HJL:
When I read PrepperDoc, I order the stuff with the grand idea of implementation. Well, my first success with all that equipment was to take apart my son’s silent “Monkey George” alarm clock and solder in a new motor. I paid attention to voltage and dimensions and ordered it online. Success is defined based on:
- It rings (quite loudly);
- It does not smoke; and
- My eight year old son is elated.
Best of all I kept a promise to my son. Lastly, my confidence level improved. I am sure I will have an EMP-proof antenna installation in no time.
The stray thought I have about prepping is that really you are trying to be in a position of staying out of lines so that you can live and be prosperous. The biggest line is for fuel in every news story.
To store gasoline safely and securely I bought a vinyl chest from Sam’s that is intended to store pool side chair cushions during the off season, and I installed it 50 or so feet from the house. I built a deck style platform with dimensions slightly larger than the chest footprint out of PT 2X6, arranged the boards so there would be a seam in the middle and left one of the middle boards unattached. I supported the deck on blocks and sand, using sand for ease in leveling. I ran two building anchors into the dirt under my deck in positions that coincided with the middle crack and about two inches in from the sides of the chest. I worked on the crack with a rasp so that the boards fit around the anchors.
You assemble the chest in place. A slot and a hole are needed on each end of the bottom piece to fit. Drill and cut to fit, as vinyl will split. Slide the bottom into position and follow the chest instructions. I used transportation chain and disk locks through handles and from anchor to anchor. Most of my fuel is stored in high end containers. Those are the ones chained. There is one old-style one that vents, which is left unchained as a sacrifice to a lazy thief.
The chest holds five 5-gallon containers, a 30# propane tank on its side, and an assortment of mapp gas cylinders, camp fuel cans, and pri that I am relieved to have out of my garage and side yard. There is a hasp with a small lock that keeps kids out. I am going to shrink a DOT sign to half and paste it to the side so the fire department has fair warning. Because there is one old style gas can, your nose tells you what is in there.
The installation is unobtrusive and even attractive, meeting with my wife’s approval. It is a way to store fuel in a suburban place with limited space and rules about out buildings.
Oh my! I hear Monkey George ringing! It is off to the races. RV