Are you prepared?

[George Cantstandya]

I just went to Kroger to pick up a few things.  The place was unusually busy for that time of day during the week with people that appeared to be panicking with carts full of groceries. Out of curiosity I took a look and all the toilet paper, bleach and household items with bleach were all sold out.     Canned goods were also getting somewhat bought up.  For example the shelves that are usually stocked full of Chef Boyardee products were probably a bit less than half full.  I'm glad I already have a good supply of such things.

I also had to run to Home Depot for a few things.  So here is a tip for those that may be in need of things like bleach or TP if your local grocery is sold out.  Home Depot had them in stock probably because people don't think of going there for such things right away.  Of course the TP appeared to be marked up a bit.  At the rate things are flying off the shelves I'm not sure how long that will last though, at least around where I live, and given how fast things seem to be bought up here.

A tip from the CDC website for making household disinfectant with bleach should the pre-made ones be sold out:

Quote:Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

   Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
       5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
       4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

So get a spray bottle that is suitable for chemicals, also available at places like Home Depot, measure appropriately as stated above and you have something to clean with.

I'm not trying to instill some form of panic with this post.  I just thought my experience at the stores today was notable given the topic of this thread.

Oh and if you do want to plan ahead just in case, don't forget your furry friends.  I also stopped by the pet store and bought a couple of 33lb bags of dog food, about 3 months worth for my dog.  It is good for 1 year and better to have it now than run out because the supply was bought up.  

[grampahol]

I doubt food is going to go out of fashion any time soon. The biggest concern to me about it is if everyone who works at the grocery gets sick, but that's doubtful. I still think we'll get food. We might not get a lot of imported vegetables and fruits which may cause temporary shortages, but canned works too.
If you're really considering robbing electrical transformer lines you may be in panic mode already, but the law really frowns on swiping electrical lines as evidenced by the crack downs on copper thieves over the past decade or so.. I know a few who got busted and did hard time over it. One guy I knew was literally stealing aluminum light posts until he got nabbed. As far as I know the dope is still locked up and deservedly so. He drove around looking all official, but the law didn't see it his way.
There's still reason enough to be concerned. There really is a fine line between panic and prudence. I'm going to continue to touch my face since my face is still attached to the rest of my head so I can't help but to touch it. Go figure, huh? I do wash my piddy pats pretty frequent since I do all the dishes anyway.
I live on a lake so I can always fish for my dinner and if the worse case actually happens and food becomes sooo overwhelmingly scarce I'll eat the neighbors dog and cats if need be. I'm not one to declare that I'd rather starve than eat peas or lima beans or dumb shit like that. I came kind of close to starvation a few times back when I was hitch hiking around the country and have no intention of repeating that nonsense again. I once dropped down to under 115 way back when.. Trust me..you'll eat peas and lima beans if push comes to shove and like it.

[George Cantstandya]

A gentle bump of this thread.  Things are getting a bit interesting again.  Damn these last 2 years have sucked.   But once again we are facing a time where a lot is not known and where it will go.  So again, I encourage people to be prepared.  Have at least a month's worth of food (food that does not need to be cooked, so canned food) and water for your family.  Keep a good supply of vitamins, medical supplies and toiletries.  And now given how things have gone with the fuel supply I suggest you don't let your vehicles go below a half a tank before filling up.  

Edit:  Also don't know if I mentioned it before but also a radio that does not need batteries.  I have a few that are solar powered, have a flashlight built in and also have a hand crank that can supply power if need be.

Edit 2:  As the price of gas is going up the price of food is also increasing due to the cost of production and delivery.  So even if you are not worried about the worst case scenario there is no harm in filling your freezer with meat and vegetables that you will use. The prices may very well go up so best to buy them now.

Again I'm not some doomsday prepper or trying to get people to panic, but I want to encourage my fellow Bengals fans to make sure they have what they need if things go bad (for example if there is a cyber attack that shuts down banking and the ability to buy things with a debit or credit card).   It's better to have those things and not need them than to be caught without when they might be needed.

Also don't forget about the needs of your dog(s) or other pets. 


Lastly please don't make this thread political.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-05-2022, 03:31 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: A gentle bump of this thread.  Things are getting a bit interesting again.  Damn these last 2 years have sucked.   But once again we are facing a time where a lot is not known and where it will go.  So again, I encourage people to be prepared.  Have at least a month's worth of food (food that does not need to be cooked, so canned food) and water for your family.  Keep a good supply of vitamins, medical supplies and toiletries.  And now given how things have gone with the fuel supply I suggest you don't let your vehicles go below a half a tank before filling up.  

Edit:  Also don't know if I mentioned it before but also a radio that does not need batteries.  I have a few that are solar powered, have a flashlight built in and also have a hand crank that can supply power if need be.

Edit 2:  As the price of gas is going up the price of food is also increasing due to the cost of production and delivery.  So even if you are not worried about the worst case scenario there is no harm in filling your freezer with meat and vegetables that you will use.  The prices may very well go up so best to buy them now.

Again I'm not some doomsday prepper or trying to get people to panic, but I want to encourage my fellow Bengals fans to make sure they have what they need if things go bad (for example if there is a cyber attack that shuts down banking and the ability to buy things with a debit or credit card).   It's better to have those things and not need them than to be caught without when they might be needed.

Also don't forget about the needs of your dog(s) or other pets. 


Lastly please don't make this thread political.

Nice thread George, missed it the first time around.

My family has the essentials, canned and frozen food, military and other dried foods ugh, water, backup generators and got 
us a Frontier saw mill last year so we can mill our own lumber which is huge with the lumber prices nowadays. Got my faith 
which is #1 in my life which provides everything as I need it.

BTW, the power went out a couple weeks ago the day before the Superbowl and it was weird going into town. All those 
people standing around in the dark and not being able to purchase anything. I honestly think every business should have 
backup teller machines that are man powered instead of computer powered. Lots of people will die if this is not thought 
about more. You have to have fall back plans in case the power goes out for not just hours but weeks or even months.

[reuben.ahmed]

Dog food has been scarce the last few months.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-05-2022, 03:31 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: A gentle bump of this thread.  Things are getting a bit interesting again.  Damn these last 2 years have sucked.   But once again we are facing a time where a lot is not known and where it will go.  So again, I encourage people to be prepared.  Have at least a month's worth of food (food that does not need to be cooked, so canned food) and water for your family.  Keep a good supply of vitamins, medical supplies and toiletries.  And now given how things have gone with the fuel supply I suggest you don't let your vehicles go below a half a tank before filling up.  

Edit:  Also don't know if I mentioned it before but also a radio that does not need batteries.  I have a few that are solar powered, have a flashlight built in and also have a hand crank that can supply power if need be.

Edit 2:  As the price of gas is going up the price of food is also increasing due to the cost of production and delivery.  So even if you are not worried about the worst case scenario there is no harm in filling your freezer with meat and vegetables that you will use. The prices may very well go up so best to buy them now.

Again I'm not some doomsday prepper or trying to get people to panic, but I want to encourage my fellow Bengals fans to make sure they have what they need if things go bad (for example if there is a cyber attack that shuts down banking and the ability to buy things with a debit or credit card).   It's better to have those things and not need them than to be caught without when they might be needed.

Also don't forget about the needs of your dog(s) or other pets. 


Lastly please don't make this thread political.

I loved Doomsday Preppers. I think it only lasted one season.

I remember one guy lived in a big city, possibly NYC. I remember one of his defenses for his apartment was a bucket of broken glass he was going to toss into the hallway to deny access to his front door.

I thought, “Are zombies not going to have shoes or brooms in the apocalypse? Do they even have sensation in their feet?”

Another guy had a full blown rehearsal with his family defending their compound against an assault including actors playing the gang from Mad Max. The Bad Guys took the mom hostage and had her at gunpoint and told her son to surrender his weapon or they would kill her. He was like 6 years old. The lone survivor. Against superior forces. I thought this kid is gonna have PTSD by the time he’s in second grade. Out on the playground telling mock war stories to the first graders, “No, shit. There I was, knee deep in hand grenade pins and busier than a one legged man in an ass kickin’ contest.”

[fredtoast]

I made sure to download a few hundred hours of porn onto a flash drive in case the internet collapses.

[Johnny Cupcakes]

(03-07-2022, 02:07 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I made sure to download a few hundred hours of porn onto a flash drive in case the internet collapses.

If I mail you a drive, do you think you could ctrl+c, ctrl+v that for me?

[Johnny Cupcakes]

I have a couple months’ supply of food for my family of 5. I was raised Mormon, and disaster prepping is pretty much a basic tenet of the church. It’s one of the very few things that have carried over to my current life.

I’m also in to backpacking, and am at least semi proficient with the outdoors so I have a good amount of things to help survive in case something extreme happens. Tons of food that doesn’t expire for decades, water filters, etc…

I think I’d last longer than most.

I

[reuben.ahmed]

can you list the food that doesn't expire for decades, for the rest of us, e.g. mcdonalds burger comes to mind

[HarleyDog]

If you can land some MRE's (meal ready to eat) those are the dream emergency food supply. They don't taste great at first but once your forced to live on them for weeks/months at a time, you start looking forward to meal time. Plus, you can get pretty creative with them after awhile.

[George Cantstandya]

(03-07-2022, 07:46 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: If you can land some MRE's (meal ready to eat) those are the dream emergency food supply. They don't taste great at first but once your forced to live on them for weeks/months at a time, you start looking forward to meal time. Plus, you can get pretty creative with them after awhile.

I've seen MRE's on the civilian market and even civilian versions.  They are typically pretty expensive.   Out of curiosity I just looked and they have some on Amazon and they are $355 for 24 meals.   So nearly $15 bucks a piece.  I agree they are indeed great to have for emergencies especially if you might need to be on the move due to their much lighter weight than lugging around a bunch of canned food.  Plus one meal has almost an entire days worth of calories needed by the average person.

I just think for people just getting started setting up some basic preparedness starting with canned foods are the way to go as far as cost.  Especially if you get a lot of stuff you will eat anyway because you can rotate things as you consume them and restock with newer stuff before they go bad.  

[George Cantstandya]

(03-06-2022, 07:02 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Dog food has been scarce the last few months.

Yeah I've had a problem getting my dog's brand starting last year.  I feed him Eukanuba and have since I had him and the vet recommended it.   He's a big dog so I buy him 33lb bags.  I used to go to the local pet stores to get it like Petco.  But last year they almost never had it in stock and the employees told me they were having trouble getting it delivered.  So I turned to online.  Even Chewy, Petco online and Amazon rarely had it.   I found a bag available via Petco online (still none in Petco's local store so it seems Petco is prioritizing their online customers), and Amazon then another on Chewy a month later all of which I bought.  So I signed up for automatic orders from Chewy and Petco every 6 weeks.   My first automatic order from Petco did not ship because they were out again.  Chewy has fulfilled my last few orders the last one being delivered last month.  

So right now I'm have 5 bags which should be enough for 7-8 months, a few more if I need to stretch it.  I just looked on Chewy as I am due for another automatic shipment next week and they show temporarily out of stock.   Also the price has gone up a lot.  Before shortages a 33lb bag cost me about $38 and the last bags I got via Chewy were $55 and now even though out of stock they show a price of $63. 

I've been slowly buying canned food for him over the last year that I keep as a back up.  I buy a can or so when I go to the store.  So I probably have another 2 months of canned food for emergency use and as an occasional treat as I rotate them out.  

It's kind of funny.  My dog has a longer term food supply than I do.  I have roughly 2 months of human food and water stored should I need to shelter in place.  But one of my fears is not being able to provide for my dog because he means so much to me.   I guess he will have to share with me if things get really bad.  

[XenoMorph]

(03-08-2022, 03:07 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: Yeah I've had a problem getting my dog's brand starting last year.  I feed him Eukanuba and have since I had him and the vet recommended it.   He's a big dog so I buy him 33lb bags.  I used to go to the local pet stores to get it like Petco.  But last year they almost never had it in stock and the employees told me they were having trouble getting it delivered.  So I turned to online.  Even Chewy, Petco online and Amazon rarely had it.   I found a bag available via Petco online (still none in Petco's local store so it seems Petco is prioritizing their online customers), and Amazon then another on Chewy a month later all of which I bought.  So I signed up for automatic orders from Chewy and Petco every 6 weeks.   My first automatic order from Petco did not ship because they were out again.  Chewy has fulfilled my last few orders the last one being delivered last month.  

So right now I'm have 5 bags which should be enough for 7-8 months, a few more if I need to stretch it.  I just looked on Chewy as I am due for another automatic shipment next week and they show temporarily out of stock.   Also the price has gone up a lot.  Before shortages a 33lb bag cost me about $38 and the last bags I got via Chewy were $55 and now even though out of stock they show a price of $63. 

I've been slowly buying canned food for him over the last year that I keep as a back up.  I buy a can or so when I go to the store.  So I probably have another 2 months of canned food for emergency use and as an occasional treat as I rotate them out.  

It's kind of funny.  My dog has a longer term food supply than I do.  I have roughly 2 months of human food and water stored should I need to shelter in place.  But one of my fears is not being able to provide for my dog because he means so much to me.   I guess he will have to share with me if things get really bad.  

i believe can dog food last a long time... And is safe for human consumption

[George Cantstandya]

(03-08-2022, 03:10 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: i believe can dog food last a long time... And is safe for human consumption

Yep his current canned food supply has a best by date of 2024.    Plus most canned foods are good for much longer (possibly years) past the best by date as long as the can isn't damaged and they are stored properly. 

[HarleyDog]

(03-08-2022, 03:10 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: i believe can dog food last a long time... And is safe for human consumption

I believe all dog and cat food is regulated and must be safe for human consumption. I was told once this is due to children who may crawl to or eat out of the pets bowl or treat bag. I'm not 100% sure on this, just a tidbit I heard from a customer when our trucking company was assisting in a pet food recall. 

[George Cantstandya]

(03-08-2022, 03:24 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I believe all dog and cat food is regulated and must be safe for human consumption. I was told once this is due to children who may crawl to or eat out of the pets bowl or treat bag. I'm not 100% sure on this, just a tidbit I heard from a customer when our trucking company was assisting in a pet food recall. 

From what I read out of curiosity you are correct and humans can indeed eat dog food, dry or canned.  From what I understand dogs and humans have very different nutritional needs.  Most dog foods do not include some human nutritional needs.  For example the issue of vitamin C because dogs can apparently produce it naturally via metabolism which I never knew until I started looking it up on the Internet (It is the Internet so the info below or may not be worth a damn).  Vitamin C and Dogs according to American Kennel Club. 

Quote:Vitamin C is an important antioxidant. It scavenges potentially harmful free radicals in the body and can help reduce inflammation and cognitive aging. Dogs can actually synthesize vitamin C on their own in their livers, but in some cases supplementation may offer health benefits.

And Healthline for what ever that is worth because it is the internet:

Quote:Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, critical for good skin health and immune function in humans. Humans cannot produce the vitamin and must get it from food.

On the other hand, dogs can make it in their liver, so it isn’t necessary to include it in their food.

Thus, if you’re reliant on dog food as your primary source of nutrition, you may be putting yourself at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies over time.

Where as vitamin C is very important in the modern human diet.   So in the short term, yes a person can eat dog food to get by.  Long term not so much.  You don't want to get scurvy.  :)  Let's all hope we are not in a place where we have to decide sharing our diets with our pets.  

[reuben.ahmed]

(03-08-2022, 03:07 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: Yeah I've had a problem getting my dog's brand starting last year.  I feed him Eukanuba and have since I had him and the vet recommended it.   He's a big dog so I buy him 33lb bags.  I used to go to the local pet stores to get it like Petco.  But last year they almost never had it in stock and the employees told me they were having trouble getting it delivered.  So I turned to online.  Even Chewy, Petco online and Amazon rarely had it.   I found a bag available via Petco online (still none in Petco's local store so it seems Petco is prioritizing their online customers), and Amazon then another on Chewy a month later all of which I bought.  So I signed up for automatic orders from Chewy and Petco every 6 weeks.   My first automatic order from Petco did not ship because they were out again.  Chewy has fulfilled my last few orders the last one being delivered last month.  

So right now I'm have 5 bags which should be enough for 7-8 months, a few more if I need to stretch it.  I just looked on Chewy as I am due for another automatic shipment next week and they show temporarily out of stock.   Also the price has gone up a lot.  Before shortages a 33lb bag cost me about $38 and the last bags I got via Chewy were $55 and now even though out of stock they show a price of $63. 

I've been slowly buying canned food for him over the last year that I keep as a back up.  I buy a can or so when I go to the store.  So I probably have another 2 months of canned food for emergency use and as an occasional treat as I rotate them out.  

It's kind of funny.  My dog has a longer term food supply than I do.  I have roughly 2 months of human food and water stored should I need to shelter in place.  But one of my fears is not being able to provide for my dog because he means so much to me.   I guess he will have to share with me if things get really bad.  

Yeah, stuff is out of stock at pet smart and chewy. The pandemic apparently drained them (I think people were adopting pets at a high rate). At least that's the manufacturer's excuse. It's strange that my dog is running out of things to eat, but when I look at my pantry, I thought the same thing - I may need to eat some of her food if needed. Some of the meat is human grade and when I open the can, it doesn't smell any worse than taco bell.

Anyway my dog means more to me than any human, or maybe most humans. Most humans are scum, including many in this forum lol. But no dog is.

[*bfine32*]

(03-08-2022, 11:16 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Yeah, stuff is out of stock at pet smart and chewy. The pandemic apparently drained them (I think people were adopting pets at a high rate). At least that's the manufacturer's excuse. It's strange that my dog is running out of things to eat, but when I look at my pantry, I thought the same thing - I may need to eat some of her food if needed. Some of the meat is human grade and when I open the can, it doesn't smell any worse than taco bell.

Anyway my dog means more to me than any human, or maybe most humans. Most humans are scum, including many in this forum lol. But no dog is.

Why you sucking up to Harley?

As to the OP: My folks (not me) are rural; those folks live with traits similar to their ancestors a century ago. If the shit hits the fan; I'll just go live among them. I'll be the crappiest farm hand ever, but I'm family. 

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-08-2022, 03:24 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I believe all dog and cat food is regulated and must be safe for human consumption. I was told once this is due to children who may crawl to or eat out of the pets bowl or treat bag. I'm not 100% sure on this, just a tidbit I heard from a customer when our trucking company was assisting in a pet food recall. 

And I thought we were poor.