The Prepper Thread

Big Phoenix · May 2, 2022

Gavinmad said:
The basic rule (that many preppers are terrible about following) is to eat what you prep and prep what you eat. A bucket of beans is gonna leave you with crippling intestinal cramps if you aren't used to having that much fiber in a day.

Not just that but I think people really underestimate the totality of using stockpiled bulk food. A few 5 gallon buckets of rice and beans is nice but it will also require a lot of water and energy to cook that.

IMO best practice is to keep a month or two of canned goods and ready to eat food on hand along with enough water. If that isnt enough for you to ride out any disaster or problem you have bigger things to worry about especially if you live close to any urban area.

Guurn · May 2, 2022

I'm actually a little confused on the focus over water. Maybe that's just me being in Minnesota but as long as you have filters you're good. I'm addition there is basically no reason for city water to stop, assuming you have that and if you don't then your well should be fine. That being said I do keep a lot of water around. Time to get more propane.

Gavinmad · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
I'm actually a little confused on the focus over water. Maybe that's just me being in Minnesota but as long as you have filters you're good. I'm addition there is basically no reason for city water to stop, assuming you have that and if you don't then your well should be fine. That being said I do keep a lot of water around. Time to get more propane.

your well. rofl

Big Phoenix · May 2, 2022

Gavinmad said:
your well. rofl

The raiders say its our well.

Guurn said:
I'm actually a little confused on the focus over water. Maybe that's just me being in Minnesota but as long as you have filters you're good. I'm addition there is basically no reason for city water to stop, assuming you have that and if you don't then your well should be fine. That being said I do keep a lot of water around. Time to get more propane.

Obviously depending on the environment and location water can be a non issue to the biggest, but overall its going to be an issue unless you live next to a major body of water. Human body needs half a gallon of water a day just doing minimal activity, a gallon++ if youre active in a warm environment. A cup of rice takes about 2 cups of water to cook etc. + whatever youre going to need for sanitation/cleaning. That is a lot of water and dont forget youre gonna need to sanitize that water for consumption.

Thats why I say its not worth storing months and months worth of bulk food in the end of the world scenario. Too much involved to make use of it and if the world is over, raiders are gonna be out there looking to take it all from you.

Gavinmad · May 2, 2022

Big Phoenix said:
The raiders say its our well.

Well it was more a laugh about the idea of even having a well in the first place, which would generally mean you're already rural and likely in a much better position to survive than most.

Water is my biggest survival concern and a small town really isn't much better than a fully urban area when it comes to that specific problem.

Bandwagon · May 2, 2022

Gavinmad said:
Well it was more a laugh about the idea of even having a well in the first place, which would generally mean you're already rural and likely in a much better position to survive than most.

Water is my biggest survival concern and a small town really isn't much better than a fully urban area when it comes to that specific problem.

I have a well. I don't feel ready. Its electric.

Guurn · May 2, 2022

Growing up in farm country I just assumed most rural people have one. Lakes, rivers, creeks, potholes, swamps etcetc are everywhere and as long as you can filter you are good. Many hikers literally never filter, just trusting common sense with their water choices, in the US and never get sick.

BrutulTM · May 2, 2022

Bandwagon said:
I have a well. I don't feel ready. Its electric.

Can be easily hooked to a generator. You could also buy a solar setup for it or if it's shallow enough, a hand pump.

Gavinmad · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
Many hikers literally never filter, just trusting common sense with their water choices, in the US and never get sick.

I don't think this is actually true given how cheap and easy Sawyer Squeezes are.

Guurn · May 2, 2022

It is actually. A few years back I got pretty into the hiking scene before I realized how much more I liked to spend time with my family, one of the guys I followed was called Red Beard. Basically he worked for Zpacks which is high end ultralight hiking/camping stuff, he never filters. It isn't that uncommon. He has done all the major NA hikes without filtering. Obviously he takes advantage of trail magic or provided water, common sense.

Gavinmad · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
It is actually. A few years back I got pretty into the hiking scene before I realized how much more I liked to spend time with my family, one of the guys I followed was called Red Beard. Basically he worked for Zpacks which is high end ultralight hiking/camping stuff, he never filters. It isn't that uncommon. He has done all the major NA hikes without filtering. Obviously he takes advantage of trail magic or provided water, common sense.

I've dreamed of thru-hiking the Appalachian trail for a while now but I'd probably have to spend a year just getting back into something resembling shape. I can't imagine doing a triple crown, the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide both look sketchy as hell compared to the Appalachian.

Furry · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
I'm actually a little confused on the focus over water. Maybe that's just me being in Minnesota but as long as you have filters you're good. I'm addition there is basically no reason for city water to stop, assuming you have that and if you don't then your well should be fine. That being said I do keep a lot of water around. Time to get more propane.

Go three days without water. Trust me you’ll fucking understand then. Water is literally the absolute most important consideration in any survival plan. You can live a long time without food. Water not so much.

Guurn · May 2, 2022

The Pacific Crest would be a dream, it's never going to happen for me unless something drastic happens. From desert to glacier to temperate rainforest. Sounds amazing. The Appalachian trail just seems like a place to get laid while hanging out with people that stink.

If you are ever really thinking of it the main things to remember is to organize your food drops and buy shoes that fit really well and have replacements in your restock supplies. I'd be tempted to say the same of your tent and sleeping bag. Everything else is just superfluous. You can buy clothes along the way if need be. I can't stress enough how important shoes/socks are. If your feet aren't ready and your shoes are ill fitting you are in for a bad time by day 3.

Gavinmad · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
The Pacific Crest would be a dream, it's never going to happen for me unless something drastic happens. From desert to glacier to temperate rainforest. Sounds amazing. The Appalachian trail just seems like a place to get laid while hanging out with people that stink.

If you are ever really thinking of it the main things to remember is to organize your food drops and buy shoes that fit really well and have replacements in your restock supplies. I'd be tempted to say the same of your tent and sleeping bag. Everything else is just superfluous. You can buy clothes along the way if need be. I can't stress enough how important shoes/socks are. If your feet aren't ready and your shoes are ill fitting you are in for a bad time by day 3.

Yeah I've watched a few reality check videos on gear. I would definitely do a shorter thru-hike like the River to River as a shakedown before I committed to the Appalachian. Ultralight gear mainly seems like a thing for chicks and manlets, I aint shelling out 700 dollars for a Duplex no matter how much backpackers rave about that tent.

Guurn · May 2, 2022

Gavinmad said:
Yeah I've watched a few reality check videos on gear. I would definitely do a shorter thru-hike like the River to River as a shakedown before I committed to the Appalachian. Ultralight gear mainly seems like a thing for chicks and manlets, I aint shelling out 700 dollars for a Duplex no matter how much backpackers rave about that tent.

If you pay attention to how people getting too into to it upgrade, their tent basically last. Sleep system is earlier than that. The tent is the to show off, because everyone can see it. 1/2 lb is easier to lose off your waistline than on the tent.

Big Phoenix · May 2, 2022

Furry said:
Go three days without water. Trust me you’ll fucking understand then. Water is literally the absolute most important consideration in any survival plan. You can live a long time without food. Water not so much.

3 hours exposure, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.

Gavinmad said:
Yeah I've watched a few reality check videos on gear. I would definitely do a shorter thru-hike like the River to River as a shakedown before I committed to the Appalachian. Ultralight gear mainly seems like a thing for chicks and manlets, I aint shelling out 700 dollars for a Duplex no matter how much backpackers rave about that tent.

From my experience lugging gear around doing humps on field ops and what not, best way to save weight is by using your head and not bringing something you dont really need. That 2oz spork v 1.5oz spork isnt gonna make much of a difference after 10 miles.

Also packing your pack right and making sure weight is properly distributed goes a very long way. Its a night and day difference when the weight is sitting as it should on your back.

Cutlery · May 2, 2022

Big Phoenix said:
Not just that but I think people really underestimate the totality of using stockpiled bulk food. A few 5 gallon buckets of rice and beans is nice but it will also require a lot of water and energy to cook that.

IMO best practice is to keep a month or two of canned goods and ready to eat food on hand along with enough water. If that isnt enough for you to ride out any disaster or problem you have bigger things to worry about especially if you live close to any urban area.

This was my plan prepping as well, I've been doing it for a long time. My main goal is to survive a natural disaster/interruption of services. Look at Texas a winter ago and how many people died because they didn't have shit like blankets.

So, it started with "what are the most likely scenarios that would be a real pain in the dick?" For most people, no power/gas/water for an extended period of time. What if your furnace goes out, or pipes freeze? Electric heaters, but I also have a fireplace and keep almost a cord of wood on hand at any given time.

Ice storms are common and snap branches and power lines quite frequently. What are you gonna do if you lose power?

What if the latest virus rolls into town and your store shelves are empty for a month?

This is the shit to plan for. Anything bigger than that and we're ALL fucked.

Cutlery · May 2, 2022

Gavinmad said:
Well it was more a laugh about the idea of even having a well in the first place, which would generally mean you're already rural and likely in a much better position to survive than most.

Water is my biggest survival concern and a small town really isn't much better than a fully urban area when it comes to that specific problem.

This is the reason he's not concerned about water. Minnesota ain't exactly known for a lack of it. This is the view off my deck, and I don't live in the country.

BrutulTM · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
It is actually. A few years back I got pretty into the hiking scene before I realized how much more I liked to spend time with my family, one of the guys I followed was called Red Beard. Basically he worked for Zpacks which is high end ultralight hiking/camping stuff, he never filters. It isn't that uncommon. He has done all the major NA hikes without filtering. Obviously he takes advantage of trail magic or provided water, common sense.

I used to drink from streams while fly fishing all the time as a kid and never had a problem. I also grew up on a farm so I had a lot of exposure to bacteria from an early age. It's possible that someone who grew up in a spotless house with hand sanitizer on tap and drinking only bottled water might have done the same thing and been shitting their brains out.

It's certainly the case with dogs. My country dogs can eat the most disgusting rotten shit you can imagine and never have an issue, but my sister's dog who lives in town on a 100% kibble diet comes out here and eats something gross and he's 100% guaranteed to be a diarrhea/puke fountain in the car on the way home.

Gravel · May 2, 2022

Guurn said:
It is actually. A few years back I got pretty into the hiking scene before I realized how much more I liked to spend time with my family, one of the guys I followed was called Red Beard. Basically he worked for Zpacks which is high end ultralight hiking/camping stuff, he never filters. It isn't that uncommon. He has done all the major NA hikes without filtering. Obviously he takes advantage of trail magic or provided water, common sense.

I was going to call this foolish as we lived near the Sierras, and everyone made a big stink about giardia. Before posting though I looked it up and apparently the risk is so ridiculously overblown that everyone is afraid of mountain water. Which, being snow melt, you'd imagine would be pretty safe. I guess the Parks service is behind the panic about it.

Not that I necessarily ever wanted to drink it, but it wasn't the danger I was led to believe.

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The Prepper Thread

Big Phoenix

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Guurn

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole

Big Phoenix

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Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole

Bandwagon

Kolohe

Guurn

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole

Guurn

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole

Furry

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Guurn

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole

Guurn

Big Phoenix

Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer

Cutlery

Kill All the White People

Cutlery

Kill All the White People

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole