Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Hmmm…new Major Surplus catalog showed up today and theres some good deals to be had…as opposed to the usual 35 pages of crap they offer.

Very good deal on battle dressings, rolled gauze, elastic bandages and a buncha other first aid gear. Although I have enough first aid gear for myself and the immediate group of LMIs, it might be nice to have plenty of extra for offsite caching and in case I decide to feel generous and help the sheeple.

Also some good deals on winter clothes including the usual olive watchcaps that I never seem to have enough of.

Today im going to sit my armored ass down and work on spreadsheet lists of things to buy. Resource management is the biggest skill/talent any would-be post-apocalyptic hero can have. Simply put, you’ve a limited amount of resources ($$$) and you need to make the most of them and that means *smart* purchasing. Hence, a spreadsheet with everything listed, prioritized, price shopped, etc.
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That reminds me, I need razor ribbon. (adds to spreadsheet)
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Man, I love eBay. Love it, love it, love it. The truly odd military stuff that you cant find anywhere else is there on eBay.
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Wal-Mart has 5-gallon plastic gas containers on sale for $4.50 ea. (And, bonus!, theyre made in the US!) I want metal ones but a few plastic ones will be usefull, not for long term storage but for temporary storage and for riding around in the back of a truck without scuffing the paint. And, at 2/$9.oo why not?
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Still having my love affair with Idahoan flavored instant potatoes. I have half of one package (one cup) when I get home at midnight after walking half a mile in 7 degree weather. Yummy. And, oddly, rather satisfying. I really like this particular food product.
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Looks like the economy may be getting better. Changes nothing for the Commander, though. All it means is that pricing of gear may go up since more people will have the money to spend on it. On the other hand, if gold starts to drop a bit I’ll pick up some more.
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Cold today. The flectar surplus parka and liner are fantastic though…best $18 I ever spent.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Today im going to sit my armored ass down and work on spreadsheet lists of things to buy. Resource management is the biggest skill/talent any would-be post-apocalyptic hero can have. Simply put, you’ve a limited amount of resources ($$$) and you need to make the most of them and that means *smart* purchasing. Hence, a spreadsheet with everything listed, prioritized, price shopped, etc.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
That reminds me, I need razor ribbon. (adds to spreadsheet)
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Man, I love eBay. Love it, love it, love it. The truly odd military stuff that you cant find anywhere else is there on eBay.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Wal-Mart has 5-gallon plastic gas containers on sale for $4.50 ea. (And, bonus!, theyre made in the US!) I want metal ones but a few plastic ones will be usefull, not for long term storage but for temporary storage and for riding around in the back of a truck without scuffing the paint. And, at 2/$9.oo why not?
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Still having my love affair with Idahoan flavored instant potatoes. I have half of one package (one cup) when I get home at midnight after walking half a mile in 7 degree weather. Yummy. And, oddly, rather satisfying. I really like this particular food product.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Looks like the economy may be getting better. Changes nothing for the Commander, though. All it means is that pricing of gear may go up since more people will have the money to spend on it. On the other hand, if gold starts to drop a bit I’ll pick up some more.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Cold today. The flectar surplus parka and liner are fantastic though…best $18 I ever spent.

As it turns out, Wal-Mart had a lower price on the Idahoan potatoes I liked so I’ll be getting a bunch from there, putting the individual packages into a plastic box to protect them, and add them to the stockpile. Im quite pleased….
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I’ve been slacking on keeping track of inventory. I need to sit down with the laptop and go over the spreadsheets of whats what. On the other hand, the spreadsheet of tings to buy is progressing nicely, albeit expensively. Its amazing how one item can require so much support material. For instance, lets say I wanna keep a few gallons of gasoline on hand for that sudden panicked rush to safety,easy enough until you start thinking of everything (and this isnt even a complete list) of what you need to achieve that goal….the list looks like this:
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can, rack
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can, nozzle
Fuel, Gasoline, Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer
Fuel, Gasoline, Fire Extinguisher
etc, etc….and that doesnt include the quantities of each. Then theres the logistics involved in handling the materials (whenever handling gasoline a fire extinguisher must be within reach at all times, the area is to be inspected prior for ignition sources, etc, etc.) But at the same time, it saves alot of effort and money in the long run. Ideally. I hope.
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Was in Wal-mart yesterday and on a whim picked up two 550-rd boxes of .22LR ammo. $18 for 1100 rounds. Really, why wouldnt you buy a box or two every trip at that price? When people need ammo it’ll be worth its weight in silver. Literally.
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Still working on post-apocalyptic menu planning. So far I can guarantee a decent breakfast, a light but filling lunch, but dinner is tough..dont want it to be the same as lunch. Needs variety. Breakfast is a walk in the park though:
– Fruit cup of mixed fruit, peaches, or pears.
– Beverage of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, low-fat milk, orange drink (Tang)
– Cereal of either grits, oatmeal, cornmeal mush or cream of wheat
– Bread product from stored wheat
– Honey, jam, jelly, sugar, creamer, salt to taste
– Hash browns (from dehydrated)
– Small steak or other meat as available.
Even without the meat, its still clocking in at around 650 calories which is around 1/3 of the RDA. Nutritionally, it could use some work but using vitamin enriched cereals will help. The fruit and orange drink handle the vitamin C needs pretty well, though. Theres ‘shelf’ bacon available but the price and reltively short shelf life of a year is prohibitive. I’ve also got #10 cans of the Mountain House freeze dried eggs-n-bacon but Im not factoring that in in this example. However it beats the hell out of the MRE omlettes….

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

As it turns out, Wal-Mart had a lower price on the Idahoan potatoes I liked so I’ll be getting a bunch from there, putting the individual packages into a plastic box to protect them, and add them to the stockpile. Im quite pleased….
———–
I’ve been slacking on keeping track of inventory. I need to sit down with the laptop and go over the spreadsheets of whats what. On the other hand, the spreadsheet of tings to buy is progressing nicely, albeit expensively. Its amazing how one item can require so much support material. For instance, lets say I wanna keep a few gallons of gasoline on hand for that sudden panicked rush to safety,easy enough until you start thinking of everything (and this isnt even a complete list) of what you need to achieve that goal….the list looks like this:
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can, rack
Fuel, Gasoline, 5-gallon can, nozzle
Fuel, Gasoline, Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer
Fuel, Gasoline, Fire Extinguisher
etc, etc….and that doesnt include the quantities of each. Then theres the logistics involved in handling the materials (whenever handling gasoline a fire extinguisher must be within reach at all times, the area is to be inspected prior for ignition sources, etc, etc.) But at the same time, it saves alot of effort and money in the long run. Ideally. I hope.
————-
Was in Wal-mart yesterday and on a whim picked up two 550-rd boxes of .22LR ammo. $18 for 1100 rounds. Really, why wouldnt you buy a box or two every trip at that price? When people need ammo it’ll be worth its weight in silver. Literally.
————-
Still working on post-apocalyptic menu planning. So far I can guarantee a decent breakfast, a light but filling lunch, but dinner is tough..dont want it to be the same as lunch. Needs variety. Breakfast is a walk in the park though:
– Fruit cup of mixed fruit, peaches, or pears.
– Beverage of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, low-fat milk, orange drink (Tang)
– Cereal of either grits, oatmeal, cornmeal mush or cream of wheat
– Bread product from stored wheat
– Honey, jam, jelly, sugar, creamer, salt to taste
– Hash browns (from dehydrated)
– Small steak or other meat as available.
Even without the meat, its still clocking in at around 650 calories which is around 1/3 of the RDA. Nutritionally, it could use some work but using vitamin enriched cereals will help. The fruit and orange drink handle the vitamin C needs pretty well, though. Theres ’shelf’ bacon available but the price and reltively short shelf life of a year is prohibitive. I’ve also got #10 cans of the Mountain House freeze dried eggs-n-bacon but Im not factoring that in in this example. However it beats the hell out of the MRE omlettes….

Every morning is the same for the Zero – get up, turn on the TV, check all stations for ‘special reports’, turn off TV, get dressed. Fairly routine.

Leading a dual life isnt as easy as I thought it would be. That isnt to say that being Commander Zero and being Joe SomewhatAverage are exclusive, its just that some parts of it are easier to manage. Basically, I dont mind *you* knowing that I’m Commander Zero, its my neighbors and certain friends I have a problem knowing about it. Why? Well, how would you feel if you looked out your window and saw your neighbor shuttling cases of ammo and MRE’s into his house from a pickup truck full of the things? Sets off a few bells, don’t it? When the power goes out or the looting starts guys like us are ‘wow, Im glad youre here’ but during normal times we’re ‘he’s one of those surivival freaks’.

On the other hand, there isnt much in my normal life Im low-key about anyway. But, for some reason, theres such a perjorative association with the term ‘survivalism’ (which is why I prefer the term ‘preparedness’) that its always a reluctant thing to let others know about it.

So, out of curiousity, how many people know about how heavily Commander Zero is prepared for..whatever? Uhm…locally, maybe 4. And three of those are LMI’s.

I dont mind sharing all this with the relatively anonymous audience that the internet provides…thats why I can have LJ, the website, etc, and not feel that Im giving away secrets. Of course, I should probably remove some of the evidence from my living room so that the casual visitor doesnt suspect anything..right now my shelves read like a library of survivalist books and theres all sorts of related materials laying around…..

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Every morning is the same for the Zero – get up, turn on the TV, check all stations for ’special reports’, turn off TV, get dressed. Fairly routine.

Leading a dual life isnt as easy as I thought it would be. That isnt to say that being Commander Zero and being Joe SomewhatAverage are exclusive, its just that some parts of it are easier to manage. Basically, I dont mind *you* knowing that I’m Commander Zero, its my neighbors and certain friends I have a problem knowing about it. Why? Well, how would you feel if you looked out your window and saw your neighbor shuttling cases of ammo and MRE’s into his house from a pickup truck full of the things? Sets off a few bells, don’t it? When the power goes out or the looting starts guys like us are ‘wow, Im glad youre here’ but during normal times we’re ‘he’s one of those surivival freaks’.

On the other hand, there isnt much in my normal life Im low-key about anyway. But, for some reason, theres such a perjorative association with the term ’survivalism’ (which is why I prefer the term ‘preparedness’) that its always a reluctant thing to let others know about it.

So, out of curiousity, how many people know about how heavily Commander Zero is prepared for..whatever? Uhm…locally, maybe 4. And three of those are LMI’s.

I dont mind sharing all this with the relatively anonymous audience that the internet provides…thats why I can have LJ, the website, etc, and not feel that Im giving away secrets. Of course, I should probably remove some of the evidence from my living room so that the casual visitor doesnt suspect anything..right now my shelves read like a library of survivalist books and theres all sorts of related materials laying around…..

One of the problems with bunkerfood is that it either tastes lousy or requires reconstituion using perishables (milk, butter, etc). In a perfect world you’d have a food that tastes great and requires nothing except water.

Behold!

Now, Idahoan potatoes are pretty much a staple of any well-stocked bunker. Big drawback is that they require milk and butter to reconstitute. Sure, you can use instant milk and dehydrated butter but it aint gonna taste the same. Well, as it turns out they have several products that do NOT require butter or milk. Simply pour a pouch of potato granules into a bowl, add two cups of boiling water, stir, wait one minute and *presto*.

How good could this be?

Damn good. I mean, really good. Like, eat it every day even if theres no apocalypse good. Thats right – bunkerfood you’ll wanna eat every day.

kitiara mentioned this product to me and I found some in my local Albertsons. $1.20 for a four ounce sealed package that makes 4 servings. (Really, two servings…after a day of rebuilding society and manning a security point you get hungry.) So I tried the ‘Buttery homestyle’ flavor last night. Literally, it was as simple as the directions said – two cups boiling water to a bowl of this stuff, wait one minute and eat. And it was delicious! A little creamier and smoother than I prefer but thats easily taken care of with using a bit less water. Great buttery taste and no need for additional salt.

I was extremely impressed. I mean, really impressed. So impressed that these suckers are going into the bunker as soon as I locate a #10 can of them. I called Idahoan to ask about this product. My questions:

Q: How di I read the product date code? (In this case: 3246YDM4) Seemed it would be Year/Date/Month [YDM, get it?])
A: Julian code – year first, then date, then month.

Q: Whats the shelf life of the product?
A: We recommend using it within one year of that date.
Q: Okay, I understand thats the official line..between you and me, what? Two years? Four years? Im trying to stock a bunker here.
A: Well, I’ve had some a year and a half old and they tasted fine. It depends on the ingredients..the flavored ones use ingredients for flavoring that may not last as long. On the regular unflavored mashed potatoes its [indefinite].

Q: The normal Idahoan requires milk and butter. These flavored ones dont. Do you have the regular Idahoan that doesnt require milk or butter?
A: Yes, thats product #00142, ‘Real Premium Mashed’

Q: Outstanding. Is that available in the #10 cans?
A: You’d have to contact our food service division at Nestle.

Seriously, kids…this is some good stuff. I tried the Buttery homestyle and loved em. Gonna try the herbed ones tonight and try frying them as potato patties/latkes. Current packaging is a cardboard box with wax paper bag (like breakfast cereal) or a 4 oz. paper package. Neither one lends itself to the rough-n-tumble lifestyle of your average LMI but Im going to see if I cant hunt down some #10 cans (I love #10 cans!!!!). Worst case, I could simply store/transport them in 5-gal buckets.

Man, that was yummy. And can be made using an alcohol burner and a canteen cup. Perfect!!!

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

One of the problems with bunkerfood is that it either tastes lousy or requires reconstituion using perishables (milk, butter, etc). In a perfect world you’d have a food that tastes great and requires nothing except water.

Behold!

Now, Idahoan potatoes are pretty much a staple of any well-stocked bunker. Big drawback is that they require milk and butter to reconstitute. Sure, you can use instant milk and dehydrated butter but it aint gonna taste the same. Well, as it turns out they have several products that do NOT require butter or milk. Simply pour a pouch of potato granules into a bowl, add two cups of boiling water, stir, wait one minute and *presto*.

How good could this be?

Damn good. I mean, really good. Like, eat it every day even if theres no apocalypse good. Thats right – bunkerfood you’ll wanna eat every day.

mentioned this product to me and I found some in my local Albertsons. $1.20 for a four ounce sealed package that makes 4 servings. (Really, two servings…after a day of rebuilding society and manning a security point you get hungry.) So I tried the ‘Buttery homestyle’ flavor last night. Literally, it was as simple as the directions said – two cups boiling water to a bowl of this stuff, wait one minute and eat. And it was delicious! A little creamier and smoother than I prefer but thats easily taken care of with using a bit less water. Great buttery taste and no need for additional salt.

I was extremely impressed. I mean, really impressed. So impressed that these suckers are going into the bunker as soon as I locate a #10 can of them. I called Idahoan to ask about this product. My questions:

Q: How di I read the product date code? (In this case: 3246YDM4) Seemed it would be Year/Date/Month [YDM, get it?])
A: Julian code – year first, then date, then month.

Q: Whats the shelf life of the product?
A: We recommend using it within one year of that date.
Q: Okay, I understand thats the official line..between you and me, what? Two years? Four years? Im trying to stock a bunker here.
A: Well, I’ve had some a year and a half old and they tasted fine. It depends on the ingredients..the flavored ones use ingredients for flavoring that may not last as long. On the regular unflavored mashed potatoes its [indefinite].

Q: The normal Idahoan requires milk and butter. These flavored ones dont. Do you have the regular Idahoan that doesnt require milk or butter?
A: Yes, thats product #00142, ‘Real Premium Mashed’

Q: Outstanding. Is that available in the #10 cans?
A: You’d have to contact our food service division at Nestle.

Seriously, kids…this is some good stuff. I tried the Buttery homestyle and loved em. Gonna try the herbed ones tonight and try frying them as potato patties/latkes. Current packaging is a cardboard box with wax paper bag (like breakfast cereal) or a 4 oz. paper package. Neither one lends itself to the rough-n-tumble lifestyle of your average LMI but Im going to see if I cant hunt down some #10 cans (I love #10 cans!!!!). Worst case, I could simply store/transport them in 5-gal buckets.

Man, that was yummy. And can be made using an alcohol burner and a canteen cup. Perfect!!!

I really need to sit down with Excel and whip out some solid spreadsheets listing things to buy, prices, costs per use, etc. and start making my purchases much more organized and regimented.

It also occurred to me that for $10 for 550 rounds of .22LR ammo I really should have a bit more of it than the lousy 5,000 rounds I have on hand at the moment.

Speaking of .22 , I really do need to look into picking up a Ruger MkII and a nice bolt action rifle.