What prep(s) are you LEAST proud of?

by **slannesh** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:19 am

After going through this thread I've got quite the list. :oops:

We moved from Alberta to BC last year and have been living with various family members for the past 10 months as selling our place in Alberta proved to take a wee bit longer than I thought it would.

We take possession of our new place in April so I can finally get on track with the physical stuff that needs to be acquired/stored.

Current failures:

No written Will, We have two young children and no legal documentation noting our wishes should me wife and I both pass away. We have at least had conversations with family members and our wishes are commonly known. Also, no copies of important documents.

Food/water storage is non-existant. I've been living out of one room since last July, all the stuff I didn't immediately need is in storage along with a lot of stuff that I do or did need but can't get to. Thankfully this will come to an end as soon as we move. I'll have to start my food and water preps over again as we ate most of them before we moved to save on the cost of hauling it all over the mountains.

No place to live: At the moment I own a very nice travel trailer that would be difficult to comfortably weather a Canadian winter in and don't have a house. We're staying with my in-laws. This will be rectified soon as we've purchased a house and take possession mid April. It's got the storage space and yard space we need to both stock up and for me to do a lot of gardening.

So basically we're restarting from zero. On the plus side, we've got the basic knowledge and awareness stuff covered and should be able to at least have some preps back on track in short order.

by **Prepared American** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:53 pm

I need to update my will, haven't done it since my first child was born. He is now 13 and my wife and I have since added three kids, so yes it is way out of date.

Still need to get my Katadyn Ceradyn water filter. I have a few ponds and a river all with no more then 200 yards of the homestead.

I wish I would of have more forethought on a few items I purchased early in my quest for prep. Then I would not have had to replace some expensive gear with things that actually work.

by **hudd357mag** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:45 pm

Dont have very much fuel. Both gasoline and propane. Propane maybe 6 weeks worth but still uneasy about storing gasoline in my garage. I am considering just buying one of those giant tricycles with the wagon for getting around in bad times, but havent made that decision yet. You can NEVER have too much food, because if shtf then every relative will invade your house and you will be short again.

by **Tank Woman** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:27 pm

This is a great thread for a newb. Reading, then looking around at home, I can see many areas we need to work on.
We prep mainly for practicality, the many power outages we have here (3 in the last week), natural disaster, self sufficiency and of course with current events in mind.

First is water. We have about 15 2 liter bottles for drinking and cooking and about 20 1 gallon milk jugs for flushing toilets and whatnot. We actually run out of water in our cistern every so often so this is a recurring problem. I had the gallon jugs stacked 2 high in those thick cardboard fruit boxes, but even that started to crush the bottom jugs. So now they are all just sitting all over the laundry room floor. It's a hot buttered mess!
We live in a freaking rainforest, not having a water catchment set-up after 2 years here is just plain embarrassing. In our defense though, we have been taking steps toward that goal. We have several ponds partially dug, a few more little ones planned, and are trying to decide how best to capture our carport's (metal) roof water, and then how best to store it. Again, a plus side on this one, a river actually borders our property and in a truly SHTF sitch, we can easily boil water on our wood-stove or rocket-stove, but it would be a PITA. Much better to have a more convenient setup.

Next is protection/security. My hubby and I are both sweet natured easy going folks (this is read as "Pussies"). We don't own a firearm, and the closest thing to weapons we do have is, 2 golf clubs behind the front door, some kitchen knives and garden tools. Oops, and we have a 90 lb. lab-chessie bay cross who is pretty territorial and protective of us. We have talked about buying a gun, but its an overwhelming prospect when you don't have someone around you who knows their ass from a trigger. Strange...as I typed this I realized our neighbors the next property over, with whom we are on great terms, were both in the military and have rifles in their homes for sure. I remember my hub telling me they were showing off a new gun recently.

Next is power. We have lots of little short term preps like LCD lamps, candles, battery/crank radio etc, but batteries die. We need a small charging system (crank?) and need to get a couple batteries for the little 60 W solar setup we bought last year. Its small, but we are very simple in our needs and it would be plenty for us to power and charge the essentials.

So...after writing all this, I've used up my quota of braincells for the night.

by **KnightoftheRoc** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:37 pm

from viewtopic.php?f=29&t=91804&start=24

KnightoftheRoc wrote:I think that's pertinent. In fact, I recently had an experience that makes me wonder a bit about my effectiveness in getting my fiancee' to understand the prepping I do.

I thought we had it where it was WE prepping, altho I have always taken the more active role. I had to make a store run the other day, and when I returned, she was carrying my packs out to the storage shed, cleaning out the bedroom. She hadn't told me she was planning this, and when I asked her about it, and when she was going to tell me, her answer was "after?" said with a smile. So, now all my preps for foot mounted anything, are out in the shed, in whatever order she put them there. The shed is secure, but the hitch there is, I'm the only one with a key.

What happens if I'm not there? Who is going to know what pack is designed for what use? I did have the packs and guns & ammo all in one location, fast and easy to grab and go. Now, precious minutes, if not longer, will be involved in getting out of danger if we need to leave.

Obviously, she is not thinking about this the same way I am. While that's not required, and can even be a good thing at times, it's an issue we need to address.

The prep failure here, is communication. I assumed a nodding head was affirmative understanding, yet, it obviously was not. I have two sheds on the property, one for storage, one is a tool shed. I'm going to have to move the packs and preps out to the already rather full tool shed. Till I make the room needed there, I'll have to use mothballs to repel the mice the storage shed is prone to having, and which were the reason I chose NOT to use it in the first place.

by **ForgeCorvus** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:23 pm

oldsoldier wrote:
I am (sort of) in the same boat. I am a new homeowner, and my last will was pre-deployment in 2004, and likely no longer valid. Lots has changed since then. This is something I SERIOUSLY need to address this year.

I think you'll find that the only way to invalidate a Will is to write a new one.
Its something I'd better get on with too...... That and getting my other paperwork collected and copied

by **hightecrebel** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:16 pm

What am I least proud of? Oh, where to start...

Overall? Debt. I have way more debt than I'm comfortable with, especially with our first child on the way. I think it's in the $9k range for credit cards, not counting our vehicle and mortgage (which is actually rather affordable...). It's the primary thing I'm dropping all my deployment money on, so I hope to have it at a more reasonable level by the end of the year.

Closely behind that, it'd have to be water. We have very little water on hand, considering there's three (well, two until I return from deployment) adults, a great dane, and two cats. I think there might be three days worth of water on hand at any time, not counting the water heater. Planning on increasing that when I get home, I figure at least two weeks to start with since we now live in NorCal, working our way to three months by years end.

by **Winston Smith** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:36 pm

Food and water. I have an MSR Miniworks to filter, but no stored water, and enough food for maybe a week(also, my BOB has no food, although it does have water storage)I need to get to work on it.

by **nill** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:47 pm

Everything. I don't really see myself as a survivalist. I barely prep at all. But i have a lot of assets that could be used in prepping. For an example i have cabin and some land with groundwater well and it is less than 600km from my primary home. The cabin itself is also in middle of nowhere with closest neighbor over 10km away and 30km to closest town. It still has road connections, but no electricity. I could wire it for a reasonable price, since there is a power line nearby. But all this i had long before i even heard about prepping. Only "real" prepping i have done is that i bought 80kg of crystallized sugar and 10L of honey.

Now i am planning expanding my prepping to gasoline and basic medicine. If i want to survive in TSHTF -situation i need to get to my cabin where i have most of my guns, seeds and other equipment. So having a car and gas ready is essential. Luckily for me Finland has very few cars compared to its landmass, but a lot of roads, so probably only the major highways and city centers will get jammed if something happens. We have small pavement roads circling everywhere and barely anyone using them.

by **KnightoftheRoc** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 11:39 pm

hightecrebel wrote:What am I least proud of? Oh, where to start...

Overall? Debt. I have way more debt than I'm comfortable with, especially with our first child on the way. I think it's in the $9k range for credit cards, not counting our vehicle and mortgage (which is actually rather affordable...). It's the primary thing I'm dropping all my deployment money on, so I hope to have it at a more reasonable level by the end of the year.

Closely behind that, it'd have to be water. We have very little water on hand, considering there's three (well, two until I return from deployment) adults, a great dane, and two cats. I think there might be three days worth of water on hand at any time, not counting the water heater. Planning on increasing that when I get home, I figure at least two weeks to start with since we now live in NorCal, working our way to three months by years end.

9 grand in debt is nothing, IF you can continue to pay it down. It's only when you start missing payments that it will mess you up. Focus on making those payments, get them adjusted if you have to, and that problem will go away over time. ( I WISH my debt were that low)

by **Drackar** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:04 pm

Lots of things, really...

I not so recently moved to the San Fransisco Bay Area. And discovered that every single firearm I own violates either county or state laws. As such, every single one of them is back on the family land, where they are at least mostly legal. As such, I currently don't have so much as a pistol in my home. This is...a serious problem. It's not that I worry much about a gun...I can get by without just fine. I prefer hunting with a bow anyway. But if I NEED to get from here to the family land in an emergency situation, a bit of easily hidden protection would be very, very handy.

My in home food preps...I have enough food for, maybe, three weeks. That's barely adequate for a local temporary emergency, and considering I'm in earthquake country, I should prep for something a lot worse than three weeks with limited food availability.

Interestingly, I'm not where I want to be clothing wise. I have plenty for city wear, but it's primarily cotton. Jeans, and the like. I need more wool and synthetic clothing for camping and long term wilderness survival situations. A rather significant portion of my woods clothing had a rather...unfortunate. Run in with poorly sealed storage containers, rodents, and mildew. Let this be a lesson, kiddies. PLENTY of layers of waterproofing.

by **Silent Kube** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:19 am

Probably my food preps. I have a good three months put away. Unfortunately it consists mostly of beans and rice. It'll work if it has to but damn it'll be boring. Canned food is seriously depleted since the gf has been in school. Luckily she's graduating soon and will hopefully find a job quickly and we can resupply.

ETA: I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just remembered something else. I was given a cb radio for Christmas and its still sitting on my shelf. Christmas 2010 that is.

by **phractal** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:56 pm

For me, I'd say my garden fence. Keeps the rabbits out fine but the deer just hop over it. I plan to address that in the comming few days.

Other than that, I'd like to have more hand tools. (wouldn't we all...) I look at the meager amount of tools on the shelf and realize I need to make more trips to China Freight.
Also have insufficient food storage. I'd like to convert a space in my barn to suit that issue.

by **prtp3warrior** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:23 pm

phractal wrote:For me, I'd say my garden fence. Keeps the rabbits out fine but the deer just hop over it. I plan to address that in the comming few days.

That would play into my plan.

by **ForgeCorvus** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:11 pm

Silent Kube wrote:
ETA: I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just remembered something else. I was given a cb radio for Christmas and its still sitting on my shelf. Christmas 2010 that is.

Bad Kube !!

I suppose its one of those "It'll only take me a few minutes" jobs that for some reason never get done....I've got a couple of those myself :oops:

by **hightecrebel** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:46 pm

KnightoftheRoc wrote:
hightecrebel wrote:What am I least proud of? Oh, where to start...

Overall? Debt. I have way more debt than I'm comfortable with, especially with our first child on the way. I think it's in the $9k range for credit cards, not counting our vehicle and mortgage (which is actually rather affordable...). It's the primary thing I'm dropping all my deployment money on, so I hope to have it at a more reasonable level by the end of the year.

Closely behind that, it'd have to be water. We have very little water on hand, considering there's three (well, two until I return from deployment) adults, a great dane, and two cats. I think there might be three days worth of water on hand at any time, not counting the water heater. Planning on increasing that when I get home, I figure at least two weeks to start with since we now live in NorCal, working our way to three months by years end.

9 grand in debt is nothing, IF you can continue to pay it down. It's only when you start missing payments that it will mess you up. Focus on making those payments, get them adjusted if you have to, and that problem will go away over time. ( I WISH my debt were that low)

I suppose I should have added that it's been about that level for the past couple years. I'd been pretty good at paying it down, but but my expenses started to just about equal my income for awhile. I'd had a plan to pay it all off by about a year ago, but I spent a lot of money on stupid crap (and a lot of now-broken 'survival' gear that cost enough to have had a years supply of food and water...). And plane tickets. And maintaining two households. Long-distance marriages are rough.

And since it was posted above, I'd have to add communication. I have a base station cb & a vehicle one that I haven't done anything with. And they're pretty good ones from the mid-90's that my grandfather had. I've had them for a few years now. '06 I believe...

by **SkullGirl** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:56 pm

After reading through this thread.... I am ashamed to say that I am just starting my prepping. I've been a member of this forum for quite a while and I have just found one excuse after another when it comes to starting my preps. I finally decided (last month) that it could wait no longer.

I have already started purchasing food and next month I am buying water storage containers. I do need to get my paperwork in order....badly!

by **dogbane** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:00 pm

Welcome back SkullGirl! Haven't seen you here in ages.

The preps I am least proud of are the ones I haven't gotten squared away yet.

by **Silent Kube** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:05 pm

ForgeCorvus wrote:
Silent Kube wrote:
ETA: I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just remembered something else. I was given a cb radio for Christmas and its still sitting on my shelf. Christmas 2010 that is.

Bad Kube !!

I suppose its one of those "It'll only take me a few minutes" jobs that for some reason never get done....I've got a couple of those myself

Pretty much that. Also, I'm a little intimidated when it comes to wiring. Do I just pick an empty slot on the fuse box and wire it up? I don't want to fry my electrical system.

by **SkullGirl** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:42 pm

dogbane wrote:Welcome back SkullGirl! Haven't seen you here in ages.

The preps I am least proud of are the ones I haven't gotten squared away yet.

Thanks! It has been a while. Life sort of happened...ya know...

by **ForgeCorvus** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:10 pm

Silent Kube wrote:
ForgeCorvus wrote:
Silent Kube wrote:
ETA: I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just remembered something else. I was given a cb radio for Christmas and its still sitting on my shelf. Christmas 2010 that is.

Bad Kube !!

I suppose its one of those "It'll only take me a few minutes" jobs that for some reason never get done....I've got a couple of those myself

Pretty much that. Also, I'm a little intimidated when it comes to wiring. Do I just pick an empty slot on the fuse box and wire it up? I don't want to fry my electrical system.

Google is you friend here, http://www.4x4cb.com/public/page.cfm?CatID=784 (first one I found)

by **KnightoftheRoc** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:21 pm

Silent Kube wrote:
ForgeCorvus wrote:
Silent Kube wrote:
ETA: I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just remembered something else. I was given a cb radio for Christmas and its still sitting on my shelf. Christmas 2010 that is.

Bad Kube !!

I suppose its one of those "It'll only take me a few minutes" jobs that for some reason never get done....I've got a couple of those myself

Pretty much that. Also, I'm a little intimidated when it comes to wiring. Do I just pick an empty slot on the fuse box and wire it up? I don't want to fry my electrical system.

1- figure out which buddy of yours is electrically savvy
2- buy a six pack of his favorite beer
3-?
4- profit!

by **jackofalltrades2012** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:59 pm

Well here goes...
Recently after bragging about my newest purchase of a heavy duty prybar to be used to pry open the door to the emergency supply room in case of it being jammed shut in an earthquake, it was pointed out to me by my better half that perhaps I should not store the prybar INSIDE said supply room. :oops:

by **Bob Bobberino** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:12 pm

My water supply needs a LOT of work. Fuel supply is nonexistent.
Those are my main two failure areas. Of course, everything can always use work to improve and even if you've got enough of everything, you should still add more. But off the top of my head, these are the main areas I've dropped the ball. Also I'd like to get another vehicle, and set up a decent BOL.