May 19, 2025 - what do you do this week to prepare?

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McRibs2024@reddit

Looking at the power station battery backups on sale now. I already have a 600w bluetti for standard device charging, but need one to keep the chest freezer going.

I really want the segway power cube, seems to be the least hassle adding batteries as I go but i missed the sale awhile back and its 700 now.

Jackery doesnt seem bad price at 499

https://www.jackery.com/products/jackery-explorer-1000-v2?variant=40910570717271

ecoflow delta 2 is 529

https://us.ecoflow.com/products/delta-2-portable-power-station?variant=40569176326217

and ac180 at 500

https://www.bluettipower.com/products/ac180?variant=44099774480603

anyone have any recommendations on these? Im very ecoflo adverse with hearing that they may lock features behind a subscription.

Segway is out of stock, and no clue if theyll have another solid sale like they did before though. Not sure I want to wait on this with summer coming and potential brownouts etc, chestfreezer is now at 90% capacity between meat, veggies, and roughly 2 mo worth of breastmilk for the new guy

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

We repacked some recently-purchased bulk provisions into smaller mylar bags with O2 absorbers. Quinoa, Black Beans, Rice, Dry Milk, Rolled Oats.

We visited our top-secret bug out property and made improvements there as well.

Spent the rest of the week lying to family, friends and neighbors about where we had been all week.

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atropear@reddit

I was about to get oats and had a question if you don't mind. I have a mill and was thinking of getting groats and grinding fresh when needed, but I read rolled is better for digestion and so rolled is better than groats to include for prepping. Any idea if this is true?

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

It's true that rolled oats are easier to digest, but groats will last longer in storage. Myself, I prefer the simplicity of rolled oats and the ease of quickly blending them into flour for lots of tasty uses.

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atropear@reddit

Thanks for that information!

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After_Competition_87@reddit

Damn can't even tell your family where the bug out property is lol

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

Yeah it sounds harsh on the surface...But we will absolutely inform and invite our immediate family to the bug out location if things go south. We have prepped enough supplies to cover them. I really just don't want my Mom's casual conversations with friends or neighbors to spread too far.

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randynumbergenerator@reddit

As someone with a mother who also can't keep a secret, I relate to this so hard.

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After_Competition_87@reddit

Yeah I get that, especially In the heat of the moment. You don't want a bunch of people showing up because your mom had a few too many glasses of wine one night and told everybody lol. Sounds a little schitzo on the surface tho

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

Ha ha! It sounds like you know my Mom!

I will explain so I don't sound schitzo. My elderly mother lives only a few miles from us so she will not be left behind. My also elderly father (my parents are divorced) lives somewhat close to the bug out property and is also a prepper so he is already "in the know". He doesn't communicate with anyone else in our very small family so he's not a risk to spill the black beans.

The rest of the family, which is literally only my brother and his daughter, you're correct that they are at risk of being left out if telecommunications are affected. I've pondered this over the years and only came up with one solution: A sealed envelope with directions to be opened only in the event of an emergency. Any other ideas on how to handle this would be GREATLY appreciated!

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Background_Ice_7568@reddit

Gotta use the fidelius charm, I think. /s

Tough problem to be honest. Depending on your anticipated SHTF situations you'd like to cover with this hidden location, can you count on them having access to something like a laptop, even if only for 5-10 minutes? You could use a pair of encrypted USB drives with a password you've told to your brother in advance - something easy to remember, but ideally, specific to just you two. Perhaps embed the directions into a simple .exe that, when launched, will attempt to send an email to your email address (hardcoded) - so, if the file is opened when there's network connectivity (i.e. a non-SHTF situation) -- you'd be notified at least, and you could immediately get in touch with him. Otherwise, if the SHTF, the email won't send or if it does, wouldn't matter anyway -- and the directions would be displayed and could be written down. Maybe you could have the exe erase itself, or otherwise render itself unusable after closing the program.

Either way - the directions you list could be to a location that's nearby but far enough away from your real location, as to still need an escort by you or someone else on "the inside". No clue as to the sophistication of your current place, but if feasible, you could surveil the rendezvous location with cameras or something... That way you can make sure that you're meeting your actual family there before going to get them.

It all feels a bit overengineered, but - it sounds like you've gone to pretty significant lengths already and maybe it's not that unrealistic for you. I wouldn't tell your brother the specifics of the notification scheme, of course (it's easy to defeat). As long as you don't have any reason to believe he'd open the drive for nefarious purposes, I think you can just say - look, this is a plan that we should only use if the worst should come to pass. It will contain some directions that might help you, depending on what exactly has happened.

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After_Competition_87@reddit

I get that. Sounds pretty schizophrenic though lol

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TrickyPsychology@reddit

What dry milk do you prefer to prep?

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

We use Hoosier Farms Nonfat Dry Milk.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Just remember if you have a bill around your house with the address on it, they might find you

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Money_Ad1068@reddit

Good point!

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premar16@reddit

Honestly not much I am having surgery on surgery this week so I am focusing on that

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carlos162@reddit

Got paper maps. Now I'm working on evac routes, places to meet with the family and timelines

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premar16@reddit

Nice! I moved into a new area a few months ago. Now that is starting to be a nicer weather I have been exploring the surrounding neighborhood. When I was a kid during the summers my mother would have us do "family walks" into town and back from different routes.

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Otherwise-Clock4878@reddit

this is on my list for 1st week of June. I am good but not my kids. So paper maps for them.

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miss_misato@reddit

This! I wanted to get paper maps so long ago that I forgot to pursue that quest! Thanksss!!

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hoardac@reddit

Wife had emergency surgery it was not in the area. I realized my not bugging out mindset was wrong, I am now getting bugout bags ready and a checklist of what to do around the house when we have to leave in a hurry. We have so many irons in the fire and side hustles, I have to have a coherent plan.

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randynumbergenerator@reddit

BoBs are massively helpful for unplanned hospital time/visits. Though make sure you don't have anything the hospital won't allow in it (knives, for instance).

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Open-Attention-8286@reddit

Froze more eggs.

Cut the boards for the foundation I'm adding to my chicken coop to raise it up 3 inches. (The door keeps getting blocked by straw.)

My Landlady said I could help myself to some of the perennial foods in her garden, as long as I don't take too much. So I picked a couple rhubarb stalks, which are now diced and frozen. Same with a sandwich-sized baggie of oregano. I'll probably grab a bit more here and there, but I don't want to be a pig about it.

I've got my other medical issues under control enough that I've decided to try again at losing some of this extra weight. I have a metabolic issue that makes weight loss extremely complicated, so I'm not holding out much hope. But it's worth a shot!

Working on getting my own garden planted. It's small, but I can at least get some tomatoes and greens planted.

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Intrepid_Advice4411@reddit

I'm in the same boat with the weight.

Focus on lifting weights and walking for endurance. I haven't gotten on the scale in years. I know I've lost zero pounds, (all my far clothes still fit) but I can easily walk several miles and lift 50 lbs if needed.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

Extra weight isn't the worst idea as long as you can jog some!

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Open-Attention-8286@reddit

If it was just a little extra, yeah. But I'm in danger of outgrowing my favorite shirts :/

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sprout92@reddit

Bought a solar panel with several cables to charge small electronics (up to a laptop).

Got a large and detailed paper map of my state with all forest service roads, known campsites (so I can avoid them), etc.

Got a few long running glowsticks, and a couple extra ready to eat meals that store a long time.

All in, less than $75 (so literally one meal out to eat...)

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-RAKH-@reddit

Got the 400W Anker solar panel to be paired with the C1000 battery. So far I was intending to charge the battery from the grid but after seeing the recent power outages in Spain I thought it made sense to be able to create my own power.

Probably should have checked the dimensions though because despite being called portable, its actually big and quite heavy.

Also got a small amount of freeze dried meals. They are expensive so only bought 15. They are supposed to bridge the gap between food which can be eaten straight out of the packet and food which needs a lot of fuel for cooking.

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ResolutionMaterial81@reddit

I have a collection of various power stations, but really like the Anker C1000. I keep it in an insulated carry bag (pics below) along with 2 ea 105 watt solar panels, USB LED Lights, USB Fans extension cables. Recently decided to up the solar input, so swapping out the 2 ea 105 watt panels for 4 ea 100 watt panels in a 2S-2P configuration.

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ResolutionMaterial81@reddit

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ResolutionMaterial81@reddit

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ResolutionMaterial81@reddit

I had printed, labeled the boxes (and sealed the labels with tape) for all of the boxes containing LTFS #10 Cans, totaled 71.

But hit the Augason Farms Memorial Day Sale just now....18 more #10 Cans & 70 pouches.

So this room of LTFS now will have 74 boxes (443 #10 Cans), plus the wheat/rice/corn/beans in pails & buckets + other FD & such.

Glad this project is almost complete! 🥵

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jazzbiscuit@reddit

I finally got the interlock & assorted wiring install completed to plug the Solar Generator setup into the house wiring. We now have the ability to run our 220 well pump if the grid drops.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Do you have a way to store water like an in ground cistern? Then you could run your pump for a day or two and fill the tank. Ultra fuel efficiency

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livestrong2109@reddit

Yeah just 55 gallons of head pressure can go a long way.

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After_Competition_87@reddit

Huge

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DTFpanda@reddit

Nothing, I ran out of money.

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Hinter_Lander@reddit

Prepping the garden. Dehydrating 50lbs of celery, put 150lbs of pasta into medium term storage.

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4ureddit@reddit

What’s medium term storage?

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Hinter_Lander@reddit

For me that's 6 months to 3 or 5 years.

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mapped_apples@reddit

My garden is coming along well. Finally got my rain barrels refilled and plants watered by some heavy rain. Didn’t do much in the way of prep other than pulling thistles for about an hour or two to keep them from spreading.

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ApprehensiveStand456@reddit

Humble Bundle has a big bundle of bushcraft and homesteading books for a pretty good value.
There are 33 books total. The range from bushcrafting book by Dave Canterbury to gardening tips and tiny houses. They are digital downloads. It is helpful to have a eReader for these but not required. I have a Kindle that I load books like these on to. I also back them up in the cloud.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/bushcraft-homestead-handbook-series-adams-media-books

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No-Consideration-858@reddit

Ordered a solar flashlight/lamp, some emergency protein bars and extra cat food and litter.

I don't normally eat lentils and beans but started because they're so practical. I have been experimenting with recipes.

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miss_misato@reddit

Give red lentils a try. They took far less time to cook that the brown ones :)

(And more yummy, from my pov)

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No-Consideration-858@reddit

Yes! I just made red lentils with garam masala, garlic powder and roasted cumin seeds. I'm a terrible cook, but this was delicious. I'll spring for the 25 lb bag.

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Pea-and-Pen@reddit

I’ve been working on my garden some more. Everything is in containers so it’s a lot easier for me. I’ve got tomatoes, onions, lettuce, orange peppers, bell peppers, jalapeños, sugar baby watermelon, strawberries, rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano, mint, lavender, and some blueberry and blackberry bushes. Being in the containers was a big help during the storms over the weekend. I was able to pull everything under the carport in case of hail. So far everything is coming along well. I’ve gotten strawberries, a tomato, and used some basil so far.

I got some more Bactine products at Walmart this morning. I use the Ibotta app and they occasionally have Bactine products at 50% off. I got some wound wash, antibacterial cream, pain relieving cleansing spray and liquid bandage. They also had Emetrol chewable nausea tablets for 50% off. I didn’t really need any but at 50% off I didn’t want to pass it up.

This morning I saw a r/preppersales post about Bisquick giant box for $6.41 so I went and got enough for another five gallon bucket to store. It’s $9.38 at our Walmart.

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fatcatleah@reddit

dang. Its back up to over $9 today.

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auntbea19@reddit

TIP- You can substitute a coke/soda/pop in place of emetrol. I think flat is better than with carbonation, and caramel colored is better than clear colored, although I use ginger ale too.

I don't drink soda except I'll take a little of it when I'm sick.

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notgonnabemydad@reddit

Just got my 7 #10 cans of Mt House that I bought for 50% off. Now I've gotta assemble all of my shelving to hold my deep pantry and emergency food!

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auntbea19@reddit

Bought fire blankets and hung them up in various places

replaced expired eye drops (specifically pet safe human eye drops - good for me and if the dog gets skunked - since neighbors dog just got skunked)

got throwable personal flotation device and floating rope

relearned/practiced knots - specifically taught line hitch

replenished shelf stable pantry items - crackers, canned refried beans, small bottle ranch dressing, tuna

put my tiny can opener in my wallet with a bright ribbon on it (instead of the junk drawer where I found it)

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PNW_Washington@reddit

200 cans of soup.....

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Nice haul. How much$?

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PNW_Washington@reddit

$216

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Not bad. Bet that was fun to carry haha

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PNW_Washington@reddit

I am embarrassed to tell you how much I already have lololol. Prep on soldier!

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PrepperBoi@reddit

I don’t want you to tell me, I wanna see pantry photos haha

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PNW_Washington@reddit

No thanks....I know that you know what I mean ✌️

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PrepperBoi@reddit

I’m trying to get ideas to redo my pantry storage to make things a little easier to find. I’m making some fifo can shelves with my 3d printer. That way I can have less spoilage.

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PNW_Washington@reddit

Fifo?

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PrepperBoi@reddit

First in first out. Load it oldest to newest and as you pull a can, the next one in order rolls to the front

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Omgerd1234@reddit

Stocked up on additional pantry essentials.

Fertilized the plants.

Inventoried the self-defense options and worked on ordering more to stock up.

Published an article with a local newspaper to advertise my side hustle for a secondary income source.

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SenseSubstantial9994@reddit

Closed on property in a safe Central American country. I will build an off grid home with well and solar.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

Hi.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

Got a little moped. Not sure if it's actually prepping related but having a vehicle that sips gas might be a nice way to reduce costs.

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Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit

Just started my summer no shop/ live off preps run, I think last year I got to 10 weeks but ran out of coffee and cat food.

Hope to make it to early September this year, I have close to double the food in the larder. Double the water too.

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gadget767@reddit

Do what happens when you exhaust your supplies? Doesn’t that leave you pretty much unprepared?

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Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit

No, still plenty left, just not necessarily what I want to eat. I don't run out of everything all at once, and the shops are just down the road.

I am not an only beans and rice leave it for 25 years in a bucket prepper, but a deep larder constantly replenish vegetarian healthy prepper, stuff needs using up and replacing with fresh, summer is the time for this, hens are laying, veg gardens are full, plenty to forage in the woods.

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Complete_Bake_14@reddit

Worked on my garden beds - I’ve planted a wide variety of vegetables that would be able to produce a complete diet. This year I’m trying out the three sisters in grow bags - so far so good! Also had the first harvest of radishes and dark leafy greens. This is the first year I’ve grown so many seedlings that haven’t ended in tragedy and loads of dead plants. Gave away surplus healthy seedlings to friends and neighbors.

Supplemented my medical kit with narcan and an EpiPen.

Marked a series of things to pick up during Memorial Day sales. Going to make an educated decision about what to actually purchase this week.

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No-Feed-1999@reddit

Picked a communication system. Also started cleaning the basement for a prep area oh and I dug up my garden

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Existing_Employ_8158@reddit

What communication system did you pick?

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No-Feed-1999@reddit

We have a set of walkie talkies a BaoFeng gm 5rh and a cb. Wrme also set up some family meets and ways to communicate with signs so that we know if we need to go to " the bug out" spot

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hsh1976@reddit

Started harvesting from the garden. It was only some radishes but it was still nice.

I've never grown radishes before and was amazed at how well they did. Right at 5 weeks from planting to harvesting.

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nakedonmygoat@reddit

I'm feeling pretty good about my prep, so I've started sending "gifts" to my father. He received the solar lantern/phone charger that I sent him and reported back that he's having a lot of fun with it. It's nice to know that we'll be able to check in with each other should there be an extended power outage.

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treycartier91@reddit

Got my puppy into obedience training with a great handler. She's gonna make a great guard dog and bird dog.

Plus she keeps my feet warm at night.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Good alert dogs are best prep. I take one of mine on day hikes with me and he saved me from 2 rattlesnakes and a big ass gator I didn’t see in the marsh!

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BonnieErinaYA@reddit

Only bought some more shelf stable food and organized my preps. Also bought soil and raised garden beds.

It’s kind of cool seeing how much it’s all coming together. Consistent effort pays off.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Yeah, I wouldn’t have half the stuff I’ve got now if I didn’t accumulate slowly over time. I’ve been at this since before Covid but I’m definitely at my peak preparedness now. It’s starting to have diminishing returns.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

This week was slow compared to the last few weeks. Pool is finally warm so it’s the time of the year to enjoy the preps I’ve done and I can enjoy the summer.

Purchased a rowing machine to setup. Had one during Covid but it was a crappy one I gave to a friend when I moved. Tried a Peloton out a couple years ago and hated it, looking forward to get back into rowing.

Got another 3d printer setup. I’m making canned good FIFO racks for my cabinets. Holds 15 cans, costs about $13 between materials and electricity. Much cheaper than buying them if you need a bunch. Once it get it all assembled I’ll put it on my megathread.

Been dehydrating more apples.

Pool is finally warm so I can get some swims in, so getting some nice sun and mediocre workouts. Also means I’m going to grill more often and it’s a great way to meal prep! Reminded me I wanted to pick up a few extra propane tanks too

Stocked up on some sugar free jello and pudding. I love it.

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After_Competition_87@reddit

Extended the covered chicken run, hot 6 new chicks. Planted 4 apple trees, 5 blackberry bushes, 3 blueberry bushes and a raspberry bush. Increasing my compost area and starting a new garden. Getting stuff ready to be able to FINALLY can this year. Also looking into solar options

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Existing_Employ_8158@reddit

Ah! I did all this too. I only have one good cherry tree, a mulberry, one blueberry, one raspberry, three blackberry, and 6 strawberry plants. I have a veggie garden and I’m trying to grow some medicinal herbs. We’ll see. lol

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dkstr419@reddit

Continuing to get my partner settled into their new apartment. They are disabled and getting all their money stuff in order. Slowly introducing them to prepping. We shopped at Aldi’s and Winco together. They loved the selection and the prices. Baby steps.

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GrouchyWino@reddit

Bought solar lanterns, a new gas grill, fermentation weights and a PH tester (and a giant box of Bisquick that some else posted in this thread). Thanks!

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miss_misato@reddit

(newbie here)
- I'm assembling my bug out bag.
- Bought both a fire extinguisher and a fire blanked for the kitchen.

I'm so glad i've started.

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ninelilypetals@reddit

Oh, thanks for the reminder to check my old extinguisher!

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miss_misato@reddit

My pleasure 🙏🏼

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SurFud@reddit

I purchased a 186 litre / 50 gallon Suncast rain tank. It is plastic squarish shaped. Slightly different than a rain barrel and easy to clean. And sure enough, the clouds opened up and filled it overnight.

Also, I stocked up on some salmon and tuna canned salads from the dollar store. Cheers.

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LogicWizard22@reddit

Made a 3-bucket water filtration system in case of emergencies. Bought my first food buckets, mylar bags and O2 absorbers for long-term storage (in addition to my deep pantry).

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Chickaduck@reddit

After taking a weekend trip, I’m revising my grab bag of toiletries and other basics. I’m planning for “make it easier when we travel,” which could mean anything from a weekend trip, hospital run, or bug out.

Some notes: -keeping a phone charger with toiletries was good -add basic medications (I’m putting together a single prescription bottle labeled with pill name, visual description, dose, and expiration date) -replace cheap travel hair/body washes with products we usually use, and work towards replacing with a multi-purpose soap bar and wash bag -dividing into two bags, one for absolute necessities and one things I’d like to have when space is not an issue (is this going on a backpack, or a suitcase?) -adding a note to my future self on other things I should consider grabbing based on circumstances (sunscreen, makeup, hair supplies)

So far, I’ve found that having this set up makes packing for any kind of trip so much easier.

We also went hiking recently, and I thanked my past self for setting up the backpack with first aid supplies, flashlights, and extra batteries. I plan to add a list of additional things to consider grabbing based on circumstances, because I remembered snacks but forgot sunscreen!

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Academic_1989@reddit

Went to the doctor to get an extra round of antibiotics for summer travel and to top off meds - discussed Zepbound for weight loss, blood sugar control. Ordered extra leather boots for me and cotton t-shirts for my husband. Bought replacement parts for the small yard tools like the pole saw and electric lawn mower, and repaired some things around the house. Installed heavy curtains for summer heat reduction. Planted the last two potted grapevines in their forever home and put together some posts for them to climb. Planted another blackberry bush - the small front yard orchard is coming along!

Organized all the tools into appropriate toolboxes. Paperwork organization is an ongoing project. Working through the food in the freezer - had one fail unexpectedly last week, so cooking the meat for the animals. Getting ready to order a sewing/repair kit - it's an underrated and often overlooked prep I think.

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xlxjack7xlx@reddit

I can one 30 quart of sauce, soup or stew each week… this week is Sancocho.

I’ve planted a ton(fruit and vegetables) in ground garden boxes.

I’m beginning my farm stand this week.

I’ll pick up a generator this weekend.