PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

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kiwi Bruce
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PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by kiwi Bruce »

kiwi Bruce wrote:We should move this topic into an independent post...I think it's way to important to be lost to "The Liar's bench" Please don't mistake my remarks as criticism Contrahead...I'm all for Prepping and started after what happened after Katrina..."When you need the Governments help today, they are only a week or two away!" I'll let you start the new post...I'll be the first on board. I've been kicked out of at least two Prepping forums and a local Christian Prepping group, for my "Radical" views on the subject.
So please feel free to comment...

My BIG question is...If you prep...WHY ? What do you anticipate ?
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by kiwi Bruce »

contrahead wrote:There were several compositions used in (#11) percussion caps. One common priming mixture was {fulminate of mercury and gunpowder}, another {potassium chlorate and antimony sulfide} and even another of {fulminate of mercury, potassium chlorate, and sulfur}. Gum mastic was often mixed in and used as the binder to hold these compounds to the inside of the caps as they dried.
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Mercury fulminate doesn't sound too hard to make, if you can get the ingredients: (mercury, red fuming nitric acid and 90% or better ethyl alcohol). You'd have to make the nitric acid first because you can't buy it in concentrated form. One way to make “aqua fortis” involves distilling quality potassium nitrate with concentrated “oil of vitriol”. Oil of vitrol from an automotive battery (about 30% pure) is no where near adequate to begin with.

Those toy cap pistols that were so common in the 1940's, 50's and 60's used a roll of caps – which were dimples of flash powder sandwiched between two sheets of paper. These were origionally intended and used for a short while as an improved firearm ignition system back in the 1850's or something. I've heard of guys cutting those down to fit inside a spent # 11 percussion cap.

Perhaps these roll caps will even work inside the standard rifle and pistol primers of mainstream ammunition. Yes some people take tweezers and little punches to remove the anvils, pound out the dimples left by the firing pens and then reload or recharge the Boxer primers. The anvils would need to be returned because they are crutial to the primer's function. Perhaps Berdan primed cases would prove to be more usefull. Aside from cap pistol charges another priming mixture is the white phoporous scraped from the tips of strike anywhere kitchen matches. The success rate is not 100%. It is doubtfull however that homemade fulminate of mercury would be any easier to reapply to a primer or be any more dependable.
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- Firecrackers sold today no longer use black powder; they use “flash powder” which is a mixture of magnesium or aluminum powder and a potassium chlorate or potassium perchlorate oxidizer.

- A good proportinate homemade black powder would contain 6 parts potassium nitrate, 4 parts charcoal and 1 part sulfur.

- A small arms propellant known as “red powder” that I would like to try is made from 20 parts potassium nitrate, 16 parts granulated sugar and 1 part ferric oxide (rust).
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by kiwi Bruce »

kiwi Bruce wrote:It sounds like "all fun and shi#s and giggles" BUT, fulminating anything is extremely dangerous ! :esurprised: Any chemistry that involves Ammonia and a metal or nitric acid and a metal can produce compounds that can be very unstable. Its one thing to think you could go into a SHTF scenario with the theoretical knowledge to make black powder or percussion caps, but in practice...you would be better off with a homemade bow and arrows than missing fingers or an arm. My Grandfather told me that during the depression anyone who could make "hooch" ever wanted for anything. You want ammo, black powder, percussion caps...hot food, tobacco...anything, we have the know how in this hobby to provide all this and more, by trading for it. Make good booze and barter for the other stuff from someone who knows what they are doing or is willing to risk limbs or life to make the dangerous stuff for us. If you think that there is even a remote possibility that western society could fall on it's face...for any reason, then start putting away a large quantity of cheap sugar wash spirit for barter... just saying...safety first...Kiwi
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Truckinbutch »

Appalachia-Shiner wrote:Oh Shit, I'm going to get banned off this site maybe but,
One of these days.
Something.
Is going to happen.
No groceries in the Wal-Mart.
No water in the faucet.
You can't eat looted sneakers.
Remember Katrina?
After 3 or 4 days, the Cockroaches are going to Roll out of the cities.....
THAT'S what it's all about.
See. I didn't say nuttin about anyone, but some body say I did.
I see the potential for the same scenario .
And , I find nothing offensive in your post .
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Single Malt Yinzer »

I prep. I have a big bbq pit and fat neighbors. Sometime solutions present themselves. :twisted:
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by shadylane »

I don't consider myself a prepper, but I'm prepared for almost everything.
I have land, water and best of all, I'm surrounded by farming neighbors with the same.
There's full grain bins scattered all around me, and I have experience turning grain into alcohol. :thumbup:
On a side note
What I don't understand about preppers, is wasting time preparing for a possible apocalypse
When many aren't prepared for the life, their currently living. :lol:
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Oldvine Zin »

shadylane wrote:I
What I don't understand about preppers, is wasting time preparing for a possible apocalypse
When many aren't prepared for the life, their currently living. :lol:
+1 :thumbup: :thumbup:

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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Truckinbutch »

I started out in a 2 room shack with 2 paths and coal oil lights . Horse powered farm . We ate what we grew and canned or cured .We still do much of the same even with the amenities we now have .
I don't even consider it prepping . We only have a short trip back to where we started if we have to and are better prepared to do it .
I also have a better handle on making likker .
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by TDick »

Appalachia-Shiner wrote:Oh Shit, I'm going to get banned off this site maybe but,
One of these days.
Something.
Is going to happen.
No groceries in the Wal-Mart.
No water in the faucet.
You can't eat looted sneakers.
Remember Katrina?
After 3 or 4 days, the Cockroaches are going to Roll out of the cities.....
THAT'S what it's all about.
See. I didn't say nuttin about anyone, but some body say I did.
Not much to add here.
As a prepper, I'm in deep shit as I sit here eating half a bag of potato chips.
Two things
Many years ago I read an investment expert said in case it all went to hell, bars of soap were going to be a better investment than gold.
What can you do with gold, while everyone is going to need soap.

The other thing as I look at everything that has gone on in America for the last say 10 years; I wonder if the Roman's knew when they're empire was over.

:econfused:
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by zapata »

You guys really don't find anything offensive about calling human beings cock roaches?

Shit like that makes the board feel a lot more like my rascist asshole redneck uncle Ben's trailer than a friendly welcoming hobby forum.
See, I dint say nuthin bout nobody but my own uncle but I bet some'll say I did.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by kimbodious »

Prepping to defend yourself from fellow citizens? Wow! Someone mentioned Katrina... we (as in my house) took a direct hit from a Tropical Low system called Yasi, 295 kmh gusts - our house was severely damaged but we also did get to experience the rare situation of spending 45 minutes in the eye of the system. Our version of prepping was to make sure we had sufficient supplies of batteries and drining water and that our chainsaw axes saws etc were close at hand. Even more important was keeping our channels of communications open with family friends and authorities. Not once did we consider the need to make preparations to lethally defend ourselves from fellow citizens?!
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Zeropest »

I live by the Boy Scout Motto..Be Prepared..For What?...Anything. Basically if there was no electricity, gasoline, grocery stores, or internet, I would not only survive, I want to flourish. Great example was hurricane Hugo, luckily, it hit the southern part of the US, where people still relied on each other, not a government institution, which by the way took weeks to get running again.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Soft batch »

Zeropest wrote:I live by the Boy Scout Motto..Be Prepared..For What?...Anything. Basically if there was no electricity, gasoline, grocery stores, or internet, I would not only survive, I want to flourish. Great example was hurricane Hugo, luckily, it hit the southern part of the US, where people still relied on each other, not a government institution, which by the way took weeks to get running again.
Short of a permanent source of drinking water - of which I have a propane generator to run the well pump - I could survive indefinitely also. Boy Scouts has taught me the minimalist/survivability skills, along with general hunting,fishing, gardening, and canning! And I now have a hobby that can be turned to a barter material if the need arises.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Uncle Jesse »

kimbodious wrote:Prepping to defend yourself from fellow citizens? Wow! Someone mentioned Katrina... we (as in my house) took a direct hit from a Tropical Low system called Yasi, 295 kmh gusts - our house was severely damaged but we also did get to experience the rare situation of spending 45 minutes in the eye of the system. Our version of prepping was to make sure we had sufficient supplies of batteries and drining water and that our chainsaw axes saws etc were close at hand. Even more important was keeping our channels of communications open with family friends and authorities. Not once did we consider the need to make preparations to lethally defend ourselves from fellow citizens?!
I agree, folks, drop the tone to something more reasonable.

I'm all for prepping, after all I live in earthquake territory. I'm not paranoid about my fellow citizens.

After the 1906 earthquake my family pulled their stove out into the street in San Francisco and everyone in the neighborhood brought food and my great grandmother and her friends cooked for everyone in the open for weeks.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by HDNB »

I'm with UJ. the Bravado of zombie killing isn't much use, but i could use some good tips on curing meat for storage.
i'm not much for SHTF paranoia but i've lived in the frozen north long enough to know that i don't leave home without the full arctic pack in my truck (it was -32C when i went out this morning) and having as much food as possible in storage is a great idea.

My wife actually got involved with a company out of Utah (go figger) that creates freeze dried meals and bulk food storage (freeze dried in cans) that i was pretty skeptical about when she first got to buying this stuff, but damn, it's good! and fast and easy and no waste and tasty and even priced right...apparently i like it.
I now have a room full of this food...so YES! i must be a bit of a prepper... but frankly i've spent a lot more on stupider shit than food. I don't want to link it publicly, but if you want a link, PM me.

i also have a small diesel generator a large fuel tank and 5000+gallons of water above ground (day to day use is off the well). and a few good sized horses if the going gets really tough. plus enough booze to get my enemies drunk enough they can;t fight. :lol: :lol:
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by HDNB »

i want to learn more about solar and wind energy too...in the event of a lottery win i'd consider buying this stuff to get set right up...off grid.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by kiwi Bruce »

I don't think it's possible to prep for every outcome...as in enough... Beans, Band-aids and Bullets ( Knowledge is as important)

1) Short term...three to seven days
2) Medium term...seven days to six months
3) Long term...six to twenty-four months
4) Very long term...two to ten years (but society does recover)
5) Non ending...(Western society doesn't recover)
6) The Apocalypses...( Everybody look busy, Jesus is coming back !)

I think I'm between 3 and 4... except for band-aids and meeting any long term medical needs, I'm at 2 here, and trying to learn as much as is reasonable.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by shadylane »

One bad thing if the SHTF, is the internet would be dead at the moment everyone needs the information about doing things the old fashion way.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Truckinbutch »

Back to that soap thing . Valid point . And soap is easy to make if you think far enough ahead . It's like meshing your fingers . One point compliments the others for success .
Save and leach wood ashes for lye . Save all extra fat from butchering and cooking . Cook the two down and you have soap . Which will be in demand and can be traded .
A hog herd is a perfect source of fat and curable meat which can be consumed or traded . They can also sustain themselves free range if feed is not available . Same with chickens .
Three profit centers for barter for cloth , medicines , petroleum fuels .
Your own labor is a viable commodity to trade for those things you do not have and shelter as well . Subsistence communities are always in need of labor from those who have no other means . It's also a path up to better means and an improvement of station .
During the mine layoffs of the 1950's out of work miners came to do day work on our farm . They got breakfast at daybreak . They put up hay , built fence , cut wood , mowed filth in the pasture fields with a scythe and grubbing hoe . A modest lunch was provided at mid day . At the end of the day they went home with a half dollar cash in their pocket and a poke of fresh food to feed their entire family .
In later years many of those folks remarked that they did better on our farm than when the mines were working .
I went to a lot of 'saucer 'burryings during that time , too .
When someone died they laid in state an someone's parlor . Mourners came by to pay respects and dropped whatever coin they had to spare in a saucer until there was enough collected for the undertaker to bury them .
The ladies of the community gathered and cooked food to feed all who came through .
We don't put saucers by the coffin no more but the tradition of a meal persists .
I agree that 'Rambo shit' has no place here . Too much survival info to be gained here to kill the thread over that .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Truckinbutch »

shadylane wrote:One bad thing if the SHTF, is the internet would be dead at the moment everyone needs the information about doing things the old fashion way.
That's why smart people need to learn now .
The dumb ones will fall off on their own .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by HDNB »

shadylane wrote:One bad thing if the SHTF, is the internet would be dead at the moment everyone needs the information about doing things the old fashion way.
heheheh, that'll screw with about 97% of the people under 40. thats good, they young enough for that manual labour , hey TB?
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by corene1 »

Truckinbutch wrote:
shadylane wrote:One bad thing if the SHTF, is the internet would be dead at the moment everyone needs the information about doing things the old fashion way.
That's why smart people need to learn now .
The dumb ones will fall off on their own .
Guess I will just have to find someone out there that will help out a defenseless old lady.
I probably have a few skills that would keep me going for awhile but I think in the long run we would all need to develop a working group rather than trying to make it as an individual.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Truckinbutch »

corene1 wrote:
Truckinbutch wrote:
shadylane wrote:One bad thing if the SHTF, is the internet would be dead at the moment everyone needs the information about doing things the old fashion way.
That's why smart people need to learn now .
The dumb ones will fall off on their own .
Guess I will just have to find someone out there that will help out a defenseless old lady.
I probably have a few skills that would keep me going for awhile but I think in the long run we would all need to develop a working group rather than trying to make it as an individual.
You are absolutely right , Gal . The idea is to develop a working community . They eat because you teach them how to work to eat . It's up to the individuals whether they want to work enough/learn enough to rise above their station .
The caveat in that is best cautioned by Mark Twain :
"You can take in a starving dog and elevate him above his station and he will not bite you ....................................................................
There .... lies the principle difference between dog and man ."...................................................
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by zapata »

Have ya'll ever been through a for real disaster? My first one as an adult I lived in an apartment building. The night before the disaster I didnt know anybody in my apartment building besides my roomates. The night of the disaster I met 4 apartments of people, I'm friends with several to this day. The power went out 2 days later, and I met everyone in the building, and many from the wider area. We immediately got to know each other and pooled our resources and skills (such as they were for mostly college kids and recent dropouts). It was a helluva party that night, lit by a bonfire in the parking lot mostly fueled by donated furniture.
But it was almost 2 weeks before the flood waters receded and roads were repaired enough to make it to "civilization", meaning stores with food or restaurants that were open (or more importantly stores selling beer in a designated emergency disaster area). In that 2 weeks shit got real, we literally saved lives, coordinated medical evacs, rescued abandoned or unreachable pets, and nobody went without food, booze or hell, even ganja. Stranger's cars were literally lifted and carried away from the encroaching flood waters (sorry dude with the big ass truck, we tried, that shit was heavy! We tried to hotwire it, but what worked on your girlfriends didn't work on yours and we only had one experienced hood helping us). Sand bags were found, filled and placed, saving buildings none of us owned. Power was cut to buildings as they went under, and various treasures recovered tomb raider style for neighbors from homes as much as 1.5 stories under water.

All this from the "prepping" inherent in diversity. Diversity of skill and possessions of random "kids". From spoiled college kids to working class folks that probably couldn't afford to live anywhere better than a college slum apartment. More than a few "cockroaches too. (Which if ya'll don't get it is often used as a slur for urban people of color.)

It was one of the most encouraging, inspiring, hopeful experiences of my life. People with these conflict driven fantasies make me sad that you haven't experienced humans coming together out of nothhing more than recognizing the inherent value of each other.

Sure, one day there will be an apocalypse that turns us all into wolves. But those are once in an epoch scenarios. Before you plan for those, why not plan for the much more likely scenarios where we all just need to look out for each other for a few days or weeks until the SHTF or WROL passes?

To me "prepping" should be driven by science and statistics, not some dystopian fantasy. I know I'm far better off investing money in an index fund than in 2 years of rations, because I KNOW I need long term savings, but the odds of me needing 2 years of rations are miniscule. Black swan events do happen, but prepping for white swans makes a lot more sense given their frequency. Most preppers I've known in the real world didn't have an emergency fund to pay their bills through 6 months of unemployment but wanted to talk about how they were ready for TEOTWAWKI. Geez, play a video game to get your dose of make believe killing bad guys, but maybe give me hand patching up the neighbors roof after the next hurricane rather than smugly sitting on your stock of ammo wishing this one had been the big one where you coulda finally shot some looters. Or FEMA. Or the SPCA, or whoever it is exactly you are armed up for.

That being said, I can very comfortably survive a few weeks in almost any disaster likely in my area. Yes, including defense, in the ridiculously small chance that were needed. With mild discomfort that could be stretched to maybe 2 months. Not because I'm some chicken little "the sky is falling", But because what reasonably comfortable adult hasn't had to provide for unexpected guests, or doesnt have camping/boating/Rv/vacation gear ready to go, or hasn't had to deal with an ice storm/hurricane/tornado/wild fire/unemployment/family emergency etc?

If you don't have at least 3 working fire extinguishers (heed the recent recall of about half of 'em), 2 suits dry cleaned and ready to go in a garment bag, a packed dop kit, a meal for 10 you can make in an hour, a months bills in cash and 6 in liquid savings, blank birthday thank you condolences and congratulations cards a will And advanced directive then you ain't prepared for next week which is a lot more certain than TEOTWAWKI.

When the lights go out, party at Zapata's. Might as well use the ice for something fun before it melts anyway. If the power really doesn't come back on, I want all the friends I can get.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by OtisT »

In order to prep, you need to know what you are prepping for. I live in an area expecting “the big one” (earthquake) any day now. It’s a few hundred years overdue, so hurry up and wait. The other event I think is more likely in my time would be some form of pandemic.

These are the two scenarios I am prepped for. Extra food, source of heat and cooking, water filtration, minimal charging capacity, etc. I will say my BOB is not as together as I would like, but I’m feeling lucky, so Meh. Just the stuff needed to live for a long spell w/o power, water, stores, others.

Our area is intersected by rivers and we are dependent upon bridges, many very old. I have a young boy, a brother, and ex in the area so we all have an emergency plan for where to go depending on where we are when the big one hits. This includes a few friends homes as backups.

I have more faith in man than to worry about gangs and such, though my other hobbies have prepped me for that a bit as well. I just don’t see that happening. I’ll help neighbors in need, and expect they would do the same.

The one thing I don’t have that I would like is a good enduro (dirt/street motorcycle) so I can get out of dodge anytime I really need to.

Here is to a Happy New Year, where we don’t need to practice any of this shit. :-)
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by Skipper1953 »

+1 zapata "If the power really doesn't come back on, I want all the friends I can get."

and

OtisT "Here is to a Happy New Year, where we don’t need to practice any of this shit."
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by sltm1 »

With the ability to make booze, blacksmith, reload ammo, have an old pre-computer driven means of transportation (79 Harley Roadster), and a warehouse full of toilet paper.....you're king of the world. Ah, bet you all didn't think of toilet paper for barter did ya?
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by goose eye »

Rule of 3
ole boys been without when bein without was normal.
keep your wits about you .
Best learn the old way of doctorin. All them weeds ain't good for nothin. All them trees take a look see.
Water will be gold. You got a outfit .
In the South charge pine sap. Terpintine got a lot of uses.
Bees got a lot of uses. Candles antibiotics an so on.

Ole boys won't make it. Va got them on a handful x2 a day.

So I'm tole
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by contrahead »

[I wrote this today for a blog and not for this forum. See no reason why it can't be posted here though. It is still in just a rough draft form and some of the stuff will be thrown out if it can't be abbreviated.]

Pemmican & Hardtack

Both were very durable and effective survival foods 150 -200 years ago or more. Carried by travelers, fur trappers, explorers, mountain men and solders. Pemmican is a nutritious, highly condensed, high calorie food that effectively resist spoilage. Hardtack, sea bread or sea biscuit is even older; a primitive form of bread that was valued for its robustness and resistance to spoilage.

The standard sea biscuit was pretty well standardized by the British Navy before the 17th century. It took about 4 sea biscuits to make a pound; part of a sailors standard daily ration was 1 pound of bread. But it was a salty, wood hard, untasty bread that usually required a soaking in something before it could be eaten. Whereas baked bread would quickly mold and plain flour would go rancid or become bug infested on a long sea trip; the salty, hard, twice or triple baked sea biscuit if stored properly, could last several years before being consumed. Sea cooks when in need of a flour could still crush up sea biscuits with a hammer. “Hardtack” became a popularized term for the same bread about the time of the American Civil War. A traveler, explorer, soldier or pioneer could tie a bag of these to his pack-horse and not worry about them crumbling apart after months' worth of physical abuse.

The recipe for hardtack or sea biscuits is super simple, the detail is in the baking. Whole wheat flour, salt and a little water are the only ingredients. Only enough water to make a stiff dough is necessary. The dough is kneaded a little bit, then separated into balls which are squashed flat to the size of a crumpet or big cookie. It's usually perforated a little on the top with a pointed object, which lets out the gas while cooking. There is no set salt ratio in most recipes but the amount usually seems excessive. Salt has been mankind's first and most effective chemical food preservative. The baking needs to be done slowly, dehydration is the main goal. In the archaic ovens of yesteryear this might have taken all day. Between Latin and Old French languages the word “biscuit” itself means - “twice cooked”. Usually two days then in an earth oven to get that hardtack dry.

* Cavemen were cooking simple unleavened flat breads on flat rocks stacked above fires in neolithic times. The effect of leavening (from yeasts) has been understood since before Moses lead the Jews out of Egypt during the Exodus or before the Romans ventured northward to witnesses Celts skim krausen or barm from the top of ale to make a lighter type of bread.

* The British Admiralty, being more motivated and more progressive than other navies at the time established factories right next to their most important seaports - that worked year round just to provision the navy. Some seaport factories concentrated on producing metal goods like cannon, anchors or nails. Others concentrated on necessities like rope, sails, gunpowder, cask and kegs for storage, and food production. “Dry-tight” cooperage would have been imperative for ship supplies of water, beer or whale oil but perhaps a less expensive, less water tight cask would have been used for salt pork or sea biscuits. The barrel would still need to be fairly tight however to protect from roaches and other bugs.

* “Canning” as a means of food preservation did not come about until relatively late, at the beginning of the 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars. More precisely Napoleon needed a way to feed his army when on the march far from home. Storing boiled soup in wine bottles then became another successful method for preserving and transporting some foods.

Louis L'Amour described “pemmican” a few times in his novels, particularly in his Sackett series. Often called “the ultimate survival food”, pemmican consist of only crushed jerky, animal fat and sometimes - dried berries.

The Métis people (French version of Spanish “mestizo”) or mixed-bloods of French Canadian and Indian origin were famously associated with producing this food. Usually they would follow the buffalo herds around, processing animals daily and selling or trading their popular, airtight packages of dried pemmican at rendezvous or where ever else they could. (There were only 16 authentic/original rendezvous between 1825 and 1840). Any lean meat can be used for pemmican, so while the Métis predominately used buffalo, others on the frontier might have used deer, elk, moose or what have you. The first step is to cut the meat into thin strips so that it can be dehydrated into jerky. Then the jerky was reduced into smaller bits by cutting and crushing. Tallow or animal fat was reduced to a liquid form by heat and then mixed with the crushed jerky and dried berries if those were available. Any excess tallow was squeezed out before the product was sewn shut inside a rawhide bag. The shelf life or longevity of pemmican can span well over 10 – 30 years.

* One can make jerky in a dehydrator or in an oven but the Indians often built meat racks from poles to suspend the meat for air circulation. Often they maintained a small fire below the meat. The smoke accelerated drying, warded off flies and added preservative chemicals (creosote) to the meat. Saltpetre (mostly sodium nitrate but potassium or magnesium nitrated sometimes also) is a superior meat preservative that would not have been used in authentic pemmican. Nuts, seeds, grains and other things would not be authentic either, but one wonders how some of these might affect the outcome.

* Jerky and botulism poisoning are seldom used in the same sentence because clostridium botulinum despises oxygen (and high cooking temperatures and saltpetre). However this most lethal neurotoxin was first found in poorly prepared sausage and takes its name from the Latin word for sausage - “botulus”. Sausages were made with moist meat and suet stuffed into small-intestine casings (originally), which then like undercooked canned foods could provide dangerous beneficial conditions for anaerobic bacterial growth.
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Re: PREPPING - Yes - No - Why !

Post by MoonBreath »

goose eye wrote:Rule of 3
ole boys been without when bein without was normal.
keep your wits about you .
Best learn the old way of doctorin. All them weeds ain't good for nothin. All them trees take a look see.
Water will be gold. You got a outfit .
In the South charge pine sap. Terpintine got a lot of uses.
Bees got a lot of uses. Candles antibiotics an so on.

Ole boys won't make it. Va got them on a handful x2 a day.

So I'm tole
You are the absolute best at advice and common sense information.
You've given me advice and insite in the past which was what I asked for and needed..Ifn you ever need any help, I could hope to be there for ya..
You could author a best selling book ifn ya wanted.
God Bless you and have a happy, healthy 2018 and beyond. :D
*Spend it all, Use it up, Wear it out*
Beware of sheet-sniffers and dime-droppers!
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