what have you done this week in Feb 2007 for prep?

1. learned to text message with my phone
2. charged my million power search light
3. daily workout/ fitness goals
4. New prescription glasses
5. Uploaded new pics of gear

Teacher

1. Increased stocks of stored foods (every trip to the store).
2. Reviewed old Intel, dug up new Intel. (March does not look good to me, updated my OPS Boss).
3. Reviewed contingency plans (no updates needed).
4. Purchased some new survival equipment (small stuff).
5. Repaired small items around the home.

Shoveled three feet of snow off my roof, my parent's roof, and thier barn and garage roofs. All the gear in the world doesn't help if fourty tons of snow as squashed the building its in flatter than kansas.

I wondered how you guys deal with all that snow. We had 17 inches and it about cripled our area. Can't imagin the amounts you get.

ordered some gear to complement a few kits, including car kit :
- heatsheets blankets
- heatsheets bivvys
and a lot of paracord : I have a few projects in mind, using slatt's knot....

Me to <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You just do it. To love Vermont, you have to be a little crazy or you spend your entire time whining that isn't like someplace else and having people tell you, with varying degrees of politness, to "go back there". :P

goodies are on their way to France ....

Cut up more of the trees that got wiped out by the ice storm for firewood in the next couple years.

Started digging up beds in the garden. First priority is to spread out Jerusalem Artichokes as far as they will reach.

Got a few ricks of Oak drying from all the Oklahoma ice storms. You would be surprised how happy folks are to see you show up with a truck and a chain saw. Cut another rick of Pecan. All with my new Poulan Pro 18" chain saw. No tool chain tighting is the way to go.

Cleaned out the garage, made sure all rechargables are charging. It's hard to organize in dis-organization.

* bought some new hiking pants
* added 200 rds of .223 ammo
* bought a solar trickle charger (got a summer car in the garage that keeps losing charge)

Showed the kids that one can start a fire with dryer lint and a spark (practice for me),
Purchased a Solio Solar Charger, a Jetbeam AAA flashlite and Petzl e+LITE Emergency LED Headlamp

Have a swdish trangia stove enroute, just got my custom leather sheath for my Mora. Taking my nephew out all day friday to practice fire making & shelter building. Life is good, when you have 3 days off a week

I have a HeatSheet and a PSP kit on the way. Started generators for the monthly warmup and checkout.

1. Put together a small home/vehicle kit for in-laws.
2. Visited REI and picked up a small Heatsheet Bivvy.
3. Organized kits somewhat and rotate a few items. Added more lanyards to important items.
4. Got a Spyderco Sharpmaker for keeping blades sharp.
5. Tried Sharpmaker on kitchen knives.
6. Tried Sharpmaker on scissors.
7. Tried Sharpmaker on... etc.

Small?? Are there different sizes?

Since its been too cold to get out and do much I'm concentrated to indoor things.
I keep all important records in an electronic format because my laptop of backup media is a lot lighter and smaller than a filing cabinet should I need to evacuate/bug out. I signed up for online accounts at a couple more places and opted out of paper statements and added them to my maintenance spreadsheet so I know to go and download the electronic statements regularly. This also helps prevent identity theft by preventing those statements from sitting in my mailbox or my neighbors back yard where the mailperson seems to toss our mail more often all the time.
To help with preventing paper insecurity I also ran my credit report and signed up for the national opt out registry for unsolicited banking and insurance offers and close a couple old accounts I had not used in a long time. My goal there is to reduce the amount of blank balance transfer checks and pre qualified credit cards from coming in the mail where they can be easily taken.
I've also been taking advantage of some buy one get one free sales at Kroger and the spend $60 get $12 free coupons they have been sending us to up our food stocks a bit more. I'm at the point of running out of space again after remodeling my kitchen a couple years ago and doubling our storage space.
We have also managed to save up enough to finish off our 10 year home equity loan taken out in 2003, the transactions are in pending between the banks but next week we will go out for a nice dinner to celebrate paying off a large monthly bill. My savings and emergency funds are a bit low now so that will be next months major prep item, just throwing a good bit back into savings.

Been "working" too hard to play much, 'cept here as usual. We have been working with an arbor crew that went thru "our" state park, removing sick or leaning trees. My wife and I got to feed a mongo chipper (it will handle stuff up to 12" in diameter) for three days in a row (life ain't easy for us volunteer types). But, after helping drop a 110+ year old cedar, I saw a lot of "honey" oozing from the enter of the trunk. Soon as this rain stops I'm gonna get some and see if it burns like pine pitch does. If so, I will try making some of those PJ/pitch/cottonball/waxed paper firestarters...

"...No tool chain tighting is the way to go..."

Does Poulan's really work? I have a Craftsman with the no-tool thing, and the stupid thing will not stay tight, I have to re-tighten it all the time. It is not just this one either, I have used other Craftmen that did the same thing. Been working with a Stihl the last month or so, it requires tool, but doesn't have to be re-tightened very often...

picked up two more 4-packs of Energizer Lithium AAA batteries. those puppies are hard to find.

Been working with my kids to make a workbench , or TWO actually.

Dont know if that counts as preparednbess, but I figure a workbennch or two are an asset in a survival situation. Much better than working on the floor. he-he he-he he-he

The workbench is made from unused wooden junk. I have a dozen thrown away drawers plus a few double thickness sheets of wood from old beds. These sheets will be the table tops, and the drwers (standing up) will be the bench 'legs'. I know the bench will be very short that way. But I may use while sitting, or maybe I'll put on bench on top of the other. Well see how it turns out.

If I put the two benches side by side we will have about six feet of bench. Also in that case (low banch), my "McGyver-type" kid can also use it comfortably.

The other, non McGyver kid is taller than dad but well, he never shown any interest in hummers and screwdrivers.

Bought a couple of Petzl e+LITEs. Ordered some heatsheet bivies, and started my Eneloop stockpiling project. Bought several packs of playing cards.

Received my new Doug Ritter RSK Mk3 fixed blade knife!!

Bought six "50 hour" candles (in glass jars) at Foodtown for .89 cents each.

Bought some inexpensive knives at the ragweedforge to beat on. I want to work up some inexpensive car kits to give to friends/family.

Another way to have fun, and get inexpensive blades at the same time, is to go here, they have finished blades that you add your own handle material to. They have a new paper catalog that has more blades than the website shows, but you will get an idea...

Thanks OBG. I'm taking a look right now.

If you pop five bucks for their paper catalog you will see a lot more blades. They recently merged (bought out?) another company, resulting in a whole new selection of goodies...

Bought a case of water for my apartment. On the 9th floor, if we lose pressure, water isn't easy to come by,

Added some cash to my emergency stash.

* gone to the gun range to practice with the wife
* exercised with a few long walks with the dog
* fattened up the neighborhood squirrels with some tasty stale bread

- sold a bunch of electronic stuff I dont use, will use $$ to restock some supplies