What have you forgotten that is really important? For example - -nail clippers -tweezers (very important) -extra shoelaces Any suggestions?

Owl

-- owl (new@new.com), August 26, 1999

Answers

I didn't forget...it kind of came as a revelation when I lost a button.

Sewing stuff (tech term?)

Anyone know of a good list available?

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 26, 1999.

Containers for giving water to your friends, relatives and neighbors.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), August 26, 1999.

"baby Wipers" tyo wash hands when water is scarce.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), August 26, 1999.

Bill, I was going to suggest you stock up on the anti-bacterial hand wash, much better than those wipes. But I don't believe the water will stop flowing. UH-oh, did I say something studid?

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), August 26, 1999.

One thing that came to me this week was Drano or Liquid Plumber. Never have to use it, but if you don't have it and need it you could be in a world of hurt. And while I was at it, I bought some of that stuff you feed your septic tank with. Other than mayonaise and butter, I think I am done. Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), August 26, 1999.

Fishing gear, even if you're not a fisherman.
Wal-Mart has a neat "kid's" bow for ~$50. I think it's what they call "compound" (curve). I'm tempted. Would save on lead for rabbits, possum, etc.

-- A (A@AisA.com), August 26, 1999.

Supplies to carry you through between Thanksgiving and rollover, in case shortages materialize early or shopping becomes obscenely frustrating during that time. (Those stocking up for less than a month may find they have used up some of their critical supplies before the big night.)

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), August 26, 1999.

Clear nail polish. In case the electricity is running and I can use my computer. I beat the hell out of keyboards and need to write in the keys from time to time.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), August 26, 1999.

Extra paper and ink cartidges to copy(now) how to information.That way you would have hard copies on how to garden, first aid,herbal remedies,how to sterilize water,cook on a wood stove,etc.

-- maggie (aaa@aaa.com), August 26, 1999.

Maria,

I agree water should flow for majority. But will it be potable?

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), August 26, 1999.

Mike,

They're called sewing notions, but that's not important.. I do alot of repairs on my sewing machine, so if you can afford an expensive one, that might make sense. You don't need all the fancy gadgets; most repairs can be done well with straight stitches, and sometimes locking-off the edges with a zig-zag stitch. The most basic sewing machine will let you do this.If you do buy a machine, make sure to get an assortment of 11,14,16, and also 18 (upholstery needles) to fit it. Heavyier fabrics require higher (more lightweight require lower) # needles to penetrate the combined layers where you do the stitching.

For sewing by hand, I would have at a minimum, some large spools of white and black (or navy) thread, at least one package of asstd. hand needles, some decently sharp scissors, and a couple of thimbles (for pushing the needles through when the fabric is heavier. Also, if you have some old clothes around, like jeans that are falling apart, hang onto them; you could always recycle the zippers, buttons, and cut pieces from them for "patches" if needed. Whether you will need/ want to, will obviously be something you can decide later.

Gee, you just gave me another idea for possible occupations later... I guess I am one of the few people I know who owns and knows how to use a sewing machine... thanks.. better add some extra sewing notions to my preps .. no problem, though, they are small and non-perishable, for a change...

Have fun.. you can find all of this stuff at WalMart I imagine; there is usually some nice older lady in that very quiet part of the store who would love to wait on a charming young fella who listens intently to what she can tell him about sewing ...

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), August 26, 1999.

Kristi,

Do you have a treadle sewing machine? Or are there ways of manipulating electric machines when there's no power? (Please let the answer to that last question be 'yes' with a how-to explanation...).

Not a saavy sewer, but have access to a machine that I've been able to "tame" for mending purposes...

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), August 26, 1999.

Bag Balm. Available in most drugstores and pharmacies.

From The Albuquerque Journal

Monday, April 19, 1999

Believers: Bag Balm Is The Best Users 'Udderly' Devoted To Salve Used On Milk Cows By Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press

LYNDONVILLE, Vt. -- The instructions on the side of the green tin are clear: Apply the Bag Balm thoroughly after each milking. The instructions have hardly changed in 100 years, but folks who swear by Bag Balm don't follow the directions and they don't use it on cows.

Instead they rub the ointment on dry hands, burns and abrasions. Testimonials claim it eases everything from diaper rash and foot odor to bicycle chafe, radiation burns and needle pricks in quilters' fingertips. "I just knew that if I fell off my bike I needed Bag Balm," said Rob Ide, a state senator from Caledonia County. His family owns E.T. and H.K. Ide, a feed company that's older than Bag Balm. His father and grandfather always stocked the product.

But the ointment had the biggest impact on the Ide household. "It was always in my parents' medicine cabinet," he said. "We used it on everything." Only when he was old enough to read did he discover Bag Balm was intended for cows' udders. That finding, and Bag Balm's lack of FDA approval, hasn't stopped Ide -- though it caused one of the worst fights in Ide's marriage. When he applied the ointment to his screaming infant's diaper rash, his wife, a registered nurse, erupted: It wasn't FDA-approved. But the rash healed, Ide said, and the crying stopped.

Bag Balm still soothes the chafed teats of dairy cows.

Alan Parent owns the May Store in Lyndonville, where tins of Bag Balm now sit among the maple syrup. He remembers as a kid slathering the balm on the cows milking at the family farm in East Berkshire. They used it mostly in spring, when it was damp, and it worked.

Little has changed in the formula of petroleum, lanolin and antiseptic that John Norris bought from a pharmacist in 1899. Even the green tins and graphics resemble the original Bag Balm containers. Norris' 85-year-old son, John, wholesales Bag Balm through Dairy Association, his company in Lyndonville with eight employees. He checks on orders every morning for the seven months he spends in Florida. During summers, he works from an office in the company's administrative center.

Orders are filled at a plant down the road less than an eighth of a mile away. Golden Petro -- the main ingredient -- is shoveled from a 50-gallon drum into a large vat. Then honey-like lanolin imported from England is heaved from another drum. The mixture is heated to 95 degrees. Filled by machine on a small production line, the 10-ounce tins are capped by hand.

Cash orders are filled immediately -- a small carton to a man in San Antonio, Texas; a larger order to the Northside Animal Hospital in Staten Island, N.Y., and a first shipment to Clinicalcare Skin Solution in Tulsa, Okla. Ads in a few veterinary magazines and regional publications keep sales steady. Over time, it found its way from the barn into the house as farmers' wives used it on dry skin.

When Charles Kurault visited the small plant in 1984, "Bag Balm hit the big time," says Ron Bean, the production manager. From there, it moved into cities: quilters' shops, manicure salons, even tattoo parlors. Shotsie's tattoo shop in Wayne, New Jersey, sells it to customers to heal their new tattoos. "It seems to hold up all day," says manager Gary Walsh, who's covered in tattoos. And customers get a kick out of its farm origins, he says. When Shotsie's runs out of Bag Balm, clients stock up nearby at Mike's Feed Store.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), August 26, 1999.

While buying gardening supplies (peatmoss, compost, fertilizer, miracle gro, etc) it kinda came to me to get Quick Crete (small bags of cement). In years gone by this has come in handy at various times for setting posts, stabilizing outbuildings or whatever. They are heavy, about 80 lbs, but I have a few bags should we need it. Wierd, I know, but I just can't help running various post Y2K scenarios thru my head and then think of something else that I may have used over the years that was, at the time, invaluable.

-- Sammie Davis (sammie0nospam@hotmail.com), August 27, 1999.

Mike, Sorry, that should have been INEXPENSIVE machine; the prices seem to have come down alot, especially on the basic models. Mine is a 28 year old portable, and all I have to do is apply a little oil, keep the dust bunnies cleaned out of the inside, and put in a fresh needle now and then, to keep it working just great. Have saved a small fortune making things myself; amazingly enough they're teaching sewing to every boy and girl in our middle school, along with cooking, agriscience, computers, woodshop, and all the usual fundamentals.

Winterwondering,

My portable is electric, and definitely does not run without it. I do have a treadle machine buried under my hubby's garage stuff somewhere, but I got it as someone's castoff, and have no idea if it even works. Never had to find out, and forgot it was even out there. Frankly, if there is no electricity to run my portable machine, then it probably won't matter, since we will not have had a working well (electric pump), or any way of renewing our water supply once my limited storage is used up. We all know what that means ... I just keep praying that the grid remains at least intermittently functional, or that my spouse changes his DWGI mind soon enough for us to get a solar powered well pump installed. Then again, if there is no electric, I'm not sure I would want to be the only family for miles around with a working well in their yard.

Anyway, if there are any Amish in your area, they may be an info source for treadle machines. Good luck to you.

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Optrex or sterile water packs for flushing stuff out of eyes.Bonjela for mouth ulcers.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), August 27, 1999.

Winter Wondering: There are some good posts on the prep forumn on how to convert your electric sewing machine into a treadle machine. Simple, quick, and inexpensive ! Plus ther are some tips on what to put into that sewing basket as well as how to recycle some of your old things. Worth a peek or two!!!

-- kitten (kitten@vcn.net), August 28, 1999.

I'd like to add an anecdotal testimonial to the Bag Balm post! Lasts a long time too. If you're going to be doing a lot of sewing or knitting, this stuff is essential, because the yarn/fabric removes the natural oils from your hands and fingers.

Electric sewing machine--if you can't convert to a treadle, you can at least manually turn the wheel to sew small items. Reminder: stash an extra belt and machine oil.

For you guys, one of those buttoneer thingies might be a good investment. I've known very few guys who could sew on a shirt button properly. Safety pins will help the more fumble-fingered to close essential pieces of clothing, and staples (from the back) will help with hemming. Even duct tape will hem, but for heaven's sake don't wash the clothes with the tape still attached! You can also buy what's called "Stitch Witchery," a light webbing which can stick two pieces of fabric together (as in a hem or cuff). If you can heat up an iron or something metal to use as an iron, you can use Stitch Witchery.

The advice to talk to a Wal Mart clerk is good, except go on an "off" day when they have time on their hands. I've found a weekday at 9 a.m. is a good time.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), August 28, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

Have you forgotten to include extra toilet paper to make up for the fact that you may not be using TP at work, and to also make up for the fact that TP in public restrooms will be in short supply either due to not being restocked or to being stolen? From now on, use your TP down to partial rolls and stash those. They'll fit better in your purse and/or backpack.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), August 30, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

And here's another anal idea (so to speak): print out little labels, now, which you can tape into the inside of the TP rolls, which could be displayed if you should be stopped and searched and accused of stealing TP. They would say something to this effect: "I brought my own TP from home, Turkey!" Then again, I guess there's nothing stopping one from carrying just the labels (well hidden) and applying them to the inside of rolls stolen from public places...

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), August 30, 1999.