***Thread for survivalists, preparedness, G.O.O.D., SHTF, TEOTWAWKI***

[JMath]

Well every vegetable has slightly different humidity and temperature levels that it wants to be stored at. This is why the crisper drawers in your fridge have humidity adjustments.

My basement root cellar is about 5 degrees warmer than I'd like it to be, It hangs between 55 and 60 and ideal is 50 to 55. But the humidity level is perfect.

With squash it starts when you pick them. You want to cut the stem off the vine and not take the stem off the gourd, which essentially creates a wound that mold can get at etc...

Then take a bucket (Or Big Tote) with some bleach water, dip, quickly wipe off any soil, rinse, pat dry... And then straight into storage. Keep in mind at this stage you are NOT soaking not even really washing, you're just getting contaminants off the skin.

Then I have some old POS laundry baskets, I'll put 2 levels deep of squash in the bottom basket, using a little crumpled newspaper as packing material, just to keep them from laying their full weight in hard spots on each other, but still allowing air space. When they are 2 squash deep... I slide some old oak lats through the laces of the laundry basket, stack another basket inside, rinse and repeat with the next level of squash.

Each sqaush type gets a different basket tower, OR I make sure that the sugar pumpkins and acorn squash are the easiest to get at, as they don't have the same uranium shelf life as butternut.


When it comes to apples... A similar system works well... However, if you're not picking your own and you're buying from the super market, it's important to remember that an apple that was picked cold, delivered cold, allowed to warm up in one of those STUPID store displays and then put in cold storage again will on the average last 6 weeks less than an apple that is kept cold all the way through.

So when you see that zit faced produce boy spilling apples onto a display and they are still cold, dig down to the lower apples and buy them for storage.

Just keep in mind that apples give off ethylene gas, which will cause any bruises on other apples to go bad faster. (Hence the saying one bad apple spoils the bunch) So again don't stack them more than 2 deep, buy cold, keep cold, maximize air space, and the second you see one with a spot get it out of there!

My wife and I actually processed the two "Yard Tree" apples straight into apple pie filling this fall and then bagged it up and put it in the chest freezer, so then she could just pull them out and dump them into a pie shell and bake a pie.

I JUST ate the last dutch apple this past weekend.


When it comes to carrots, turnips and beets, you can keep them direct from the garden... Just pull cleanly (If a root breaks off, use it directly) Otherwise just lightly shake any excess dirt off them, and put them in a tote with some clearn (Preferably sterilized) playground sand. They will actually prefer more cold than a common root cellar temp. My garage rarely gets below 34 degrees.

So this year the last bumper pick at frost, I'm just going to tote up and keep sanded in the garage.


A lot of people store cabbage in the root cellar to. But really, I'll just make massive batches of Sauerkraut. Or like my wife loves pickled red cabbage, so when I turn to growing cabbage myself, I'll just Kraut the green cabbage and pickle the red.


Does that all kind of make sense?

Yeah, it helps a lot. It doesn't seem like its as complex as I was expecting. I appreciate it. Living in an apartment I obviously won't be putting it to use anytime soon, but good to know in the future.

[Nainoa]

Yeah, it helps a lot. It doesn't seem like its as complex as I was expecting. I appreciate it. Living in an apartment I obviously won't be putting it to use anytime soon, but good to know in the future.

Really it just comes down to humidity control and temp.

Strange as it might sound, but a dirt floor root cellar is better than a concrete one, just in the fact that the dirt floor is breathing and part of that breath includes adding moisture to air that wants to draw it out in the dry time of winter.

At this new place it's a mixed bag compared to the old one... Here I have a concrete floor deeper underground and my air is dryer in there than it was in my old place, where the root cellar (Built in 1929 when you needed a root cellar and a cistern) had a dirt floor.

But here I get better and more consistent cold.

Just looking at what I've observed since moving here... I would say that the cold is more important than the humidty... That you can be cold and dry and long storage things will keep longer than modestly cool and humid.

At least for the fruits and veg I've mentioned previously etc...

[Hartski]

We went to Gander Mountain last night, and the firearms section looked like a freakin liquor store after hurricane Katrina. Looks like the AR-15 style rifles went so fast, the racks they used to be on were broken, and they aren't even trying to put ammo on the shelves. They just wheel carts into0 the isle and people are picking through it themselves. Only thing left on the ammo shelves are shotgun target loads.

[Nainoa]

We went to Gander Mountain last night, and the firearms section looked like a freakin liquor store after hurricane Katrina. Looks like the AR-15 style rifles went so fast, the racks they used to be on were broken, and they aren't even trying to put ammo on the shelves. They just wheel carts into0 the isle and people are picking through it themselves. Only thing left on the ammo shelves are shotgun target loads.

Yeah when I bought that 22 as varmit gun, they were down to the display model or two of them that they had in back which had pink stocks.

All that was left was shot guns and muzzle loaders.

Which I really do need a muzzle loader!

[Hartski]

Yeah, my girlfriend found a muzzle loader that she really liked. After I get my pistol and shotgun, I will buy it for her.

[Nainoa]

Yeah, my girlfriend found a muzzle loader that she really liked. After I get my pistol and shotgun, I will buy it for her.

My plan is to save up (Somehow) and get a muzzle loader with glow sights and an interchangeable barrel so you can turn it into a single round shot gun, then I can deer hunt with it for shot gun season, and switch it back over for the more productive and longer lasting Muzzle loader season!

[Hartski]

I am not aware that they make such a beast.......

[RyouBakua]

you really should hop and get one man




muzzloader, shotgun and rifle

[Nainoa]

I am not aware that they make such a beast.......

Yeah my new buddy up here has one, uses it to hunt the same zone... Can't remember the brand though... But he claims to put 2 deer on the ground every year.

[Hartski]

Is that just a Thompson Contender?

[RyouBakua]

Rossi

[Nainoa]

Don't know... Dowloading a giant media pack ATM and my whole network is bogging down to high hell, with a massive research report coming right after it.

The funny thing was we were talking about it and my other buddy who's more or a city kitty gun enthusiast than he is a hunter, heard us talking about the single shot 12 gauge and muzzle loader combo and he pipes in like he's holding our hand to say "How are you going to spray bullets at a deer if you only have a single shot?"

Like we're the dumbasses, but he's the one who's clearly never seen the movie "The Deer Hunter."


I figure since small game is open at the same time as deer, I figure I'll bring the loader/shotgun and the 22 to the stand, so when/if I don't get a deer, I can just change it up and take a rabbit or a couple squirrels... Or if Heaven forbid my one shot wounds and I need to finish the deer off, I'll have the 22 to finish the job.

[Hartski]

I really need to find a good concealment holster. Driving to western Iowa Saturday to pick up our new puppy, and I'd like to carry my XDM.

[RyouBakua]

any inventive/creative ways to hide a shipping container?

[rangerkid2187]

still looking for a good fixed blade knife to pick up.

Saw a decent gerber that had a bottle opener on one end I thought looked useful for camping as well.

[burlyman619]

Hey guys. I am on the market for a hammock. Im deploying soon and need myself a mid-day nap. It needs to be able to be strung on something like post and the like because space is limited. Any reccomendations would be great.

[jafomofo]

Hey guys. I am on the market for a hammock. Im deploying soon and need myself a mid-day nap. It needs to be able to be strung on something like post and the like because space is limited. Any reccomendations would be great.

http://hennessyhammock.com/

These maintain their resale value pretty well also.

[Hartski]

Okay, this ammo shortage is getting crazy. And the government just bought another 1.6 BILLION rounds.......possibly just to keep is out of our hands?

[lhprop1]

I really need to find a good concealment holster. Driving to western Iowa Saturday to pick up our new puppy, and I'd like to carry my XDM.

http://theisholsters.com/

Exactly the same as a crossbreed, but a little bit cheaper.

[Hartski]

Damn, I have a Galco King Tuck ordered at my local shop. I will surely buy one from that guy for my next one, though!!

[jafomofo]

Saw this recently. Its a time article about what seals have in their survival kit.

http://nation.time.com/2013/02/21/yo...kit/?hpt=hp_t3

[RyouBakua]

[Hola Bola]

This is what 12" of predicted snow will do to a grocery store. Sheeple gonna sheeple.

[RyouBakua]

This is what 12" of predicted snow will do to a grocery store. Sheeple gonna sheeple.

fear is a powerful thing

[Farley1324]

1" predicted snow (that never happened)

[RyouBakua]

but why are all the fruit gone?

was it on sale?

was it for a pie festival?

when was this festival?
























who was putting on the festival and where?

[Hola Bola]

fear is a powerful thing

Granted, we're actually getting that much snow, but the roads will be cleared by tomorrow. People seriously don't have enough food in their house to last 1-2 days?

1" predicted snow (that never happened)

[IMG]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g105/austin3161324/IMG_0331_zps4004d3c8.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g105/austin3161324/IMG_0332_zpsdf3be035.jpg[IMG]

lol @ Frosted Flakes in the ground beef section.

[RyouBakua]

Granted, we're actually getting that much snow, but the roads will be cleared by tomorrow. People seriously don't have enough food in their house to last 1-2 days?

simple answer is no



better than new york. youre lucky to have a kitchen.

(people dont have it because theres usually at least 10 places to eat within 2 blocks)

[Farley1324]

Granted, we're actually getting that much snow, but the roads will be cleared by tomorrow. People seriously don't have enough food in their house to last 1-2 days?



lol @ Frosted Flakes in the ground beef section.

Having worked at a grocery store, you would be amazed at where people leave crap when they suddenly decide they don't want it any more. Or their kid thinks it's fun.

[Nainoa]

Granted, we're actually getting that much snow, but the roads will be cleared by tomorrow. People seriously don't have enough food in their house to last 1-2 days?



lol @ Frosted Flakes in the ground beef section.

I think the concern is that the storm will keep more goods from coming in afterwards...

But having lived in the city and now in the country I've noticed that people who live in Urban areas tend to shop more frequently, getting what they want every day or two. In the country everyone has a stocked pantry and/or store room. and tend to make one big shopping run per week.

For me, it's 10 miles down country roads to the nearest store, so I always stay well stocked, even beyond my preps.


I'm thankful that the baby came when she did, with all the snow and ground blizzards we've gotten the long driveway and roads keep drifting shut, to the point where my wife wouldn't be able to get to work some days if she wasn't already on maternity leave.

Now she and the baby stay safe, and when we need something I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and crank up some Classic Rock!

Having almost gotten the truck stuck twice this winter and another time sliding sideways for 100 feet along a stretch of river with no guard rail... I can empathize with someone who doesn't want to get stuck fighting some of the conditions I've fought this winter to keep my family safe and well supplied!