camp « Robin Writes

I covered food and water storage a few weeks ago, and today I’m going to give you a list of more basics to start prepping:

Skill sets

Clothing

Heat

Communication

Transportation

Medical supplies/medicine

Entertainment

Defense

Let’s start with clothing. See, a lot of people think of downsizing and plan to live off-grid or homestead or just prepare for an emergency, and this is where you can get tripped up: that downsizing bit.

We’ve all read articles about cleaning out your closet, how to choose things you don’t wear, how to keep from buying more “stuff.” But some of that “stuff” can really come in handy in a prepping situation.

I know you replace towels and blankets and things like that every so often; you either change your color scheme or they wear out or fade. But imagine this: it’s cold, the heat is out, and you’re shivering, wishing you had just one more blanket.

Or someone has been injured and you need a towel to apply pressure or clean up a mess. Most of us will be thinking, “Oh, no, I am NOT using that new blanket for THIS!” In spite of an emergency, we’re still wired to think like civilized people, right?

You can change that mindset, but it won’t be pretty. Assign a tub for all your cast-offs.

Same thing goes for clothing, but with a twist. You can use old clothing for messy projects, sure, but you can also use it for spare parts, so to speak. Zippers, buttons, extra material, repurposing. Bandages or wound care. Bedding. The list is pretty extensive.

For long-range emergencies or SHTF, you’re going to want those old clothes for any number of uses; not to mention the possible impossibility of replacing clothing as it becomes worn out. Think about it: what if you can’t run to the mall to get a new pair of jeans? No mall, no money, no transportation, no time.

Assign another tub for old clothes; admit it, a lot of these can be repaired in the first place.

That’s why you should buy the best you can afford, for the long haul, whether it’s equipment or clothing or properly packaged food supplies.

And that’s why you need to learn or practice your skill sets.

I’ve kept you all entertained, or something, the last ten months, with the house remodel. I’m happy to say that we’ve reached the end!

Almost.

We’re still mulling over the bathroom, particularly the shower, which means we haven’t yet tiled the floor. Or finished the baseboards or doorframe in there. And the dungeon, aka the lean-to, still needs some work, mostly cleaning and some repairs.

Or knocking it over and starting from scratch.

Oh, and the kitchen backsplash. Well, there’s a giant PITA.

Fortunately, there’s an upside: if you don’t look up, you won’t notice. Much like the rest of the house, if you deliberately look anywhere besides the booboos, it’s all looks great! And that, my friends, is due to my husband—the booboos are mine, I admit it, I kinda stink at this stuff.

But truthfully, we’re move-in ready. And it’s starting to look more like a home and a lot less like a construction zone:

In fact, during this past work session, we’ve been out in the woods building a campsite:

See, I love to camp! Now, living in the woods is awesome, but sometimes I want to sleep in a tent and cook over a fire. So, the campsite. In fact, our third annual campout is in March—yes, sometimes it sleets—and we need to be ready.

The outhouse is in pieces in the barn yet, under construction, and the kitchen shelter itself is somewhat imaginary, although if you look closely at the picture, you can see the string outline. Those are both waiting for at least 55 degrees, and will be followed by a small shower house some time in late spring or early summer.

In the meantime, I’m searching for a smaller, more wintery tent . . .