheese, and even a delicious smoked cheese literally sitting pretty in my food storage! If I had known about cheese wax 10 years ago, I would have made much better use of the cheese sales over the years and never tried that nasty processed stuff.
6. Preserving eggs that I buy from the store is a snap! After I wrote a lengthy article on egg preservation, I discovered that a quarter cup of warmed mineral oil, coated on my eggs that I buy from the grocery store works great. I then can store them pointed side down in a Styrofoam carton, in a cool, dry place. I don’t have to get the eggs FRESH from a farm. And I don’t have to stack them carefully in anything. How’s that for easy?! I have WHOLE, REAL eggs for up to 9 months! Forget the bran flakes, the paraffin wax, the salt storage. Just some mineral oil is PERFECT. WOW!
7. I never have to live without yummy chocolate again! I can buy all of the candy bars, Hershey kisses, chocolate chips, peanut M&Ms, Dove chocolates, Lindt chocolates, stuff them in a Mason jar, and with my trusty Food Saver jar attachment, seal their goodness for YEARS! (I like getting them on sale after a holiday) This also works for ANYTHING that doesn’t require refrigeration. When I open the jar years later, they still taste as fresh and yummy as they would have on the day I bought it!
8. ONLY store what you eat. If I don’t eat it, I won’t eat it, and thus it’s a waste of money. If you can’t eat wheat, DON’T store it. If you can’t stand the taste of powdered milk, store canned milk or soy milk instead. Fortunately I’ve learned to prepare all my oddball foods that weren’t previously in my regular diet, but it sure would have saved me some headaches if I had done things differently. If I store what I eat, the rotation is a cinch!
9. You can have meals already made, cooked, and stored in a Mason jar! You can bake bread, cake, cookies, casseroles, pudding, and more, in a Mason jar, seal it, and they will last for SEVERAL years! That way you don’t have to figure out how to cook up something every day while you’re enduring a crisis. Do it in comfort now, so you can live in comfort even in the worst of disasters!
10. Solar ovens are the bomb–not just in an emergency, but every single day the sun shines! I LOVE cooking in mine. I haven’t found anything that I can’t cook in it that doesn’t turn out wonderful! I’ve essentially tripled the life of the fuel that I have stored, since I won’t need to use any of it on cooking anymore except on cloudy or rainy days! Not having to worry or pay for a years supply of fuels such as propane, kerosene, fire wood or isopropyl alcohol, makes the price I would pay for a solar oven well worthwhile. So… like any woman, I bought two!

I’ll be writing more about each of these items later, if I haven’t done so already. The point is food storage can be GLORIOUSLY DELICIOUS. You don’t have to do without and it doesn’t have to be expensive and boring either. One dollar a day, per person, will provide you with absolutely comforting and delightful meals regardless of your challenging circumstances. Enjoy!

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

Storage spaces

Whenever someone starts to talk about preparing for circumstances where we would need to live off "the grid" , the subject of storing supplies inevitably comes up. Many people want to get a few extra things to store, but are not sure where to put it. The best rule of thumb is "Store what you use, and use what you store". If you store food items that you already are familiar with and have a working knowledge of, you are much more likely to have a less stressful transition to using your stores exclusively (if that need arises). I know of plenty of people that have purchased large quantities of wheat berries without having a grain mill or any working knowledge of what to do with them. If you store extras of what you already use, or are willing to incorporate into your everyday life right away, you will begin to see storage as a huge asset. I know someone that purchased a couple of cases of chili and figured that come what may he/she would be completely prepared. It is important to have a plentiful storage and a large variety, but more on that later.

As you store items for future use, a good idea is to see if there is storage space near where you will be using the item. Putting up 15 bottles of Ibuprofen in your basement may be easier to access if it where near your bathroom. If you have tons of space, then it is very beneficial to have a single location and just set up your own personal "department store". If you have a shelf here and a spot there, then figure out the logistics of locating the items when you need them. Is there a shelf in your bathroom that could hold a few extra bottles of shampoo and a few dozen bars of soap? Put the bathroom stuff there if you can. If you have the ability to build shelving above existing items, think of storage spaces up high as well as underneath furniture/appliances/etc... A bed could possibly be put up on blocks or something, you can use the space underneath for containers. If nothing else, I read an article about someone who used under the bed storage for a can rotation system. She would put the new cans under the bed on the left side and take cans from the right side when she would go to use something. Clever.....

Most of us have closet space that could be better used or could give up part of a space by purging out unwanted stuff and repacking it with wanted stuff! Our sofa is in a position that we could put 2 or 3 totes behind it without much notice if needed. I saw a picture of a project that created a good sized cabinet underneath a front loading washer and dryer. The height of the appliances became easier to use with no bending over for loading and unloading and the space below was put to great use with homemade wooden pedestals. The creativity to find space is actually part of the fun. We've had a few houses where we put the dirty clothes hamper(s) in the bathtub to be able to use extra floor space elsewhere. The hampers are easily set or stacked outside of the tub temporarily during showering and then easily transported back into a very usable storage space. If you have any other ideas for storage spaces, please comment with them. It is great to hear how others use what they've been given to its potential. We lived in one house where we even stacked our dressers! The main thing is to begin to think about spaces to put the things that you are preparing to store before you are pressed with a pile of stuff and pressured to shove it wherever it will fit.

Even if you have to pick a room to make "smaller" by making a curtained area for storage, just think of the options you have for picking out a fabric that would essentially be the new wall for your room....like wallpaper only much easier, less mess, and easily changed. So, start looking for spots, because it's time to start stashin' (or keep stashin' if you're already doing it).

Happy hunting!

Water Filtration and Storage

Since water is one of the basics in life, it seems like a great place to start in sharing what I've learned so far. Many people believe that as long as they have electricity (or generator power) to pump the water, they should be fine. Without getting into every possible scenario of loss of clean water supply, it's not a bad idea to at least have a "Plan B".
First of all, our daily intake of water should be 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight. I don't know of many people that actually drink that much water, but it is safe to say that we should be drinking that much water. To roughly estimate for a family, it is good to calculate 1 gallon-per person-per day of drinking water, and 1 gallon-per person-per day of washing water. Drinking water can be easily stored in emptied/washed out 2-liter pop bottles (the clear, rigid plastic kind) or juice bottles (the clear, rigid plastic kind). Milk jugs should never be used for drinking water and the milk jug looking gallon water jugs that you purchase water in are not the best option. The "cloudy-white" colored jugs that most drinking water comes in will break down in 1-2 years and not only leach chemicals, but make your drinking water taste like plastic -- not too pleasant when you're really desperate for a nice glass of water! There are larger containers (like the 5-15 gallon water carboy jugs you see in a cabinet of sorts with a spigot) for sale empty and filled with water, but I have not obtained any of those yet. My thinking is the weight of lifting them and space to store them is stopping me at this point, although I am planning to get 2 or 3 carboys in the near future.
We have ordered a Berkey gravity fed water filtration system purchased from http://tumacoutdoorsupply.com/ We are waiting for it to come in and I will hopefully do a review of this product when it arrives (yes, with pictures). This is the filtration system that we used in Israel and worked very nicely (we just couldn't take it every where we went which is why a bunch of us ended up getting sick). For portability, our family will be purchasing another filter that I have used 3 years in a row on 5 day canoe trips into the wilderness. Cabella's seems to be the best price so far http://www.cabelas.com It's called the Katadyn Base Camp filter and it works very well! We rubberband a coffee filter to intake portion of the filter to give it added protection from lake floaties that may be scooped up.
There are lots of options when it comes to filtering water, but these are 2 that will work without electricity and won't break the bank to obtain. Both of these filters will filter pond/lake/river water or even the stuff that comes out of your faucet. We have "funky" water here at our house, so our Big Berkey will be put to use the moment it arrives! The Katadyn will come in handy for camping trips with the family or if we needed it for survival purposes.
A few tips on getting the most water out of your house in the event of water supply being shut completely off from the house. Go to the highest faucet in your home and turn in on until it is drained and there is only air. Then, when you go to the lowest faucet/spigot in your home, you'll be able to get as much as possible out of the pipes. Water heaters are another place to get water, just make sure to unplug it (or shut the gas off to the unit) and allow the water to cool so you aren't injured. The back tank of a toilet holds water and can be used for washing, but it gets a little dicey when you think of cleaners and stuff that may be in it. Just a few more things I found out in my research! We'll talk a little more about storage when we talk about the storage area itself.

Happy trails to you.....

Well, here we go! In case you are interested in preparing for a crisis or just wanting tips on living more simply, I'm hoping this will be a help to you. Of course, I will openly tell you that I am just starting this journey and have a long way to go to become "self-sufficient" as a household or ready to "live off the grid". Those aren't really my goals anyway....if that happens, then so be it. I'm just aiming to change one thing at a time and find out what is best for me and my family. Please take the suggestions that I make with the idea that I'm looking for what is best for MY family -- not necessarily anyone else's. I know that people have different types of talents and abilities and those may not match up with my efforts, but please use as much or as little information as you want! Enjoy the journey!!!