Garage Shop Preppers

[Wood Rat]

To the original poster look at it like this.
Be flexible, but pre plan and work the plan.
What is the threat? In the military I was taught to first analyze the treat address the greatest threat first. In some applications you can solve multiple problems with one solution. Growing up on the farm the well house would freeze, so no water for a heard of cows this is a big problem. Solved the problem by insulating the pipes, the walls and roof of the pump house, installing a insulated hatch and adding a heater controlled by a thermostat. Problem solved. Moms happy and the cows were happy as well.
I am a disaster magnet - name a disaster and I have probably been through it and because of my jobs at the time I could not evacuate, and I had to work through it.
Weather - Snow, flooding, drought, heat wave, hurricanes, tornados. Lived through them all.
(I have been snowed in 1 location for 7 days -I was on a 3-day business trip at the time)( flooding and stuck protecting a site for 7 days without relief due to flooding - no power, no access -evacuation by helicopter only and only if you were bleeding to death. Northeast brownout lost power & communications and had to secure sites for the duration of that out in the field.
Storms knock out power, if the bulk of your food needs cold storage how are you going to protect it or use it? My kitchen is electric, lost power last year, I grilled for 4 days in 40-degree weather. All out of the fridge. To use what I was unable to store in a cooler
What do you need to operate that if it stops working you need it fixed now? Got a HVAC that uses an odd belt? Get a backup.
So, the back of the truck has coveralls, cold weather gear, tools, a few replacement parts, jumper cables ect stable storage of water and food.
When I need something, I use the spare and order a replacement.
I am close to retirement, when I move, I am building my fortress of solitude, over engineered, over planned and overbuilt, independent sources of power and communication and storm and fire resistant. Yes, I will be able to survive the zombie apocalypse not planning on that specifically, but I am a disaster magnet.

 

[bushmechanic]

To the original poster look at it like this.
Be flexible, but pre plan and work the plan.
What is the threat? In the military I was taught to first analyze the treat address the greatest threat first. In some applications you can solve multiple problems with one solution. Growing up on the farm the well house would freeze, so no water for a heard of cows this is a big problem. Solved the problem by insulating the pipes, the walls and roof of the pump house, installing a insulated hatch and adding a heater controlled by a thermostat. Problem solved. Moms happy and the cows were happy as well.
I am a disaster magnet - name a disaster and I have probably been through it and because of my jobs at the time I could not evacuate, and I had to work through it.
Weather - Snow, flooding, drought, heat wave, hurricanes, tornados. Lived through them all.
(I have been snowed in 1 location for 7 days -I was on a 3-day business trip at the time)( flooding and stuck protecting a site for 7 days without relief due to flooding - no power, no access -evacuation by helicopter only and only if you were bleeding to death. Northeast brownout lost power & communications and had to secure sites for the duration of that out in the field.
Storms knock out power, if the bulk of your food needs cold storage how are you going to protect it or use it? My kitchen is electric, lost power last year, I grilled for 4 days in 40-degree weather. All out of the fridge. To use what I was unable to store in a cooler
What do you need to operate that if it stops working you need it fixed now? Got a HVAC that uses an odd belt? Get a backup.
So, the back of the truck has coveralls, cold weather gear, tools, a few replacement parts, jumper cables ect stable storage of water and food.
When I need something, I use the spare and order a replacement.
I am close to retirement, when I move, I am building my fortress of solitude, over engineered, over planned and overbuilt, independent sources of power and communication and storm and fire resistant. Yes, I will be able to survive the zombie apocalypse not planning on that specifically, but I am a disaster magnet.

But what about milk, bread, and eggs?

Everyone who's anyone knows that French toast is the key to survival.

 

[m6z]

I'm not a prepper by any means. I just hate shopping, so I usually buy multiples of anything I use on a regular basis. Nitrile gloves, paper goods, motor oil & filters, stuff like that. We tend to keep the pantry stocked as well, but with no backup generator I'm not going to stack deep any spoilable goods.

I would like to add a natural gas whole house generator to my place. Hopefully I'll have the money to do that in a year or so.

 

[larry_g]

I guess that we are the odd ones here. We have enough on hand most of the year to survive. Two freezers with meat and vegetables. A pantry that contains canned goods including meats, most home canned, We have Chickens so they provide eggs and meat if necessary. A few sheep for more meat if needed. A spring that provides water most of the year. Neighbor has a dairy farm so milk is not a problem. It's just the way we were raised as rural people. No running to town every 15 minutes for what ever.

In the shop I have enough supplies to fix most plumbing and electrical problems. If god forbid I run out of store bought paper towels I can use an old cloth rag. We can and have survived a couple of weeks without power and road access.

I assume that we are the polar opposite of those who eat most meals through the takeout window and have little to nothing at home. That includes two of my children and a nephew. Many a time we have had children needing help from mom's pantry.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[gearhead1]

I keep a basic amount of stuff on hand just so I don’t have to run to the store a bunch of times when I’m trying to get a project done. But I also think basic preparedness is a good idea for disasters. If the disaster is bad enough, what you have on hand is all you’re going to have.

*fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts, washers). Find a place to buy by the pound
*5 gallon fuel cans with non-ethanol fuel with Stabil, for generator. I also rotate it out by dumping in the car after a few months and put in fresh.
*Oil for the generator/chainsaw/etc
*Lumber scraps
*extra tarps or rolls of plastic in case of a roof leak (can take fender washers and screw down a tarp, lumber scraps are better than washers) can also use as temporary shelter
*generator (doesn’t have to be huge) with extra air cleaner, spark plug
*rags/shop towels
*rainwater or dirty water for washing nasty hands/waterless hand cleaner/and/or rubber gloves

Then there are things that are situational dependent:
Live where there’s snow, better have what you need for the snowblower

Live where there’s fires, might want to have respirators, maybe a water pump if you have a swimming pool or creek to wet down around the house

Live in tornado area, plywood/OSB to cover up a broken window with a charged battery operated saw to cut it.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere in the snow belt so we didn’t run to the store all the time. To each their own. I’m not a ‘prepper’ per se, but basic preparedness is common sense to me. If I know a big snow is coming, wouldn’t I want to ensure I had what I needed for the snowblower. If I knew I lived in an area ice storms are prevalent, wouldn’t I want to have fuel ready or have what I needed ready to be be able to mix fuel for the chainsaw and have fuel for the generator.

To me it has nothing to do with living an orderly life that can’t be disrupted by outside events. I know curve balls come. To me it’s about how well do you want to exist through the curve balls. Some of those curve balls aren’t just a one day event either, so it’s how long can you sustain. You can’t prepare for everything but basic preparedness can help for anything. People around here had no power for 3 weeks after Hurricane Fran. It hit in the summer and it was steamy hot afterwards. I don’t want to dehydrate and die because I had no water to drink and I’m not relying on the government or anyone else for my basic life subsistence. After Sandy hit, people in high rise buildings were dependent on someone else for everything. Their basic needs for survival depended on someone else. That’s a situation I do not want to be in. I am going to take care of myself and my family and I’m not letting my basic needs for survival to chance. I need the garage stuff to aid in that.

 

[gtsgarage]

I don’t blame preppers, I’d probably be more of one but my wife won’t go for it. She’s a good one.

I have basic supplies around paper products, generator, etc. but shop wise not really. I try to keep the truck gas tank full it would get me to my cabin if it all went to hell. I do have a ton of batteries. I love my flashlights and lots of batteries.

But me and my 12 gauge wouldn’t stand a chance if it really went south. Too many well armed folks out there that would take what they want.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I live in a big formerly industrial city (Detroit), with internet delivery of anything I need, so never had a need to stock up on anything, even in the depths of the pandemic,

Bill

My son has learn to "check Dad's garage" before going to the hardware store.

My motor oil supply is kind of low. Probably less than 3 gallons. Several oil filters.
I buy brake cleaner buy the case now. Bought a case of Fluid Film. That should last my lifetime.
I have a couple of gallons of coolant, but probably not the right type for any vehicles I currently own.
Some 14/2 NM-B, but no 12/2. Lots of low voltage wire, various sizes and colors. Electrical tape in COLOR ! Great for "highlighting" things (use on kids water bottles, etc).
Rakes (3 sizes), shovels (3 sizes), sledge hammer, ax, hand compacter, mattock, two snow blowers, two rototillers, 3 step ladders.

About the only thing I don't own is an extension ladder that will reach to the gutters on the second story. But based on recent events, I should NOT be doing that anyway !

 

[Dave455]

I wouldn’t consider myself a “prepper” particularly, but I listened to my parents and grandparents who had learned by experience that you need to be prepared.

My grandparents lived through two wars, the London blitz, rationing, and general shortages. So, they stockpiled basic stuff. Fuel for the car, spares while you can get them, and tinned food. My father always had backups for lighting and cooking. Didn’t need to be exotic. Battery lights, maybe some candles, Tilley lamps (a particularly British thing, but very effective) and a cooker that works on bottled gas. I do the same.

My own experiences have seen me unemployed twice, so I tend to stockpile many more things. Not just to cope with shortages, but also in case of unemployment.

Spare fuel, for sure. Consumables for my vehicles - oil, coolant, spark plugs, gaskets, brake parts, bearings etc. Also likely repair materials such as bulbs and hoses. Not only stuff for my vehicles, but also for other things with small engines - two stroke oil, chainsaw oil, spare chains etc.

I keep a lot of general stuff around - fuel hose, hose clips, electrical wire, fuses, heat shrink etc etc, and also lots of hardware - nuts, bolts, screws, sealants etc. I maintain two houses so include electrical fittings, plumbing spares, paint etc and also things such as drill sets and taps / dies.

The cost of this isn’t great. If life is normal then I’ve got the convenience of stuff to hand, but if there are any “situations” then I’m ready for those too. I can do a lot with a little, but nothing with nothing!

 

[PhantomEB]

IMHO, a man with a crossbow is a formidable opponent.

That’s why I have two, they are totally under the radar as far as Canadian gun laws stand. Even if they end up being needed to register, only my friends know I have them, so I may never declare them.

 

[PhantomEB]

This fall I have stocked up on charcoal briquettes, windshield washer juice and propane.

 

[WisJim]

I guess that we are the odd ones here. We have enough on hand most of the year to survive.

I'm with Larry. We have well and septic, and wind and solar electric with about 3 days battery backup, wood heat, garden space and experience to provide most of what we eat year around. Back in the 1970s we experienced power loss for a week due to March ice storm near Madison, WI, and decided that we were not going to depend on others if we didn't need to. But having good neighbors is a big advantage too.

 

[gearhead1]

I'm with Larry. We have well and septic, and wind and solar electric with about 3 days battery backup, wood heat, garden space and experience to provide most of what we eat year around. Back in the 1970s we experienced power loss for a week due to March ice storm near Madison, WI, and decided that we were not going to depend on others if we didn't need to. But having good neighbors is a big advantage too.

I was in PA and remember the winter storm of 1978. What you had was all that you were going to have for a while. My Dad grew up during the depression, we had wood heat and a ton of canned goods in the basement. Basics always came first.

 

[gearhead1]

That’s why I have two, they are totally under the radar as far as Canadian gun laws stand. Even if they end up being needed to register, only my friends know I have them, so I may never declare them.

Not telling you what to do, but I would NEVER declare them. That’s a tool that can be used for many things, including getting something to eat. Hope things never get that bad. My Dad grew up during the depression, hunting was done for basic survival.

 

[kaymccampbell]

After October 1st, I keep the cars and gas cans full. The freezer stocked with a bit extra. Plenty of canned goods. Two tanks of propane for the grill. A few buckets of water. The path to the woodshed clear, and the little woodbins full. That's about as prepper as I get. We have power outages throughout the fall and winter, and I enjoy "roughing it" for a few days to a week.

 

[sberry]

I keep the gas tanks full and the batteries charged. Can make power if I need to but I aint doing oil changes if we are down and out.

 

[gearhead1]

I keep the gas tanks full and the batteries charged. Can make power if I need to but I aint doing oil changes if we are down and out.

I think people mean on the generator. It won’t take long to hit the change interval if the generator is being run a lot.

 

[dcg9381]

But what about the garage/shop?

For COVID I did the following:

1. Buy up 4 VP Racing fuel jugs for both gasoline and diesel. That gave me about 20 gal of each. Stabil was put in both. It would be enough to get back and forth to my other property which was a concern early in the virus.

2. Consumables. Bought a bunch of oil from costco for both generators, spare spark plugs too.

3. Shop supplies - blue Scott towels, extra spray lubricants used for cleaning guns and parts.

When covid hit, we bailed on our condo and moved into the shop, which wasn't quite ready.. Our prepping was finishing getting the water collection system up to 15,000 gallons, adding filtration and UV, providing a way to power the whole thing up on a grid failure. We bought 2 - 100 lb propane tanks, have 50 gallons of non-ethonal gas on hand, 10 gallons of diesel, a propane fridge, residential fridge, small tankless water heater, and added space for dry food. Got the gun safes installed. I have 3 generators on hand, 2 are dual-fuel and can be linked.

I subsequently figured out that the 2 linked generators won't do 240v.
Note the water system is really primary for a future residence, so I'm not completely prepper nuts...

I also found that roll-up doors in any sort of wind can make it very hard to sleep.. But we've been here about 9 months now.

 

[PhantomEB]

Not telling you what to do, but I would NEVER declare them. That’s a tool that can be used for many things, including getting something to eat. Hope things never get that bad. My Dad grew up during the depression, hunting was done for basic survival.

No worries there. I have begun my automated lit up ‘armoury’ under the stairs. Will have motion sensed LED pot lights behind a steel lined solid wood half door. So far I ain’t seen half doors so I am planning to cut the top half off and trim the bottom to fit so the knob is around normal height.

Once we really get the basement set up i want to get an apartment sized fridge and a second freezer.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I didn't really do anything out of the ordinary this year even with Covid, but I've always carried my preps over into the garage and vehicles as well as the house.

I always have at least one extra of all common parts on hand: spark plugs, all different belts, etc. One extra can of each lubricant or whatever chemicals I use. Even in good times, it'll save you the hassle when you run out of something on a late Saturday night.

A few 5 gallon jugs each of gas (generators/vehicles) and kerosene (backup heat for house/garage).

I keep the vehicle stocked with basic tools, wire, connectors, tire plug kit, all the basic stuff I might need to make a roadside repair.

Overall, I keep just enough extra of what we need, and we use and rotate through our preps. When you've acquired more than you need or will ever use (ahem, some of my family) then you've crossed from "prepper" into "hoarder."

 

[PhantomEB]

I need to grab several jugs of 5w20 and 10w30 synthetics as that’s what most of my fleet runs. Then 6 packs of filters for each engine in the fleet.

 

[gearhead1]

No worries there. I have begun my automated lit up ‘armoury’ under the stairs. Will have motion sensed LED pot lights behind a steel lined solid wood half door. So far I ain’t seen half doors so I am planning to cut the top half off and trim the bottom to fit so the knob is around normal height.

Once we really get the basement set up i want to get an apartment sized fridge and a second freezer.

That’s awesome!

 

[engineer2]

A news article said that oil prices may go way up this winter and perhaps double by next year (if you can believe that).
Might be a good time to stock up on motor oil while it's still reasonable.