E-Mail 'Sundries For Survival, Part 2, by 3adScout' To A Friend

17 Comments

1. Excellent advice.

2. I have found over the last 5-6 years that most caulk paint and aerosol cans dry out or no longer have pressure in them. After only 1 year.Living in a hot summer climate has a huge affect on them. Even stored in cool dark location. So that can mean a lot of money spent on these for long term could be a waste. Rethink what products you will stock up on and adjust according. Just my opinion. Thank you for a great article.

   1. I have watched a few YouTube videos where they use a tire stem to put air pressure back into aerosol cans. Tried it works but not as good as a “new” can. I think because may can use stuff other than just plain air as a propellant.

3. Good advise, I’ve found a lot of the stuff for fixing things at farm auctions. Over the years I have created my own hardware store for pennies on the dollar..

4. 3adScout has addressed an important issue in a post-Apocalyptic world. As they used to say in the military in the ’80s when the Cold War was in progress and the major concern was that the Russians would come thundering through the Fulda Gap in Germany, “It will be a come as you are war,” meaning that we would fight with what we had and that the issue would likely be decided before major reinforcements and re-supply of weapons and equipment would occur.

   Serious survivalists/preppers should always be asking themselves, “What if there is no more?” What if there is no more 8d nails, no more PVC fittings, no more Gorilla tape, no more caulking, etc., and then plan accordingly. There are sometimes workarounds for things, but very often there isn’t any good alternative.

   In my opinion, in principle, no serious survivalist/prepper can legitimately argue with 3ad Scout here. As they say in many situations, however, “The devil is in the details.” The things we depend on in every day life and the potential emergencies we might face after a societal meltdown occur are so numerous that if we try to maintain a supply of everything we might use, not only does the financial burden become extraordinary for most people of limited means, the logistics involved in storage becomes overwhelming.

   Nevertheless, even though it may not be possible to prepare for every potential problem after a societal meltdown, an approach to preparedness that includes gathering and putting aside backup supplies that might be used for as many situations as possible is far better than doing nothing. “Perfect is the enemy of good.”

   This approach will definitely put a person well ahead of the pack.

   1. Survivormann99,

      Your mention of the Fulda Gap brought back some great memories. As part of the 3rd AD the defense of the Fulda gap was our primary mission.

      Having all this “stuff” does take room as my wife will attest. I have learned it is better to go vertical when storing than Horizontal. I have a small fortune tied up in shelving but it maximizes my space.

      1. Spot on, 3ADScout, up is the way to go with storage when space is limited.

         I have most of my shelves on cheap Harbor Freight dollies. That way I can move them from side to side like old library shelves set on tracks in normal times, and I can also move the shelves out to the driveway for quick loading on my flatbed trailer if I need to bug out.

         1. Ha, former 3AD myself. We left everything in Kuwait after the gulf war

5. I have read, but don’t have the final word, that propane stored for longer than 2 years in the grill size tanks (20 lbs) leaks out because of the seal rot. Anyone know for sure? How about 500-gallon tanks? I maintain 850 gallons on hand in large tanks.

   1. One thing that I have found out almost the hard way ( I could have been killed ) is that propane stored in a large tank like a 250 or 500 gallon size will lose it’s odor after many, many years of setting idle. Not sure about the seal rotting though.

   2. no, it will last decades

6. The Pocket Reference by Thomas Glover is indispensible. It literally has almost anything you could want to know in it!

7. I’ve stored propane for years in the 20lb tanks with no problems.

8. Many years ago I worked with a plumber who introduced me to the concept of a “Miracle Bucket”. It was a metal coffee can into which he dumped nuts, bolts, and screws. He could always find something to work out of the Miracle Bucket. I adopted this concept, modifying it so that I have TWO Miracle buckets: One for nuts and bolts and the second one for screws. Well over 90% of the time I can find a nut, bolt, or screw to fit!

9. I do not have the patience for fishing and maybe maybe a catch especially in a stress situation. There are several ponds in my area. Someone said something about “teach a man to fish”. I took it to the next step. Someone said “think out of the box”. My answer, I have a net.

   1. Might try the yo yo spinners too! Throw the line out and come back later and see whats reeled in.

10. Similar philosophy here. I struggle with organization.

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