Practical Prepping Protocol even if Poor

I haven't been to a store in more than 3 weeks (except that 1 time for mustard) and my stash is still sitting pretty!

I can't find mustard online. The last time I went out 3 stores were out of mustard and only one store had mayonnaise. I haven't gone out in 3 weeks.

My preps were doing ok. I did get an Easter bunny for everyone delivered. We're getting low on flour and yeast. We've been low carb or extremely low carb for so long that flour and yeast weren't on my radar. I only had 20#. I did get 10 more pounds delivered and ordered distillers yeast thru amazon prime. The distillers yeast is working. Takes a little longer to proof or rise.

The son in law is making a run to Costco today. Maybe he can find Mustard.

If you have an item or 2 you need...you don't need to expose yourself to a big grocery store or costco.

Bread or mustard? Hit a convenience store...in-out and y'r gone. They even have toilet paper. If they look busy...drive away & try again later.

Pop or tonic water with quinine? Try a liquor store at noon when nobody is there.

Aspirin or advil? One of those small drug stores should work.

Bleach? Try a hardware store.

Get home & wash your hands immediately.

- MC

Finally, who is MC?

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That would be Mental Case...inventor of the bacon decoy candle

(see page 1 of this thread)

I went out to my tool shed & found an unopened 2-pack of N95 masks from 2006

I have been giving mine away. :(

I have been giving some of mine away too. Only because when I warned my family, that is currently working in healthcare, to prepare they did not listen to me. Sigh!

Looking for dried beans & rice. Find an ETHNIC STORE. They have an abundance.

Latin Store here my area has a ton of food left. Although now limiting certain items. They can still be bought.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough that we MUST GROW FOOD for ourselves,

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Yup...but don't forget abundant free food like CATTAILS! All the carbs you'll ever need!

Bring a pillow case & an extra pair of shoes that are gonna get wet...sloosh out in the swamp & start pulling up cattails...peel the outer skin off the stalk & the inside is alot like a potato.

Fill your pillow case, change into dry shoes & walk home.

You can eat them raw, boil them, fry them, bake them, or dry & grind into flour.

On the other hand, WHY ARE YOU NOT DONE and SHELTERING IN PLACE????

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I go batty inside...I need to get out of the house...usually I just go for a drive & have no interaction with people...But I needed my mustard! :)

- MC

OP or mods, if you don't think this post belongs in this thread, feel free to delete, it is not my intention to derail. I only post this to try and help others stay safe.
I posted this in the main Covid thread:

Good morning everyone! Just dropping in to pass along a few ideas to improve your homes physical security for relatively little money. As this situation drags on and people slide further into desperation, they will resort to attacking neighbors in order to take what you either have or they think you have. Keeping a low profile and not advertising that you have preps is the most basic and free security there is.

Mount bar holders to the wall studs on either side of your doors, use 3" wood screws to mount them into place. Cut a 2x4 to the correct length and block your door from the inside. You can mount one either immediately over or under the door knob and it will greatly enhance the strength of the door. If you want even more security, mount one a few inches above the door knob and another a few inches below. Back in my door kicking days, simple fortifications like this made it nearly impossible to force entry through the door with only the use of a boot or ram, we typically had to resort to shotgun or explosive breaching in order to defeat the fortifications. Product links below:

[link to www.ruralking.com (secure)]

[link to www.ruralking.com (secure)]

Its best to keep would be assailants away from your home in the first place, most criminals are averse to light and will move on to targets that give them greater opportunity to conceal themselves in the shadows. These solar lights are bright and will light up an area at least 30 (10 meters) from your house, or wherever you have it mounted. This particular light has a long cord from the solar panel to the light so they can both be mounted in optimal locations:

[link to www.ruralking.com (secure)]

Final tip for the day, couple these driveway motion detectors with the lights shown above and they will give you an idea of when someone may be lurking around your home. The drawback is that all the sensors and receivers work on the same frequency, so you have to have them mounted in a manner so that the sensor for the front door doesn't activate the receiver for the side of the house (I hope that makes sense):

[link to www.ruralking.com (secure)]

The prices for the above options range from less than $10 US to roughly $25 US.

One remaining idea is to mount chicken wire or something a bit heavier gauge over your windows. This will minimize the chance of thrown objects breaking the glass and will slow down any attempt to enter through a window. The drawback is you really should mount this in a manner that it can be easily taken down from the inside should there be a fire in your home. Don't fortify your house so well that you cant get out in a hurry if needed.

The best any of us can do is make our homes a "harder" target. By doing so, those with ill intent will move on to an easier target. However, if they don't, having these measures in place can greatly increase your situational awareness, decrease your reaction time and allow you take take whatever measures are appropriate to defend your home and those inside or allow you time to escape unnoticed.

Also, as Larry Croc added to my post in the other thread, make sure there are no hedges, bushes or other areas near your home that person can conceal themselves in.


Be safe!

Yes...MC was really me.

I couldn't sign on :(

I have a bad feeling! Things are going to get ALOT worse real soon.

This is not based on any info...just a feeling.

Like we're about to be locked down for a month (no grocery or medicine runs of any kind). Either we get ordered to solidly lock down or maybe things will get so bad we just wont want to risk leaving the house.

Boy I hope I am wrong!

Just making the MOST OF EVERYTHING is important as well.

I only use organic potatoes & peel them with a paring knife. Thus lots of potato still attached to skin. Normally just throw it away.

So a few days ago, I put the peels in water in refrigerator.

Today, strained water out & spun in salad spinner. Dried with paper towels as well.

Put in plastic ziplock bag with a tablespoon or two of avocado oil(Highest smoke point, 520degrees).

Emptied on parchment paper on broiler pan. Salted & peppered.

Baked in 420 degree preheated oven for about 22 minutes.

They puff up and are crispy. OMG, the best.

I also use organic chicken skins cut up in strips and fried up, sometimes with onions. Then add to sandwiches. I call these gribbons. They are also called gribenes.

Waste not, want not.

ORGANIC apple peels, roasted, have not had great success. I like them coated in butter with salt & Ceylon cinnamon roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes but watch them, they burn easily. Mind you my peels are thick as I do not use a peeler but a paring knife.

SNACKING that fills bellies is simple popcorn. A good combo for adults is TRUFFLE OIL, BLACK PEPPER & SALT.

Stock up on sweets from Easter. They can be used to flavor simple oatmeal. Chocolate in cooked oatmeal is like a dessert.

Other sweets if one has growing children is pop tarts and granola bars. Stash them away in old covered cookie tins with boxes removed. Plus pop tarts last beyond their date, like about 2 years stored in cool dark location with individual wrappings intact.

Also dehydrator to preserve excess seasonal food. Could use the oven set at 170 to 200 degrees. Or could even use a hot car interior in the summer.