What have you added to your preps this week?

Reading this thread, I am relieved to have found people who stock up like I do!
I also started a new batch of Mead (honey wine). I am down to about a dozen bottles in my closet, need some more. JIC.

I would like to taste some of that! I had mead when I was a teenager, would love to try some again.

picked up some more stuff for my bug out bag,

-gator machete from canadian tire
-water proof matches
-sewing kit in waterproof container
-freeze dried meals (3)
and energy bars

im having a lot of fun with this bag but its starting to get heavy 😮

I would like to taste some of that! I had mead when I was a teenager, would love to try some again.

Honestly, honey mead tastes like the ice wine mixed with brandy that you buy at the LCBO lol but, I make it. It's cheaper than buying it and I can add to it or keep it plain.
I make wines & beer, the occasional liquor at home to keep on hand. I met a friend online in the US who really got me back into it. He and his partner started with honey mead and fell in love with it, now they have dozens of wine recipes, I am lucky enough that they share them with me 😀
I have found having booze on hand is almost as good as money! Last summer, I had a neighbour come and do some work for me, paid him in wine for his wife and beer for him. I also have paid a mechanic to work on my car with wine.
It is a great present for birthdays and holidays and it is CHEAP! I can make a bottle for about $3. That's not too shabby when you are short on cash and have a long holiday list of people to give to. I make a wine and a mead, I bottle them and buy my gift bags at a local wholesaler, just plain paper wine bags with jute handles, my kids paint the bags with potato stamps they make and we give em out. So in total with packaging each gift is about $6.50.

Ok so now I am rambling lol but, yes it is easy to make but takes a long time. I try to start a new batch every 3 months but, slacked off a bit in the fall time, smartening up now though 🙂

This morning we hit the buck store for more first aid supplies (cotton balls, swabs, qtips, mini kleenex packs) plus I grabbed another bottle of liquid castile soap and a litre of witch hazel.

@ mason Rethink that BOB. You won't have to fight your way through any jungles. Ditch the machete. What are we bugging out from? Most likely a fire in your home or maybe an industrial accident causing forced evac.
Cash, important documents, maybe a thumb drive with your most cherished pics. We just don't get earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes around here. My entire BOB would fit in my wife's purse, well almost.

Back on topic.
Found a guy selling a $400 North Face cold weather jacket for $100, couple of IDF surplus coats for $25 each.
Some FD food came for the cottage / BOL. Mostly eggs. Those MRE rubber eggs are the most disgusting thing I've ever had.

@ mason Rethink that BOB. You won't have to fight your way through any jungles. Ditch the machete. What are we bugging out from? Most likely a fire in your home or maybe an industrial accident causing forced evac.
Cash, important documents, maybe a thumb drive with your most cherished pics. We just don't get earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes around here

Well...that's not strictly true...we had one in Hamilton and it did enough damage that a school had to be torn down. I used to go to that school...the street behind my parents, the street the school is on, had several houses with extensive roof damage where they couldn't stay in their homes...so tornadoes are a definite possibility.
Barrie had an F4 tornado back in the '85 prt1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8apXOQQKuPU
prt2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq36XF_5WKc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
prt3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCoQ0auZfrE&feature=related

As far as my thoughts on a machete well, I go up north a lot and do a lot of back country trails on ATV, so I am building up a bag that I can take with me that can be actually used at least that's my plan. A machete is an item I've used in past, so maybe my idea of a bug out bag isnt exactly the same as everyone elses, I feel that I want to have something that I can actually make use of and re-stock as needed. I think that just being preparred for anything including a break down in the woods and maybe getting lost is a reason to have a bag full of usefull goodies. 😀

I'll admit as well my bush pack is a little better equipped than a BOB but they serve different purposes don't they?

Sure we've had the odd tornado but it isn't something we plan for each spring or something you'll even have time to bug out from. And bug out to where? The basement? If your house gets hit the nearest Timmies is probably untouched.
Just curious .. what did you do the last time there was a tornado watch? Strap on your kit and head for the hills? I watched the sky and probably would have headed for the basement if it looked like anything was going to happen...

Just sayin' those large area disasters where you'll need a grab and go survival kit are very unlikely in this neck of the woods.
Home fire, ice storm power grid collapse, temporary forced evac, are what I plan for first.

Alternate heating and electric, food storage, important documents.
My "preps" are more "anything I buy today is cheaper than it will be next week".

Sorry about the off topic post.

Good golly! My preps seem miniscule compared to the rest of you folks. I made a couple of tinder boxes along with charred cloth. I found a recipie for hardtack and made a batch to include in my prepper menu. (They came out salty, so I've gotta try it again.) I got a rucksack coming in the mail, and I'm working on a survival staff. Oh, I also bought some cornflour to see if Sweet Corn Bread Drop Biscuits will make the prepper menu.

1 flat of 1.5 L mason jars ETA they are actually 1.9L/2qut jars
6- 1gallon food grade buckets w/lids from the canteen where husband works...more to come! These are perfect for bags of cornmeal/beans given the small size of our family at home.

I'm stuck between paydays here, all I bought this wk were some big containers of spices (ones that I know I can't grow. Bay leaves, curry spice and garlic powder) Some times garlic powder is better than fresh. Next wk I'm getting powdered ginger, I also bought a case + of jars from the thrift store for 4.99. What I really want to stock up on right now is laterns lamps and lamp oil. Gotta work on that!!

Mental note:
The Bulk Barn sometimes sells really nice used foodgrade plastic pails for 99 cents a piece. The lids seal VERY well and they are not too big or heavy for those of us who don't like ginormous buckets.

I've been collecting used oil buckets. I clean them up with degreaser and wash them real good. These buckets are great for storing goods and supplies and are air/water tight. They of course aren't food safe but they won't be in direct contact with food. I am also using them for grow buckets. I grew 18 tomato plants in used 5 gal buckets last year. They are perfect size/shape for grow buckets. They are as well more discrete for storage. Who would think your storing food in oil buckets????

Princess Auto has all their hand/toe/body warmers on dirt cheap....bought several pkgs of hand warmers (2/pkg) for 77 cents each.
Also bought a couple of hemostats for the first aid/medical kit

Princess Auto has all their hand/toe/body warmers on dirt cheap....bought several pkgs of hand warmers (2/pkg) for 77 cents each.
Also bought a couple of hemostats for the first aid/medical kit

just out of interest, whats the shelf like on handwarmers?

Quick FYI.
Hand warmers are the same as oxygen absorbers, just fast acting.