Preparedness and you - How prepared are you for a 30 day shutdown

[line052]

Walmart has better pricing then Bulk Barn per KG

Line052 buy your salt at the Bulk Barn

[MikePal]

Cool, The bug out location and having a MAG (Mutual Assistance Group), of like minded people with specific skill set at standard operating procedures...

Oh yea we were taking the SHTF scenario quite seriously, even before they called it that

That was 40yrs ago and really not much has changed in regard to the basic requirements for survival..

[MikePal]

Walmart has better pricing then Bulk Barn per KG

Sugar was on a Wally World about a month ago, $1 for 2lbs....that's when you stock up.

[Bushmoose]

In the winter I would put my freezer outside and fill with ice and cover with snow, if it was summer I could salt and cure my meats.

Not trying to challenge your comment, but do you know how to properly salt and cure meats? Have you got the necessary supplies needed to do this, for the amount of meat in the freezer? I wouldn't be counting on youtubing or googling the info when the time comes, there'll be no youtube or google when SHTF. Unless a person has the supplies and expertise now, waiting until it needs to be done, will likely be too late to start preserving meat? How about other foods items? Flour, sugar, yeast, coffee, tea, spices,? I read someone's post about having a quantity of rice on hand. Plain boiled rice would be a bit dull after eating that for a few days?

Has anyone gone looking for simple canning supplies this past summer and in the last few months? Mason lids were almost non existent on the shelves? Cider vinegar was sold out until just recently and my wife was at the store just at the right time to get a jug about 3 weeks ago. We didn't need it right now, but we wanted it. It will last a long time.
We do a lot of canning of meat, vegetables and fruit and we have a good quantity of all the supplies needed, as we're always on the look-out for jars, lids and other necessary items through-out the year.
How many folks have a pressure canner? Do they know how to use it? What are you going to use for a stove when the power is out? Another thing to think of is, if a person waits until they need to buy fresh food to preserve, it will be too late, as there simply won't be anything left on the grocery store shelves to purchase, not that a person would get there anyway due to the masses all trying to do the same thing.

I've had a few friends laugh when they see my larder, but I ask them why they have a spare tire on their vehicle. We all hope we won't need it, but it's better to be prepared?

[fishermccann]

I am guessing that people will begin to eat things, long past their 'best before' date.

[line052]

You will cringe at this, in the prepper community the standard is Fish Antibiotics. You might say ewww, why would you do that, are they safe. Yes, they are and US market (fish AB market) has responded to that 16 billion dollar a year market. Numerous videos on fish antibiotics are out, with chain manufacturing, plant identification, ISBN catalogue numbering, side by side comparison with fish/human pills to show they are made in the same plants, labeled, on package/pill (Printed on pill) are made by the same companies that do the over the counter medications at your local drug store.

The 10 most common antibiotics are clearly defined in post SHTF that you will need when supply delivery systems fail and production stops. Things like simple colds, water borne sepsis, cuts, viral infections will take start out many people 30 days into SHTF if you dont have simple penicillin. Along with those dying from simple infections - the next group to pass on is medication dependant people for diabetes, blood pressure, ect, ect. As stocks run out so will life for those unfortunate people. This leads to the next problem of gathering a year or two antibiotics to store. It is not like you can go to your local doctor in CA or US and say can you give me a script for 100 tablets of 500MG penicillin pills, it just wont happen - doctors need you to return to be paid for dispensing fees, hence the reason why refills exist...it is not for your benefit - but doctors needs to get paid. If they really cared - they would issue a yr supply at a time..fat chance they would every agree to that. Hence, the fish antibiotics markets have increased by 60% over the last 10 yrs and stock prices and sales prove it.

Again there is tons of proof the pills are no different or produced in a less then certified factory for human consumption. You do have to be careful about who you order from as China has got into the market about 6 yrs ago, and ensure your source supply is based in US using branded and manufactured products there. The ability exists today to still order these products from states, and I will give an example Penicillin or "Fish Cillion" as it is called for 100 X 500mg tablets (blister pill with powder), costs $68.00 USD delivered to Ottawa, cheaper if you have a USPS ($8 per month) post office across the border (Ogdensburg NY) COVID killed that. Shipped right to your house, no duty just HST to pay, or pick and drive across border duty free and, no, it is not illegal to import them.

The next question is - how do they last - below is another CP video which details DHS 10 yr study on the effectiveness of Over the Counter (OTCs) medications with a test standard of still being 95% effective. This study bought 100 most common OTC and placed them on shelf and tested them often to see if effective strength dropped to 95% or lost 5% of effectiveness. The results are surprising with common ASA only 24 months - but really, the study kicked out a OTC only after 5%, so in say 5 yrs that same ASA might require 2 X 500mg pills to give same pain relief.

Again Fish Antibiotics should NOT be considered as replacement drugs for OTC's, yet many Americans have figured this out and buy these instead of the high priced OTCs, so it only a matter of time before lobby groups ban this practice. These are NOT meant to replace known supply delivery or subvert existing practices. They are for what they are intended for emergency use, only as a last resort.

Do what you feel is best for your needs and risks. I hold no responsibilities for your action and I am not providing advice to you. Simply listing ways you source these products, as hundreds of other people have.

YouTube these two video's if interested
ThePatriotNurse - Are Fish antibiotics safe for Human Consumption - YouTube
Canadian Prepper - You Need to know about medications Expiry dates / shelf life / Prepping

What about pharmaceuticals? How are people going to get the life saving drugs they need? When we run out of insulin ,are all diabetics doomed? To be a true prepper do you need to be med free?

[line052]

20Kg at Costco for $15.36 a bag... cant beat, $150 for 200Kg

[ QUOTE=MikePal;1132929]Sugar was on a Wally World about a month ago, $1 for 2lbs....that's when you stock up.[/QUOTE]

[fishermccann]

Oh yea we were taking the SHTF scenario quite seriously, even before they called it that

That was 40yrs ago and really not much has changed in regard to the basic requirements for survival..

I grew up during the cold war. During the late 50s and early 60s, some home owners on our street were building bomb shelters. In 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, many thought we were going to use them.

[line052]

I can honestly say I have every box checked in this post and more, with 2 -3 backups for each mentioned item. That's why it took a 26ft moving van to move all my preps, that move company would not.

Not trying to challenge your comment, but do you know how to properly salt and cure meats? Have you got the necessary supplies needed to do this, for the amount of meat in the freezer? I wouldn't be counting on youtubing or googling the info when the time comes, there'll be no youtube or google when SHTF. Unless a person has the supplies and expertise now, waiting until it needs to be done, will likely be too late to start preserving meat? How about other foods items? Flour, sugar, yeast, coffee, tea, spices,? I read someone's post about having a quantity of rice on hand. Plain boiled rice would be a bit dull after eating that for a few days?

Has anyone gone looking for simple canning supplies this past summer and in the last few months? Mason lids were almost non existent on the shelves? Cider vinegar was sold out until just recently and my wife was at the store just at the right time to get a jug about 3 weeks ago. We didn't need it right now, but we wanted it. It will last a long time.
We do a lot of canning of meat, vegetables and fruit and we have a good quantity of all the supplies needed, as we're always on the look-out for jars, lids and other necessary items through-out the year.
How many folks have a pressure canner? Do they know how to use it? What are you going to use for a stove when the power is out? Another thing to think of is, if a person waits until they need to buy fresh food to preserve, it will be too late, as there simply won't be anything left on the grocery store shelves to purchase, not that a person would get there anyway due to the masses all trying to do the same thing.

I've had a few friends laugh when they see my larder, but I ask them why they have a spare tire on their vehicle. We all hope we won't need it, but it's better to be prepared?

[MikePal]

also an Ice Storm lesson:

ever house should have one of these in the back yard. HaHa.