Most Overlooked ITEM in Preparedness
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Sewing notions. Thread, needles. Not one of those little kits for your go bag, I mean a supply of thread and stuff for at home.
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I AGREE with you ! I have a treadle machine (with replacement parts), material, LOADS of thread, and notions, and patterns. I watched a video of a lady in venezuela that took up sewing as a barter trade. I thought that would be something to be able to do for our family AND as a trade.
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I have been trying to set enough aside for bolts of cloth as well. I have sewing patterns for all of my boys that I am sure I can translate up for my husband, a serger & two additional sewing machines with all of the parts and pieces, but I don’t have piles of fabric. 😉
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Here’s another one for everyone’s consideration: a thumb drive.
We have all heard that it’s a good idea to have a thumbdrive with a copy of all of your important information saved and in a secure location, but how many of us haven’t quite gotten around to it yet. Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Medical Records, Prescriptions, Titles, Deeds, Registrations, Permits, Licenses, Tax Stamps, Tax Records, Receipts, Insurance Policies, Contracts, DD-214s, your Will, banking info, contact names and numbers, usernames and passwords, private keys for crypto, GPX files for emergency travel, whatever you need after a house fire that you wouldn’t grab during one should probably be saved on a thumb drive and stored securely.
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LOVE these ideas and putting those docs on a thumb drive is something that I need to do asap!!
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I agree with the water and other answers, but I have something that I value above and beyond.
My Bible. It goes with me wherever I go. I also have study guides that will go with me if at all possible.
Without His Spiritual and emotional support it will be difficult to survive, much less thrive.
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Amen! My Bible is high on my list as well. But I also try to follow what it says, to hid it in my heart. They can take what is paper, but they cant take it from my heart. I am amazed how.many times, when I’m in a situation without my paper copy, that someone will ask something and God brings a verse to mind for it.
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Funny, I have handed out bibles at prepper meetings..
I believe in having the bible in multiple forms, printed large print so you eyes can see it easily. Have it on your smart phone in print, and in audio form.
Free bible audio bible here, I recommend the Librivox app for phone makes the download easy.
https://librivox.org/old-testament-world-english-bible/
While you have the internet app bible ->
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blue-letter-bible/id365547505
My favorite audio bible is Max Mclain’s reading of the bible->
I bought the DVD mp3 collection and then copy the books I want to listen to and made playlists.
Keep your sword sharp! 😉
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I would also suggest NEW thread. I bought an old sewing machine and all of the thread was too old to use. It would knot up in the machine and break off if pulled too tight. I was thinking about making a piece of decorative art with them. They are super cool and on old wooden spools. It had just never occurred to me that thread would not hold up and be useable to sew with in a machine.
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A relationship with your true self so that you can more accurately pinpoint your needs. 🙂 Everyone can look at food, water, shelter etc….but the question is how do you keep your mind right when everything changes drastically in your life? The answer to what your personal needs are will be different for everyone, and you must first know who you are to answer that question. 🙂
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lol 🙂 as I hit enter I saw the extra note about “ITEM”
The category of items that my previous statement would lend toward would be moral boost items. 🙂 I feel like it’s different for everyone. A deck of cards goes a long way though.
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You know what….I’ll take this answer as it is one many do not think about. After all, the point of the exercise is to find deficits in our preparedness. Knowing one’s true self is important. It’s how we get past the “prepper porn” and the zombie bull shit. It’s how we stop lying to ourselves about how bad ass we imagine ourselves to be. I appreciate your answer.
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Plus, a deck of cards can help build relationship. You can help someone else get their mind off stuff by playing a card game.
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Must be a joke right, have fairytales books, flower seeds and fast food.
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Haha. Not a joke at all actually. If you get stuck in a storm shelter, you’ll wish you had something to do when there is no power, internet, cell service or anything else.
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And I thought it was a joke, how about books? And than not the fairytales, glittering rainbows books. My favorite one is the Bible, than gardening, cooking that sort stuff. Crosswords not so good at, may that why it is not my hobby. But could be fun.
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Books, the one I am trying to source is a hard copy of the lates “Pill” book. So later if needed I can look up various medicines, what they do, side effects, and what they look like. Various brand names and generic versions. Anyone have a source?
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The PDR is the medical book used for medication reference and they also make a OTC medication book too. Try a used bookstore like thrift books online or a local college book store for last yrs version. A couple of years back should still be helpful
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Experience and working knowledge
- Eliminate the learning curve and minimize potential mistakes by putting things into physical practice before you need them.
- Know how to use items you have in your supply.
- Fire drills – create scenarios and physically live them out.
- Create in yourself a Macgyver mentality and skillset.
- Physical, mental, and emotional fitness and stamina beyond daily demands.
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Your first point is crucial. So many “preppers” buy stuff and stack it on shelves, never using it. Unless you can move, deploy and maintain your items through experience, you are just stacking them for the next guy.
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That was a great talk with Danny yesterday about this. I practice all the time with what I do have. But there are definately some things I need to work on. For a short term solution for heating, wouldnt a few solar panels and some “safe” space heaters work? Something that you wont run out of fuel- I have a buddy heater and some candleliers but thats only going to make it comfortable enough to sleep. I have a gas log fireplace with a chimney made out of siding- very hesitant to convert it to wood burning esp with having asthma. What are your thoughts on using solar panels to run electric space heaters?
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Something to potty in discretely while traveling. A small laundry detergent bottle, it’s opaque and if someone peers in your vehicle, it doesn’t look like a pee jug. Plus it won’t spill. Then you can just empty it out at next gas station. Keep the larger laundry detergent jugs too- keep an old Sun gallon+ laundry jug in vehicle as well for basic washing- has a handy spout on it.
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Ice cleats. I got a pair of Kahtoula nano ice spikes, came in very handy in big Texas freeze. Although I just stayed in til things melted, I still had to take out trash, so didn’t slip and fall in parking lot. Dont overlook challenges in mundane tasks- if slipped and fell without them, no one was coming to rescue too fast since roads bad and Texas not set up to clear roads that fast if at all. Plus if had to could drive in them bc the nano spikes were just nubs.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by LuckyLemon.
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I would have to say a good old-fashioned compass and map. But not just having them, rather the knowledge to use them. In this GPS world most are relying on electronics. Which will not be effective in an EMP attack. Compasses don’t need batteries, unless you are using them at night. (Go ahead brothers and sisters in arms 🤣)
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Good point, but how many still can use a compass and read a map? Have a sense of direction or know how to read directions from nature trees, son, stars …
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There’s not many of us any more. But this is a prepping site and we all need reminders from time to time to either learn something new or to dust the cobwebs off and start re-doing.
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If if anyone has a well, I would highly suggest one of these for any long term loss of power. It’s an emergency well tube.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Stpdsteve.
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Is this the inground part? Mine is 240 ft if that us the case.😕
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It’s basically a bucket. You feed it down you’re well and there is a ball valve at the bottom and you pull it up with water in it.
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It it doesn’t come with any cordage, but you can get some long 550 cord
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If you are going hard core prepping, I don’t believe I have found a better video than this.
David has boiled down the most essential items for long term survival. It is near impossible to have everything you need, being able to improvise is critical.
“But in practice master plans fail – because they create totalitarian order, not organic order. They are too rigid; they cannot easily adapt to the natural and unpredictable changes that inevitably arise in the life of a community.” – Christopher Alexander
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Cloth Feminine hygiene, cloth diapers
sewing kit, fishing kit, eyeglass kit, fingernail file
board games, card games, handheld games like
when I was younger with the little balls in them
and you had to get it in the holes, hand tools,
all so hand power grinder things you need for
the house, knitting needles, crochet hook yarn.
These is just some things there are so much more. -
Simple supplies to make your own cleaning products, laundry detergent etc without all the chemicals. With recent “shortages” on these store bought items it’s easy to buy bulk natural alternatives and keep on hand to make as needed.
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