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#110972 - 11/01/07 05:28 AM Prepping a house to hunker down in
DOGSOFWAR Offline
Stranger

Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 12
I live in an inner city house ( Not a bad area- it is fairly safe) that is one story with a finished basement. While I have a 4x4 Jeep, I have no one or any place else I could bug out for. So home is where it will be for me. I live in Michigan, so water is not a major issue.

Is any one else fortifying their inner city homes to survive in?

What steps are you taking if you are.

I am building up my food and bottled water reserves.
I have weapons. Plus 500 to 1000 rounds for each weapon. Plus extra parts.
I have bicycles.
I have fishing gear. I live a couple of blocks from a lake.
I have lots of all weather clothing.Including various kinds of Cammo gear.
I am in the process of building up a rather impressive medical kit.
I have a supply of motor oil and lubs.Extra car battery/ charger.
I am in the process of buying many gas cans.
I have extra tires.
I have many maps with various escape routes drawn out. Making sure to avoid bridges over rivers and the highways.
I have a weather radio.
I am looking at Short Wave and cb radios.
I have a cell phone.
I have cameras.
I have binoculars.
I have video equipment, although I don't why I need it.
I have televisions.
I have regular AM/FM radios. That can run off of batteries.
I have flash lights/candles and oil lamps.
I have various surprise defensive weapons no one would think a household would have.
I have lots of mechanics tools and some household maintanance tools.
As you can see I am working on it.

I know I need a generator, and I am looking around at them.
I am also looking at water storage tanks. I just can't decide how big and where to put it. I found a 1800 gal. unit, but I'd have to build an outside storage building to house it.I'd sort of like to contain all the water in smaller tanks in the basement.But how to do it effectively.

Anybody got any reasonable hints or suggestions. My house is approx. 1400 sq. ft. with a single car garage attached to it.
It has a fire place, it is natural gas heated and has central AC.

I do not have unlimited money, so I have to go middle of the road
on expenses. Some can afford the premium best stuff. I have to work within a budget....so keep it real!

WarDog

PS; I really wish I didn't have to worry about this sort of stuff, but, it is clear, we are in for a huge problems one way or the other. Global warming, terrorists, 2012, war,atomic bombs,
earth pole shift and earths roll to a new axis, alien invasion,
the return of Jesus, whatever...

It is time to lock and load and hunker down for the big one!


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#110982 - 11/01/07 11:28 AM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: DOGSOFWAR]
bws48 Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/18/07
Posts: 831
Loc: Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Is the fireplace a real wood-burning one or a gas fireplace? If it is real wood burning, consider a good ax, wood saw, splitting maul and possibly sledge hammer to cut and split your own wood for fuel. Learn how to split wood if you don't know how. It's not as easy as it may look on TV. Lots of work. These things should not cost a lot and don't take up much space.

Also, you just might want to cook on the fireplace fire if worst comes to worst. Can you do this? Do you have some old fashioned cast iron pans and/or dutch ovens?

Good Luck.
_________________________
"Better is the enemy of good enough."

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#110990 - 11/01/07 12:01 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: DOGSOFWAR]
nursemike Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
Consider alternatives to generator.
I have worked with 3 propane fired generators for 4 years-Onan 3.6 KW devices, and have experienced failure about evry 250 hours of operation for each one. Failures varied from electronics problems ( rotor failures, voltage regulator failures) and small engine failures. Onan makes a relatively high-end product, and failures might be more common in less expensive models. (alternate interpretation: onan makes an expensive, crummy product and I got screwed). We have converted to diesel vans with 150 amp alternators, three 12v deep cycle batteries and a 3KW inverter. Failure rate at this point is zero. Makes sense: dodge-mercedes diesel engines are more robust than the lawn-mower engines running a small generator.
Using a 12v storage battery-inverter based system opens up your generating opportunities-use the car, install solar panel trickle chargers, or power a small generator with a bicycle, wind mill, water wheel, hamster, coolie(http://www.majorsurplus.com/Generators-C268.aspx), whatever. The inverter is expensive at higher wattages, but is getting less so and is quite cheap in the lower wattages. This solves the fuel storege/ availability issue, and is perhaps more user-maintainable than a generator.
_________________________
Dance like you have never been hurt, work like no one is watching,love like you don't need the money.

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#110995 - 11/01/07 12:23 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: DOGSOFWAR]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Never mind, too early to read


Edited by RAS (11/01/07 04:29 PM)
Edit Reason: Q was already answered
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#110996 - 11/01/07 12:30 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: Russ]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Can you drive to a suburb to a farm supply store. You can get water tanks of all sizes there, a cousin on mine who we camp with bought a 30 gallon tank and a 12v pump.
Similar for the gas cans, you can buy ones larger than 5 gallon in those stores, don't store too much gas in the house, the fumes start to become an issue, store some in a shed or something.
I'm bringing all my electronic gear together, lights, radios, NiMH battery chargers and powering them from automotive cords from a 12v battery. This 12v battery will be charged by solar or an old vehicle alternator. Buy a spare one that matches your current vehicle from ebay or a junk yard then you have a spare for your vehicle. I'm adapting a pulley to the bottom of my pressure washer so it can drive the alternator as a small generator, that way the pressure washer engine that site unused most of the time gets some more use.

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#110997 - 11/01/07 12:40 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: Eugene]
el_diabl0 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/31/06
Posts: 301
Loc: NE Ohio
I would cut pre-fitted boards to cover windows with. Something on my list right now.
_________________________
Improvise, adapt, and overcome

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#111005 - 11/01/07 02:16 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: el_diabl0]
Shadow_oo00 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/21/07
Posts: 301
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
Even though we don't get many tornados around my area that was something I did a while back, cutting plywood with small slits in them to cover all windows always seemed like a good idea to me. Never know when you will need to keep prying eyes from looking in.
_________________________
Shadow out !!!

Prepare Or Not To Prepare That Is The Question. The Answer, You Better !!!

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#111014 - 11/01/07 03:22 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: DOGSOFWAR]
JIM Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/18/06
Posts: 1032
Loc: The Netherlands
I would like to see your medical-kit..
_________________________
''It's time for Plan B...'' ''We have a Plan B?'' ''No, but it's time for one.'' -Stargate SG-1

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#111020 - 11/01/07 03:48 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: Russ]
Ors Offline
Namu (Giant Tree)
Addict

Registered: 09/16/05
Posts: 664
Loc: Florida, USA
Originally Posted By: RAS
We have no idea what country or part of the country you live in. Is solar viable?


His post says that he lives in Michigan.
_________________________
Ors, MAE, MT-BC
Memento mori
Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat (They all wound, the last kills)

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#111028 - 11/01/07 04:28 PM Re: Prepping a house to hunker down in [Re: Ors]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
My bad, don't know how I missed that.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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