Not much change going on here. I’m still working my way down the Preponomicon, bringing up the various levels of items that I want to keep onhand at all times. Most of which are food. Because I’m doing more food shopping these days I am more observant of conditions at various retail food outlets. Local grocery stores, for example, are pretty much back to pre-panic stock levels. Walmart, though, surprises me and seems to continuously look like a going-out-of-business sale in their food departments. Oh, fresh vegetables and meats are there, but the boxed/jarred/canned products are hit-n-miss. I would have thought that with WalMarts tremendous logistics capacity they would have no trouble keeping things on the shelf. But, someone pointed out to me that it is quite possible that WalMart is allocating things to larger, more hard-hit markets. Four of the five pallets of pasta destined for Montana may have been rerouted to Denver…or Sacramento..or Chicago. I can see that…seems reasonable.
So I hit two or three other supermarkets to round out the holes in my list. Honestly, I enjoy walking up and down the aisles. I almost never fail to discover products I didn’t know existed. You know, when I first started getting serious about keeping food on hand there were not a lot of options. Nowadays there are tons of ‘retort pouch’-ed products and shelf-stable foods that were only a dream two decades ago.
The more astute and label-checking of you will notice that virtually all of those foods have something in common: salt and fat. It seems like every online discussion of long-term food gets someone chiming in with “Thats way too much sodium!”. May be. But, in the post-apocalypse world you’re gonna be sweating a lot and replacing that salt will be a big deal. (See the middle third of ‘Alas Babylon’.) But , most importantly, it beats starving. You have high blood pressure and are therefore avoiding salt? Ok. I’ll bet that alot of people who have high blood pressure are going to have lower blood pressure after the weight loss and exercise that comes with living through an apocalypse. Not all, but I bet most.
So, I’ve got an updated version of the Preponomicon sitting in my phone and I wander the aisles, like Diogenes with his lamp, looking for an honest bargain. At the moment, all I’m after is to get everything on my list into the green.
And, as I keep telling you guys, the little TEOTWAWKI events will far outnumber the large ones. Job loss, medical emergency, etc, etc, will occur far more frequently than nuclear wars and asteroid collisions. Heck, some of you guys right now are experiencing job loss or reduced hours due to the Current Situation. Which is proving to be more useful…the money in the back or the M855 in the basement? Obviously, we want both but practically we should probably concentrate on the former harder than the latter.
But, as the kids say, you do you and I’ll do me. For me, I’ve already got gobs of guns, ammo, fuel, and that sort of thing on hand. Right now my focus is on the day-to-day stuff and getting cash (or cash-like instruments) tucked away.
Cash-like instrument – a couple of multi-tools I think are worth the cost. Especially when purchased used (but still intact). A multi-tool carried in pocket can do a lot of tasks ‘right now’ vs. finding the proper tool and coming back to accomplish it. My Leatherman sees use every day. Doesn’t require the ‘kitchen sink’ volume of tools, save carrying weight and less bulk. The original PST and the later Kick get a lot done and stay out of the way until needed.
However, never pass on a super discounted deal in long term items.
ie, dropped major $$ on an ammo deal last week / 40% of wholesale on premium
high grade calibers. Remember: you make your money when you buy.
Our local Walmart has had empty food shelves for the past year or so – never have figured out what’s going on. Last fall I couldn’t even get sugar-free jello – had to buy it at a different store when I went to Spokane. What’s available & what isn’t is odd. My husband’s favorite canned beans comes only in the large can now, instead of the smaller can. My favorite hand soaps (not anti-bacterial) have been unavailable since February.
I buy my meat & produce at a different store with better quality. They had some shortages & limits for a while, but now things are pretty much back to normal. A few items are higher priced, but there are still sales going on for others.
No salt is a big deal. Back in the day, it was so valuable the people that lived inland would be paid in salt which is where the word salary comes from. Poor performers were ‘not worth their salt’.
Working construction here in the hot desert southwest, we put power lines back up after summer storms all day and night. Pretty much have plenty of water and drink constantly in the 100+ degree heat. One of the toughest guys I ever knew hit the deck one night in full blown muscle cramps, couldn’t move and was in a lot of pain (screaming).
Turns out he had washed all the sodium out of his body and it could have killed him had he not gotten medical attention i.e. sodium delivered by IV at the hospital. In a critical situation losing people could mean the difference between winning and losing.
Practice fundamentals and the complicated stuff will be easier. Keep up the good work CZ.
Jimbo you are absolutely right. I have seen tough infantryman on their backs from not having enough salt and H2O. It is definitely no joke about salt.
In the non-fiction book ‘Bravo Two-Zero’ British Commandos were inserted into Iraq to find and destroy SCUD missile sites (the operation turned to shit pretty quickly) I remember the platoon leader instructing the troops to eat and drink something every two hours, even during an active fire fight. Seems like a good idea. Got to keep fuel in the tank and not get over-heated.
You may be interested in Oral Rehydration Salts. Four times more electrolytes than gatorade. They were designed to rehydrate cholera patients and work wonders for when you are fatigued from the sun or sweating. They come in packets that mix into a liter.
The problem is imbalance of sodium/potassium then dehydration. Steel mills used to supply salt pills to workers in hot areas (2500F coke ovens)
Sorry, can’t resist:
Coffee Is For Cachers
“Not all who wander are lost. They’re just looking for COFFEE”.
Hurricane season just kicked off down here and we have a TS coming into the gulf by Sat., all the recent tracking maps have it coming inland in my backyard. We’ve been cycling through supplies making sure the oldest stuff is out front to be used first and fill any holes we may have. Nothing much will come from this little weather front but it’s a good practice run to debug the system……
Oh and pasta is still hard to find here as well, weird huh…..
Wal-Mart has a number of “No Salt Added” canned goods, including beans, for anyone looking for them.
Something else to consider content wise – fruit canned in heavy syrup vs the lite / juice/ Splenda. The heavy stuff will provide a LOT more energy than the other canning mediums. I do stock some 100% juice canned but 90% is good ol sticky goodness for cobblers, pies etc.
Regards
Cash is so important. A wad of 20s in the bag o doom, a decent Visa card and a couple months salary in savings solves most problems.
I believe it was FerFAL who said a real urban survival kit was a handgun, a cell phone, cash and a bottle of water.
I would add a prepaid visa gift card with a few hundred on it.
Went to the local Dutch brothers for a cup of something fancy for the GF. They don’t accept cash anymore. Cards only.
Unless you want to tip of course. That bucket is loud and proud at the window.
Mission failure on my part.
“Where did you go?”
“Dutch brothers. I was going to get you one of those coffees”
Smile then frown. “What happened” (in condescending tone)
“Didn’t have my wallet”
“Why not?”
Sigh…
Lawyers,Guns and Money,don’t forget some silver and gold. A midrange Rolex will get you across most borders.
With the shortages on processed foods and meats, but plenty of fresh fruit and veggies around, with everyone going out out for exercise, and with reduced drunk driving from the bars being closed, COVID might end up saving more lives than it takes.
I’ve had a mild case of Hyponatremia, it wasn’t good: headache, muscle cramps, and my brain felt like it was scrambled.
I’ve had bad heat injuries and it takes a LONG time to recover. You end up abnormally affected by heat for months or even years.
Avoid the heat injury with fluids (not plain water, salt is critical) and rest out of the sun.
I also have two styles of cooling vest, one with a frozen phase change material for under a shirt or where there is no breeze, and one style that relies on evaporative cooling. Both are effective and the evap one works under a light cover shirt, but not as well.
The vests and a good hat have extended my safe time in the sun quite a bit and made a lot of things either possible or more enjoyable.
techniche for evap
ergodyne for phase change
both do the job and have held up well
n
I need these – tachycardia from even brief, moderate heat exposure. Thank you for mentioning them.
You’re welcome. I have two of the tech-niche vests, they do wear out in that the gel inside is gradually used up. I’ve done one summer with the ergodyne vest, and it’s held up well. Their time estimate is pretty close, and when it’s up, you know it!
If I’m going out, I’ll wear the evap vest, which works ok even if I have a light ‘cover garment’ over it. If the shirt is loose and high tech fabric it will let plenty of air thru so the evap works. Then when the cooling ends, all I have to do is visit the restroom and re-wet the vest. I spent several hours (morning thru late afternoon) at the Houston Rodeo and Livestock show one year, and recharged the vest 5 times. I had a great day in the sun with family that I wouldn’t have enjoyed otherwise.
The phase change packets (like lunch box cooler ice packs) need to be in cold to recharge. They claim that only a few minutes in ice water (ie, a lunchbox cooler with ice) will reset the material (like for on the jobsite use.) I usually wear mine when at home or where I have access to a fridge or freezer and I like the cold of having the packets actually frozen. I think I get about 2 hours of cooling from one ‘recharge’. When you run out of cool, the vest gets pretty hot quickly. That’s a good signal to take a break and cool down anyway.
Many people balk at the price of the phase change and go for just an ice pack based vest, but I think being able to function in the heat, and be more comfortable is worth the cost, and I like the name brand vs any johnny come lately pretenders.
I tell everyone that asks why I’m wearing a vest and what it does for me. Houston gets HOT and heat injuries can kill you.
n
Added– there are ‘active cooling’ jackets made by Milwaukee and others that use a battery and a semiconductor based cooler (peltier) and a fan to blow cool air inside the jacket. I’ve never tried one of those. Wearing an inappropriate looking jacket in the heat is a great way to be profiled as a murder bomber….
n
Just info, worked with some 11 year old pinto beans a while back. soaked all night, were still little rocks, 40 min in pressure cooker were just fine, usually only takes 6=8.
It’s no different out here in the Wild, Wild West at Wally World. Canned and jarred foods are hit & miss. Toilet paper? 9-roll packs being sold at 24-roll prices… one per customer. And you have to be there when the store opens at 6:00am to get it!
Meat prices are through the roof here, if you can get it.
I bolstered my already decent larder when this “coronavirus crisis” first started. …I’m glad I did…
Another shopping note: File under services. The GF gave me a really nice watch for an early FD present (I think it’s her way of saying “I wish you’d stop wearing that nasty, beat up, old dive watch when we have to get all dressed up”). It’s a very nice aviation style chronograph with every gadget and gewgaw I never knew I needed….
Problem is, the band is WAY too big as shipped. Yes, I know how to size it but I’m concerned that I’ll scratch it since the screw pins are so heavily chromed that the slots for a 1 mm screwdriver are barely there and would not move with the application of pressure. SOOOOOooooo I thought, Hmmmm, why not take a drive to a largish town about 60 miles away (closest) and go to an authorized dealer and have THEM do it. If they pooch it, then it’s NOT my fault (did I mention this is a REALLY nice watch?). 😀
So I look one up, take a drive, stop as usual at a dive truck stop located in a dead town halfway there that makes the friggin BEST DAMN burger you ever ate – greasy, juicy, oozing deliciousness(extra onions). Even THEY were distancing customers so only about 6 of us could fit in at a time but well worth the wait.
Made it to the jeweler located in a mall (first mall I’ve set foot in in years) – place looked like something out of a B rated zombie movie. Half the place was empty and for rent. First thing I saw was a raggedy hand printed sign taped to the door that said “NO Sagging!”… Great… Walk in, there’s a rent-a-cop standing there. Ask him where this place was and walked over.
Open but totally empty, no customers, two bored employees. I walked up to one, asked about watch resizing (big sign by the door saying “Jewelry Repair”). He said yes they do! I pull it out, show it to him, “nice watch!” he says, “they have everything needed to do it and not scratch it” he says, “only 10 bucks” he says (very reasonable). GREAT I say, lets do it! “CAN’T” he says. social distancing rules from corporate (we’re 2 ft apart) and he doesn’t know when they can do it again…. GRRRRRRrrrrrrr.
Well at least I got my hands on that truly epic burger and I have an excuse for the GF when I show up on date night wearing my trusty, battered, mil issue Seiko… The craziness is JUST getting started I’m afraid…
Regards
A little info on Walmarts distibution system(I made deliveries to them for years)
The system is completely automated,the pos(point of sale/scanner/register) controls the ordering system,so the order is based on most sales or demand and orders to suppliers is by the system until the regular inventory finds any discrepencies(loss/theft). All supplier drliveries go to a Distribution Center then gets shipped to stores and high demand items get priority. A lower demand item might not make the weight/floor space cut for a number of trucks and result in empty shelves. This level of automation is ok if things move smoothly but are not very flexible or respond well to riots/looted stores.