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Hello prepper community!
I just want to put my two cents worth in because I feel that this is such a worthy subject that leads to a total lifestyle change.
My husband and I have been prepping for sometime now, but the program on nat-geo called “doomsday preppers” really re-lit the prepping flame. It was such an encouragement to see folks like Kellene and her husband taking control of their lives. As we tuned in each week to watch different people and their efforts we began to notice that they seemed to focus on the extreme cases. Somewhat making a mockery of this lifestyle. This is not what being a prepper is all about. Like I said earlier, its a lifestyle change, a chance to get some sort of independence back.
If you really take a step back and look at our lives you quickly will see that we have become a very self-indulged society. Disposable if you will. Remember popcorn that had to be cooked on the stove top in grease? Watch your eyes!! Remember the art of making bread and getting that first smell of the fresh loaf coming out of the oven? That is what being a prepper is about. Well I should say that is what is about for us. The rewarding feeling of knowing that you are not completely dependent on the government to feed us!! No you don’t have to run to the store for that loaf of bread! Now I don’t want anyone to think that we are government bashing, its just that as a society we have become over dependent on it. Again, this is what prepping means to us, self-reliant.
Now a couple of the things we have done. Just storing up food is not all there is to it. Grant it, it’s a very important part, but not all. Like we say, this lifestyle is a big puzzle containing many parts. Some of the parts may need to come from others and often times they do, so be in the market to start or become a part of a network of like minded people. That would be one of the pieces, food another.
What about water…We live on a small piece of property in the country, so we have a slight advantage there. We have a well, now baring a dust bowl situation, my husband has made a hand pump out of 3/4 in.pvc pipe and a foot valve at the bottom. Completely powerless. 2-5 gallons a min. out put. No that’s not a lot of water but its a lot more than none. (and boy if you want to know just how long a minute is make a hand pump and pump for a minute, it just might make you shut off that faucet a little quicker!!) We checked into buying one, they ranged from $400-$1200, not affordable. We spent about $50.00 making it.
Research, another piece of the puzzle. Many web pages out there to get free info on this idea. Information, like preparednesspro.com, are priceless and like I said, another piece of the puzzle, containing ideas that others have researched, saving you time and money.
Now room may be another factor for some of you…We live in the country in a modest manufactured home(about 1800 sq.ft.) We have a 2 car garage that we built and added a 15×15 room to. That is one area that we store allot of our food in. Now it has quickly filled up. We thought about what we needed to do to gain more room. My husband cut a hole through the floor in the house(radical huh…lol) to access the crawl space under the house and we began to dig..That’s right, dig!! We were able to hand dig about 4 ft. down and with the crawl space we have a room that is 6 1/2 ft tall and 8ft. wide and 18ft. long. Yes a lot of hard work but we were able to gain very valuable storage space, plus the fact that it is root cellar. This will allow us to store our fresh veggies, not to mention eggs lathered in mineral oil, for 6-9 months at a time. Simply put your fresh carrots and fresh potatoes in layers of sand, not touching, and you will have fresh veggies long after the snow flies!! Because of this extra room for storage, we have added another 20×60 ft. plot to our garden. There are countless other advantages that a root cellar offer as well!! (Be creative!! You might have more of what you need then you realize.) These are some of the pieces of the puzzle that we have some what over come, and oh yes there are plenty more…did some one say solar panels???
We love the lifestyle change; we welcome the challenge and most of all we want to be encouraging to others that might want to gain their freedoms as well. After all isn’t this the land of the free?? We think so!! So don’t focus on the long range of what has to be done– that can sometimes be overwhelming– just start doing. Get information, do research and start doing….that fresh bread in the morning is just wonderful!!
Blessings to all and happy prepping!!
D. C. MT
13 Comments
mc · April 10, 2012 at 1:47 pm
im ready for some fresh bread!
mc · April 10, 2012 at 1:47 pm
i like this one
mc · April 10, 2012 at 1:48 pm
i vote
Alyssa Nicol · April 10, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Lots of good ideas! The water pump idea is something I wish we could do here at home.
Allen · April 10, 2012 at 6:27 pm
love the idea’s!!
Allen · April 10, 2012 at 6:28 pm
just know that all the time it takes is so worth while!!
Always Almost Ready · April 10, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I like this one.
Barbara · April 11, 2012 at 1:43 am
Way impressive – you get my first vote just for your cellar brilliance and pump creativity!!
TS · April 11, 2012 at 1:57 am
Fantastic ideas! You just dug a cellar? I’m wondering how we could do that here…
Dani · April 13, 2012 at 10:40 pm
lol…one shovel at a time. No really you just check the clearance under your home and make sure not to get to close to the foundation and dig as far as your back will let you. Most important is not to get to close to the foundation, besides what you do in and under your own home is your business…right!! Thank you so much for the response!!!!!!
Dani · April 13, 2012 at 10:41 pm
🙂 lol…one shovel at a time. No really you just check the clearance under your home and make sure not to get to close to the foundation and dig as far as your back will let you. Most important is not to get to close to the foundation, besides what you do in and under your own home is your business…right!! Thank you so much for the response!!!!!!
john · April 14, 2012 at 10:59 pm
wow!
john · April 14, 2012 at 10:59 pm
my vote for hard work
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