Predictions for 2021 or 2022?

[granny girl]

Anyone want to share their thoughts on the near future?

I've always been a 'prepper' somewhat, having been raised by conservative folks who were young adults during the great depression. Their wisdom was of little value though, until I faced hunger and lack for myself.
There is no fear when one has the essentials to weather a storm for a bit.
I've lost everything once or twice.  I have been hungry, homeless, searching for wisdom and means.
One need not prepare for the end of the world, but having basic provision for a few weeks is an awesome insurance policy.

I believe a storm is coming that will cause much regret among the multitudes. We seem to dwell on past wastefulness and foolish decisions during those times. We also learn hard truths and mistakes during those times are especially costly.

Anyone learn anything from this past year you would like to share?  Suggestions for what lies ahead?

[CreekFinder]

Anyone learn anything from this past year you would like to share?  Suggestions for what lies ahead?

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Events did leave me wanting to prep more than usual.

Candles - In the last year I bought enough to fill a 3-foot wide shelf, 18-inches back and 18-inches high. They are a stale that burns a long time, about 24 hours each. I figure if using only evenings before bed in the winter, one would last me six days.

Solar - Found an outdoor garden light type where the batteries are AA. Plus they have an on-off switch. These will do for inside emergency use.

Got a 120-watt solar panel to check out the concept. The plan is to acquire at least 3 more.

Last week a fold-up 3-panel set with case and carrying handle arrived. It is rated to generate 150 watts and will be used as a move-around tool.

The panels should be enough to get AA and AAA batteries recharged. The phone too - which would be used at least for video and audio players (entertainment) if communication service was down. Adding one more panel will allow for powering a medium-sized fridge.

This week a smaller but effective panel showed up. It comes with charging cables for the vehicle battery. No wasting gas to keep that thing charged.

Supplies - Some backup food.

Two CB radios were added to the home last week. One is portable.

I want more.

Turbine generators - I started shopping for a small water-driven unit that could be placed in the nearby creek.

So, yeah, the feeling of need / caution has increased in me. A little less because of now finally living in a quite small town. Yet Portland is 200 miles to the left of here. If everything goes crazy, thieving weirdos would probably go elsewhere mostly, though could eventually try out small fruit areas too.

More likely, loss of electricity and communication would reach people like me.

What do I believe will most likely occur? America is done already. Culture, freedom, safety,,, hope. But it will continue while flooding in more and more immigrants. Democrats are building a permanent majority. Before long, they will seek to revoke the 1st and 2nd Amendments. Maybe the 4th as well. 

Hiding in a small town (far from any major highway) and simply watching the changes remains my plan. The mortgage on my smallish hiuse is paid off. My vehicles are nice, yet older and paid off. I do need to plant at least one fruit tree and ideally potatoes, carrots.

A largish tank of propane along with a couple small propane heaters would feel great for just being there in case.

I would want all of the above (and more) even if things were not spiraling down like has been our situation. I have though picked up the pace of late. Get it done.

That was long.

I do want to hear what others are working on.

[crazyon]

Two CB radios were added to the home last week. One is portable.

I want more.

I'm happy fer ya n' I get it...i use an export only radio like the 'Magnum-9' for my base station cuz of the long distance hop in the ionosphere

Problem around here is nonstop lightning. My long distance 'powered predator antennae' that gets mounted on top of the coach has to be grounded to a 4' piece of re-bar in the ground...so I took the whole thing down before the storms came...it's too expensive n' rare to have it blown up

My little common 'cobra-25wxst-radio' with a little powered hot-stick antennae is great for mobile use.

[granny girl]

Thank you, many good thoughts on location and maintaining basic needs.


I am considering several projects, some necessary, some desired. Trying to save money to be ready when lumber prices drop. I expect much inflation in the long term but short term shortages will cause price fluctuations and it may be tricky to get large projects requiring different types of materials done.
I need a new roof so metal seems the best choice to catch water runoff but a good deal of lumber will be required as well. Seems a good time to install a wood stove and have a greenhouse attached to cover patio. It feels a bit ambitious but sure would be useful. There is much wind and weather fluctuation to mitigate. Propane has not worked well for heating house with temps below 30. I am thinking too much line for air/moisture to gather. Perhaps shortening line and heating only one room nearest tank would help or wrapping lines as would be difficult to bury them.


Looking at rocket mass heaters for cooking and heating a greenhouse.
Growing food is a necessity. Currently I purchase most from neighboring farms/ranches, keeping mental notes of people I consider trustworthy for future bartering. A small greenhouse rack and some grow lights produced a lot of plants/herbs and I think it would be wonderfully useful for producing leafy greens year round. Some root vegetables store well in ground until needed. Slowly acquiring gardening hand tools that don't require electricity or petrol, water purifiers in order to drink rain water, or worse, if necessary.


A few solar motion detected lights have been added around house and are working well and fencing and trail cameras in the works.


Small towns will have, do already have, their share of desperate people. Better to deal with than masses of hysteria but I like being among people who naturally prepare for themselves.

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I've thought of cb radios, even purchasing a used one but never getting it connected. I am thinking it may be the best method to communicate with family and neighbors but need to get busy testing that.

[CreekFinder]

Two CB radios were added to the home last week. One is portable.

I want more.

I'm happy fer ya n' I get it...i use an export only radio like the 'Magnum-9' for my base station cuz of the long distance hop in the ionosphere

Never heard of an export-only radio.

Problem around here is nonstop lightning. My long distance 'powered predator antennae' that gets mounted on top of the coach has to be grounded to a 4' piece of re-bar in the ground...so I took the whole thing down before the storms came...it's too expensive n' rare to have it blown up

Wow, quite an arrangement. Do you disconnect before every storm?

My little common 'cobra-25wxst-radio' with a little powered hot-stick antennae is great for mobile use.

My home unit is designed for vehicle mounting. It is a cobra 29 LX Max. So far, I can't test it right because the town is too small for finding much activity.

So I tried talking back and forth between it and the handheld Midland. Yet there is so much static when doing so, voice can barely be heard behind the loud noise. I am so hoping to solve this problem of not even knowing if my system works.

[crazyon]

Two CB radios were added to the home last week. One is portable.

I want more.

I'm happy fer ya n' I get it...i use an export only radio like the 'Magnum-9' for my base station cuz of the long distance hop in the ionosphere

Never heard of an export-only radio.

Problem around here is nonstop lightning. My long distance 'powered predator antennae' that gets mounted on top of the coach has to be grounded to a 4' piece of re-bar in the ground...so I took the whole thing down before the storms came...it's too expensive n' rare to have it blown up

Wow, quite an arrangement. Do you disconnect before every storm?

My little common 'cobra-25wxst-radio' with a little powered hot-stick antennae is great for mobile use.

My home unit is designed for vehicle mounting. It is a cobra 29 LX Max. So far, I can't test it right because the town is too small for finding much activity.

So I tried talking back and forth between it and the handheld Midland. Yet there is so much static when doing so, voice can barely be heard behind the loud noise. I am so hoping to solve this problem of not even knowing if my system works.

craycray says: Export only means it can be only sold outside the U.S.
I bought mine from 'smiley' when he had his shop at Mollies truck stop
in Klamath Falls Oregon.

Concerning testing, It sounds like your antenna's need to be
tuned=lengthened or shortened...there are lots of videos on the subject on the University of youtube...That said, i still dislike youtube,thegooglegoolag,fakebook,tweeterbird,5eyesglobal et`al

[CreekFinder]

[quote="granny girl" pid="294" dateline="1622131154"]
[quote]
Looking at rocket mass heaters for cooking and heating a greenhouse.
[/quote]
Those I have not heard of. But the woodstove alone, you are already ahead of the game. I live in an apartment. Thus, the propane idea for backup. And I typically best just one room anyway, that with electricity.


[quote]
Growing food is a necessity. Currently I purchase most from neighboring farms/ranches, keeping mental notes of people I consider trustworthy for future bartering.
[/quote]
You sure have been thinking it all through.

It would I figure do our country good for the whole thing to fall apart. We became and mostly remain wayyyy too soft for confronting the enemy so quickly (slowly too) destroying what we were given.

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Crazyon wrote:

[quote]
Concerning testing, It sounds like your antenna's need to be 

tuned=lengthened or shortened...there are lots of videos on the subject on the University of youtube...
[/quote]

I looked at a couple. And my radio has the SWR gauge. But I have been doing it wrong because no change shows up on the needle.

[quote]
That said, i still dislike youtube,thegooglegoolag,fakebook,tweeterbird,5eyesglobal et`al

[/quote]
Same here.

[granny girl]

Looking at rocket mass heaters for cooking and heating a greenhouse.

Those I have not heard of. But the woodstove alone, you are already ahead of the game. I live in an apartment. Thus, the propane idea for backup. And I typically best just one room anyway, that with electricity.

Growing food is a necessity. Currently I purchase most from neighboring farms/ranches, keeping mental notes of people I consider trustworthy for future bartering.

You sure have been thinking it all through.

It would I figure do our country good for the whole thing to fall apart. We became and mostly remain wayyyy too soft for confronting the enemy so quickly (slowly too) destroying what we were given.

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Rocket mass heaters can be purchased or made simply from a couple coffee cans or some bricks. Would not be safe indoors. Propane is ok if you keep tank outside, lol.    I once knew someone with propane heat and he refilled the small one for the grill himself. I need to find that attachment and learn how. He also 'aired' up a tractor tire with propane...     He's deceased but would be good skills to have if I figure it out.

Yeah, it would be good for us and the world if we change the way we live, except for China filling the void. I'd love to see government return to defending our borders and little else.

A funny note on the rocket heaters, an acquaintance who showed a village how to make and use them discovered that even though they use little fuel, cost almost nothing to make and would have improved their lives the villagers rejected the new idea after first being thrilled with the discovery. There was 'prestige' of carrying large bundles of sticks to their homes and the bigger concern was putting their uncles out of business. Their uncles worked for a company that made charcoal and would have lost their jobs if people changed the way they cooked.

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I continue to prepare by improving my health, learning more about supplements, cooking without recipes and trying different combinations from whatever is at hand.  Some mehhh results but some success.
Dehydrated  mushrooms and refried beans are my favorite go to - to build a meal around quickly. I've not had any lose quality over years of being opened but the cost has gone up drastically. I joke that I am now a 'commodities investor', purchasing next months/years groceries today. I just bought 5 pounds of dehydrated mushrooms which should last well into retirement. Probably the last of the bargains and I have to repackage them for long term storage.
We've (family) begun circling the wagons so to speak. I think we'll soon all be sharing the ol' homestead which is awesome. Pooling resources allows for greater productivity.

[12345485]

commodities investor. I like that.  I'm not LDS but Here is a link to a manual with alot of ideas for prepping.  
https://thesurvivalmom.com/wp-content/up...Manual.pdf
hope you find it interesting.

[granny girl]

commodities investor. I like that.  I'm not LDS but Here is a link to a manual with alot of ideas for prepping.  
https://thesurvivalmom.com/wp-content/up...Manual.pdf
hope you find it interesting.

Interesting indeed, specifically the testimony of the New Orleans disaster!  The LDS have focused on prepping forever and there is MUCH too much detail to interest me but I don't have dozens of children. There are many youtube videos that are useful for anyone interested in canning.
I am sadly ill prepared compared to their suggestions and would never store things like pancake/cake mixes which can be deadly past date.
I can't even keep my duckies in a row, lol, all 8 escaped on some adventure yesterday and only 5 returned this morning.     It's hard when everyone works and no one home all day with some very late evenings. Not unusual to come home to find many creatures on the front porch.