Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The List (part 4)



27.Boots/shoes. Most people don’t really put a whole lot of thought into footwear but you will likely be spending a good portion of your time on your feet in a SHTF situation so give some serious thought to it right now! A good pair of boots that are comfortable and durable is highly recommended. They won’t be cheap but a pair of high quality boots should last you several years. Also keep a couple of pairs of good sneakers around for backup. When the economy finally takes a big stinking dump on society you won’t have to worry about footwear for some time.

28.Sewing kit. This little item will set you back about one whole dollar. Let’s face it, the dollar is pretty damn worthless today but having the means to mend your clothing and make it last as long as possible is invaluable. A buck spent on a sewing kit from the dollar store is money well spent. In fact get two or three. When hyperinflation kicks in (and IT WILL kick in sooner or later because we are now past the point of no return) you won’t have to worry much about spending $100 on a shirt or $200 for a pair of pants. At least you won’t for several years. Hopefully by then prices and wages will stabilize.

29.Manuel clothes washing equipment. If you are still able to keep your clothing in good repair come doomsday then you will be ahead of the game but how the hell are you going to keep them reasonably clean and free from offending odors? Without preplanning you will either stink to high heaven or you will be down at the river all day beating your clothing on rocks. Neither is a good option after the hammer falls so consider what the hell you are going to do. A wash tub and a scrub board will do the trick or you can build you a “hillbilly washing machine” out of a five gallon bucket and a (new) toilet plunger. A mop wringer will get most of the water out of your laundry for you. Don’t forget cloths lines and clothes pins.

30.Personal hygiene items. Be sure to stockpile plenty of soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. You won’t be able to visit a doctor or dentist when all hell breaks loose so try to stay as clean as you can and avoid any infections. A bad tooth will either kill you or make you wish you were dead so take care of them. Also think about toilet paper, which brings us to our next item

31.Emergency toilet. If the water is off you might not be able to flush the crapper. A five gallon bucket with a toilet seat attached to it can be used if needed. To eliminate any odors some people suggest covering your waste with sawdust each time you finish your business. Kitty litter will probably to the trick if you can’t locate enough sawdust in your particular area. Of course you should locate your emergency crapper in a shed or other out building if at all possible.

32.  Rain gear. While not an absolute necessity to keep you alive, rain gear (coat, hat, and boots) will keep you dry if you ever need to get the hell out of Dodge during bad weather. I bought a cheap rain “poncho”, and hat a few years ago for less than five bucks. Surely you can find decent rain gear, including boots for 20 or 30 dollars. If you are really poor then stash back a few garbage bags for this purpose.


33.Entertainments items. When the apocalypse finally arrives you may find yourself cooped up in the house waiting for the zombies to cannibalize each other and die off. This will probably be pretty boring. What are you going to do to pass the time? Make sure you have plenty of crap on hand like a deck of cards, your favorite board games, Crayons and coloring books for small kids, etc. Buy used paperback books from flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores and you will not only have plenty of reading material for the apocalypse but plenty of paper to wipe your ass on once the supply of Toilet paper runs out.

Well that’s it for today boys and girls but I’ll be back soon with “The List” part 5.
Tex Dakota

2 comments:

  1. Add some quality socks with that footwear, bad socks are NOT good economy, especially in the winter.

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  2. Nightshift agrees, a crap load of socks cause they will go fast. Get two pairs of rubber boots. One size for summer and one pair of socks, and one larger pair for a few pairs of socks for winter.

    Good list so far Tex. Gave me some motivation. I assume that beyond the machete you will touch on defense? Something to consider with the insanity with gun prices...I sold an AR and some mags for $2450 recently. Yes you read that right. Bought 2 SKS, 2 M44s, and a butt load of ammo for about $1300. I have other scary rifles and can only shoot one.....I have money left for a better woodstove, a few toys for the family and a few other items. I think the SKSs and the bolt M44s will fair better in the future gunban world. The SKS survived California. The M44s are 7.62x54R and hit like a 30-06....for $200 a piece, like new and you will never wear them out.

    I am actually concerned about my precious 10-22s. Those are great little 22s. They have doubled in price. You cant argue with even the new higher price of about $46 for a thousand or 1100 rounds of 22. Even a ban proof 22 caliber bolt with a scope is a great game getter and better than a sharp stick in a fight. Put a scope on it for increased usefulness. I like my 22s.

    Food is not hard. Rice and dried beans. Canned beans that are already made into a recipe are cheap. Add rice to one can and you have a meal for 3 or 4 for about $3. Boring yes, but will keep you alive. Ramen is a good stretcher of funds too. Lots of carbs. Spam will give you needed fats, lots of options with out getting the expensive freeze dried foods. Just rotate if you store regular groceries and you will be fine. TANG. Vitamin C. Last forever. Nothing to add there.

    Eye protection and good sunglasses, or lots of cheap ones. Wont be emergency rooms to treat eye injuries.

    Great post Tex.

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