Are you prepared? Trying to be more self sufficient

This is more or less my setup. Although I plan to put it on a converted cargo trailer. For now it lives on my front porch roof, and I'm using salvage UPS SLA batteries.

 

Good to have you in here. As you said we can all learn from each other.

 

I'm taking a semi-deserved rest after a spring service of the rain barrel system after a winter of disuse.




Three 60 gallon pickle barrels in the crawl space, with a 3 inch PVC shower drain installed in the bottom. Each connected to a ball valve union so they can be isolated from each other. There is a low drain, new rainwater enters from outside, and a 'trap' of sorts outside that keeps the water from overtopping the barrels.

The pump draws from the same pipe, has a pressure switch and a small accumulator tank. There is a float switch in the middle tank to prevent the pump from running dry. The output of the pump is plumbed to the front of the house with a sill-cock, I would like to add another one closer to the garden area.

The inline light switch probably needs some insulation, the dangling circuit board is a level sensing hack that is left-over from before the float switch was installed.

(let's see what this looks like, I'm tapping this out ony phone.)

 

Quite the system kudos to you! Mine is very simple but stores quite a bit. A lot of thought went into yours I can appreciate that

 

Thanks.

Since I had the overalls on to work under the house I rotated some fuel from the stored Jerry can into the Taco and got some fresh E0. 4.59 a gallon - oof. Since I use the old in the truck it's not like it's wasted, I guess I just chalk it up to the cost of insurance. I add a tag that shows when it was filled and use the oldest one first. This one should be good until December.

 

I just keep a 55 gallon drum. Five gallons into the truck once a month and refill five next time I fill up.

 

Nice. I assume you're using it for garden water?

 

So let me throw some levity into this discussion. For all you science fiction buffs...In HG Wells "The Time Machine" at the end of the film version with Rod Taylor, when he leaves his friends and returns to the future to build a new civilization, he takes Three books with him. The ultimate question is .... Which three books would YOU take with you ?

 

Watering the garden, and any pressure washing duties.

Not potable at the moment. It's runnoff from a 30+ year old asphalt roof.

 

A medical/ first aid book
A bush craft/ survival book
A Bible

 

Do you guys use a fuel stabilizer or just rotate it enough for it not to be an issue? I don't have much room to store extra stuff but I keep thinking more and more about fuel being one of the more important things I could do which we're currently not. I think if shit hits the fan in my area fuel is gonna go fast and with the poor mpg of my Tacoma I'm sure not getting far even if I'm lucky enough to have a full tank at the time.

 

Silent Spring, Terminator, and Merchants of Doubt.

 

Rotate with the mower and other equipment it isn’t difficult

 

Tbh, I don't store fuel. Most of the tools are electric, and if fuel is scarce the ebike will be the errand machine.

 

Managed to run the tiller through the garden Sunday so I got a row of beans planted, we planted 20 pepper plants and yesterday did 20 tomato plants. All the peppers and tomatoes from seeds she grew

 

I have a container of Sta-Bil but I don't usually use it. I rotate my fuel through a vehicle ideally every 3 months, but sometimes up to a year later - never had a problem, but I ALLWAYS buy ethanol free gas for storage.

 

Hustler
Penthouse Forums
Playboy - That one I read for the articles.

 

We were planting in the garden last night and I told my wife to just stop and look around, what did she see? Not another person out in their yards doing anything. I told her this is what we could expect if shtf. We will be trying to raise food and support ourselves and our neighbors will most likely try to leach off us. I’m happy to help them but idk about support them

 

I understand the NOT shoot them all camp, but I have been in the camp with the only person in the area for weeks with electricity and you better have a plan. Lesson learned is if no one else has lights at night, you shouldn’t either.