MUST HAVE prepper items,on a budget!

reply to post by Nucleardiver


True,all the preps on earth will run out,eventually.We will live off what we find,but its still seasonal,so preservation will be the #1 issue,whether it be berrys or meat.

Precious metals may be worth something at the start while people still have food to spare so you can trade it for a few chickens or a pig etc but once people find that no one wants your metals then they're useless unless you fancy making them down to rather expensive shot for ammo and the silver maybe good for werewolves/vampires etc (if you believe in those sort of things)

But you need to know your local area as in some rural town the only difference may be theres no fuel deliveries but since you are used to it during winter times etc you just saddle a horse and carry on as you always have enough stuff to last 6 months to a year on hand anyway

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by Redarguo

 

the reason JWR advises to hoard nickels is/was,due to the melt value,as nickel was expensive a while ago.When shtf,I doubt there will be any industry to sell them to,much less willing to smelt it down for the nickel content.IMO,pennies are a better deal,as you could melt or forge them into an arrowhead.

your going to need a hell of a lot for it to be worth much as scrap, if its for use just take some, if society is crumbling, plenty of rail lines, lampposts iron gates ect.

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by Redarguo

 

pennies are a better deal,as you could melt or forge them into an arrowhead.

The only problem with this is that pennies haven't been made from copper since the mid eighties, since then they have been made from Zinc and electroplated. Zinc is extremely difficult to work and is also quite soft compared to copper. Unless you have a bunch of old copper pennies I wouldn't waste my time or energy stockpiling them since an arrow head made out of a piece of glass or bone, or even just tempering the end of your arrow shaft would be much better.

A small investment in conibear traps (have nothing to do with bear really) will make it possible for you to eat rabbit, groundhog, muskrat, squirrel ect out of an area without been seen and heard. Besides the dear will be down to nothing in a few years if that and you will need to eat off the prolific small rodent population. Fish traps, trout lines ect. Forget dear is my advice. And a smaller rifle like a .22, if you really thought your life as far as eating depended on it, would be the way to go. You can easily handle thousands of rounds for a weapon this small and they will last you for years if you split the duties up between the .22 and the traps, fishing gear. Plus seriously consider a silencer for your .22. You can easily move around with the requirement of everything I just mentioned in a back pack leaving the bulk of it in storage somewhere in your area of operation.

And for petes sake learn what plants you can eat out in the wild.

reply to post by Nucleardiver


true,but a zinc arrowhead is better than no arrowhead!

reply to post by Logarock


Conibear traps are good, as are rat traps, rat traps can be used for catching a plethora of animals including game birds and such. Any kind of trap is excellent in a survival scenario because you don't have to exert nearly as much energy in procuring food with them as you do with hunting, and in a SHTF scenario caloric intake vs expenditure is extremely important.

Here's a link to a thread I did last month about them:
The Rat Trap

back on the topic of food preperation,rather than weapons,here's my concept. I have 2 lbs of frozen mixed veggies,6 potatoes,8 tomatoes,2 onions in the dehydrator right now.Once this is done,it all goes into a 1 gallon zip lock bag,with room to spare.Toss in a few of those 2 for a buck gray packets.Now you have a home made veggie/beef stew or soup.Dehydrated food is light enough to carry several of these for a weeks worth of food,and no preservatives other than the gravy mix.All for under 5 bucks.

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by Nucleardiver

 

true,but a zinc arrowhead is better than no arrowhead!

just throw the pennies at your enemies, their roundness is deceiving.

reply to post by Redarguo


a penny in a slingshot would be a better investment than nickels in a shtf condition.I'm not advocating any metal,but a zinc penny is easily hammered or cast into a weapon.JRW wants you to buy nickels to preserve your purchasing power.As if there will be trade after the end.I'm a machinist,so I know metalworking..would I rather work zinc,copper,lead,over steel?? you bet!

reply to post by blkcwbyhat


Fair point.

reply to post by blkcwbyhat


I agree on the meat shortage. As it is, where I live there are no deer or elk to be had. Every time, one shows up in the vicinity, it gets shot.

reply to post by blkcwbyhat

.JRW wants you to buy nickels to preserve your purchasing power.As if there will be trade after the end.I'm a machinist,so I know metalworking..would I rather work zinc,copper,lead,over steel?? you bet!

I think organized trade will eventually happen in a SHTF scenario, but only after some months of total chaos. Even then, it will be mostly a barter system. MONEY is only valuable due to FAITH in the economy that prints/mints it. If there is no such establishment, then the money of past institutions (and even precious metals having no practical applications) will be worth nothing.

WOOHOO!!! Went to goodwill last night,found a vacuum sealer for 5.99,but it was half off day,so 3 bucks for it!! Has a flaky switch,easy fix..3 bucks,no issue!

Rat trap, fishing line and hooks, survival blanket, insane amount of lighters and matches, and a striker.

reply to post by Redarguo


Don't underestimate lead. Lots of lead in lots of things, as in car batteries, etc. easy to melt down and form into ammo.

For me personally...ive been saving sprouting seeds and beans, black beans,mung beans,lentils,broccoli seed,wheat grass,ect ect. Ive found them in 2-4lb bags of organic dry seed at our local natural grocers store for about $2-$4 per bag. Now these items IMO are not only easy to store and lighter to carry than canned food but they also serve the purpose of sprouting a garden OR sprouting nutritious sprouts in a matter of a couple days,
Which would be convenient if you were on the move or did not have access to fire/heating source. So when the wildlife population is being depleted bu everyone hunting/fishing...seeds will be a great way to not only eat but also to regenerate more seed/food and wont break your bank either. Just my 2 cents

Originally posted by Gazrok

Most,IMO,are a joke."hoard gun's and ammo and nickels" type articles.While guns and ammo are high priorities,they won't keep your stomach full

No matter what the SHTF scenario is...guns and ammo are still THE most important thing you'll need, because without them, you won't be able to RETAIN anything you have. Depending on severity, you could be shot for having a can of stew...just to have it taken from your corpse.

Now, that said, WATER is the next (or equal) priority. Without it, you die. This all depends on the specific scenario of course. Lots of possibilities here, but a major factor.

Then, FOOD, and this is where your food storage tips really do come into play. Home canning and dehydrating are going to be godsends in a world without refrigerators. Even if one does butcher a deer, without knowing how to preserve the meat, a lot will go to waste. Our ancestors did do this before electricty, so those who know how, will be in high regard.

Don't knock growing food though, lots of modern ways to get a lot out of a small space, and then canning what you harvest? Great practice too, and cuts down on the grocery bills.

I agree, premade survival food is ridiculously priced, playing of fear. some of it is just plain ridiculous, like survival puddings. Good op btw

That stuff is fine for keeping in a BOB or something, but I wouldn't want to live on it.

edit on 1-7-2013 by Gazrok because: (no reason given)

Right - you can go about 30 days without food but only about 2 days without water...and if you don't have water don't eat food.

Of course, the most important thing of all to have is KNOWLEDGE.

For example, no BOB, SHTF situation happens, you live in the city, didn't prep, etc.

First priority, WATER. Where do you find it? Possibilities could include:

1) Water Heater (lots of water here)
2) Toilet Tanks (water in the tank part is regular tap water)
3) Inside Garden Hoses (you'd be surprised how much...especially if it has a nozzle or sprayer on the end vs. open)
4) Rig to Collect Condensation (lots of "stuff" in a city, and lots of morning dew)

All of these wouldn't have been a first guess, yet the KNOWLEDGE of using these sources could mean the difference.

WOOHOO!!!!!! Went to my fav prepper supply store,Goodwill,and made the find of the year! A night vision monocular! While I don't think that its high on a must have list,its a great find.Obviosly,perfect for hunting,and to a lesser extent,security.The best part is,I don't think they knew what it was,or what it was worth.Granted,you can buy them today for 75 to 150 for a plain jane type like this one is,but it was priced at 19.99,and it was half off saturday,so 10 bucks!