A hoarding practicum – continued
Here is another core installment of
our Readiness strategy (see also the previous article for perishables.)
This category of non-perishables
or durables to store will be somewhat of a misnomer. It's a fuzzy line really. If moth or rust don't get it, this stuff will
be prone to misplacement and even theft. If one follows my golden rule for
Practical Preppers –that is, stocking stuff that will always get used anyhow-- then
even the most durable items suffer wear and tear. But leastways, you will always know thereby the
true status of your goods, before you
need to use them for survival. Beware
that things stored away for that annual family camping adventure remain
out-of-sight-and-mind only to find, upon the day it is unpacked, that time and
adverse conditions have rendered it useless or even dangerous to use after all.
Consider rope or twine, for
instance. It has many potential uses; a definite keeper. But you don’t want to
discover how rot or rodents have compromised your lifeline… that being at the very moment your life is depending upon it.
Another example: shopping bags. In
my city, plastic bags are outlawed… multi-useful as they can be. Paper bags can
be saved to use again, though hardly a third time; and stores are required to
charge extra for them. Cloth bags are
premium, unless you've got a messy job to dispose of; and if you plan to re-use
them for food, better remember to launder them regularly.
So here is my list of durables,
again offered free for you to use and modify or replace with your own better readiness inventory. Just make sure it is printed on paper and stored for old-fashioned easy file access on the day your trusty electronic multi-use reference tool (internet) is suddenly rendered inaccessable:
Non-perishables:
Travel/camping equipment:
spare clothing, coats, gloves, hats & shoes - cold, rain, warm weather
spare towels
patio umbrella & stand or folding canopy
sleeping tent
screen tent
portable tables & chairs
propane tanks with lighting, heating, cooking appliances
portable kitchen utensils
water tank
gasoline can
sleeping pads, bags & spare blankets
portable medical & hygiene supplies
portable shop & security supplies
plastic bags, ziplock & larger tied
portable cooler chests
portable toilet
portable wading pool
portable shower
buckets, large & small
car emergency equipment
Garden equipment:
hand tools
concrete mix
mixing tub
wheel barrow or cart
granite gravel
sand
landscape stones or bricks
volcanic rock & gravel
water barrel with siphon hose
pool chlorine tablets
5-gallon buckets with handles
lounge cushions
bamboo or light PVC poles
binding twine
shade cloth
plastic tarps or pond liner
clear plastic sheeting
extra garden hose
hose connectors & repair supplies
pest bait & traps
Shop equipment:
hand tools
duct tape
masking tape
electrical tape
bungee cord
para-cord
nylon cord
cotton or hemp cord & rope
super glue
flexible glue
sealant
zip ties
scrap wood
scrap PVC piping & fittings
scrap screws, bolts, washers
scrap metal plate
scrap metal tubing
scrap rubber sheeting & tubing
scrap wire
scrap chain
bench vise
anvil
clamps, spring & screw
electrical extension cord
plumbing snake
pressure water hose
plumber putty
solvent
lubricant
citrus cleaner
Security equipment:
slingshot & amo
flashlights & batteries
emergency names & numbers
mobile phone with video camera & gps
bicycle(s) with basket or trailer carrier
pest controls
Reference book, by M Osterhoudt about Multiple Uses of Common Household Products:
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| The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife |
http://gajitz.com/enormous-swiss-army-knife-makes-us-want-bigger-pockets/
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1061776
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| Multiblade Folding Knife |
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| Swiss Army-styled modular camping box |
