We’re Trying to Buy a Homestead!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Trace Adams

This is a little bit different kind of a blog post for me, but it’s a big deal in our life — especially as preppers.

We’re trying to buy a rural homestead. It’s a 5-acre property with a 40-year-old rambler house (2400 square feet), a large garage, and a large one-story barn. The property is flat, completely usable, and fully fenced. It’s about half forested, but open enough to easily walk through. Though it’s only 15 miles south of where we are currently living (still close to where my kids live), it’s in a very rural area far off the beaten path, on a dead-end road. From the house we can see one neighbor’s home, and the smoke from the chimneys of about two others. The land, location, and the outbuildings are amazing — the residence will take some work.

We’ve been in the process of trying to buy this home, via a short sale, since January. At that time we signed a full price contract and the bank had 90 days to approve the short sale.

Last week (on day 89 of 90) the bank approved the short sale to go forward, so that’s when the “clock” for the sale itself started. We had ten days to get the house inspected and make our initial requests of the sellers.

We got it inspected last Sunday, the house has many, many issues — BUT the structure itself (walls, roof, foundation) is solid and in very good condition after all the years (built in ’72). We believe the house is well-built and definitely worth repairing/remodeling/rebuilding as needed. There are many things in the house that are original, and obviously after 40 years most would need replaced. The seller is as motivated as he can be, considering it’s been on the market for two years, sat empty for a year, has gone to short sale, and he’ll be making no money — but he’s doing what he can to get it looking as good as he is able (mostly labor, not money).

We’re using my VA loan (our only real option for financing) and that is moving forward. We will have a VA appraisal in the next couple of weeks. At that time, we understand, they’ll give us a list of what needs to be done/improvements made so that it can qualify for a VA loan (there will definitely be things that need done). Then we can negotiate with the seller and/or we’ll make the decision to spend the money ourselves so that it can qualify or, if it’s too much, we may have to decide to walk away.

So we’re well into the process. We’re excited. The property and location, in addition to the outbuildings, could be made into an amazing homestead. The house itself is worth rebuilding and making our own — hopefully the VA appraiser will agree with us. I have the skills to do much of the work, and friends who can help with the rest.

Anyway, since this has been a dream for long time, and it’s a huge deal it our lives, I wanted to share it.

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: I’m Eating My Preps!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello

I’m sure there are plenty of preppers out there that wouldn’t break into their mylar pouches full of grain for anything short of total Armageddon, but the truth is that emergencies can be varied and subjective. The world of a self-employed home improvement contractor is sometimes one of feast or famine especially during the initial years of building a business. The last few months have been financially tricky for me and Mighty Oak Homecraft. Large jobs have run long, delaying the income from final payments. Taxes were due, materials need purchased, yearly renewals of licenses and websites have all converged into a financial super-storm; the result is a cartoon-like escape of moths and dust when I open my wallet.

There is relief on the horizon as more jobs fill the schedule, but when the bank account hovers near the red it‘s nice to have a backup plan so that “feast or famine“ remains only a metaphor. Luckily there isn’t any panic about the financial burden of buying groceries. While I am not yet set up to last for months without resupply, having a reasonable store of food on hand to help stretch out limited resources is a big help. A lean month or two may not be the dramatic type of disaster scenario that many preppers are fortifying themselves against, but in reality (especially in my business) it’s a fairly likely scenario. Even for those with more predictable paychecks, financial emergencies can strike without warning. Unexpected car problems, a layoff, or an injury can put a serious dent in your cash flow. Emergency funds and savings accounts can be an ideal stopgap, but it can be difficult to squirrel away cash if you are living paycheck to paycheck. Being prepared should not be an exclusive hobby for those who can afford to stack gold bars up in their bunker. Even us penny pinchers can pick up a few extra cans each time we shop and before you know it, you have a food cache. Same goes for every gallon of gas you put away. An extra tank full when the chips are down could keep you operational when you might otherwise be thumbing rides.

Full scale financial collapse will always be a hot topic in prepping circles and forums, but the commonality of family level tough periods exemplifies the purpose of prepping. It’s not always about the big things that might happen, but more about the small things that probably will happen. Don’t allow yourself to develop a mindset that your preps are only for “the big one”. They are your way of providing help to yourself in the future. Just like any other type of insurance policy, you aren’t required to wait for total loss to make a claim. There are preps that we acquire with the hope and intent that we never need to use them such as a fire ladder, gun, or suture kit. However, some items that we store such as food, gas, or toiletries don’t need to be viewed as such a last resort — plus they need to be rotated anyway! If you are hungry, eat. There is no shame in using your preps for small, short-lived emergencies. Things will get better and you can stock up again. That’s what it’s there for.

Momma Bear: Carefully Choosing Seeds This Year

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Trace Adams

It’s that time of year again when we are all starting our seeds and getting those gardens back in shape. Last year was our first year gardening — EVER. We had mixed success, primarily because our property is about 80% shade. One thing I learned though is the importance of picking the right seeds. By this I do not mean just picking the right vegetables, but also the importance of using heirloom seeds so I could let some of my garden go to seed and harvest those seeds for the next year.

This year, while surfing the internet for seeds, I came across some interesting articles about seed banks. The National Geographic article, Food Ark, refers to the world seed vault (which I initially thought was kind of a hokey idea). But I kept reading and discovered why it is so incredibly important. I am sure most of the prepper community understand the value of using heirloom seeds, instead of hybrids, for seed harvesting. But, what I found to be both fascinating and horrifying is that 95% of vegetable and fruit varieties have gone extinct in the last 100 years. Mass production, produce values, and hardiness were chosen over variety. While we are busy saving pandas, polar bears, and whales, no one seems to be worried about saving our food. (Another good article is, The Extinction of Food: Why Heirloom Seeds May Be Our Only Hope.)

I am appalled to report that my own heirloom seeds fall into the category of hearty store-bought ones. There is nothing unique or special about my seeds. So what can we do to help with this problem? My advice would be that we all seek out these rare varieties, join seed exchanges, and support farmer’s markets and CSA Co-Ops (Community Support Agriculture) whenever possible. Find the uncommon and value its place in our future.

Next I read, EWG’s 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, and looked at a list of what they call “The Dirty Dozen”; the foods we buy and eat that have the most residual pesticides. Again, this was eye-opening information that showed me exactly which of my favorite produce was on the danger list. And worse yet, I am not strict enough about washing my produce. If I wasn’t already a “prepper,” this would be enough to make me seriously consider joining the team!

My new growing/gardening goal is to seek out a variety of quality seeds, and to grow some of those vegetables on the high pesticide laden foods list that we would normally buy. So this year–in addition to growing tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions from last year’s seeds–I will be growing my own spinach and peppers (two of the dirty dozen). We eat spinach more than most other varieties of lettuce and it grows really well in containers. Additionally we are still on the canning salsa kick so we are really looking forward to the peppers. I will also be networking with some friends in the Pacific Northwest to see if I can get some of their heirloom seeds for next year, and possibly getting involved in the Seed Savers Exchange.

Do you grow any rare varieties? If so, what? And would you be willing to share some seeds?!

Product Review: Duracell Digital Inverter 800

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Trace Adams

Do you live in an area where the power could ever go out?
Do you own a vehicle (or, more accurately, own a vehicle battery)?
Do you have small devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, tablet devices, power tools, or even lamps that you would like to be able to power during a blackout?

If the answer to all these questions is “yes”, do yourself a favor and spend about $65 and get a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 (or another comparable quality inverter).

How does an inverter work? To review, batteries store DC (direct current) power, while common household devices use AC (alternating current) power. An inverter converts stored DC power to useable AC power (anything with a two/three prong plug).

When people first begin thinking about backup power, they frequently discuss getting a generator. While a generator can be a good step — when it’s an informed decision, and it’s capabilities and limitations are understood. But a generator can be expensive, it takes up space, needs to be maintained, and storing gasoline for it can be a hassle. An easier first step to backup power is a quality inverter. If you already have a generator this adds a second level of redundancy, and might work even better for smaller devices and when you’re on the road.

I first heard about these inverters on The Survival Podcast in an interview with Steven Harris (here’s a list of the many interviews Steven has done on a variety of backup power topics).The Duracell Digital Inverter 800 is convenient and simple to use. It’s relatively compact (7.5” x 4.5” x 2.25”), solidly built, and light weight (1.8 pound). It has a nice LED digital display that shows input and output voltages, making it very easy to oversee and troubleshoot the inverter.

To use, connect the inverter directly to your car’s battery terminals (using the DC battery cables with alligator clamps). Then, I’d recommend, run a long 14-gauge extension cord into your house and plug it into a power strip. Plug your devices into the power strip; when you’re not using it, you can turn off the power strip to ensure you’re not inadvertently drawing power to an appliance. Of course you can always plug appliances, or tools, directly into the inverter.

When you’re using the inverter an alarm will sound when your car’s battery gets low, and the inverter will automatically shut off before the battery gets too low; this ensures you’ll never drain your vehicle’s battery further than you should. At that point you can either drive around for a bit, your car’s alternator will recharge your battery, or switch to another vehicle’s battery. For those that have a diesel pickup truck (like our Ford F350) you have TWO batteries, so twice the backup power potential. If you leave your vehicle idling, you can draw full power as long as you have available fuel; this is especially handy for larger devices (the inverter can handle devices that surge up to 1280W). The inverter also has a high voltage shutdown, an overload shutdown, and an overheating shutdown.

There are different size inverters, both higher and lower rated, but the 800 seems to fit the best for most of us. Their 400 is handy because it also comes with a DC lighter adapter allowing you to draw up to 150 watts without having to connect to the battery; very useful for road trips. (Despite what Amazon.com says, the 800 watt inverter does not come with a lighter adapter.)

Having an inverter will allow you–during a power outage, or anytime you’re away from an AC outlet (camping, job sites, etc.)–to convert the DC power stored in your car’s 12-volt battery into 120-volt AC power that you can plug electric devices into.

We tend to take electricity, and our access to it, for granted. When it’s not available our lifestyles quickly change. Having a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 around is an easy step to provide needed power for communication devices, tools, and light when needed.

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Overlanders

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello

Overlanders: One man’s survival is another man’s vacation.

I’m going to stray away from my home improvement centered writing from time to time; today I want to discuss another passion of mine and it’s overlooked connection to the world of prepping.

While the term “Overlanding” may still be unknown to many, it is in fact a long standing segment of the adventure travel community that traces it’s roots to earliest days of the automobile when brave souls set out to see the world on wheels. Overland Journal, the leading publication on the subject, defines overlanding as:

“Self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. Typically, but not exclusively, accommodated by mechanized off-highway capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping; often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and often spanning international boundaries”.

With many of these travelers now blogging as they go, it’s easier than ever to follow along as individuals, teams, and families with kids traverse continents and even circumnavigate the globe and to learn from their unique experiences. Dealing with war zones, limited supplies, civil unrest, stranded vehicles and lack of medical care can all be part of daily life for the overlander. The techniques and gear of these hearty world travelers are tested and proven in the harshest environments on a regular basis–rather than just in theoretical end-times scenarios–and should be looked at by preppers as a valuable resource. An overlander may find themselves in the Amazon, the Sahara, or Siberia and have to be ready for anything. People from all countries and cultures are often quick to assist these travelers, in ways we would never expect in the west. But there are also frequent occasions when an overlander will find themselves in a situation where they are completely dependent upon their own skills and equipment to get themselves through tough situations or terrain.

Motorcyclist Tiffany Coates found herself confronted by AK-47 wielding bandits in Kazakhstan. Pablo Rey’s 4WD broke down in the uninhabited desert of Sudan. Simon Thomas had to ride out of the Brazilian rainforest–with a broken neck after–after his motorcycle veered off a wooden bridge. Anything that can happen in a collapse situation has already happened to members of the overlanding community, and it rarely stops them from continuing on their amazing journeys. Even their day to day living activities such as generating electricity, communicating, and replenishing food stores that many Americans would consider unbearable are just part of the adventure when roaming the globe. The enjoyment of interacting with fascinating cultures and seeing awe inspiring natural wonders far offset the hardships of this method of travel, but the need to prepare is absolute.

Like preppers, overlanders love gear and training. Catalogs and websites provide a wealth of options for mobile self-reliance equipment. Skill building is equally important both before departure and learning location specific techniques from indigenous people while traveling. Knowledge of vehicle recovery comes in handy where tow trucks fear to tread, and medical training can mean the difference between life and death when the nearest hospital is 400 miles away on unpaved roads. Events such as the annual Overland Expo in Arizona or the Horizons Unlimited meetings held worldwide offer clinics and lectures on subjects vital to successfully managing a global journey with confidence.

It’s well worth looking into the world of overlanding to see survival and self reliance skills and gear in action by people who are having the time of their lives. Below are some great links to get you started:

http://www.overlandjournal.com/

http://www.overlandexpo.com/

http://bodeswell.org/

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

http://www.expeditionportal.com/

Momma Bear: Sequestration, Military Life & Our Growing Family

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Trace Adams

The military received a 1% pay raise this year. But with a 2% tax increase, that is the same as a 1% pay cut. I am thankful to report that while this did infuriate me, we were able to absorb the loss with minimal discomfort. Sequestration hit right about the time that we were re-arranging our house to accommodate the two kids we are planning to adopt. While I had been busy spending to get ready for a larger family (beds, linens, 2nd fridge, etc.), some of our friends who are federally employed were getting furlough notices. Our one friend is being furloughed to the tune of a 12% pay cut. With a new mortgage and small children at home, I hope that they can weather the storm. Other friends are being forced to retire early from the military because they are not at the top of their fields and the military needs a drastic reduction in forces. We are lucky in that my husband has a secure job, with a promotion on the horizon, and he is not at risk of a forced retirement. But it is a stark reminder that you can never be financially prepared ENOUGH to survive what life might throw at you.

In addition to all of the sequestration drama, I was reminded recently that we will be facing our next set of military orders to move, sometime in the next year, probably moving in about 16 months . We usually know about 4-6 months prior to our moves (sometimes we know as early as a year in advance), which will allow us time to get our lives ready for the next big adventure. Those months leading up to finding out our next duty station is always filled with speculation about where we will go, how we will get there, etc., and a few times we have been utterly surprised by where the Marine Corps has chosen to send us. For us, this will be the first time that we have moved since beginning a long term food storage program. While the movers will pack food in containers for moves within the U.S., it counts against our overall weight allowance. Foods are typically discouraged on international moves. This will be complicated for us because we will be moving a much larger household than ever before, and there is always the possibility of another international move. After rearranging our storage areas to accommodate the 2nd fridge last weekend, my husband raised the white flag and told me I needed to lay off the food storage (I believe the word “hoarder” may have been mumbled). He said I needed to develop a plan to deal with all this food for our next move. I think in his mind he was envisioning us having to throw out hundreds of pounds of food. Of course in my mind, I am more concerned with our increasing family size and feel the need to store more, but I can see his point.

We have both compromised and developed a plan. All future food storage purchases (in our current location) will need to be for our regular food storage pantry that we routinely eat from. No more long term storage food purchases until we reach our next duty station. The mylar and bucket food storage will be moved with our household goods (unless we are headed overseas and are limited on weight). Once we know where/when we are moving we will begin eating from our easy access long term food storage that I have in 2-liter bottles (see previous article on storage containers). These are containers and food items that are easy to replace once we are relocated. When they come to move us, any surplus pantry items in original containers may then be donated to the local food pantry. I consider this a workable solution that we can both live with, and he promised not to use the word hoarder again.

Has anyone else ever had to deal with moving a great distance with their long term food storage? Any tips or suggestions?

Sarah’s View: Product Review: iTorch External Battery

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Trace Adams

The New Trent iTorch IMP52D is a portable, rechargeable, external lithium battery I use to recharge my cell phone (an iPhone). It is compatible with any device (i.e. phone, MP3 player, tablet) that uses a USB plug.

Currently I am travelling for work…again. There are many things on my ‘must pack’ list these days, but ever since Trace bought each of us an iTorch about a year ago, I don’t go anywhere without it. It stays in my purse and goes with me pretty much everywhere.

The iTorch is 3.5” x 1.5” x1”; not tiny, but certainly a reasonable size. There are four blue lights, one indicates the iTorch is charging a device, and the other three indicate the level of charge remaining. It also includes a built-in red laser pointer and an LED light; just in case you need a laser pointer or emergency flashlight (repetitive and redundant!). It comes in a handy drawstring bag with a cord to charge the iTorch itself. In order to charge our phones we had to supply the needed USB iPhone cord.

The iTorch is advertised as having 3.5x the normal iPhone charge. I honestly don’t know if this is true or not as I’ve never used the iTorch to its full capacity. Even when I’ve needed to recharge my phone multiple times before I could recharge the iTorch, I’ve never fully depleted the iTorch charge. For this trip in particular it’s been useful as a charger in the car because I totally forgot to bring a car charger for the rental car. It’s also been handy during the day as I’m in training sessions and I can charge my phone as needed without crawling all over the place looking for a wall plug.

Trace first heard about the iTorch from Steven Harris’ site: battery1234.com — which lists many useful devices, all of which Steven has thoroughly tested and personally recommends. We own many items on this list, it is our go-to list when we want to expand our back-up energy capabilities.

Recommendation

I highly recommend the iTorch, for travel, for the prepper, but also as a simply back-up charger. I can’t count the number of times it’s allowed me to charge up my phone after a day in someone else’s car, or in training, or at an airport.

It’s reasonably priced (about $40) and a compact, and durable, enough to carry in a purse or backpack on regular basis (weights 4.5 ounces). And we’re not the only ones who like it, it has an Amazon Customer Review rating of 4.11 starts (of 5) with over 900 reviews.

As Trace has said before: as a prepper–trying to be prepared in case of emergencies or disasters–communication is very important. Sure the cell network can go down, but if it’s up and available it’d suck if you couldn’t access it just because your phone’s battery is dead. This is a product that can help prevent that from happening.

We Have Baby Rabbits!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Trace Adams

Finally! (Though not completely on our own yet; more about that later.)

A little background: We got two eight-week old female rabbits last June, a few weeks later we got a slightly older male (from a different breeder). In October they were old enough to breed, we brought Clover (doe) to Winston’s (buck) cage and they did what needed to be done — though it was awkward and Clover wasn’t very encouraging. But we had officially started breeding our rabbits.

Sorta. It didn’t work, and didn’t work, and didn’t work… We tried Winston with each of the females, repeatedly. We bred in the morning, we bred in the evening, before meals, after meals. Each time it seemed like they couldn’t quite get into the right position for correct “contact”. We read forums and blogs for insight. We inspected the genitalia, we inspected the poops. We tried holding the female in position and “assisting” the male. We fed them a little less to make them leaner. We tried swapping cages so they could smell the other’s scent and get in “the mood”. We tried overnighting them together (they are very docile), rabbits are nocturnal after all. We tried adding apple cider vinegar to their water (supposed to be an aphrodisiac). Then after each attempt we’d wait and see if there were any signs of pregnancy, a couple of times we even waited the whole 28 – 31 day cycle, and we were repeatedly disappointed and discouraged.

WE’RE BREEDING RABBITS, we thought, HOW HARD CAN IT BE!

We mostly took December off, it was very cold here (relatively) and it is a busy month. When January arrived we got together with our good friend Rob, the man we got our rabbits from, to trouble-shoot the situation. We determined we didn’t know if one or more of our rabbits were “broken”/infertile. So we decided to breed our rabbits with his “proven” stock. We brought Clover, to Rob’s place, to spend the night with Bugs (who has fathered many litters). We also brought back his doe, Cali, to spend the night with Winston. This was the middle of January, so we’d know by the middle of February.

Mid-February arrived and Cali/Winston had a litter of 10! So Winston wasn’t shooting blanks and apparently, with the right motivation, could do what needed to be done. But the Clover/Bugs breeding was unsuccessful.

Rewind slightly, two weeks after we bred Clover with Bugs we brought over our other female, Artemis, to breed with Bugs. So even though Clover hadn’t “delivered”, we still had our hopes out for Artemis (and Rob felt very sure, based on their time together, that Artemis would be pregnant).

Finally the week came, we put in the nesting box and last Thursday morning (2/28) I went out to feed them and we had a litter of seven kits (baby bunnies)! We had six alive and one dead. Unfortunately, likely since it was her first litter, Artemis hadn’t used the nesting box; instead making a nest out of cardboard (that had been lining the nesting box), hay, and of course fur in the corner of her cage. It worked, though I suspect the one that died may have been near the edge and got too cold. I, carefully, moved all the nesting material and then the remaining kits into the nesting box and they quickly snuggled into the soft fur.

To say I was excited was an understatement! (I later described my feelings as “disproportionately excited.”) I took a couple of pictures and then texted Sarah, the kids, and Rob that we had finally been successful!

We’re now about a week in, mom and babies all seem to be doing very well. Artemis appears to be a good mom and the kits seem to be growing and developing appropriately.

The next test, now that we know both Winston and Artemis “work” is to successfully breed our two rabbits together. We’ll do that in a couple of months.

We traded Clover, with Rob, for a four-month old female. We’ll breed the new female, Clover 2.0, when she reaches six months.

I write about this not only to share our failures and victories, but again as a warning: ANYTHING in your preps that you’re going to depend on needs to be tested first. Last summer we would have asked, “What could possible go wrong breeding rabbits? They breed like rabbits, right?” Finally after four months we are, mostly, successful.

Test, and retest your preps, plans, and the systems you have in place. Be sure you know how to use them, take the time to actually make them work appropriately, know basic trouble-shooting steps, and then share this information with the rest of your family.

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Joining in the Annual Reflections

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello

Since both Trace and Momma Bear have contributed articles reviewing the past year’s accomplishments and plans for the days ahead, I figured I would follow their lead (or rip off their article idea depending on how you look at it) and take a look at what I have done and what’s still on the list.

Though the practice of prepping isn’t exactly new to me, but the terminology and organization of it is. When I was a teenager in coastal South Carolina we all prepared for hurricanes with stored food, water, batteries and evacuation kits, and my frequent camping and hiking excursions kept me involved in outdoor skills. The current trend toward prepping, homesteading and sustainable living have provided me with plenty of new sources of inspiration to further my ability to be self sufficient in good times and bad. Despite financial and time constraints I have managed to make reasonable progress over the past many months.

My preps have been organized into a central location in my basement into bins and shelves. This not only allows for quick and easy access, but allows me to keep track of inventory.

I’ve extended my three-day food supply into a respectable store of non-perishables and water, including food for the dogs. Not a decade’s worth of #10 cans or anything, but enough to carry us through the blizzards and financial fluctuations of my job that we are most likely to encounter.

Fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were positioned on each floor and tested monthly. We made a family evacuation plan in the event of a fire including a meeting place should we leave through different exits.

I began training as a member of a local search and rescue organization. This will further develop my outdoor skills from woodland survival to technical rescue and provide in-depth training in emergency first aid as a wilderness first responder. Acting as a subject for search dog training is also handy for honing my skills of hiding in the outdoors. Plus it’s always good to know how to help others in a disaster scenario.

I began taking Krav Maga courses (a non-competitive self-defense martial art) and started practicing my marksmanship at the local range to improve my self-defense skills. I will always choose to walk the path of peace and kindness, but pacifism does not mean being defenseless to someone who means harm to me or my family.

I have increased my backups for alternative heating/cooking in the event of a long-term winter power outage by supplementing my indoor-safe propane heater with a small generator and an electric heater, and several off grid cooking methods.

There is always more to do and the coming spring is already laid heavy with plans to continue adding helpful gear and, more importantly, essential skills to what we already have. Our urban homesteading skills are at the forefront of our plans including more extensive preserving of our annual vegetable garden’s bounty, growing some fruits such as berries, and a more refined system of rainwater harvesting and grey water reclamation. Some of-interest-to-preppers home improvement projects are looming and I will be sure to thoroughly document them and share them here.

Hopefully by publicly reflecting upon our progresses and plans, we can all further the cycle of information, inspiration and motivation from which we can all grow to become more prepared as individuals and as a community.

Momma Bear: Year One in Review

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Trace Adams

We recently reached our official one year mark for prepping and, like Trace & family, I decided to do our year in review to see where we stand and in which direction we need to focus for the future.

A few months after we first began “prepping” I went back to work, and I have to say that my lack of free time has seriously affected our prepping. Many of my smaller projects took a back seat to the more routine things like food storage. While we did do some amazing stuff, it was only a fraction of what we could have done had I not been working.

Overall our big successes were:

learning to garden
canning
food storage in general
building good BOB’s
building emergency evacuation kits (2 boxed kits with tents, camp stoves, etc)
some basic skills training for the kids

Of all our successes this past year, gardening has been the most rewarding because my husband got so excited by the results. I simply could not grow enough tomatoes to keep him in salsa and he is anxiously awaiting this year’s crop! The big disappointments for me are that I still have not begun a food storage/surplus for my pet foods, I did not have enough free time to read and pursue prepping topics, the HAM radio course was a disaster (no license for me!), and we have currently postponed stock piling firearms/ammo (an intensely personal family decision).

Looking forward, we have a pretty clear idea of our priorities. The good news is that I am quitting my job because our family size is increasing (we are adopting)! I will be staying home, learning to be a mom to a larger family! Of course increasing our food storage this year continues to be the top priority, adding bulk food purchases (Costco) to our regular food preps. We will begin our pet food storage as well. We will be getting a bigger vehicle (in addition to the full size truck we already own), and possibly a small trailer. I will also have more time to focus on our garden this year and go back to working with the dogs on backpacking and maybe carting. I also received HAM Radio for Dummies book (thanks mom!) and will attempt to master that. As an alternative to the firearms we are also looking into archery classes for the whole family.

Although there were as many ups as downs last year, the future is looking fine for us! How did your year of prepping turn out?

TraceMyPreps

Optimistic, Moderate Prepping (not whack-job crazy)