What have you done this week to prep? PART II

[jsharmon7]

My wife says that Pluto is entering the Aquarium or some such thing, so make sure you’re prepared for it.

 

[Thor]

I'd say everyone's coming over to your place when SHTF.

Just like at my place...self delivering protein is always welcome. Need something to go with all that rice and most of the other critters will be getting scarce by then.

 

[Kdf101]

Bought a freeze dryer, while awaiting its delivery we bagged some more flour and rice in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers.

 

[teddy12b]

After looking periodically for who knows how long, I found .410 shotgun ammo available online. Cabelas has some winchester game loads for under $1 a shot. That doesn't sound like such a good deal unless you've been looking periodically for years and haven't seen any known brands for less than $1.5 a shot. Either way, I now have enough...... My single shot TPS M6 Scout will now be able to get some more small game hunting time. I did some small game hunting recently so it's nice to know that gun is a more viable option now that it's got more ammo.

I've got a new set of 30-06 dies. These are Redding type "S" competition dies, so I'll be working up a load for my 30-06 for a likely elk hunting trip later fall assuming we get drawn. I'm using Barnes tipped triple shock bullets in 168gr, and 150gr in lapue brass with Federal match primers. My hope is to get something close enough to PRS level of accuracy with the Winchester 70 and then be able to hunt with it.

I ordered a grayboe stock for my Tikka T3x in 308. The intent is going to be that this rifle will be the ultimate backup rifle for about anything. It'll get a load worked up for both hunting and competition, and will be along for the ride in both of those cases. Some competitions I like to go to say a person has to use a 223/5.56 or 308 as a military caliber and the other teammate can use whatever they want. So, if I go to a match where a buddy is going and he has a **.**mm whatever caliber then I can take the 308 and we're good. Also, this will ride to the elk hunt so if anyone has an issue with their gun for whatever reason, this will be a good spare. Can't beat having a good 308 laying around anyway. I'm going to work up the hunting load for this simultaneously as the the 30-06 mentioned above and use the same Barnes TTSX 168gr and 150gr bullets to see what I get.

 

[XDdreams]

Worked on some garden stuff today.

Got a few compost piles built to cook for use in the summer. I pick up leaves from people in my area that have maple trees. I layer leaves and last year's compost to get the mycorrhizae and other life going. I like a fungal dominate compost.

Going to start some brassica seeds, and look to direct seed spinach and radish in the high tunnel soon. It's currently 87 degrees in there.

Looking forward to many huge harvests and plenty of food to preserve.

 

[bwframe]

Worked on some garden stuff today.

Got a few compost piles built to cook for use in the summer. I pick up leaves from people in my area that have maple trees. I layer leaves and last year's compost to get the mycorrhizae and other life going. I like a fungal dominate compost.

Going to start some brassica seeds, and look to direct seed spinach and radish in the high tunnel soon. It's currently 87 degrees in there.

Looking forward to many huge harvests and plenty of food to preserve.

Good work!

Come join us in the gardening 2024 thread. It's a little slow there now. We all need a foot in the butt.

Gardening 2024

Here we go 2024! Here's to a great food forest to us all! If all goes well in the last few days of 2023, I should have some surviving collared greens, kale and possibly a dab of baby spinach...

www.indianagunowners.com

 

[Iroquois]

Bought a freeze dryer, while awaiting its delivery we bagged some more flour and rice in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers.

I'd like to know, when you get it figured out, how expensive is that to operate. I worked at a pharmaceutical factory for years. Freeze driers were a major part of our operation and expensive to run.
I'm sure your unit won't be as wasteful, but I am curious. Thanks.

 

[Kdf101]

I'd like to know, when you get it figured out, how expensive is that to operate. I worked at a pharmaceutical factory for years. Freeze driers were a major part of our operation and expensive to run.
I'm sure your unit won't be as wasteful, but I am curious. Thanks.

Haven’t got that far into it yet, but from my research, my medium should be about 3-4 dollars for a 24 hour period. Not bad, but enough to notice. Still cheaper than buying freeze dried foods though, plus you know exactly what went into it. I will have more info as we use it more, currently have a batch of gummy bears in just for fun.

 

[Mij]

Haven’t got that far into it yet, but from my research, my medium should be about 3-4 dollars for a 24 hour period. Not bad, but enough to notice. Still cheaper than buying freeze dried foods though, plus you know exactly what went into it. I will have more info as we use it more, currently have a batch of gummy bears in just for fun.

Do I understand correctly? Your freeze drying gummy bears?




edit: or do I misunderstand and you are making gummy bears?

 

[XDdreams]

Bagged 75 lbs of beans and 100 lbs of flour in mylar with 02 absorbers.

 

[Kdf101]

Do I understand correctly? Your freeze drying gummy bears?




edit: or do I misunderstand and you are making gummy bears?

Yep. Just to try it!

 

[Mij]

Yep. Just to try it!

Well, that should be interesting. Guess it just struck me as funny.

Good luck.

You know what? I bet this will teach you something about freeze drying things. The more knowledge you have the better you will be to use the new tool. Learn away.

 

[teddy12b]

I bought some of these to try out and store: https://aimsurplus.com/products/humanitarian-daily-ration-two-entrees

When these show up I'm going to go through and rotate out some old stored foods. The chickens out back will help clean out the old stuff.

 

[Iroquois]

Cast about 85 pounds of pistol bullets and some round balls . I told the Wife that I have to get everything reloaded by April, or I wouldn't be able to help with outside chores... I've let my shooting skills lapse over the last 7 years and I need to get sharp again... Too old to fight and too fat to run....

 

[Mij]

Three calves in the last 8 days, just earmarked my next freezer beef. Gonna call him it Freezer.

 

[Iroquois]

In the process turning 80 pounds of bullets into reloads... .45s , .44 s .357s... .38s... Almost done...

 

[Emerson Dambiggins]

My local Wally World had 3 inch .410 for $20 a box. They had 4 boxes left so they followed me home. Seems ridiculous to have to pay that much.

 

[Mij]

My local Wally World had 3 inch .410 for $20 a box. They had 4 boxes left so they followed me home. Seems ridiculous to have to pay that much.

Never realized why a box of .410 was more expensive than a box of 12 ga. until I started reloading them. Now, that was back in the day of 5 bucks a box of field loads.

Dang things were a PITA to load. I could load 3 boxes of 12 in the time it took me to load 1 box of .410.

You did good IMO.

 

[teddy12b]

I recently picked up .410 shells from Cabelas because it's the first time I'd seen them in stock in quantity in years. My .410 is a TPS M6 Scout single shot that much .410 ammo will likely last me the rest of my life.

 

[Mij]

OK, 8 fats to market. Saturday sale, Rochester Ind. (Beef is up there), Time to buy ammo.

Yesterday the wife picked a couple peaches. Said they were great. Lot’s on the ground. Apparently what I thought was a bad year didn’t turn out so bad. Ended up with 4 ……1/2 trees of peaches, part frosted and part OK. So 2 trees worth of peaches.

Looks like I can put up a couple batches of peach butter, about 20 or 30 jelly jars worth. And still have enough to give the neighbors a real good bunch.

We talked tonight and apparently my MIL, slips the skins and quarters the fruit, after removing the pit, she freezes the quarters on sheets and bags them for the freezer. She uses them for pies, jam, and whatever needs peaches. Don’t see me doing that, I really like peach butter on my English Muffins.