Still working on re-organizng,re-arranging, and re-evaluating the mountain of things I have in storage. Its a slow and laborious project but it needs to get done. Its also sort of a de facto way of inspecting pretty much everything I have.
Im kinda tired at the end of the workday, so Im not terribly likely to spend my weekday evenings doing this sort of thing, so that leaves just weekends. Thing is, weekends are when I have to do all the things I’ve been blowing off all week. So…weekends wind up being dang busy.
As I’m moving stuff around and re-arranging, I’m also finding things that are probably ready for retirement and replacement. For example, packets of batteries from ten years ago, bottled water from five years ago, things like that.
Its a pain in the ass, doing all of this, but I’m getting some satisfaction about my levels of preparedness in various departments. I’m also keeping an eye towards the quantities I have so I can determine what is and is not ready to be halved and shuttled when I finally get the Chunk O’ Nowhere in my portfolio.
Hows that coming, by the way? Slow. I am learning very quickly that western Montana is expensive, and eastern Montana is, comparatively, quite cheap. There are places in eastern Montana where I can get 160 acres for the same amount of money 20 acres costs me here. Problem is, eastern Montana is pretty flat, featureless, and open. I’m looking for something with a bit more features than what is essentially a grassy parking lot. But…I’m in no tremendous hurry. I’d really like to get the ball rolling on this in this year, but the longer I wait the more money I have to put towards the purchase, which translates into more options. But…I also dont want to wait so long that when I finally get what I want I’m too old to enjoy it and play with it. So, like everything else in life, the trick is timing.
In the meanwhile, though, I’m still working on getting what I already have more organized and ready. But, boy, when it’s time to split all this up and move half to the Beta Site it’s gonna be quite the adventure.
I need to do what you are doing. I’m semi-organized but I’ve got stuff stored in three different locations. I need to put like stuff together and know exactly what is in each location. Time consuming and the weather needs to be better.
I’ve got my 40 acres, orchard, garden, water source and I know my neighbors. But I’m in (rural) California and visible from a state roadway. Not ideal but I’m staying where I am. It will be fine until it isn’t. Until then, I prep and enjoy each day. I live in a beautiful place and I’m happy.
Thank you for your blog, I learn a lot from you.
Last nght, I scheduled some time to burn old bills – bank statements -credit car to remove the threat of trash retrieval. Could not find a lighter, so I broke into an package of nine year old BICS.. Package of 5 lighters – NOT A SINGLE ONE WORKED. Sparks yes but butane must have leaked out. I have packages older than this and will likely find the same. Bummer.
Yep. I don’t rely on such lighters for any survival application because of this. I’ve had them go bad in less than a year, in original factory packaging.
So, I’ve got Zippos in my survival stores, hoping I’ll be able to find some suitable liquid fuel (gas, diesel, avgas, jet fuel, naptha, turps, all sorts of things will work to a degree).
Ronsonol will keep flammable for a long time. In our office, and old bottle kept from years back will still light easily. I gave up smoking in Spring ’98 (smoked Camel Filters for 20+ years) and still have a few Zippos from that time. I should look those up and see if they still work.
Rotate stock. FIFO to start with. I started Bic storage about 6 years ago. Every year I add 2 5packs to the stash and sell 2 packs to a buddy who smokes.
I pick up a few bbq lighters every year for the stash. I also have a few refillable ones and a few cans of butane.
For lighting outdoor fires I use a propane torch. Works well for lighting the woodstove in an icy hunt camp too. I have at least 8 of these acquired over the years, But I mainly use a push button igniter one I bought for plumbing years ago.
I never say no to the flint sparkers if I see them at a yard or estate sale.
I have my Dads old Zippo and a few others I bought over the years. Unless you use them daily or plan on a Zippo Raid and keep them topped up. Count on them being dry when you need them. Don’t use Ronson flints in your Zippo. they can stick like a bitch. Other tip is Bic flints from dead lighters work in a Zippo. And Zippo and Bic flints work well in Coleman lantern sparkers.
CZ, I know how you feel. My home is OK, but I’d rather be further out in the country, although I’m in a rural location now. There are a couple of improvements I need to make before selling (gravel for the driveway, septic system repairs) to get full value. I hope to do those this year.
The thing is, I turned 60 in February. I’m not in a condition where I expect to be decrepit in the near future, but I do know that time is an ever-more-rapidly dwindling resource.
Precisely. I wanna get my piece of dirt before Im too old to spend a day out with an axe, shovel, hammer, or ladder.
Yeah, at 59 I’m really feeling it when I have to do something at my BOL. Crawling around in the attic pulling electrical wiring, shoveling dirt for the garden, or even planting apple trees, these are not the simple activities they once were.
Some can be made up with purchased labor, some can benefit from mechanical aids… if you own any amount of land, you probably need a small tractor or skid steer with some attachments. Or a quad.
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as for dividing the stacks in half… which place gets the newer stuff? Which place gets the unique items? Is half really enough??? I’ve found it very hard to be satisfied with stocking levels until they are BOTH at fully stocked.
And FWIW, my decision was to put the newer stuff at the BOL as the rate of use is much lower there than here, so it needs to remain viable for longer. All the duplicate and triplicate (or more) items I’ve been stacking have finally been distributed to both places. (well, not ALL, it’s still a work in progress.)
I’ve tried to avoid putting the used, or worn out, or secondary/backup gear at the BOL. Keep some of that at both places, because you don’t want all your first tier stuff at the place you have to leave, or at the place you can’t get too…
It’s a dilemma and a balancing act. And it takes more time than you’d think.
Get started soon!
nick
How is your market doing? I know that some parts of the country have prices rising faster than savings so it’s best to move now.
We’re in an ok place. I’d like to be in a better one, but I need to find a job there first and that’s been slow.
When I make my runs at either organization or upkeep, I try to tag items with an inventory tag. If it is in a case, I throw in an index card dated with last used or inspected date, maybe with last maintenance performed. My mentor taught me to cut up milk jugs for durable tags that can be ziptied to other equipment for the same purpose. Generic p touch label cartridges are much cheaper and I see no difference.
The Missouri breaks country is not flat. Neither are the Little Rockies. Not sure what’s available and for how much, but it’s not flat. On the other hand, they are not near anywhere that you are likely to find a good job.
I had researched moving to Northwest Montana years ago. I would look around Paradise, or anywhere in that valley as it has mild winters and moderate summer highs. With mountains on three sides and not to far for a city for major shopping for whatever/
1) It’s time well-spent.
2) It will make a small problem easy, and in a major problem, it could be life-saving.
3) When it’s all said and done, the move is liable to be something you can handle like a household move, or in a dozen or less van- or box-truck trips.
(If you have more than that, you should focus on finding the tribe to go with it all.)
Pro-tip: Have a place for everything before you move it, so it can go right into its appointed slot, and you’re not working hip-deep in debris.
BTDTGTTS.
Good points all around. I suspect that any move will take less than a dozen trips in my vehicle, less if I have my buddies help out.
Have you found many fun toys you had forgotten about?