Everyone has their list of top 10 prepper things. We recently did a post on 10 Prepper Items you may not of thought of. Due to popular response.. here are a few more.
1. Asparagus knives - if you don't know what these are...google them...hand held scythes are curved edge blades with a handle. Pruners and lopers (can't have too many of them).
2. Table top Still - Essential oils are easy to distill. Lavender, cedar, marigolds, peppermint and rosemary oils can be distilled and then turned into a very effective pesticide when mixed with water. The pesticide effect works as a knock down and is effective short term against chewers....it works and is completely organic.
3. Foot powered or hand crank sharpening stone. Try sharpening a shovel by hand if you think you don't want one of these. These aren't mine... but good examples...
4. A tupperware tub of hand tools and files you put away in a corner. . Include lots of big files and hoof nippers, put a little oil on them, wrap them in something and put them away. IF you need them (horses hooves, sharpening) you will be glad you have them. Include old hand powered drills. Find ones that you can use your modern bits with so you can drive screw drivers and lug nuts etc. A box or two of good 4 1/2 inch screws. A box or two of big 4 inch or so galvi nails. a few packages of joist hangers and corners. a few HIGH quality hand saws... find titanium cutting edges etc. Just tuck this box away and forget it.
5. In your everyday shop have a few things. I have a shelf and it always has
- a case of silicone calk
- a case of GOOD gorrilla duck tape
- JB Weld or other epoxies
- a Case of oil additives for the chainsaw
- Several jugs of Bar oil for chainsaws
- a couple of cases of car oil
- Several anti freeze jugs
- A zillion clamps. These work for holding pallet structures together, holding tarps on etc.
6. In my attic i have four big garbage cans. one is full of toilet paper (i can fit a years worth for two people in one 30 gallon rubbermaid) , paper towels, paper plates and forks/knives. One is full of flannel sheets i get at goodwill on the cheap (old flannel works as bandages, towels, everything) One is full of GOOD old wool sweaters, blankets (bagged with camphor) and sturdy jackets and old cardhart overalls). They have been up there for years...
7. I am on a ranch so i have collected stacks of old pallets... i get rid of any that are chemically treated and only keep the ones that come from my feed suppliers etc since they are the 'safe wood'. Could build a house or a barn in a pinch. Be sure to only use HT ones . HT for Heat Treatment or MB for Methyl Bromide, and DB to signify debarked.
8. ATV attachments...i look for the ones that are wheel driven... a disc, a spreader, an aerator (that i use as a poor mans no till drill for pasture seeding or planting cast wheat. ... in a pinch i think i could pull these with a small pony... or maybe a bike going down hill...
9. A good set of foxfire or 'how to do anything books'. I love the internet, but a couple of how to books are a must.
 |
| Wild Pink Honeysuckle berries are edible...but tart without a little sugar or honey |
10. Last? Learn a little bushcraft. Take a little time to learn what early people in your area ate by gathering back in the day. This is often a lot less work than growing. We have abundant acorns in our area. The Indians made a flour with them and our local high end restaurants make an local sourced acorn pasta that is delicious... (pigs love acorns too btw) Plant out creeks and likely areas with native plums, berries, tubers and more. We have a native lily that has a highly edible tuber favored by the early Indians and has an added benefit in being very pretty. The tubers reset by themselves and even though we have a lot of them on the ranch we bought thousands more of the bulbs from a native plant nursery and planted areas where we thought they would be both beautiful and thrive. Wild Pink honeysuckle makes a berry that is edible (with a little honey or sugar) and we have abundant wild grapes and a wild native plum. Early ranchers planted figs, apple, pear and cherry trees that are still here 50-80 years later bearing with no irrigation. More on wet years, less on dry. Know your food forest.
Survival Chic
