PREP Overlooked Preps

phloydius

Veteran Member
  • Battery converters to use AAA / AA batteries in C-cell or D-cell devices.
  • Spool (about 1000ft) of Cat-5 Solid (not twisted) cable for setting up point to point wired communications with old phones and a 9v battery
  • Over-the-head personal mosquito net
 

summerthyme

Administrator
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Pens, pencils, and lined paper! So many people don't write anything anymore- they keep their shopping lists on the phone, text messages rather than write notes, and in general, don't see much need for writing implements. If the grid goes down, that will change fast!

Also, all those little things we take for granted... duct tape, stapler and staples, rubber bands, safety pins...

Summerthyme
 

rob0126

Veteran Member
Lol, sewing needles and thread. Sewing machines won't work if they don't have electricity to run them. And torn clothes aren't much fun in cold weather. And get some of the ones with large 'eyes', too. If the need should arise, you can use them to 'repair' your footwear.

Duct tape for quick repairs. :)

other stuff:

fresnel lenses (quick fire with a magnifying glass on steroids)

machete

Extra parts for your auto that can put you on the side of the road or strand you:

starter, alternator, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor, spare ignition coil, spare fuel injector, fuel pump, serpentine belt, manual tire pump(walmart in bike section), spare headlight bulb, fuse box fuses, antifreeze premixed, engine oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid

honorable mentions:

4-way lug wrench, 2.5 ton floor jack, wood blocks of various sizes, small tool set to install parts, duct tape, thick plastic sheets, wiper blades, washer fluid
 

bbbuddy

DEPLORABLE ME
Baking powder doesn't keep well as a long term prep item. But its made from individual ingredients that do keep "forever" if kept cool and dry (airtight).

1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar.

If you want to make a batch to keep for a month or two add a teaspoon of cornstarch to absorb moisture and prevent caking. Otherwise just combine the baking soda and cream of tartar as needed.
I would store large amounts of them airtight and dry, and put a smaller "monthly use" amount of each in a small spice jar so you don't have to expose the larger amounts to the air and moisture too often.

Both are cheap, and if you store pounds of each, could be a good barter item. Combine some and barter as baking powder.
 
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Double_A

TB Fanatic
I have several mini lights, from Harbor Freight, 3 - AAA, Led. Come 2 to a pkg for $1.97, in assorted colors. Keep one in each vehicle, one in bathroom, nightstand, etc, carry one with me all the time. Have given them to all the kids, and DW. They are very bright. I love them. Next time I am there, will get more. Great little lights

I love Harbor Freight cheap give aways but ultimately they fail early from the cheap batteries that leak. They are my give-a-ways.

Batteries, got some? What kinds?

The AA size cell (a battery is multiple cells) is now the most commonly used cell in the world.

If your buying D cells for flashlights, consider it will become increasingly difficult to find D cells.
You can find C cell and D cell size adapters allowing use of AA cells.

Harbor freight does sell rechargeable cells(batteries) in C and D sizes. I’ve tried them and find them good enough.

For example I have a two C cell size Maglight. It has had the incandescent lamp replaced with an LED drop-in replacement ($20) and it is being powered by two eneloop AA rechargeable cells fitted into adapter sleeves for the C - cell size light. A medium size light, cheap to operate and light to carry.

If I could make a plea, buy yourself one of those deals that Costco (use to) sell, “eneloop rechargeable AA cells with a charger for about $20.” At one time they came with the adapter sleeves to allow AA to be used in place of C and D size. Only eneloop brand. I spent bucks trying Harbor freight Rechargeable AA but they are the same price as famous eneloop but half as good.


ETAswitching to rechargeable batteries has eliminated leaky batteries destroying portable electronics, flashlights and some toys.

I’ve replaced all my gear so it now uses Sanyo (used to be Panasonic) eneloop AA and AAA rechargeable batteries OR a class of lithium ion rechargeable lights using 18650 and 14500 size rechargeable cells. (14500 is same size as AA but over double the voltage at 3.7volts, so it will blow circuit inside stuff made to use 1.5volt disposable cells or 1.2volt rechargeable cells.
However, some flashlights are made to operate on any AA size cell or cell chemistry, I have a pants pocket light smaller than a roll of lifesavers candy that will use any AA cell and adapt to the voltage. So even half dead disposable batteries work in it until fully Used up.

ETA: Coppertop Duracell’s have great commercials but personally have had nothing but issues with them. Before switching to rechargeable, I used Energizer and never had the issues I did with Duracell. I was told that Duracell knows the problem but refuses to make them better, apparently it’s cheaper to send customers a check to replace an item destroyed by leaking chemicals corroding inside than to fix the problem. Not a deal anymore since I banned Duracell in my house.


These are mine I removed from my Maglight two C-cell light
AA.jpg

Hat Tip to phloydius!
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Baking powder doesn't keep well as a long term prep item. But its made from individual ingredients that do keep "forever" if kept cool and dry (airtight).

1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar.

If you want to make a batch to keep for a month or two add a teaspoon of cornstarch to absorb moisture and prevent caking. Otherwise just combine the baking soda and cream of tartar as needed.
I would store large amounts of them airtight and dry, and put a smaller "monthly use" amount of each in a small spice jar so you don't have to expose the larger amounts to the air and moisture too often.

Both are cheap, and if you store pounds of each, could be a good barter item. Combine some and barter as baking powder.
Yes! Just remember, though, this is "single acting" baking powder. It starts working as soon as liquid is added, but it doesn't have the secondary action in the oven. So, make sure you preheat, grease pans, etc, before you start mixing, and get the batter or dough into the oven ASAP.

Summerthyme
 

Tex88

Veteran Member
Rechargeables are good because if you use them a lot, you’re saving money in the medium run. However a rechargeable battery only lasts months in storage.
For long term prep storage, stick to non rechargeable ones, because those last years.
 

Homestyle

Veteran Member
I have been looking locally for DCon and it's not on the shelves. Also noticed no ant or roach baits either. I like to keep the baits in the house year round. Especially in the garage and out buildings. I have enough for one more round of changing them out.
 

Thunderbird

Veteran Member
Shoe laces, Tire/Tube repair for wheel barrows, carts, Wicks, spares for anything that wears out.
Good sharpening equipment for knives, axes, hatchets. manual tire pumps. manual coffee grinders, meat grinders.
Weapons cleaning and lube along with spare parts.
 

day late

money? whats that?
They say plan for the worst and hope for the best. In this case, the worst is no open grocery stores or any other place where you can buy food at any price. One of my preps is a deck of cards. It does double duty. First as a deck of playing cards. Secondly each card has pictures and descriptions of wild plants that are either eatable or has a medicinal value. They show where the plant can be found and a brief description of it's use. The deck I have is old, but still has valuable information. Here is what I have on that deck;

EDIBLE WILD FOOD CARDS
U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.
Stamford, CT 06902 U.S.A.
 

kytom

escapee from reality
I’m trying to go solar, usb and 12v.
Solar packs for charging usb items.
Jackery for usb and 12v.
A 12v. coffee pot heats up really fast.
A 12v. food warmer works great.
USB fans take little power.
Opolar are a great brand.
I wouldn’t trade the Luci solar lights for a flashlight with lifetime supply of batteries or coleman lattern.
Nothing I’ve bought has been expensive.
I bought brake pads cause I know thats in the near future.
I have about 5k left on van tires so I bought tires. I brought them home until they need mounted.
Oil filters and oil for 3 changes.
I reckon its all gonna get used if we can still get gas. lol
spray your tires with armour all or something like it and put them in plastic garbage bags to preserve them.
 

Double_A

TB Fanatic
Rechargeables are good because if you use them a lot, you’re saving money in the medium run. However a rechargeable battery only lasts months in storage.
For long term prep storage, stick to non rechargeable ones, because those last years.

What you've said I've found to be true in the old days. Twenty years ago I tried to switch to NiCd and later the new tech NiMH, and failed.

...HOWEVER...

Enveloop batteries acquired their reputation, specifically because they can be stored for a few years without charging and still be 80%+ charged. That was the game changer and when I went whole hog and swapped out nearly everything.

Just today the Maglight flashlight I removed the AA batteries inside their C-Cell adapter (post #85) has
had those batteries inside for over 2 years and the flashlight is working just fine. OK, just pulled those AA's out and tested them with my ZTS Pulse-Load tester. Both tested at 40% full. I'll use them until they drop to 20%.
 

coloradohermit

Veteran Member
I have a 400 watt inverter that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter outlet or hooks to the car battery.It's only enough to run a couple of lights or a fan or recharge the batteries for some battery run tools. It's necessary to run the car while it's hooked up so as not to run down the car battery, which is a disadvantage, but it has come in handy a couple of times.

I also have a little air compressor that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter outlet and has come in handy to air up a tire a couple of times when the car had a low tire warning light.
 

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
Lol, sewing needles and thread. Sewing machines won't work if they don't have electricity to run them. And torn clothes aren't much fun in cold weather. And get some of the ones with large 'eyes', too. If the need should arise, you can use them to 'repair' your footwear.
Good one…especially the thought of footwear repair. I do have two machines that work without power…a treadle circa 1858!…as well as a beautiful hand-crank. With the right cutting tool, one can cut spirals of heavy ‘thread’ and/or lacings from hide.

Thread is stacked deep and high around here….but I’ll run out of it before I run out of fabric, lol….


eta…pic of my very old machine for Cappy :). It is not a Singer, but a Wheeler & Wilson made before the end of the Civil War.

9141D21D-CAD3-404C-837D-6AC9D8B0BBAA.jpeg
 
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Martinhouse

Deceased
A good leather punch will save a lot of trouble with trying to punch holes in leather, plastic, etc without it tearing, especially if you don't have eyelets to set into the holes.

I have a wheel punch for holes up to about 1/4". I also have the nickel and dime sized dies for the upholstery button making press that can cut those sized circles if one lays the goods on something like a piece of 2 x 4 wood and strikes the die with a leather mallet. I can even do this with the wheel punch by padding parts that could be damaged by using the mallet on it. I stocked up on many, many spools of three sizes of nylon cord. I also have a good many large spools of nylon uphosltery sewing machine thread which I think is a little heavier than the rug thread one can buy in a regular sewing department of a store like Walmart.
 

kenny1659

Veteran Member
Shoe laces, Tire/Tube repair for wheel barrows, carts, Wicks, spares for anything that wears out.
Good sharpening equipment for knives, axes, hatchets. manual tire pumps. manual coffee grinders, meat grinders.
Weapons cleaning and lube along with spare parts.
On the wheel barrow tires replace them with no flat rubber tires. They are a life saver down here with all the thorns on trees and bushes.
 

Caplock50

I am the Winter Warrior
Good one…especially the thought of footwear repair. I do have two machines that work without power…a treadle circa 1858!…as well as a beautiful hand-crank. With the right cutting tool, one can cut spirals of heavy ‘thread’ and/or lacings from hide.

Thread is stacked deep and high around here….but I’ll run out of it before I run out of fabric, lol….

Do you know why those antique treadle sewing machines are still so 'cheap'? It's because they still make them. They are shipped overseas...to be sold to the poor in the 'back-country' countries. I think people here in this country can buy them too...it's just that they don't 'advertise' that fact. They don't want to do anything to 'kill' their 'high'priced' products...know what I mean?
 

Caplock50

I am the Winter Warrior
On the wheel barrow tires replace them with no flat rubber tires. They are a life saver down here with all the thorns on trees and bushes.

A 'harder' answer...learn how to twist small diameter rope into large diameter rope. Then make enough of the thicker rope to replace those tires. Oh and it'd be good to also learn how to do a 'blind splice' to connect the ends of the rope. There won't be that 'bump' when the spliced part hits the ground...if it's used on a bicycle, for instance.
 

Kathy in FL

Administrator
_______________
Pens, pencils, and lined paper! So many people don't write anything anymore- they keep their shopping lists on the phone, text messages rather than write notes, and in general, don't see much need for writing implements. If the grid goes down, that will change fast!

Also, all those little things we take for granted... duct tape, stapler and staples, rubber bands, safety pins...

Summerthyme

Index cards
Duct tape
Every kind of tape and glue you might ever need
Staples (both office and garden)
More duct tape
Drywall screws
Those u-shaped nails you have fencing with
More duct tape

etc etc and more duct tape
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
Cappy, I once bought a length of rubber tubing to make tires for a lawn cart that was the one thing I got that had belonged to my dad. I had figured I'd use my leather punch to make holes in the ends of the tubes once they were cut to exact length and then sort of sew them shut with plastic-coated wire and a huge curved needle. I never did get around to doing this and I still have the tubing, but I think the cart got damaged when the tree service took down a dead pine for me last summer.

Hmmm...I need to check.

I'd intended to cram polyfill fiber tightly into the tubing so it might not compress overly much if I should put a little too heavy a load in the cart. (I didn't think it would work to fill the tubes with sand.)

Right now, the only thing around here that might need hauling in that cart is my own carcass and I'd like to delay that as long as possible!!!!!
 
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Greybeard7

Veteran Member
Rechargeables are good because if you use them a lot, you’re saving money in the medium run. However a rechargeable battery only lasts months in storage.
For long term prep storage, stick to non rechargeable ones, because those last years.
Another reminder for those that have the "crank" flashlights and/or radios. If you bought them for an emergency and they have been sitting for six months or more they may be dead. And I mean DEAD, never to be used again. If you can replace the batteries in them you will need new ones, and for some types they may be hard to find. Some of those things have batteries that you can't change in which case they are now garbage.

I have a crank Radio Shack AM/FM/SW radio that also uses AA batteries. I haven't kept up with charging the rechargeable battery that the crank powers. I tested it the other day and after putting two hundred turns on the crank and turning on the radio the battery lasted twenty-three seconds. I don't plan on using the crank function so it's not a problem for me. I had bought a spare rechargeable battery for it and I also let that die due to non use. :shk: Same problem, I don't use the crank function so I don't maintain it. Lesson learned, I won't be buying another rechargeable for the crank because I won't use it or maintain it. Just a reminder for the folks that have one.
 

Dinghy

Veteran Member
I also have a little air compressor that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter outlet and has come in handy to air up a tire a couple of times when the car had a low tire warning light.
[/QUOTE]

I just found one of the little car air compressors at Goodwill today. I’ve wanted one since last winter when I kept getting low pressure warnings. Another thing off my list!
 

Tex88

Veteran Member
Another reminder for those that have the "crank" flashlights and/or radios. If you bought them for an emergency and they have been sitting for six months or more they may be dead. And I mean DEAD, never to be used again. If you can replace the batteries in them you will need new ones, and for some types they may be hard to find. Some of those things have batteries that you can't change in which case they are now garbage.

I have a crank Radio Shack AM/FM/SW radio that also uses AA batteries. I haven't kept up with charging the rechargeable battery that the crank powers. I tested it the other day and after putting two hundred turns on the crank and turning on the radio the battery lasted twenty-three seconds. I don't plan on using the crank function so it's not a problem for me. I had bought a spare rechargeable battery for it and I also let that die due to non use. :shk: Same problem, I don't use the crank function so I don't maintain it. Lesson learned, I won't be buying another rechargeable for the crank because I won't use it or maintain it. Just a reminder for the folks that have one.

Yeah I played with the one I have earlier this year and the rechargeable battery is dead as a door nail.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
I also have a little air compressor that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter outlet and has come in handy to air up a tire a couple of times when the car had a low tire warning light.

I just found one of the little car air compressors at Goodwill today. I’ve wanted one since last winter when I kept getting low pressure warnings. Another thing off my list!
[/QUOTE]
Make sure you test it. That is the sort of thing I always have bad luck with from thrift stores.
 

Craftypatches

Veteran Member
I’m trying to think outside of the box. I think puppy pads could come in handy. they are fairly large and you can wrap things with them. Use them as intended. Even help to clean up large spills. Also kitty litter. That works for traction on ice, also oil spills,and for the kitty. Speaking of which the animals food.Already it seems like is in shorter supply. Be sure to stock up! Old towels are extremely useful.kerosene lamps and kerosene oil. Sleeping bags if the heating goes out. Additional blankets.plastic totes if you have to pack up and get away as well as luggage!
 

Craftypatches

Veteran Member
I’m trying to think outside of the box. I think puppy pads could come in handy. they are fairly large and you can wrap things with them. Use them as intended. Even help to clean up large spills. Also kitty litter. That works for traction on ice, also oil spills,and for the kitty. Speaking of which the animals food.Already it seems like is in shorter supply. Be sure to stock up! Old towels are extremely useful.kerosene lamps and kerosene oil. Sleeping bags if the heating goes out. Additional blankets.plastic totes if you have to pack up and get away as well as luggage!
Oh yes and maybe some anti anxiety pills. We had the trees breaking in our city at Halloween. Electric was out and of course heat didn’t work. Since it was citywide it took as long as over a week.sleeping bag kept me warm.we would go for short car rides to warm up. After about 3 days, this started becoming anxiety for me. You don’t know until you encounter it how horrible it is after a short while. Another thing/ a chain saw in case a bad storm And trees may be down.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
I’m trying to think outside of the box. I think puppy pads could come in handy. they are fairly large and you can wrap things with them. Use them as intended. Even help to clean up large spills. Also kitty litter. That works for traction on ice, also oil spills,and for the kitty. Speaking of which the animals food.Already it seems like is in shorter supply. Be sure to stock up! Old towels are extremely useful.kerosene lamps and kerosene oil. Sleeping bags if the heating goes out. Additional blankets.plastic totes if you have to pack up and get away as well as luggage!
Puppy pads are handy to protect bedding if you've got someone with a stomach bug. Years ago, we'd buy Chux pads, but puppy pads are cheaper!

Summerthyme
 

Faroe

Un-spun
My new-to-me frame Kelty back-pack arrived today. I chose one with an enormous capacity. Was worried the frame would be too large for my torso, but it is very comfortable. Ultralight and synthetics are fashionable, and do have their place, but I think woolens have a better track record if one is around open fires, as opposed to camp stoves. I wanted a lot of capacity for bulky warm coverings incase I ended up camping in winter.

Turns out, I forgot about ordering cinch straps for the sleeping bag - so that is an overlooked prep. I guess twine will do for now. Knots suitable for cinching twine? I'll need to watch some YouTubes (Corporal's Corner channel has some good lessons on camping knots). Knot skills are another overlooked prep for me.
 

Tex88

Veteran Member
On the subject of “puppy pads”, compare pricing of household, pet pads with commercial grade ones:

 
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