# Head is spinning !



## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading and reading the posts and now I'm really confused. So much that my head is spinning. I have so many things I want to do I just can't seem to pick an order....A couple of months ago we put together some food in the basement which consists of canned goods and water. I've been reading about others who are storing oats, wheat...and canning foods ... etc....Why should we do that? Shouldn't we store what we eat everyday. How long will the cans store...//// What about money? turn it into silver? Bury it? remove from the bank and get cash? //// Religion...I always wanted to read the bible, but I don't understand it////Firearms...storage, etc////bunkers////this is a full time job//// HELP!!!!!:surrender::dunno::gaah:


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

ra5451 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I've been reading and reading the posts and now I'm really confused. So much that my head is spinning. I have so many things I want to do I just can't seem to pick an order....
> 
> ...


*My comments through-out your message in bold. Hope that some of this makes sense and helps you along.*


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

You might start with food and water and build that resource. Second is safety. Having food and water is pointless if someone can take it away from you. Again start small and work your way up.


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

What UncleJoe said, and...

I have reservations about "organized religion" also, but the Bible isn't about an "organized religion," but a relationship between God and His individual creations.

Think of it this way: Religion is Man trying to reach God. The Bible is God reaching out to Man.

The easiest to understand, clearest and most accurate translation, IMHO, is the God's Word Bible. A close second is the New International Version. Start with the book of John (fourth book in the New Testament), and then read Matthew, Mark and Luke, keeping in mind that those were written by three different guys with different points of view about the same events. 

Matthew was a tax collector, so he tends to focus on the tangibles. Luke was a doctor, so he focuses on the people. Mark was writing based on Simon Peter's experience and was aimed at a Roman audience. So, each book reflects the flavor of the author.

After you read the first four books of the New Testament, read the Proverbs (rules for daily living) and Psalms (they're very good to teach you how to pray).

After that, go with whatever book strikes your fancy.

Although I don't like "organized religion," they (most of them) serve a purpose - to help people and provide instruction.

Visit around the local churches in your area, and pick the one that a) uses the Bible as its principal/primary source of instruction, and b) is friendly and open. But even then, don't neglect your personal reading. Remember, the Bible is God's open letter to us. Everything you need to know is there.

Also, do not trust any church that tells you (or even implies) that you do not need to read the Bible for yourself.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

:welcome:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. by Confucius. 
You've taken the first step-you've decided to think for yourself and start prepping.
Start with water and food and defense. You've already started with the food and water so now a bit of defense should come next.
And remember not everyone believes in the bible... in fact over 65% of the world believes differently :sssh: But don't let the bible belt hear ya say that.
I also do not believe in organized religion -not even the one I practice.


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## danerogers (Apr 30, 2011)

I agree with UncleJoe. Gold and Silver are in a classic bubble of manic proportions. This will not end well. When "everybody" thinks PM's only go up, it starts to smell like houses a few years ago. Be careful.


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## Westfalia (Feb 24, 2011)

May I ask what you are trying to prepare for?

I would suggest that you try to keep a basic capacity within several area first: Examples of bases to cover can be: Fire Safety, First Aid and Medical Supplies, Water Storage and Water Purification, Food and Cooking, Emergency Sanitation, Lights, Equipment to Start a Fire, Every Day Carry, Things that will help you stay warm: Heaters, Warm Clothing, Sleeping bags, Emergency Budget etc. Don't forget to include training in how to use your gear; learn how to cook on your emergency stove, how to start a fire with your Fire Steel, take a course in CPR etc. It's not the gear that has to get the job done, it's you. And the gear has to work for your specific climate, setting and terrain.

After you have gotten a basic capacity within each field I would suggest that you gradually expand your capacity depending on your own goals and needs.

*Some suggestions if you are Getting Started:*
Get The Ability To Cope With A Crisis: Sibi Totique: Get the ability to cope with a Crisis
Equipment List For Your Home - Checklist: Sibi Totique: Equipment For Your Home - Checklist

Good Luck!


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## Drumrunner (Sep 25, 2009)

*you have already begun...*



ra5451 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I've been reading and reading the posts and now I'm really confused. So much that my head is spinning. I have so many things I want to do I just can't seem to pick an order....A couple of months ago we put together some food in the basement which consists of canned goods and water. I've been reading about others who are storing oats, wheat...and canning foods ... etc....Why should we do that? Shouldn't we store what we eat everyday. How long will the cans store...//// What about money? turn it into silver? Bury it? remove from the bank and get cash? //// Religion...I always wanted to read the bible, but I don't understand it////Firearms...storage, etc////bunkers////this is a full time job//// HELP!!!!!:surrender::dunno::gaah:


Seems to me that you have already taken major steps towards preparedness....seeking and finding information. I speak for no one other than myself, but I was once exactly where you are, overwhelmed. Knowledge costs next to nothing to acquire, and in time of need, priceless. When money is tight, reading and increasing my knowledge still keeps me 'prepping'.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Drumrunner said:


> Seems to me that you have already taken major steps towards preparedness....seeking and finding information. I speak for no one other than myself, but I was once exactly where you are, overwhelmed. Knowledge costs next to nothing to acquire, and in time of need, priceless. When money is tight, reading and increasing my knowledge still keeps me 'prepping'.


Well said.

And with regard to the Bible - you will definitely get some heated debate on this forum for that, as there are some very diverse opinions here. However, as you've stated that reading the Bible is always something you've wanted to do, those are your own personal inner promptings. Just reading Blob's post shows that there is a wealth to learn about the Bible (its authors, its environment) that help with understanding it. But you can start simple. There are study Bibles out there, editions that have a little history about each book at the beginning of that book (i.e. Genesis is a book, Job is a book, John is a book, etc.), and they have sidebars with explanations throughout each book, and maps or diagrams. Many folks disapprove of these Bibles, but I personally think they have their place. You could go to a large Christian bookstore (which is bound to have a decent selection), and see which Bible appeals to you. You don't have to read it just yet, just include it with your preps for when TSHTF.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Like Uncle Joe said, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Start with a three day emergency kit. have everything organized and handy so that you can survive completely from the items in that kit for three days. Now just keep adding to it.

There'll be lots of different opinions on both religion and guns.

The best advice I can give on guns is start with a 22 semi-automatic rifle (Ruger 10/22 is a good choice if you know nothing about guns) and purchase a thousand rounds of ammunition for it. Next learn how to use and maintain it.

As has already been said, the God's Word translation is my favorite for beginners, next would be the New International Version or The Living Bible. My advice on churches ... pick one that encourages personal Bible study and reading and one that *does not *pressure you to use the King James Version.

There are three things that are vital to your survival (besides air and water): shelter, food and security. Be absolutely sure that you've provided for these first. Worry about precious metals later. If you have extra food you'll be able to get all the precious metals you want after the crunch.

Finally, learn a trade that will serve you well in a PSHTF world. There won't be much demand for things like computer programming.


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## swede (Apr 28, 2011)

Really good questions, actually.

What they boil down to is questions about prioritizing.

You have to decide what is more important and do it first.

You can start with something like Maslow's Hierarchy of needs (pick your own professor) and make a plan for dealing with it.

First I would consider how long you want to be able to feed and water yourself and core group only from your preps and then stock up for it.

Then you might decide about how to make yourself food and water self-sufficient and stock/equip for that.

You also might consider deciding, "I want six months of food and water" and then once you've prepared for that, you move on to self-sufficient food, security, medical, communications, etc. and once you reach the arbitrary level of readiness you selected for those categories, you then go back and improve your food stocks so you have a year. Then you improve the other categories to the next arbitrary level and so on.

You have to create your plan to fit your own comfort level, your own circumstances (you might have an artesian well pumping beautiful fresh water so you might not need a rain collection system, etc.), and your own means.

Preparing is not something you do and then it's finished. As a military defense is constantly improved right up until the moment the enemy attacks, and a good man/woman is constantly improving his/her home, so it goes with preps.

It never stops.

Make your own priorities and plan and get to work. :beercheer:

I also would like to recommend Westfalia's Free Online Survival Guide


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Well Thanks for all the suggestions....I'm all set in the protection area...I guess I need to focus on food and water for now...I have to get a food rotation system in place for foods that expire. Sometimes it's overwhelming to have the thought of a disaster in your mind day in and day out...But I guess that's what's being prepared is all about.


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Uncle Joe....

Here is a search page that contains many discussions on the shelf life of a lot of different foods. http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/search.php?searchid=128828 Read through some of these threads

The link didn't work...Is there another one?


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

ra5451 said:


> Well Thanks for all the suggestions....I'm all set in the protection area...I guess I need to focus on food and water for now...I have to get a food rotation system in place for foods that expire. Sometimes it's overwhelming to have the thought of a disaster in your mind day in and day out...But I guess that's what's being prepared is all about.


While it is good to keep in mind that all that we know now may be coming to an end, do not let it keep you from enjoying life. Take enjoyment where you can and don't apologize for enjoying what we have now while can still enjoy it! 
Doom and gloom never has served me well, so I keep stuffing it back down into the tiny little spot in the back of my mind and only let it out once in awhile for some exercise.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

BIBLE...

*B*asic *I*nformation *B*efore *L*eaving *E*arth


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

RA5451: Just take it slow-one thing at a time and you'll excell. Yes, we all think something is coming; that's why we post on this forum and that's why we prep. Between all of us on this forum, we are prepping for natural disasters, the Rapture, and everything in between. But there's realistically a pretty good chance that the sun's going to come up and you're going to have to go to work tomorrow, and the day after that. In other words, you're being very wise to start prepping and time should not be wasted, but you've got time (probably) to breathe, do it right, and not miss out on the details by trying to rush through all the big stuff. For example, what good are a thousand cans of food without a can opener?

I hope this helps and I wish you the best...you're doing just fine.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

ra5451 said:


> Uncle Joe....The link didn't work...Is there another one?


Sorry. Here is one with quite a bit of info and links to more at the bottom of the first post.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/shelf-life-various-food-items-not-cans-2588/


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks Jason and Uncle Joe....I'm trying to balance everything on the prep side of things with life in general....I don't think I'm alone on that front...


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

The canned goods you bought and stored in your basement should keep for at least 2 or 3 years, if it's dry-ish in your basement. In most basements the temperature remains a fairly constant cool temperature. The daily temperature swings from daytime highs to overnight lows are hard on any stored food, such as storing it in a shed, garage, or attic. That's more harmful than storing it in a place with a steady warmish temperature, like under your bed, couch, or in a closet.

As for grains, well, let me ask you...do you eat bread? Biscuits? Pies? Cakes? Muffins? If you store wheat, you can grind it into flour and use it for those and more. If you need to use the wheat before you can buy a grinder, you can grind it in small batches in blender or a coffee grinder.

You can also grind it between a large flat rock, using a smaller rock in your hand to grind down on the wheat kernals ("berries", they call them). It's tedious, but it works. I know, because I did that this winter. Corn grinds well with rocks; wheat, barley and other grains are more work.


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Hi GypsySue,

Should I be concerned with the dates on the can?


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Most of them will probably keep at least twice as long as the dates on the cans, especially stored in a cool, dry basement. I also date them with a marker, showing the month and year I bought them. Since I put them in my storage area right away, I know how long they've been there. I bought two cases of spaghetti sauce on a by-the-case sale, and one case was dated a few months older than the other. So even though I stored them at the same time, I put the older one in front and used it first before we started on the other one.

Look your cans over before you open them, even if they're not past their date. I bought a case of canned yams the Fall before last, and by spring I had a few cans that were already bulging or leaking. They were stored in a cool, dry place and hadn't reached their 'date'. It's possible there was some fault in the can itself along a seam, which led to the premature leaking. I've also had canned tomatoes bulge before their date.

However, we're eating from a case of green beans dated 'best before' 12/2005, and so far every can has tasted great and no one got sick. It got overlooked somehow and we found it last Fall. 

"If in doubt, throw it out". A wise adage.


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

Gypsysue
So your storing the cans and using them during your everyday cooking. Then when you shop you replenish. Fifo


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Yes, but we've got about a 2-year lag time on using them. So they do sit for a while. Some things longer than others, obviously! 

Ever since the spaghetti sauce thing I've looked briefly through the cans on the shelf at the store when I buy to see if there are different dates. Popular things that are on sale are almost always new and have far-off dates, but the 'oddball' or foods with less turnover warrant a quick look at dates.

Sometimes I find things that are past their date and I take them to the customer service desk, where more often than not they'll sell them to me for 1/3 to 1/4 of the shelf price. Then we move them up in the rotation order so they get eaten sooner.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

Just take a deep breath and get out the pen and paper. Think about the things you and your family uses during an adverage day. Write it down. Think about the foods you like to eat. Write it down. Think about cleaning supplies and first aid supplies. Write it down. There is your starting point. When you have a 6 mo. supply of the things you use on a day to day basis then you can expand to include some things to barter. My motto is "If it is on sale and we use it buy extra".


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## Ur5hittingMe (May 1, 2011)

MHO is that if you have food, water, seeds and bullets, you will get all the gold and silver that you need from those that dont have these items. I am spending all my "disposable"(lol) income on these items. Money is just about worth less than the paper its printed on now anyhow.. lol


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

I was just discussing this very topic with my wife. We're gonna make the list of food we eat and try to determine how much we need for 6 months. The thing i'm hung up on is the storage and rotation of the food in an efficient way. Gypsysue, you said you have 2 years worth. How do you organize rotation of cans,boxes and everything else?


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Ur5hittingMe said:


> MHO is that if you have food, water, seeds and bullets, you will get all the gold and silver that you need from those that dont have these items.


My thoughts exactly. :2thumb:


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## ra5451 (Mar 11, 2011)

I Just ordered this book Amazon.com: Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis (9780761563679): Peggy Layton: Books as recommended by KAI22.....It's all about food storage and rotation. Hope this sends me in the direction that works for me.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

ra5451 said:


> I was just discussing this very topic with my wife. We're gonna make the list of food we eat and try to determine how much we need for 6 months. The thing i'm hung up on is the storage and rotation of the food in an efficient way. Gypsysue, you said you have 2 years worth. How do you organize rotation of cans,boxes and everything else?


ra5451, it does take some diligence and discipline.

My food was totally stored in buckets for years. Changed that up a while back. Built some HD shelves. I have enough to store 18 months of food. 6 shelves high. and 4 total sets of selves. On each shelf, I put the date (year)on it with a sticker. I rotate the food out when the date (year) is ended. I give most of it to a local food kitchen. We do use as much as we can, but to get rid of a complete years worth is tough. Having said that, some foods last just about forever. Honey, wheat berries, rice, dried beans, salt, papper, sugar. Don't rotate those much. mainly canned items.

Having said that, canned foods, as long as kept in a stable environment, can be consumed for years after the BB date.

I also have 6 months worth stored at my retreat, that I rotate.

My reason for having that much food stored, so that gives the garden time to pick up the need.

Just another prespective.

Have fun with it.

Jimmy


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