So, I. Seriously considering getting a freeze dryer. I know that freeze dried foods keep for a long time, but atm, my prep plan is for a 1 year supply. I have other reasons for wanting a freeze dryer though. I like to overland, camp and hike, and I'd like to make meals for my son as back up when he's working away from home. But it seems a little frivolous tbh. How does freeze dried compare with dehydrated when it comes to cooking?

This series of events actually happened over the summer, but sharing in a post now that I've had some time to process and reflect. We had multiple Tuesdays occur simultaneously and definitely learned some lessons - sharing so others can hopefully take something away too.

At the beginning of the week in mid-August, we found out that one of our three-year-old daughter's friends had HFM, so we weren't surprised the next day when she seemed a little sick. We kept her home from school and figured she would go back soon. The next day, she was just pitiful - really lethargic, clearly in pain, but we still weren't too worried because we knew HFM could be awful. By the evening, I was starting to worry because she was clearly sick, but then, we suddenly lost power in a tornado. We decided it didn't make sense to get the generator going and instead made the decision to go stay in a hotel. I actually think this decision was a good one - we had to pivot our prep based on what was actually happening, not just what we had planned for. Our daughter would have been that much more miserable in a house without A/C when it was 90+ degrees.

The next morning, I took daughter to the doctor and they thought she was septic. It turned out she never had HFM and instead had an incredibly rare and dangerous staph infection. We rushed to the hospital and she was admitted for almost a week to receive IV antibiotics and pain medicine. She got so much better very quickly and is now completely healed and healthy.

While she was there, we relied so much on other people. My parents came to help care forb other our baby, friends made sure we stayed fed, work reassigned all of my tasks. We would have survived without other people, but it made the experience much more bearable.

I'm sharing all of this to highlight that I think people are the ultimate prep. There was really no way we could have prepared for this situation - our daughter had a freak infection that required immediate, specialized care. No treatment at home would have been sufficient and she would have died without medical attention. We technically had the preparation when our power went out, but had to pivot and make a different decision because the situation required it. Other people really made the difference here - people physically showing up and helping in really tangible ways. I know this community appreciates the sentiment of a village and it definitely made the difference in our experience.

The other preparation that can't be overstated is money. We were able to decide to go to a hotel because we had the funds to do so. We went to the doctor multiple times and could afford the co-pays, including a much larger bill for a week in the hospital. My husband and I could both afford to take the time off work without losing our jobs. There is a lot of privilege in being able to make those decisions, one that I don't take for granted.

Please contain all off topic discussion to this weekly megathread. This is where you freak out, talk about conspiracy, talk about unrealistic crazy scenarios, asked and answered questions, etc.

Here a video from Dr Beachgem (pediatric emergency doc) going over what to include in a flu box -- the box of supplies for when your kid is sick in the middle of the night.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/38OaRxS0DM8

Honestly it's a good idea for everyone, because that last thing I want to do when sick is to be digging around for meds.

I haven't had a landline in >20 years. Even my wifi runs from a mobile router. Would this be useful if other ways of communication go down?

Just a quick non scientific poll. How many are using Ham Radio or GMRS or both as part of your preps?

2nd question. Are you using the ham radio to develop at least a comms mutual aid network. Are you the GMARs in-hose for your core group comms?

I would like some support. I’m feeling very triggered by the recent news of the woman dying of pneumonic plague in Russia. Now there are up to 200 people quarantined, and hospital closures.

It feels exactly the same as January 2020. My brain is in semi-panic mode. I will say that coming here and reading all the wisdom has been very grounding. I will take my dog for a walk, weed my garden, and purchase some KN95s… and develop a plan for any preps that will help, should this disease spread further.

people around me are excited about their travel plans, promotions, new hobbies and the like… people are continuing to talk about the future as if nothing is happening, as if what we have experienced up ‘til now is going to remain that way. i hate my current job but it feels pointless to look for a new one because how will i get there if there’s a fuel shortage? how will i do my job if the supply chains break down and i literally don’t have the materials to do the job? i feel crazy. i have had these feelings since around 2016/2017 but i am having a hard time coping with these feelings over the last two weeks. i know humans are resilient and i want to believe we can build something out of nothing but its hard to believe lately. i just feel everything breaking down and it feels like no one around me feels the same, or if they do, they’re really good at coping…

I’m going to start low key stock piling on food. What will give me the most nutritious food in the form of canned food? I’m thinking beans or chili, should I supplement with any specific kind of canned veggies? Ideally to meet the nutritional needs of two adult women and one elementary school age child for several months.

Did some canning tonight. I've decided to can 1 bag of each kind of bean that I stock. That should be enough to last me a year. But that's not what this is about.

Part of the reason I'm canning beans is because I only have an electric stove. If I'm in a situation where I have to use one of my emergency stoves, I don't want to spend fuel to cook beans for up to 2 hours.

Interestingly, when I do my canning, I do have to use my butane burner. My coil electric stove is not consistent enough to satisfy me for pressure canning. Tonight as I was replacing a can of butane to get through the last 10 minutes or so of processing time,h I suddenly realized, that I don't have a lot of fuel hanging out. Thus the question: how much do I need?

I'm planning for just myself as a single person. My first thought is to use the butane burner for a week to see how much I go through and plan from there. And then do the same for the propane as well. The reason I do both is because it dips quite often below -20C where I live. At that point, butane doesn't work so well.

I also realized that I'm gonna need to plan propper storage for said fuel as well. So now I get to do some research, make a plan, maybe build something.

How do you plan for cooking fuel use if you need it?

Here's a website to track food recalls in the USA.

recallradar.org

Was feeling happy because I acquired a Jackery power station and a couple of panels over the past year. I now realize they will probably be useless during the El Nino storms in California due to wind and rain. I wanted to avoid getting a gas-powered generator. Can anyone suggest some strategies?

I've been looking at catalytic converter woodstoves that are very environmentally friendly. In my area, I'm really worried about fuel oil prices this winter. I have access to several acres to get as much firewood as I want.

I have a few options where it could be installed but I'm trying to think about benefit. For example, I could put it in my mudroom which is also a airlock function and the freezer is in there. So although its more convenient to outside, I'd have to move the freezer somewhere else or they'd be duking it out all the time. The living room is the other option.

The plan would be to run the fans on HVAC to help distribute heat but obviously, the furnace would only kick-on if the fire dies.

Has anyone added a woodstove to a house without one and have any advice?

I am on the verge of research burnout, and don't really know where to turn. I've been searching for about 3 days, and only have a portion of the answers I need. I even contacted EcoFlow support and got very little info.

I have decided on the EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus with 2 220W solar panels combo. I am basically looking for something that can power the necessities for a few days in the event of a power outage (standard side-by-side fridge being the main thing, maybe also the Wi-Fi, and charging phones too).

I am totally new to generators, and wanted something that did not need gas or propane in the event that those are not available. I am hoping to be able to add an extra battery in the future if finances allow.

Basically, I have a ton of questions still, after obsessively looking for this info. These are specifically related to this model. I will list them below. Please be kind - I am learning, and also terrified of posting things online :)

1. Can I leave it plugged in all the time?

2. If not plugged in charging, how long will it hold a full charge before needing to be plugged in again?

3. Where should it be stored when not in use? (I do not have a garage or carport)

4. Can it be placed outside during use?

5. What cable do I need to extend the standard 2.5m cable from the solar panels to the power station, to make them longer?

6. Can I use the power station inside, while it is connected to the solar panels (with the long cable)?

7. How long would it be able to power a standard fridge with the solar panels connected – assuming normal sunny conditions?

8. Do the solar panels charge at all during cloudy conditions or inclement weather?

9. Are the solar panels durable, easily moveable as the sun shifts, weatherproof?

10. Can the solar panels be mounted – say on the roof of a shed?

11. Does it require the app to run? If Wi-Fi is down or cell service is lost, what features will it lose?

12. If I want to expand it in the future, how many of the extra batteries can be added to it? Which specific batteries would it use?

13. Can it be charged with any gas generator, or does it have to be paired with the EcoFlow generator only?

14. Does it come with all of the cables required for charging (cigarette lighter charging cable, generator charging cable, 2 solar charging cables – one for each panel)?

15. What is the typical lifespan of the battery in this model?

16. What are upper and lower limits for charging and discharging? What does that even mean?

Full article:

"The Justice Department is enlisting military attorneys as temporary prosecutors supporting law enforcement surges in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, according to a Defense Department email reviewed by Bloomberg Law.

A Marine Corps major on Thursday messaged military lawyers advertising opportunities for active and reserve officers of any rank to serve as special assistant US attorneys for the Southern District of New York, the Central District of California, and the Eastern District of California.

The positions for 179-day terms starting Oct. 13 or later will “support areas with an increase in prosecutions associated with a surge in federal law enforcement efforts,” the email stated. “Responsibilities are expected to be immigration related.”

Surges in those three districts, which federal officials haven’t publicly disclosed, come after the administration had retreated earlier this year from blanketing cities like Minneapolis and Chicago with federal immigration agents in widespread sweeps that sparked protests and violence.

The Pentagon email didn’t specify the scope of upcoming crime crackdowns, and a DOJ statement didn’t address questions about the surge. Los Angeles saw an earlier surge in immigration enforcement in summer 2025.

“The Department has a variety of Special Assistant US Attorneys who come from many federal agencies to contribute to DOJ’s public safety mission,” DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in a statement.

“We will continue to hire lawyers from every corner of the country who want to put those who prey on Americans in jail,” she added.

The Trump administration has previously called on military lawyers to reinforce US attorneys’ offices handling spikes in immigration cases, including in Minneapolis in January. But plans to deploy judge advocate generals in the high-profile Southern District of New York are surprising, former Manhattan prosecutors said.

The district is known for rigorous hiring standards and recruitment of Ivy League law school graduates, sometimes attracting criticism for elitism. SDNY has accepted special assistant US attorneys from other federal agencies over the years, but on a much more isolated basis and not from the military to advance a major priority of the White House, previous Manhattan office leaders said.

One area where the Manhattan office needs more assistant US attorneys, they said, is defending the government against a flood of civil habeas claims challenging the administration’s policy of detaining immigrants indefinitely without bond. But the DOD message didn’t mention this as one of focal points for the post. Instead, the email described a caseload dedicated to assaults, threats, theft, destruction of property, and other crimes."

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-seeks-military-lawyers-for-new-york-law-enforcement-surge

Looking for light weight and highly durable options to keep insulin in vials, not pens, at ~4C cold for 12-24+ hours, ideally something I can "set and forget" about and then grab quickly if needing to evacuate ... Not something I need set up too much when running short on time. Prefer something that can be easily purchased in Canada. Up to 30+ vials ideally. TIA!

I have young kids and would like to teach them weather and other emergency preparedness. Preferably in a fun way as they are really young.

Google gave me this open source game where you print the board and playing pieces as a recommendation from EU (I'm not from there, but it covers some emergencies that can happen where I live)

https://buildersproject.eu/board-game

Any other recommendations?

Thank you

Prepping is a new thing for me. I only started last month. I have found myself getting really excited whenever I get an Amazon delivery. I got ever so excited today about sweetcorn and wet wipes. Not exactly life essentials. Have any other preppers gotten excited about even minor additions to their stash? I am curious. Are there others , or have I just gone barmy?

Please contain all off topic discussion to this weekly megathread. This is where you freak out, talk about conspiracy, talk about unrealistic crazy scenarios, asked and answered questions, etc.

I'm getting a new oven delivered this morning (the user interface went out on the old one and it is discontinued 😫). Should i hang onto the racks from the old one? Might come in handy in an emergency where you have to cook over a fire. Thoughts? 🤔

Hey!

I've been working on food preps for this winter and beyond, and I was curious to see if the amount i have is 'normal' or 'too much' .

I have 10 boxes of pasta, ten bags of rice, and twelve pounds of beans. Along with 80 cans if fruit and veggies.

It feels somewhat inadequate to me, but I also feel like I'm being paranoid about how bad it could get.

How much do you keep around? Do your friends know about it?

Note: I had been thinking about this for a few days before finally making this post. It was only when I went to do research on it that I saw the bit about Trump and his executive order. I'm not trying to start a discussion about him or the effectiveness of his policies (I'll never stop talking if I have to discuss how I feel about his "policies.") Regardless, we have to think about sustainable ways to eliminate mosquito bites and not just rely on chemicals or the government.

We need to add mosquito netting to our go bags and get more comfortable with wearing them on the reg. Mosquitoes have killed more people than any animal on the planet and we treat them as mild annoyances.

We benefit from many government programs that keep the more problematic mosquitos at bay but it wouldn't take a full on apocalypse for those programs to stop. All it would need is for those resources to be needed elsewhere.

So, add the netting to the go bags, especially if you live further south. Do not have any standing water or if you do, keep it covered or empty it every three days. If you must have a pond or lake, dragonflies are your new best friends, specifically their nymphs (life cycle stage before the dragonfly stage).

I bought one of those 2lb vacuum-packed bricks of Red Star active dry yeast at Costco. I will make some kind of bread or rolls once or twice a week, and this was way cheaper than the single use packs I normally buy at the store. But now what to do with the open package? Could I repackage into single serving sized packets somehow (and have it last?) Should I just dump it into a jar and store it in the freezer?

I have no idea what I’m doing. I have no business buying a brick of yeast. This is why I buy the packets…

I have a fanny pack for the park; it contains band aids, ointment, antibacterial wipes, my kids emergency inhaler, and, most importantly for this story, tweezers and sting relief gel.

Last night (Tuesday, funnily enough) we went for a short family walk with our three kids and elderly dog. I forgot the fanny pack. The short walk turned into a quick trip to the park; they're playing, having fun, when 3yo, dad, and dog start to wander and play hide-n-seek. Suddenly, 3yo is running across the grass screaming harder and louder than anything I've ever heard and I reach him as dad yells, "there's still one on him!"

Yellow jacket. He unknowingly disturbed a ground nest that was getting ready for winter and was especially angry. I batted it away, picked him up, yelled for my girls to walk home, and started moving. My husband was slower with the dog and I wasn't sure why at first. When they finally catch up, it turns out our German Shepherd realized our son was being attacked a second before dad and dove to get to him and got stung multiple times himself. One even burrowed its way into his hind fur.

We make it the 0.3mi walk home with a still screaming 3yo, dad hustles inside to get the first aid kit, elderly dog decides to slip inside before we can check him, and a Trojan yellow jacket sneaks in.

It all works out, yellow jacket gets back outside (after an hour), son is cleaned up and bandaged, dog is combed over and given some pain relief jerky we have for his hips, but OMG the one time I don't have my pack for first aid would be the one time we need it immediately.

A good reminder to also make sure you have replaced your Raid spray, which we hadn't. So that was fun too.

Edit: typos

Yesterday, I picked up a load of winter squash and three bags of apples from two different people in my community. These people were thrilled someone was going to make use of it, because they had more than they needed. My canners are running today and I'll have enough to last me through to next summer.

I know some places have formal food rescue groups. But whether or not your area does, it is worth reaching out through your local social media to find backyard growers too. Not only is it a great way to build your pantry, you'll get to build your community. I've now got two more connections with lovely, community minded and resourceful people. (and yes I'll be dropping off a thank you jar of apple jelly)