1. Increase water storage capability. With summer temps at or near 100 (summer = May thru Oct) water is vital.

2. Increase food supplies. I gotta use that dehydrator wife bought a long time ago.

3. Add to ammo stock. Mainly .22

4. Do finishing touches on BoBs and set up rotation system for some items. Ditto 1st Aid bag.

5. Pay off credit cards and keep them at or near zero balance. (not really in deep debt, and this will happen by April at the latest)

Of course, this is predicated on the world not ending next week. If it does, scratch all of the above.

I'm a big fan of the Kidde combined smoke/CO detectors. No affiliation.

We install systems at work that are covered up with cameras, so for me mine isn't that extreme. I just like being able to pick up the remote, change channels on the TV and see everything that's going on outside without getting up off the couch.

No signs for me other than the company van out in the yard with the name of an alarm company on it. And a couple of alarm company signs and stickers. But the house is very well covered as far as alarm equipment. Outdoor motion lights are on my list as well.

Congratulations Izzy!!

You can try it out next time (if ?) you have a camp fire. Its good to test out these things when you get a chance and better than throwing it out full.

Hey Izzy...Congrats on the new home!

If new house means buying a washing machine,recent research I did into subject shows the speedqueen toploader to be a tank in appliance clothing,all metal gears,work arounds for the energy regs that prohibit filling to full instead of mandated 3/4 full,real hot water,not the mandated warm water standards.

They get around it by being a commercial machine....oh,and no computer thats a cash cow killer on machines for breakdowns,no mold issues like many.....list goes on and on and on.

I came across this in my search for a dishwasher,try finding a good one of those,good luck!

Start at 729 dollars.....no affiliation with company or seller,but after this is our next machine when time comes

http://www.us-appliance.com/awn412.html

FWIW I'd still get a CO detector,cheap insurance a neighbors truck or genny,whatever, doesnt kill you.

My list for 2013 while short is hardly simple.
Build a better BOB/GHB. RIght now it has a fair amount of stuff; PSK, FAK, Extra socks, shemagh, multi-tool, water bottle, umbrella, etc. I just feel like it's not up to snuff, and it seems to weigh a bit for what's in it. So, that's my goal. Not much but for me, it'll be enough.

-Jason

I haven't posted here much or been around in a while, this seems as good a place to jump back in as any.

My goal is to create kits, with lists, that I can feel confident about.

Right now I'm not going to set my sights on them being ideal, but rather just to create something from scratch that I'm fully familiar with and where every component has a purpose specific to myself and that I've contemplated and worked on. The polishing up can happen some other year.

Not much compared to where some of you are at, but it'd be an improvement on my current haphazard setup. That and working on physical wellbeing will be enough to keep my hands full this year.

This year DW and I are completing the switch to fully organic and preservative-free food. Probably 85% there already. This requires copious amounts of meal planning and new storage solutions.

We are having another winter like the last few where a substantial amount of snow falls and then thaw-refreeze cycles create treacherous icy walking conditions on the trails. Coupled with sub-zero temps, outdoor exercise is difficult. I'm hitting the dreaded treadmill this year to maintain my weight and conditioning through the winter.

Planning several camping expeditions and multi-day prairie walks between May and October, and getting everything in order to pull those off.

I'm organizing my outdoor and emergency gear. I know many are in favor of a BoB, but I have decided (and am fortunate to have the space) to set up an area of shelving units right next to my food storage area that hold store-style all of my backpacks and totes along with all of my other gear like stoves, lights, camp knives, FAK, survival gear etc. I can grab a bag and fill it quickly for a hike, a hunting trip, or an emergency in one or two minutes.

One of the things I've really been working on is upgrading each piece of gear I own to better stuff. I started out the SHTF bag for cheap with lesser quality items originally.

Just like my EDC knife, I had carried a $24 Smith & Wesson folder for a couple years while the blade got looser, thumbscrew kept falling off, etc... Then I stepped up to a Kershaw Blur Tanto and am much happier with it.

I went from having a contractor bag in the SHTF bag for shelter to having a 10'x10' Silnylon tarp with tieouts. Went from cheaper rope to real paracord. Replaced my crappy FAK with a much better one, etc...

I still want to get a chance one day to actually go out and live off the contents of the bag for a few days.