This weeks preps check-in

[Maverick]

I never shop at the big box stores like walmart for clothing (except outdoor stores), I have 2 co-op stores I shop in, I get my Rustler blue jeans for $8.99 ea at Bi-Mart, they generally last me 2-3 years and Carhartts at Wilco for $20 ea on sale and Winter clothes for dry and wet cold at Cabelas outdoor store. For heavy duty clothes I go to a local river rigging place, some things one can't go cheap on like boots, footware will make or break you in short order, in a wet cold I don't wear cotton, in a wet cold cotton kills!

 

[GaRp58]

I don't think walking barefoot in a typical city is doable or even recommended, too much filth, refuse and muck to make it okay.
now walking barefoot in the countryside is another matter entirely.

Thanx, even tho you are right, the town where I live is still clean enough to walk barefooted. The countryside also, except for where the dog owners who do not clean up after their four-legged children as they do for their two-legged ones...To use a play with words, there is one sort of dirt which easily washes off, and another which never washes off. I avoid the unwashable dirt in life and enjoy the washable sort. Live free, GP

 

[DrHenley]

I don't think walking barefoot in a typical city is doable or even recommended,

The blacktop ("tarmac" for y'all across the pond) can reach 160° F (71° C) here in the summer.

 

[Brent S]

I never shop at the big box stores like walmart for clothing (except outdoor stores), I have 2 co-op stores I shop in, I get my Rustler blue jeans for $8.99 ea at Bi-Mart, they generally last me 2-3 years and Carhartts at Wilco for $20 ea on sale and Winter clothes for dry and wet cold at Cabelas outdoor store. For heavy duty clothes I go to a local river rigging place, some things one can't go cheap on like boots, footware will make or break you in short order, in a wet cold I don't wear cotton, in a wet cold cotton kills!

I usually get work jeans at Walmart. I order about ten pairs at a time in my size and it’s shipped free to my door for about 8.00 a pair. The shopping I just did was for personal wear, not work, so I wanted something a little better. The outlet I went to was a Lee wrangler outlet in commerce Georgia. There is one of the tanger outlets there. Don’t know if stuff is really any cheaper there but most of what I got was on sale at least. Good point on only buying good footwear. I usually buy more for comfort than durability now days, but if being able to replace things becomes impossible having some good leather ware is smart.

 

[GaRp58]

The blacktop ("tarmac" for y'all across the pond) can reach 160° F (71° C) here in the summer.

MAN; I must sound really dumb on the internet. But your blacktop has kicked my ### a few times in the parking lots...wanna see how fast a 61 year old can run in the direction of the shade?? Just watch for the dust cloud and you'll know it's me!

 

[Silent Earth]

The blacktop ("tarmac" for y'all across the pond) can reach 160° F (71° C) here in the summer.

Chiggers, lice, tics, spiders, litter like glass and discarded syringes and other druggie stuff, dry blood, urine, rat piss containing lepto spirosis , dog shit, HUMAN SHIT in some cities etc ensure I NEVER go barefoot anywhere, even on the beaches in the UK where druggies and drunks think its funny to bury broken booze bottles and needles point upwards in the sand. Even walking barefoot in the UK country is now a no go because Tick bites spreading disease.

 

[GaRp58]

Chiggers, lice, tics, spiders, litter like glass and discarded syringes and other druggie stuff, dry blood, urine, rat piss containing lepto spirosis , dog shit, HUMAN SHIT in some cities etc ensure I NEVER go barefoot anywhere, even on the beaches in the UK where druggies and drunks think its funny to bury broken booze bottles and needles point upwards in the sand. Even walking barefoot in the UK country is now a no go because Tick bites spreading disease.

Sorry if I do not "like" this one SE. Really sucks, tie them to the trailer hitch and use their asses (XR also) to rake the beaches clean...only takes once to make them a believer. Come visit, clean streets, rarely glass, maybe dogshit. Got ticks too but, me and the dog both got our shots....ha ha! GP

 

[Maverick]

We deal with ticks all the time, it is what it is living out here, if you checked yourself everyday it's not a big deal, as long as the tick hasn't been latched on to you for more than 36hrs it's no issue. Not all ticks carry diseases.

 

[DrHenley]

The danged ticks know how to find out-of-the-way spots to hide on you.

 

[Arcticdude]

We deal with ticks all the time, it is what it is living out here, if you checked yourself everyday it's not a big deal, as long as the tick hasn't been latched on to you for more than 36hrs it's no issue. Not all ticks carry diseases.

In the last 4 years living here I've found 2 ticks on the dog. I've also only seen 3 mosquitoes here too. I think keeping the livestock tanks stocked with fish keep the skeeters down.

 

[Arcticdude]

.

 

[Brent S]

I worked on some wine tonight. I had 4 5gal buckets of crushed grapes that had been in their initial fermentation for a week. I filtered out all the skins and seeds and poured the juice into 4 5gallon jugs with airlocks on them. They will continue to ferment for another month or so. As the sediment falls to the bottom I siphon the clear wine out into a new 5 gallon container, doing this several times over the next year. I then bottle it and it’s best to wait another year, or so they say. Needless to say it is a hobby that requires patience. And lots of scrubbing of utensils and containers! Oh, and by the way, while wine is fermenting it gives off a distinctive yeasty smell. I actually kind of like it, but most wives wouldn’t put up with it in the house....

 

[KateMTx]

I worked on some wine tonight. I had 4 5gal buckets of crushed grapes that had been in their initial fermentation for a week. I filtered out all the skins and seeds and poured the juice into 4 5gallon jugs with airlocks on them. They will continue to ferment for another month or so. As the sediment falls to the bottom I siphon the clear wine out into a new 5 gallon container, doing this several times over the next year. I then bottle it and it’s best to wait another year, or so they say. Needless to say it is a hobby that requires patience. And lots of scrubbing of utensils and containers! Oh, and by the way, while wine is fermenting it gives off a distinctive yeasty smell. I actually kind of like it, but most wives wouldn’t put up with it in the house....

This sounds pretty cool. At least you'll have plenty of fun after SHTF.

 

[GaRp58]

Didn't do so much work as you described BrentS, but we managed to get 19 bottles of rosé wine last year. Everybody told me to put at least some sugar in since the grapes were not sweet enough, but the wife likes it a bit dry.

 

[Brent S]

Didn't do so much work as you described BrentS, but we managed to get 19 bottles of rosé wine last year. Everybody told me to put at least some sugar in since the grapes were not sweet enough, but the wife likes it a bit dry.

Doing twenty gallons at a time is about a full day of work for about three days during the different stages. I froze most of the grapes and will make 5 or 10 gallon batches with them over the next few months. Most people that drink wine start out liking it sweet and progress towards the dryer ones with time. I like it a little sweet, but on the dryer side. It’s a decent hobby, and everyone loves when I show up to a gathering with a few bottles. I just enjoyed half a glass with dinner moments ago.

 

[Brent S]

I decided to take a long weekend and take the camper back up to the mountains tomorrow. The first trial run went fine, but I did some minor modifications inside the camper for this trip. Still want to add a few more shelves as storage is the hardest thing in a 12’ camper. Everything is perspective though, compared to a tent this is the ritz. It’s going to be close to freezing at night so am excited about seeing how comfortable it is overnight. It has both gas and electric heat sources so I’m confident it won’t be roughing it. Not sure exactly where I’m heading but probably going to explore gatlinburg, pigeon forge and that area north of the Smokey mountain park.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Cleaned out the fireplace and I split about 4 cords of wood, with the electric log splitter, will do about another 10 tommorow. The first cool front has arrived. Cool not cold.

 

[DrPrepper]

3% annual raise into my 401 k.

 

[GaRp58]

401 K ...Don't have anything like that, left everything in CA at 17, left everything in TX at 19, left lots in Germany at 24, left everything in OK in 1983, back in Ger. bought a condo, Company stole my $ and left everything again 1985, back to OK; working for my father. Arguments, left everything and back to Germany in 1987, bought a condo in 1989, Croatian war 1991 lost everything, 2 1/2 years separated. Back together in 1993, 2 years training as a driving instructor. Own Driving school till 2001, switch from the German Mark to the European EURO. School destroyed financially. Bankrupt. Test driver for Mercedes, Translator, Survival trainer, Bus and Truck driving all over Europe. Rebuilt a few older driving schools til I hit my head so hard climbing into the school truck that I went deaf in the left ear, had epilepsie for 9 months lost all driving licenses and am still today waiting for the ruling from the courts that I get a retirement from the Union and payment from my Private Insurance plan.....I only have my house in Hungary and an unbelievable wife who has stayed with me through all this BS for 41 years now...I'm doing quite well. Live free people, GP

 

[Brent S]

3% annual raise into my 401 k.

So does the company match the extra 3% too? Maxing out the employer match is basically free money, my favorite kind.