# Can you be prepared for everything?



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

You never know what or when your preparing for. And, you can not be prepared for everything.

Sunday afternoon I was doing laundry and the washer suddenly lost water pressure and the flow slowed to a stop. I shut it down, went outside to check the breaker. Tripped, so I reset it, it ran for a few seconds and tripped again. Ok, there goes my ongoing emergency supply of water. I bought a gas generator, still new in the box, to power the pump for 10 – 15 minutes at a time to fill barrels. As long as 10 gallons of reserve gas, and what gas is in the vehicles lasts, I can get water. But with no working pump, that wasn’t going to do me any good.

The well guy was out fishing so it was going to be Monday afternoon before he could come and drop in a new pump, no problems. I have 2 – 20 gallon barrels for washing and 20 - 2 liter jugs for drinking. Monday afternoon he came by and $575 later had it working. Now, I’m a bachelor and conserve water so really do not use a lot from the well. Biggest use is showering in the morning before work. The garden is all rain barrels except for really dry spells when I’ll use the hose. What I’m saying is that after the initial startup and testing, I did not need the pump to come back on Monday at all. So, I get up Tuesday, breakfast and all then turn the water on for a shower. Nothing. So, heat up some water for a 2 gallon cleanup and off to work. He’s dropping by tonight to see what the problem is.

Moral of the story? I thought I had the water issue licked but fate threw me the one thing I did not prepare for, pump going on the blitz. Have a reserve pump you say? What if the nest time it is a hole in the pipe going down to the pump, should I also have 165’ of 1 ¼” flexible black pipe handy? What if the galvanized pipe up top breaks, need I store all those pieces too? Naw, you can only think of so many things to have extra, and only so many I can afford to buy. At this point I could not afford to buy a $300 or so pump to have around in case something happened. If this was a long term situation with no one or no parts available I would have to barter with the neighbors for water.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Instead of looking at it as callin' in the guy to fix the pump for you, and not looking at stashin' a second pump - what about learning everything there is to know about the pump so that you can fix it yourself next time.

By preparing yourself through skills, if the SHTF, you don't need to rely on others for the repairs.

Now, this might not be an option for you, but, would you be able to plumb-in an RV pump to draw water from your barrels and pressurize a couple of the primary faucets? I can get some pretty skookum pumps that run on 12-volt for about $100.

Another option (if it is affordable to you) would be to use a solar-powered water pump - SOLAR WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC and not worry about poppin' breakers.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

You could also go with a deep well hand pump.

Bison Deep Well Hand Water Pumps

They're pretty salty but from what I've read at their site and in a couple homesteading magazines we subscribe to, they are very reliable.

We have a hand pump but our well is only 20'-25' deep.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I’m handy enough to be able to rig something up, if I had something to rig with… and all the parts necessary to do it. Plumbing jobs are usually a 2-trip-to-the-store minimum for me. 

My point was that no matter how well you plan, there will always be something you didn’t plan on. Especially those who have not lived in a place for a lifetime and have accumulated lots of extra ‘stuff’ from past projects. Had this have happened when I live in PA there would have been enough parts in the barn for me to rig something up. Having only lived where I am now for 5 years, I have not had time to accumulate all the stuff yet.


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## pioneergirl (May 11, 2010)

I see your point. We've lived in this house for 6 years, and don't have nearly the "parts" to do something with should we need to. However, we've just started this whole adventure last year, when we had a job that had us on the road 340 days of the year. Now that we're back, we WERE going to really start cranking on things, however, with the SHTF with the in-laws, we're going to be moving as soon as we find some good land. Thus having us starting over. However, we'll be going at it with a new vision, a new goal, a new plan.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

To many different scenerios to plan for EVERYTHING that could happen. However we CAN plan for MOST scenerios. Food, water, shelter, clothing, are pretty much going to be the same in almost all situations, with very little variance. As for the water issue, Have you considered a hand pump. Lehmans sells a "deep well" hand operated pump you could use.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I love Lehmans!!!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

oldsoldier said:


> To many different scenerios to plan for EVERYTHING that could happen. However we CAN plan for MOST scenerios. Food, water, shelter, clothing, are pretty much going to be the same in almost all situations, with very little variance.


That's about the way we look at it. If you can meet your own basic needs, you're miles ahead of most people and will have a chance. We have absolutely no desire to go back to a 19th century existence without all our modern amenities, but if that's what it comes too, we could make it work.
Have no illusions though; it would be a hard life.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> We have absolutely no desire to go back to a 19th century existence without all our modern amenities, but if that's what it comes too, we could make it work.
> Have no illusions though; it would be a hard life.


But do you ever feel... you belong in the 19th century ...without all our modern amenities...:dunno:

Do the people (friends ) you know think you are "out there"....

Just a question???


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

*Andi said:


> But do you ever feel... you belong in the 19th century ...without all our modern amenities...:dunno:


Sorry, No. I've often thought I should be in the 23rd or 24th century when space travel could be more common.



*Andi said:


> Do the people (friends ) you know think you are "out there"....


2 years ago; YES. 
In the last 3-4 months however, I've been seeing a change in attitude. 2 sisters and a brother are putting gardens in and want to learn to can. That brother, who has always been a gun control advocate, asked me over the winter "what would be a good gun for home defence". 
2 of my oldest friends who have always said, "It can never get that bad" are starting to think differently. One of them allowed me to dig up part of his precious lawn 2 weeks ago for a garden. Now he calls me 2-3 times a week with gardening questions. But that's OK. I don't mind helping him through the learning curve. "Share what you know".


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## GatorDude (Apr 23, 2009)

No.

Consider our troops in Iraq. Unfortunately, several have died because they accidently drove or rode armored vehicles into creeks or rivers. They were bristling with guns, armor, and comm gear and were killed by water. You can totally prepare yourself for one scenario and get zapped by another.

It's not glamorous, but you have to start with the most probable scenarios first and prepare in order of likelihood. Are you smoking? Eating too many Big Macs? Is your car 5-star safety rated? Have you changed the batteries in your smoke detectors?


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## HarleyRider (Mar 1, 2010)

*Wait for it......*



*Andi said:


> I love Lehmans!!!


Well, if life gives you Lehmans, make Lehmanaid!!


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

UncleJoe said:


> Sorry, No. I've often thought I should be in the 23rd or 24th century when space travel could be more common.
> 
> 2 years ago; YES.
> In the last 3-4 months however, I've been seeing a change in attitude. 2 sisters and a brother are putting gardens in and want to learn to can. That brother, who has always been a gun control advocate, asked me over the winter "what would be a good gun for home defence".
> 2 of my oldest friends who have always said, "It can never get that bad" are starting to think differently. One of them allowed me to dig up part of his precious lawn 2 weeks ago for a garden. Now he calls me 2-3 times a week with gardening questions. But that's OK. I don't mind helping him through the learning curve. "Share what you know".


That's funny a friend of mine a decade ago was anti-gun. Now he owns a SKS. A few people on my wifes side know that I prep and they are always asking me questions then laughing. It's weird, I don't know them that well. Well it's all good, I'll eat well they won't.


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