Pre-Paring ..... Not Post-Paring.
There is a video creator on YouTube which I follow. His handle is Modern Refugee and his angle is talking about how the 'old-timers' did things. He refers to his grandparent and their contemporaries and how they handled different situations. He especially stresses the can-do, make-do, fix-it attitude people of that generation exhibited. The Great Depression and WW2 molded their worldview for their entire lives. When MR was a kid, he would listen to their stories and observe how they handled their money, tools, repairs, and food storage. Here's the link to his channel:
A few days ago he posted a video with a pretend scenario about being 1000 miles from home when an international/worldwide event takes place and how he and his wife would get home. Not just what routes they would take but things they would do as they started and continued the trip home.
One of the take-aways was grab preps wherever you can. Never miss an opportunity to add to your preps, especially when things are getting dicey. Here is a list of a few other things he suggested in the scenario:
- Fill up your gas tank at every opportunity. Don't wait until it's 1/2 empty. There may not be gas available down the road.
- Get cash. Use your credit or debit card to get cash-back. It's best to do that at shops and stores rather than being exposed at an ATM in a parking lot. Get as much as you can, use multiple cards if you need to. Cash is King, especially early in an SHTF situation.
- Buy snacks when you get gas. Peanut butter crackers, beef jerkey and cheese sticks, hot sandwiches at the gas station, etc.
- Keep your water bottle filled. If you need to fill it at a questionable place like a gas station bathroom, use your small water filter.
There were many more but it's worth your time to watch his video and the follow-up video. After you do, check out his earlier scenario videos which are absolutely spot-on.
Today I was grabbing a few items at Dollar General and was struck, again, by how many shelves were empty. For example, there was no DG 8 oz. cheese bricks or shredded cheese, few eggs, and the canned vegetables and dry noodles were spotty. The clerks are getting better about rearranging the shelves to make it look full.
I decided to stop down the road at Dollar Tree and see what they had to offer as far as emergency preps go. I thought I would pretend I was caught off guard with nothing in my car and my preps at home depleted. What does DT have that I can use? This is also a great way to get started on building a stock pile at home. I've mentioned before that I don't shop to pick up food for specific meals, i.e.: steak on Tuesday, spaghetti on Weds, pizza on Friday. I shop to replenish my pantry and make meals from that supply.
The items at Dollar Tree are not top quality. The carabiners won't hold you if you are climbing a cliff but they will keep your keys and water bottle attached to your backpack. I certainly wouldn't try to rebuild an engine using the tools from the hardware section but they will be OK to throw in the trunk of my car for quick fixes. (I couldn't rebuild an engine anyway. What am I saying?).
I have shopped along their medical supply isle many, many times and this is where I headed back in January 2020 when I saw that things were going sideways for the pandemic. I got gloves, masks, disinfectant, bleach, basic medicines, soap, extra trash bags before most people were aware of the situation.
Here are just some of the things you can get at DT to get your prepping started and to fill in some gaps. I would also stop here for supplies instead of a big box store which may be overrun with people in case of a real disaster.
The medical supply isle is pretty complete. I check it out every time I stop into DT because you never know what they will have. I have found boxes of 10 4x4 sterile cotton gauze dressings, medical tape, gloves and masks, medicines and more. They have been carrying both Cobain self-adherent tape (aka Vet Wrap) and elastic bandages. I like those for securing dressings rather than tape. Lots of bandages, ointments, scar cream, cold packs. Further down the isle they have the dental care supplies. I have a small tote full of toothbrushes, paste, floss, and some dental tools.
As I said, they have tools, but they aren't Craftsman quality. However, the extension cords work fine, the zip ties are OK, and there were many types of tape available. One thing I have found there that I really like is a small hammer with a full sized head- the handle is only about 9 inches long - that's easy to throw in a small tool bag. They have lightbulbs, flashlights, stick-on lights. There is also lots of stuff that I would pass up, like their wall mounted hooks.
Dollar Tree has food. Some is great. Some is meh. But, search through the junk food and find the real, whole food. Dry beans, 3 types of rice. tortillas, dry noodles, canned vegetables & fruit, salsa, pasta sauce, even shelf stable milk. I have been buying a few quarts of the milk and storing them in a cool place. I doubt we would drink it plain, but maybe as hot chocolate, in pudding, or for baking. They have small bags of white flour and sugar, coffee, and tea bags, too. Last time I was there I picked up organic, pasture-raised chicken broth. You need to check your labels. You won't be 'eating clean' but you will be eating.
It's good to have high energy, somewhat 'healthy' snacks in your car. Packs of peanut butter crackers, salted peanuts, jerky, nut/fruit mixes, freeze dried treats are great to have with you all the time. You never know when you will be stuck in traffic, shopping is taking much longer than you realized or the doctor's office is packed and now it is hours past meal time. I also think about those folks stuck on the I-95 in the snow storm in January 2022. Grab some DT. snacks, and pack them securely in a bag in your car.
Walking around the store, I found lots of other things to throw in my car. A set of lighters, sunglasses for everyone, gloves and hats, water in 1.5 liter bottles, small towels in easy-to-store packs, and pairs of safety glasses were all available. (I wouldn't use the safety glasses if I was welding, but I threw a pair in my medical preps to prevent body fluid splash to the eyes. Yes, I mean blood and spit.)
One of my favorite things at DT is the solar lights. I have twenty or more lights stored in my preps. If the electricity goes down, I can fill a bucket with all my lights, place them outside during the day, and bring them in to light up rooms through the night. Even in the Winter they will gather enough light for a few hours of light. For $5, I can get 4 lights and that makes a huge difference when it is pitch black outside. Much safer than candles when you have kids around. There are also glow-sticks of all sizes.
Dollar Tree has bags and lightweight backpacks. (I would grab a black or grey pack so it doesn't stand out too much.) There are baggies, matches, aluminum foil and pans, cleaning supplies, toys and books for kids, socks, and washcloths. I have seen t-shirts there for $1.25, toilet paper and other paper products, hygiene supplies, rope and twine.
If SHTF and the world was going sideways, I would definitely stop in Dollar Tree to fill up some spots in my preps.
If you are new to prepping, you may want to start here. You CAN prep and not spend thousands of $$$.
As you are able, replace the lower quality preps with some long lasting and more durable items. A cheap screwdriver is better than no screwdriver.
Since I mentioned YouTube, can I recommend you spend some time there? The prepping channels will have you slitting your wrists but stick to the frugal meals/depression era cooking/homesteading channels for some great ideas.
Building your preps takes time. You need to prioritize, budget, plan, implement, and then evaluate what you have. Start small - put together 2 or 3 meals to store in your car before you travel farther than 20 miles from home. Throw in some bottles of water and a lighter. Add a cheap poncho and a microfiber blanket. All this will fit into a small backpack, bag or old purse. I have a soft-side computer bag that I no longer use and it makes a neat, easy to store bag that doesn't look out of place in my trunk.
If you work, grab some snacks for your desk or locker. Put a bag together to keep there. Add some walking shoes and good socks, maybe a dark colored hoodie. Think about what you would need to get home....in January. Have that with you at all times. I also recommend you buy an extra granola or breakfast bar and try one before you need it. I found that my gut can't handle all that oatmeal with some serious consequences. NOT something I would want to deal with when walking 20 miles to get home. I stick to low fiber snacks when putting together my get-home bag. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't eaten one of the bars before I needed it. (It was chocolate. I apologize for nothing.)
Dollar Tree is just another resource available to us. Check it out with a prepping-eye and add to your stockpile.
Keep your head on a swivel and your protection nearby,
Polly
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