tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post6688444517649087288..comments2023-08-15T06:33:53.114-07:00Comments on Bison Prepper: barter town 5James M Dakinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-79837593103479817002017-05-12T11:27:01.240-07:002017-05-12T11:27:01.240-07:00A Victorian corn grinder is your $40 wheat grinder...A Victorian corn grinder is your $40 wheat grinder. You must grind three times ( it is made for corn, not wheat, so this is the cheap workaround ), on course, then medium, then fine ( plates not quite touching ). Flour for pancakes, flat bread, etc. Or, sprout and then eat. Or, sprout and then make essence bread. Or, toast the kernels and eat whole. Or, soak kernels overnight, heat up and eat as gruel or as a rice substitute. Wheat is very versatile. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-70035052705427093082017-05-12T10:56:56.135-07:002017-05-12T10:56:56.135-07:00I think come Judgement Day, my hatred for Yuppies ...I think come Judgement Day, my hatred for Yuppies will be vindicated. Sounds like the Tiny House shows are like the Prepper Shows, all Hollywood, no reality.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-78585659282902256822017-05-12T10:47:30.323-07:002017-05-12T10:47:30.323-07:00I believe the thinking goes that everyone will hav...I believe the thinking goes that everyone will have eggs, zucchini, etc., so go with supply and demand, the demand higher for the non-local items.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-47110670574709992322017-05-12T10:46:55.777-07:002017-05-12T10:46:55.777-07:00Oh, no no no, I didn't say that COFFEE is a lu...Oh, no no no, I didn't say that COFFEE is a luxury, but the carton of 2% milk for coffee is. It'd be more cost efficient to just stick with black coffee with sugar. Picked up a 2kg (4.4lb) bag of sugar a couple weeks back which will of course last me quite some time. The sugar was $2.87 CAD, which is probably around $2.10 USD. Not bad.<br /><br />That may be so, but still 250 servings for only $15 is a great deal! I don't think there's a 'feed store' around here so getting a bucket of it sent here is probably my best bet, and I plan to get that Amazon Prime thing when I finally get around to buying my books to hold them for the first time. Also, as mentioned, as a 'quern' or some other method needed to turn the wheat into flour? How do you eat the stuff?J N Morganhttp://njmorgan7.wixsite.com/authornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-88437248292540728502017-05-12T10:06:26.331-07:002017-05-12T10:06:26.331-07:00Why downsize?
You need to watch some of these ...Why downsize? <br />You need to watch some of these 'tiny houses' shows on DIY and HGTV channels. @8ft by 20ft-30ft 'tiny houses' for up to $100,0000 (with a handful thrown in for @$6k built by owners own hands, but those tend to be rare.). Sure they have some nice space saving ideas. But primarily it seems to be about ecology or mobility (house on trailer so they can be at the beach during beach weather and at the mountains during mountain weather, etc.).<br />Your PODA nomads are in the making. <br />And they (a lot of them) are the Yuppies you hate.<br />JJGreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06708302086326564665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-17557813765438901842017-05-12T05:55:58.324-07:002017-05-12T05:55:58.324-07:00Now you got me wanting to visit the thrift store.Now you got me wanting to visit the thrift store.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-68258034944500202532017-05-12T05:41:13.127-07:002017-05-12T05:41:13.127-07:00I think of barter as what you do with the excessiv...I think of barter as what you do with the excessive stuff that you produce yourself, not what you stockpile.<br /><br />If my chickens are laying more eggs than I can or want to eat/store, then I use the excess to barter for something more useful to me from someone else who has also produced in excess. <br /><br />In a long-term cluster#$%@ of a situation, I can't really know how much of the stuff I can't make myself I am going to need, so I'm keeping it all for me or within my family. Stockpiling extra stuff means you have to predict what others will want/need accurately (I'm not that smart to know the future), and waste storage space on stuff you likely will never need yourself. Sounds high risk to me. <br /><br />I would focus barter on what I have a unique skill set or situation for production and forget about trying to be the post-apoc Walmart. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-14474669188579438042017-05-12T00:04:22.202-07:002017-05-12T00:04:22.202-07:00I've been pretty lucky with the nail clippers ...I've been pretty lucky with the nail clippers I get from second hand stores regarding quality. Plus the price is right -- can't beat 25 cents or under. I am sure most of them come from old folks who kick the bucket and the kids donate all the stuff they don't want to the thrift store. So the clippers are probably 10-20-30 years old. I also see a lot of the old fingernail grooming kits that were fashionable back in the sixties in the bins.<br /><br />Idaho HomesteaderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-47848852299536923222017-05-11T16:49:49.218-07:002017-05-11T16:49:49.218-07:00Some items are available in quantity for only the ...Some items are available in quantity for only the cost of carrying them off. Portlandia has a bunch of "baby boomers" "downsizing" their "lifestyle" to a more compact but not cheaper situation, that leads them to put perfectly good products on the curb. I have a couple dozen packs of sealed playing cards that were put in a recycle bin in their original retail sales carton. Microfleece/wool/silk/whatever jackets/hats/gloves in almost-unworn condition end up in free pile at curb (Drove the Subaru to Mt.Hood once, didn't like it, stored perfect items until next pre-move cleanout). I've gotten empty 7 gallon propane tanks from free piles as well as fully-operational window AC units (pdx has about 10 AC days per summer, so a 10 year old unit is less than half-a-summer used in LosAngeles). Clothing has less-than-zero resale value, esp. warm-sturdy kind that is the most useful, so I wash and pack in military duffle bag for post-heating times when my circus troupe will need them. Attics have low-value PITA-to-access dry space. <br />Agree totally on strategy of "buy extra for yourself, with focus on what was valuable to peasants in pre-1830". Sewing needles and bulk no-rot thread have excellent value-density-longevity-usefulness points. A non-electric or convertable-to-treadle sewing machine sewing machine (like Pfaff 130, or simpler) multiplies the usefulness of women at home. LED lighting on a treadle machine is the perfect combo. Small bottles of PTFE-enhanced synthetic lube will keep the machines going, along with many-multi-packs of wear parts (needles/bobbins/thread-guides/rubberparts). <br /><br />Internal combustion engines? Save them for pumps. Nothing pumps water so well as running a shaft-driven pump directly from a small ICE (gasoline or Diesel). Way better than arm/foot/animal power and more efficient than genset->cord->electricpump, as long as the lube/filters/fuel holds out. <br />pdxr13https://www.blogger.com/profile/04663894695994248670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-66299834349558598022017-05-11T12:25:37.184-07:002017-05-11T12:25:37.184-07:00I wonder if some place like a resturaunt jobber ha...I wonder if some place like a resturaunt jobber has bigger containers of vinegar. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-73716777716413314172017-05-11T12:22:32.263-07:002017-05-11T12:22:32.263-07:00Jesus, you can make plastic THAT cheap? I thought...Jesus, you can make plastic THAT cheap? I thought I was being funny. :(James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-55593362158817258742017-05-11T06:34:03.760-07:002017-05-11T06:34:03.760-07:00After getting burned with several cheap clippers I...After getting burned with several cheap clippers I finally broke down and got some 'spensive ones (less than $10) on amazon that got heavy raves. The most common problem with the cheap ones is the cutting edges don't line up and that is the most crucial aspect. <br /><br />I bought a cheap comb, the 8" variety, and it did something I never seen a comb do before. The teeth are about 3/4"-1" long and on everyone of the teeth about 1/8" broke off the end. Correct. The comb now has teeth shorter than when I bought it. Was combing my hair and saw a bunch of pepper in the sink (didn't have my glasses on), and thought WTF? Ran my finger through it and still didn't know what it was until I looked at the comb. Them broken off tips were all through my magnificent coiffure !ghostsniperhttp://www.deadcenter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-29238077197466374802017-05-11T06:28:14.367-07:002017-05-11T06:28:14.367-07:00Yes I did look into the home made laundry soap and...Yes I did look into the home made laundry soap and had been on the fence for some time. I finally got to the point that I just didn't want to subject myself and my garment to ANY chemicals except organic stuff. Yes, the vinegar and BS can be used for other purposes and that's another benefit to stocking it. Just because I use it for laundry doesn't mean I can't use it for other stuff, the point is to have 20 or more gallons and maybe 50 boxes on hand. And when I use say 5 gals and 10 boxes, but double the amount I used to replenish.<br /><br />Regarding the barter thing, while it seems attractive on it's face - having things on hand that others may want, that word *attraction* has a double edge. While hiding in the woods from ne'er do wells it makes no sense to attract them. Now, as far as tribe supplementation, by all means stock up. If things get that bad then the tribe will be your new fambly and it will behoove you to help them in all ways and vice versa. ghostsniperhttp://www.deadcenter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-24983867847313520442017-05-11T06:12:29.323-07:002017-05-11T06:12:29.323-07:00Nail clippers-I think we talked about those a long...Nail clippers-I think we talked about those a long time ago. New ones are cheap crap that break easy. If China could screw up a one piece plastic hair comb, they would ( at the direction of our CEO's, of course ). But, a great item to stockpile as it is an affordable luxury. How does one trim your nails without them? Wait until long and just rip them off I suppose. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-52648759339713889862017-05-10T22:46:26.943-07:002017-05-10T22:46:26.943-07:00Things I stockpiled:
* Nail clippers (cheap from ...Things I stockpiled:<br /><br />* Nail clippers (cheap from Thrift Stores)<br /><br />* Toothbrushes<br /><br />* Stainless steel pots, heavy duty, 2 - 4 gallon size<br /><br />* Cast iron pans (second hand)<br /><br />* Canning jar lids (Buy in Bulk for cheap price)<br /><br />* Candles (From yard and estate sales)<br /><br />* Nails (16d and 8d)<br /><br />* Paracord (several large spools)<br /><br />* Tarps and heavy duty plastic<br /><br />Idaho HomesteaderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-15601789060285935712017-05-10T13:11:24.183-07:002017-05-10T13:11:24.183-07:00Your list is simple, and something you would use o...Your list is simple, and something you would use over time anyways - at least generationally, even if in massive bulk. And items that wouldn't be too badly missed if you had to trade most of them away over time.<br /><br />JJGreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06708302086326564665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-69610008397963357442017-05-10T12:47:42.841-07:002017-05-10T12:47:42.841-07:00Coffee, a luxury? Such blasphemy! Repent! The wh...Coffee, a luxury? Such blasphemy! Repent! The wheat is a so-so deal, compared to buying bags at the feed store. Per pound, 22 cents vs. 65. Granted, you must buy your own buckets, but still half price.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-78158523992365145032017-05-10T12:45:03.933-07:002017-05-10T12:45:03.933-07:00I don't think most folks want to use a needle ...I don't think most folks want to use a needle from a bone, hope they are stocked also. Too cheap NOT to.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-77622380818529661422017-05-10T12:43:43.730-07:002017-05-10T12:43:43.730-07:00Do you think I used enough wordage to discredit ba...Do you think I used enough wordage to discredit barter?:) Have you looked into the "make your own" laundry soap at 54 cents a gallon? Seems like vinegar would be used better in other ways? Unless this is just day-to-day rather than PA.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-1831032131811129672017-05-10T09:35:19.320-07:002017-05-10T09:35:19.320-07:00Speaking of baking soda.
For the past 3 months I h...Speaking of baking soda.<br />For the past 3 months I have been washing my garments with 1 cup of white vinegar and 2 teaspoons of baking soda - the stuff in the box, not in the round can. I get generic IGA brands, the vinegar is $2.29 a gal and the baking soda is $1.29 a box. <br /><br />So far I haven't seen a down side but I also haven't heavily soiled my garments either. I no longer imbibe my garments with expensive chemicals that hold potential health hazards and shorten the lifecycle them. I use no rinse in the washer nor do I add anything in the dryer. <br /><br />As soon as the sun stabilizes around here I'll be installing a clothes line. (seems like it rains every other day unless it rains 3 days in a row. arrrggg!)<br /><br />Come Aug, after 6 months of trial, if I have no problems with this arrangement I will purchase 10 gallons of vinegar and 20 boxes of the baking soda. I'd like to eventually have enough on hand to last 5 years, so I am tracking how it is used. <br /><br />Regarding the barter stuff, I am only stocking gross amounts of stuff we use. That way it isn't going to waste. If I can't use it myself then there is little point in having it. It's not like I have tons of coin around here for buying stuff I don't need nor use.ghostsniperhttp://www.deadcenter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-80509252720225335212017-05-10T09:11:17.881-07:002017-05-10T09:11:17.881-07:00Once I can start buying again, I'm still going...Once I can start buying again, I'm still going to focus on more thread and needles - on sales at real sewing/craft supply stores. Serger thread, the big cones, and large packages of needles. Needles break pretty easily, and I can measure off 9 yards of thread and wrap it around twigs if necessary. I have enough thread for me right now, in black, white, and tan.FernWisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04143005104791389904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-69036546058352272722017-05-10T08:15:25.300-07:002017-05-10T08:15:25.300-07:00Wow, what a deal on that bucket of wheat. 250 serv...Wow, what a deal on that bucket of wheat. 250 servings for only $15 or so? Shelf life of up to 30 years? Just can't go wrong with that. I guess you need your own way to grind it down to flour though, eh? Your own quern or whatever it's called, as it were?<br /><br />I actually just got from the grocery store. Just a tad over $40 CAD and I got a couple cans of gravy and meatballs, can of off-brand SPAM (love that shit), two boxes of off-brand KraftDinner, three packages of ramen, two cans of beans, two cans of Vienna Sausages (my weakness, they were going for $0.99 each...), bag of frozen veggies for my rice (don't want scurvy), bottle of off-brand cheeze whiz as well as basically no-name jam for the bags of bread I get at church every Friday for free, a couple tubs of butter since it was on special, small carton of milk, for coffee (a luxury, I know), and sliced cheese. <br /><br />Also a box that I can make 4 donairs out of, because I fucking LOVE donairs sometimes when I drink. $5, and I think 200 calories or so per donair, so not particularly cost-efficient but I like to treat myself sometimes. There are also churches nearby that give free meals on certain days of the week which also go towards saving money, so y'know, lots of ways to decrease monthly or even weekly spending.J N Morganhttp://njmorgan7.wixsite.com/authornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-75891648163433382532017-05-10T07:51:17.904-07:002017-05-10T07:51:17.904-07:00It won't take long for some (many) of the item...It won't take long for some (many) of the items on this list to become "things we use to have" but don't NEED. Have you ever seen a baby in the jungle wearing a diaper, must less plastic outer pants? Many of these items are to this day a ridiculous "want's" not needs in developing nations. I remember being in the jungle in Central America and finding Chocolate Chip cookies at a outrageous price, I asked the store keeper "Who would buy these?" He answered "Gringo's" i.e. stupid tourist. If your grandparents didn't have it, forgetaboutit. solarmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06003692871460203126noreply@blogger.com