Sunday the temp climbed to 70 by 10 am . That seems like what it takes for me to quit having chills. I decided to clean up around here as it has been a year since I was able to do much. Over the last month on warm days I have piddled with this and that but not really accomplishing much. What I wound up with was a bunch of unfinished projects. I felt froggy it was time to finish a few of those projects.
First thing was a bunch of brush I had cut back in January needed burnt . So I got that started . Next was I needed to crank my riding mower . I had pulled the battery before Christmas and put it on a float charger so it wouldn't need to be replaced. Got it back in went and got a gallon of premium no alcohol gas 2.99 . I need to fill a 5 gallon can with that . The riding mower started right up first try. The grass wasn't high but decided to do a quick pass around the back yard. Nothing, I forgot the deck belt broke last fall cutting leaves . It Sunday so its O'Rileys for the belt it takes an A75 v belt. I tell the kid A75 v belt Gates mfg. He looks lost I need the application to look it up he said. No its an A75 that's the part # son. Son let me talk to the manager . Over comes the manager he is my age I figure he is their go to guy WRONG !!!! He is as Dumb as the kid. A 3rd man comes over asks me to repeat what I wanted so for the 5th time I ask for A75 gates belt . It an A groove 78 inch belt for a mower . Now this man finds me a 78 inch mower belt proper which is a woven belt for 38.99 . HELL NO !!!! They break as fast as a cheap A belt . I leave there and go to auto zone . First counter person didn't even try because without make model and year he admitted he was useless . I can respect him for admitting it and finding me someone that could help. The man he passed me to knew what I was looking for said they didn't stock them but could order me one for12.99 be in Wednesday or I could try a 4L780 for 13.99 and he had them in stock . A 4L is a little wider than an A belt but it seems to be working better than the A belt did less slippage. My normal store is NAPA. I worked at their warehouse back in the 80s I pulled belts and hoses for 145 stores for 3 years .
I finally get back home reload the brush burn pile spend a hour putting the belt on twice. I had it twisted and it jumped track first try. Keep feeding the fire cut the front yard . Raked leaves and trash up around the garage to add to the fire.
What won't burn that I want gone I load on to my old white truck . I jumped it off and moved it around to load it and let it run to charge the battery but I have to watch so it don't run hot. I worked from 10 am till 6pm but I wrapped up a lot of odds and ends. I was tired and sore but in a good normal way.
Ok I am trying to relax between loads of BBQ so a change of pace this post Last week I saw a couple of posts on survival sites on barter goods. Some Items listed were kind of pricey to toss in a box for someday . So I got to thinking what I had multiples of and what I need to add that are frugal and will have bang for the buck.
Before I go on AMMO in my opinion is not a barter item. The other thing that is not a barter item is Toilet paper. I have yet to meet a man that would face his wife and say use a leaf I traded butt wipe for __________ .They will not understand I don't give a damn what you barter for!!!
Most items I have are dollar items or a little more or can be broke down from bulk for trade. I advise a small kitchen scale or a hanging farm scale to make honest trades both ways.
Salt its cheap and will be needed in large quantity's .
Sugar, cheap cant be grown and last forever.( honey is pricy)
Coffee any way (green, ground, instant) worth the cost.
Tea individual size qt.size
Spices all kinds in different sizes unground if you can find.
Over the counter meds and pain meds bulk to be broke down
LED Flashlights from dollar tree
Solar path lights, light and battery for a buck at dollar tree.
Bleach
Vinegar
Coco powder, chocolate syrup. Pricy but bang for the buck
Hot chocolate packs just add water 6.99 for 72 at Sam's
Alcohol or more sugar if you make your own :).like me
Liquid soap in bulk or make your own
Canning lids lots and lots
Fishing hooks bobbers, lead weighs and spools of line
Plastic sheeting , 2.98 for 20x50 Walmart.
This isn't a complete list but it is a cheap list of items that should trade high compared to cost . Yes some pricy items and fuel will be in demand but I cant afford the inventory cost.
If you have bulk items be sure to have zip lock bags for the dry goods and save empty 1/2 liter water bottles for liquids.
You may have some personal preps that you may barter if long term but that wasn't what this list is. I also left out gold silver due to it isn't frugal :).
Today I got on the computer and started looking at E bikes, prices ,options speeds and distances . I looked at E bike and motorized bikes about 5 years ago . Wow the difference's between then and now on what is available and set ups is huge.
I found I can get a 750 watt front hub and controls for around 300 $ and turn that 10$ 10 speed into an electric bike. Or find a 3 or 7 speed bike and do a rear hub. Now if I were to do this the battery pack would be a 48 volt system and 4 SLA batteries are heavy along with my 264 lb. bulk would be 320 lb. That's a lot to peddle down the road .
A better way would be a sturdy 7 speed with a 500 watt hub with a 24 watt battery pack . Every thing new would still be under 500$ but no peddle assist just a twist throttle for grades and speed boosts.
These costs are not a casual amount to me but something to think about. If the world was to drop the dollar inflation will be unimaginable . Gas would be unavailable to regular people. Our 6 million barrel a day doesn't cover agri ,military and emergency services . A 24 volt bike could be powered with 2 30 watt solar panels wired in series in 5 hours . A roman march was 20 miles in a day on a E bike 60 miles is doable in a day. Is the cost of an E bike worth it I am still undecided, is it worth a little thought and research DEFINANTLY !!!
Last week when we where camping I rode my bike a lot . Now most camp ground are fairly level so bike riding is normal for both the young and old . It is a great way to look around and say hello and be sociable . At a campground a bike is quiet and slower than a car or golf cart and its easy to carry with you in a camper.
Now I will come clean I had not been on a bike since I was a kid till last summer. Last summer I picked up a 10 speed at a yard sale for 10$ and rode it a few times at the house oiled every thing checked it out made sure it was useable . Every prepper /survivalist should have a bike, right ? Jim Dankin preaches against cars and associated cost .He praises riding a bike, well that 10 speed showed me I was OLD ,Fat, Out of shape . I rode it once 2 miles and I was hurting in my legs sucking air sounding like a diesel truck and swearing I love my truck the last mile home. Now don't laugh could you ride a bike 2 miles ?
Now last week I rode 5 miles never broke a sweat passed all the kids and adults took small hills easily . My wife said I spent more time on the bike than with her . I did I felt like a kid having fun. This is what was different than last year . I bought a NEW BIKE .
Last fall I was in Sam's Club buying supply's for the BBQ and walked passed their mark down corner . There sat a Yukon Trail Navigator marked 82.50$ no keys . Ok this is an electric bike with a 250 watt motor and a 10 amp 24 volt battery pack. It normally sells for 498 $ I jumped on that deal .
Now I didn't fix it till the week before we went to Guntersville .The bike is fast, it is well made but you have to get it adjusted right to your comfort . It is a little weak on steep hills but great on flats and slopes . You have to pedal but it cuts the work in half . If you have ever thought about a bike for just in case but know your out of shape an electric may be a solution . The bike suppose to have an assist range of 25 plus miles and a speed of 15 miles an hour.
http://www.amazon.com/Yukon-Trails-Outback-Electric-Mountain/dp/B00NPY7WAY
Ok today is the 14th day that my Son (lab rat ) has been on his own .The results are in on propane and power use for his off grid trailer . Water is from a creek so nothing on that.
It is winter and the oven has been used for 2 to 3 hour of heat a nite and cooking 3 meals a day.The tank was a 15 lb exchange unit from wal mart and lasted 11 days. If he had used the oven less for heat I could see it lasting 20 to 25 days. Now he is eating good solid home cooked meals not heat and eat can food . It makes a difference propane use .
Now on power he has a jump pack,LED lantern, MP3 player, radio with rechargeable AAs, cell phone and a DVD player. He has been able to keep them all charged using a single 15 watt harbor freight panel. Today we talked and he has watched 2 hours a nite on the DVD the radio or MP3 is on most of the day. His cell has stayed full .Now the one problem we see is that the jump pack will not charge above the 80% reading with the solar panel . Now we aren't sure if its something in the jump pack or the low amperage from the panel . All in all for just one 15 watt setup it has provided a lot of variety .The only other power he has is a solar rope light from harbor freight and 2 solar path lights from dollar tree.
I went up today mainly to bring my son to the house till Monday the next few nights are going to be in the mid teens and days in the 30s he said he was fine and turned me down. He asked if I would get him Sunday week instead .
Here is a link to the rope lights they work good I had run them inside my son moved them to the poach said to bright to sleep with:) .
http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-rope-light-68353.html
Last week when I was helping my son get his place ready for winter I got into my trucks get home bag for something to eat. Now what I had was in date but had been in the tool box for over a year. I am glad it wasn't a life or death situation .Right now as winter sets in everyone should check what is in their bag make sure the batteries are fresh , food is good , and spare cloth are dry and suitable for the season .
Ok I gave my son the older batteries and replaced what I had in the truck.
The food that was in the truck had not handled the heat it was highly questionable . Soup had turned, the canned tuna salad was greenish , the crackers were stale (the lances peanut butter crackers were fine). Water was flat but drinkable. I have replaced everything and packed it in a old six-pack cooler.
Oh just for the record the only thing edible after a year in the truck tool box was Good Old vieners ,potted meat and the immortal sardines. Showed me why my grandpa always had them in his truck.
Just for the heck of it I changed out the clothes and added a few items (extra space blanket and Cliff bars).I still need hand warmers , toboggans and gloves for winter in there.
Never again will I go a year without changing out my trucks get home gear .I will be doing it seasonally in the future. I had felt safer knowing it was in there but it wouldn't have helped much if I had needed it. Better to swap it out and it be fresh and open the old at the house .
With cold weather here check your car kit and replace your perishables. YOUR LIFE COULD DEPEND ON IT !!!
The last 2 weeks mother nature has had some fun here.We have had lows down to 8 and highs the next day of 60.We had a snow storm of talcum powder that packed into ice in an hour.On top of this i got a cold (damn kids )and am on round 2 with it now.
The second cold nite killed my jeep and truck battery less than 2 month ago i had my little trucks battery died.I had been using my daughters battery from her spare car my luck held she decided to take her spare to work and finds out i had stole her battery.Yep it was 24 outside and she wants me to"PUT IT BACK".I knew i should charge her rent.I have 3 vehicle with dead batteries a cold and the high was going to 39.
I make it for a few days by putting my camping battery in the floor of my jeep running jumper cables out the window under the hood to the bad battery.I looked like a real redneck but it worked.I had a good weekend selling BBQ after the snow but 300 dollars for car batteries just wasn't going to be possible.A buddy of mine said try PULL A PART so Monday it was in the 50s i felt better so i went down found 3 for 20$ each they we less than a year old got a set of spark plug wires for the truck and a rotor also.Got home put the batteries in changed the plug wires out and spent less than 75$.The brake rotor will be put on when i have a tire fixed next week the old one has been warped for 3 years no rush.
Now this week we have had a lite icing and up to 3 inches of snow possible tomorrow.If something breaks I wont be surprised it the weather,the season ,and my luck!!
