Another snow/ice day here. Replaced 500 RDS. Of XM193 with 500 RDS. of MK262 (77 gr. OTM)

After a long spell of not being able to find any .22 LR ammo I finally scored 800 rds of it.

Setup our maple syrup arch in our new sugar shack

Last week I ordered a LH stainless Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle. Today I ordered an XS rail for it. Tonight, my dad dug 285 rounds of .308 out of his stash and gave them to me, since he no longer owns anything to shoot it in. It's mostly Hansen (Prvi Partizan) M-80 Ball, a box of American Eagle M-80 Ball, two boxes of IMI 150 grain JSPs, and 5 rounds of Argentine surplus M-80.

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Got my Technician license for HAM radio last weekend, going to pass the General exam next weekend.

Ordered 50 Freedom Ranger chicks, ship middle April!

trees are tapped... should be boiling syrup this weekend

Good reminder to take it seriously.  

*Sorry I've never gotten the imbed youtube thing to work.
**Sorry again, I had to bump it from page 4 and I haven't done anything to contribute to the thread lately.

Set up a planter box for potatoes.  I'm waiting for late April when I can plant them in the ground.

I've been lurking this thread long enough, I suppose it's about time to post something.  So far this week I've-
-Got my study guide for my Technician license test, hoping to have that done by the end of April
-"Finalized" my war belt / H-harness, but I know it's only done till the next time I change it.
-Picked up another water jug for the stock pile.  Living in NM I like to have too much water stockpiled, cuz I know too much turns into not enough really fast.
-Today I'm hoping to clean out and organize/inventory my prep storage, so I can figure out what else I can spend our money on.
-Oh, and signed up for a CERT class that's starting up in a couple weeks.  Hopefully get some good training and meet some like minded people in the area.

If you don't mind me asking, how is it odd?  I've been thinking one, and I wouldn't mind an opinion on it.  Also, Weapons rules the flightline.

 
A suggestion: Pick up the guide for General as well, and start doing practice exams on qrz.com and/or hamexam.org. Both are free. Once you can consistently pass the Tech practice exams, start working on General. You can take the General test in the same session as long as you pass the test for Tech first. There is a lot of overlap on the two, with the General going into more depth on a lot of the same topics. Getting your General class license gets you a lot more operating privileges than just your Tech.

That's my plan.  I just wanted to make sure I could wrap my thick skull around the easy part first, which it looks like I can.  General guide will be on the next amazon order.

I went to Cabelas yesterday to pick up two Life Straws. After I got them I went over to their ammo department. I could not believe the empty shelves. Where .223 and 5.56 ammo was once stacked the shelves were completly bare, but on the end of another shelve I did find MFS zinc coated .223 ammo which I would only buy if I were desperate which I'm not.. Cableas has a sale on  the 28th that starts at 8:00 am and they are selling American Eagle .223 for $6.74 for a box of 20. I can only imagine the line you will have to stand in to buy a few boxes.  Panic buying has started all over again but now its not just .22lr but .223/5.56

Looted the US Foods AC show on Tuesday.  It is amazing what vendors and brokers just leave on their tables.

Need to go through the bounty and see what I need to focus on.

Have another 4 shows to plunder this spring, so should good to go for awhile.

I am doing the ultimate prep; My wife and I are expecting our first baby in November. It's kind of like we're preparing for that unavoidable day when we leave this world (bite the bullet, go flop-bottom, join the choir invisible, etc.). There will be a part of us left here to do the Lord's work...That's what we're praying anyway.

That said, we paid off my wife's college student loans last week, we should be able to pay off my S2000 in a couple months.  I'll probably sell it, drive a clunker and put whatever I get for the S towards my grad-school loans.

Don't go to grad school unless your current employer offers to pay for it. Long term, it's great, short term (the next 10 years)...

I also found a Sawyer mini water filter, at Wal-Mart of all places, for $19! Lightweight, affordable, and it's rated for 250,000 gallons.

Working on research, over the last few days I've been gathering up stuff for lightweight backpacking.  Reflectix and foil tape for pot cozzies and meal heat retention while re-hydration in pouches.  Denatured Alcohol and Heet for Trangia burner.  I have a few more Alcohol stove options all of which do not produce any signature smoke and sound.  I'm interested in the stealthiness of the Alcohol cooking.  The dry soup mixes will get re-packaged for field size servings.  Assorted shelf stable meats and I'll add in some Mountain House meals.  All for use in learning ingredient ratios  to end up just making my own dehydrated meals from scratch.  I already have a dehydrator and vaccumn sealer.  For years I have been putting off getting geared up for the possibility of lightweight long distance foot travel and it's meal preparations.

Worked out.
Which hurts like hell do to old injures but wanting my core and endurance up to my SHTF standards.
Cant turn the clock back 30 years but I have a serious goal to be off all medications and halt
all diseases in there tracks before medications and modern medical care become hard to find.
Its taken a year but with my Drs help I am off of statins and metformin halted the progression of Diabetes etc.

Do you have a separate thread? Or plan to start a thread reviewing what you are doing? This is a pretty good subject. Im interested in learning what you find out.

I put the testing my equipment in this thread.  The dehydrating and packaging meals may be done later but I'll keep detailed notes and pics as I work through that process.

Ran 2 miles in 20:21 with 10lbs through coastal sand.

iv been slowly buying tools for a while to do homesteading stuff. tractor, parts, implements, chains, hooks, hitches, shovels, axes, splitting mauls, crow bars, hatchets, brush hooks,( all my cutting tools are fiscars )  post hole diggers, chainsaw, angle grinder, .. last month i bought a sawsall, and a bunch of blades, i bought a chainsaw.

ANYWAY....i bought a like new, used chainsaw.......i needed to get my gf some flowers a couple days ago....., and afterwords i went into a pawn shop next door. they had a husqvarna 450 rancher chainsaw, that looked to be in very good shape. it fired right up easily. i paid $200.00 for it. ( a new one is $399.00 at lowes).  some other guy was playing with it when i got there, and googling it, and calling people on the phone. he put it down and was looking at other saws. i grabbed it, asked to start it... it fired up, and i got them to drop from $250.00 to $200... and i walked out with it.

i needed a bigger saw, i have a husqvarna 435  and it does not quite do the job on bigger stuff......  i just needed a bigger saw for the occasional bigger job. i will be cutting firewood eventually, and could not pass it up for the price at the time.



i still need tools....i need a  miter saw, smaller generator ( 3500 watt), a 1/2" drill and a 120vt  mig welder are whats on the list next.

Took advantage of a sale EE was having. Added 12 #10 cans of Potato Slices, 3 cans of MH Chicken Fried Rice (yummy if you haven't tried it by the way), and a can each of instant Grape and Peach Drink.

Also picked up 2 cans of Military "surplus" freeze dried Hamburger Patties from MRE Depot to fill out a case. Now to get more shelf-stable hamburger buns from The Epicenter.

I'm curious to what you come up with as I'm looking to start doing the same thing - especially with proceeds from this years garden.

Picked up 200 rounds of PPU .30 Carbine ball and 200 CCI Mini Mags.

Taught my 12 y.o. daughter how to use a ferro rod to start a fire, using one she helped me make a handle for last week. The one on the right, below:

Bought a Savage model 11 hunter off a guy at work. 243 cal which is not one I've had but I m getting older and don't relish my time behind bigger bore rifles like I used to. He bought it new in January for $579 at Gander. Has the Nikon bdc scope and 2 boxes of ammo for $400.

The study guide is ok but I found taking the practice tests on line helped me get my tech license last year

I got the sammich maker enrolled in the pistol class that I'm taking next weekend...she hasn't had any professional training beyond her concealed carry class and is excited about the class. Honestly I'm not sure which of us is more excited about her attending the class!

I purchased and built a small shed for the back yard that will allow me to store way more gasoline and other flammable stuff than I can safely store in the attached garage

I intended to get another round of lettuce seeds planted today but I ran out of time...I did manage to get the previous planting thinned out and took care of some weeds that popped up here and there though.

working on my communication set up .    have almost completed everything .. have all the base antenna masts up just waiting on a few more deliveries and I will have  CB and Ham  base stations ( need to get the Motorola walkie talkies working again and I will have 3 back up communication systems if cell or phones die  )   I have been installing grounding rods around the house and connecting all major outdoor components ( AC compressor / Generator / Antenna Masts / etc ) debating about installing a lighting rod system on my house but from what I read a direct hit will fry all my electronics anyway.  

I also started work on my rain harvesting system  2  x 325gallon ( brand new )  water totes  that will soon be plumbed into the new gutters on my house this will be used for watering vegetables etc.   And I am looking  at getting a 300 gallon tank also hooked up to gutters ( used to hold pool chemicals ) that I will use for flushing toilets and other basic non potable needs . ( all potable water will be stored in the garage )  

finished building all my raised planter beds ( 4= 2' x 8')   = I also removed my pool ( needed repairs and operating costs made using it as a back up water source not viable anymore)  and filled it in with soil/ sand  and am working on turning that into a large vegetable bed ( that has a concrete path way around it )  waiting on my latest order from 4 seasons nursery for this year --- they are SO slow on shipping .   by the way the savings on my tax assessment bill and the savings from electrical cost and water costs and chemical costs..   saved me more money the first year then it cost me to have it filled in ( 9 dump trucks of dirt and a tractor rental )

managed to get to a point where I am now off my PB  pills ( lost 60# so far) = gastric surgery


about to sell the motorcycle I bought a few years ago ( and rarely rode it ) and will use the money to rebuild my savings account = outside my recurring monthly bills  ( utilities / cell / insurance etc )  I only owe for my house  and the newer vehicle I just bought as my SUV  ( 230K miles and 10 miles to the gallon )  was costing to much to operate as a daily driver  . Think I will keep the SUV as a beater vehicle as the newer vehicle is a 4 door sedan. made 4 runs to home depot this weekend and  it was nice to have.

So far this year, FINALLY got my HAM ticket and FINALLY made it to an Appleseed this weekend, after "meaning" to do both for the last 5 years or so..
Both my son and I were hoping to make Rifleman and we both wound up shooting in the 230s, so VERY pleased

get a strap repair kit, use it as a chest strap! you can get as long as you need this way, and not have to rely on a specific actual chest strap.... I really like the little pack idea!!!! good job!

Worked with my old man on the farm for the past week. Pulled out some scrub trees and rocks that were in the field. Got a refresher on tractor driving and a good workout.
Filled 20 1gal mylar bags with beans, pasta and other misc staples.
A local grocery store went out of business so I bought alot of canned food at 70% off. I also picked up about ten bottles of liquor that Ill use for trading.

100rds of buckshot
AR parts
going turkey hunting on Saturday with some friends. Taking another buddy and his new girl shooting on Sunday.

Landed a new job after 7 months of unemployment. Better hours and about a 20% bump in pay. Couldn't be happier.

Purchased JD 316 with Onan engine for work in garden.

Lined up a Dexter heifer calf for July pickup.

In the last week...

20 more rounds of 20ga shotgun ammo
1 more oil lamp
$250 worth of canned foods
another 8lbs of black beans
another 10 lbs of rice (Rice and beans mixed with Campbells Chunky soups can make a very happy stomach)
got the last of my garden planted

Been adding stuff every year to make our home on about 2 acres more self sufficient food wise. Added blueberries along our fenceline and a container grown dwarf lemon tree for the porch. Still need to plant a couple more pecan trees and maybe a couple apple or pear trees.

Even though we're traveling,  I stopped and bought one more Magpul 30 Rd mag for the trusty AR.

21 Chicks arrived this morning and are living large in the brooder.

Welcome to the forum!

A friend gave me a 4x8 utility trailer just need to build sides for it.

Picked up a new little Stihl MS170 chainsaw for a backup to my MS361.  I knew I should have stayed out of the lawn & garden shop...  About as bad as the gun shop.

I heat with firewood and finally had the MS361 ported this past winter.  It was completely worth $300 for the service.  I can now really lean into the cut without bogging the saw out.  I cut 12-15 cord each winter (36-45 facecord).  Its my workout.  Grab the saw, hug & then cut the dead tree down and up, carry each piece to the back of my Durango and load it in the back.  Get home and split it with my fiskars X27 axe (awesome product btw) and then pick it all up and stack it.

Who needs a gym?  Need more incline?  Cut a tree at the bottom of a small ravine.  Then carry out the wood, it'll either whip your butt, make you cry, or kill you, one way or another you're getting all the workout you need.

Shot in the local GSSF match, shot the AR at 100 yds ( been awhile), rotated out 10 gals of emergency gas, including 5 gals from Sept. '13...drove 100 miles after I put it in the Expedition and no problems

Took my 10 year old daughter to a youth shoot at my club this afternoon. She's doing well with her Savage Rascal and it might be time to get her a semi auto soon.

After we got home she helped me run a batch of GI surplus 7.62 NATO cases through an RCBS small base sizer die. Unfortunately, I must've had something misadjusted because after ~200 cases the expander plug went off-center and now needs to be replaced.

Actually, my wife did something today that made me very proud. She said, "we really need to get our emergency stuff in order. I'm buying a book and making a timeline for that." This is a woman who heretofore has had zero interest.

Awesome!

This morning I went through my GHB (which has been sitting in my home collecting dust for many months) and put it in my car.

Why? I don't exactly know. For some reason this morning I woke up and got a gut feeling that I needed to have my bag, gear and water in my car. No crazy dreams or recent books/movies sparked this, so I went with it.

Bought 150 rolls. Of paper towels

Ordered a collapsible 2M Yagi antenna from Arrow Antennas (model 146-3BP). This will be used with my hand helds and Yaesu FT-817ND ham radios.

I had a lot of projects planned since my last post, and I haven't done many of them.  What I have accomplished, though....

- Took my pistols to the range to work on my issues.  Still having a problem with my shots hitting low, but it's slowly being corrected.  Also did some work with my CCW, a M&P 9c.  All my shots were hitting far left, turn out my rear sight hadn't been tightened down enough after I did the trigger job.  Fixed that after I got home, next time I'm out I'll confirm the fix.
- Finished my CERT class, and now I can officially rescue you people if there's a disaster in my local area.  Or I could triage you as dead, and save myself the trouble.
- Mostly finished with my vehicle emergency kit for the Jeep.  I have a few more things to pick up, but I might have to wait for the next paycheck to finish it out.

As usual, I have plans for many things.  Just have to be responsible and wait for enough funds, which my wife kindly provides in great amount working online while I stay home and be house dad.  

Sort of a weekly update, but...

Last week I awoke to the towns sirens wailing. Disregarded them as a monthly test. They stopped. Then a second set of sirens started going. I was suddenly alert and aware. Never heard those before. Tried my small, portable, analog type radio. Damn thing is so hard to use, I gave up. I live in an area with a nuclear power generating plant, and they're doing their refueling outage; so there is a realistic reason to worry about sirens.

So... bought a digital radio/clock for the apt. Just got it yesterday and will have all the emergency channels for the nuclear site as presets.

Got a 48 gun safe. It's my first "real" safe and I feel good about having it! Shot the glock 42 a little yesterday. Bought three cases canned tomatoes and two cases chili.

Took advantage of sales going on last month at Emergency Essentials and picked up another case each of freeze dried instant white rice and dehydrated refried beans....all in #10 cans. Also picked up another 6 cans of [assorted] MH entrées on sale at The Epicenter.

I'm running out of room in my closets.