[lancestar2]

Hello,

I go by Lance for short or lancestar2. A little bit about me is I guess I would fit into the catagory of "conspiracist" Let me say 1st that I live in Minnesota USA. For a while I was following politics very closely now not so much once I realized it's all corrupt BS. I was getting annoyed at people protesting and not feeling they have a voice and all while they continued to support the same BS. system that was the problem.

I started to want to do somthing major and to restore my morality and sense of doing something about it! I never protested but I watched tons of documentaries news stories ect ect. and discovered my way to protest the corruption! was to change the way I shopped! Granted I am a college student money is usually pretty tight! I had started switching to Dollar Tree store items such as dish soap, laundry soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, cleaning products and many others until I realized I really wasn't going to make a big impact doing that.

It started when I saw an video on how to make your own laundry soap! I was floored at the savings compaired to brand name products you know the corrupt corporations/monopolies that are destroying the world! I still have a stock pile of products that I have to run through first but once I do I will be starting on making my own laundry soap, fabric softener, dish soap, hand soap, mouthwash, toothpaste (already made some and it was pretty good!) cleaning products and anything else I can expand on! I have also started washing my clothes in the bath tub because I live in an apartment and I get free water but they charge about $4.00 per washing/drying total so I think it has been a great experience I wash them in my tub then ring them out by hand and hang them in my apartment to dry!

I do live in an apartment and I do have a garage that I could store stuff in however being that I live in a state where it freezes I am really confused as to what I could use that space for!!! and no I don't want to have to move my stockpiled items inside for the winder and back out for the summer

The apartment place does offer a 10x20 or 10x10 plot for a garden if you sign up in the spring I didn't because I had recently moved. I am thinking I might give it a try next year so I have some time to plan where I am going to get my seeds and what I am going to plant and how I am going to store them and so on! I am feeling a bit overwhelmed because I want to make sure I do it right and it's all new to me!

I have also recently removed ALL wheat/ wheat flour produts from my diet because from my research they are not a healthy food as they are very addictive as well is sugar but for me I can control my cravings for sugar. I have gotten a dehydrator and only tried it out once to dehydrate some bannanas and they really have been lasting and are pretty ok snack!

I really hope I can learn more on what I should and need to do I really think that as I become an adult I should learn how to prepare for tough times. I don't live in a place where I go balls to the wall (I really wish I could and create a huge bunker say 2-3 burred shipping containers to keep it private :-D However if anyone has any good videos and advice for urban prepping I am very intrested in condensed ways to prep using every inch possible!

As of right now I have a gallon of water and about 40 packs or rawmen a weather radio/flashlight that is solar and crank powered. Plus my stock of cleaning supplies and stuff :lol: I guess it's a start but I am a single 27 yr old guy and I am not the best cooker but I do well with things I cook over and over with to get it memorized. I am hoping in a years time I will be much more educated and ready for anything. Also

I am really looking towards creating a lifestyle that is as much as possible 100% from the consumerism nation! (yes, I used to work customer service during the holiday season and that is part of my bitterness towards the consumerism lifestyle plus I feel it is a distraction for the masses) I will be checking out my local farmers market that is only going on during the summer months so it's a limited supply of food. I also would like to meet new people here and get to know others who think like me and become a member of a community. I get tired of talking to my zombie friends about who did what on the latest reality tv show :roll:

Hope everyone is well and hello all! :-D

 

[longrider]

Welcome to the site! I'm from MN also; South Central MN. I found some really great books at the library. Just ask for self sufficient living type books and I got a stack of 7 from my little library here in town. It's plugged into the state public library system, but I didn't ask for any searches outside the library. You might also look into "The Hand Sculpted House" about cob homes, if you're looking to move to your own land some day.

Lots of great advice here, and wonderful people who are more than willing to share info. Hope to hear progress updates from you!
Longrider

 

[MrsInor]

Another welcome from east central Minnesota.

 

[lancestar2]

thanks for the reply longrider. I'm not sure I would want to build a all natural house. I do enjoy living in a urban village that is easy to access basic stores on foot and transit! and room for a car for a weekly bulk shopping trip Although I do have a small desire to own say 10-20 acers just outside of town and build my own house or just park a few trailer homes and call it a day haha being that im 27 and still in college for another 3 years I have alot of time to plan and it seems very far off but for right now I think I might be staying here in this apartment just outside of the twin cities metro area for maybe 5 years idk might move again but who knows.

I think ideally owning a 2 bedroom townhouse would be ideal with a basement and a large garage to use as storage for prepping and living space. I would be using the 2nd bedroom as and office or guest bedroom or some other personal usage such as roommate ect ect. so a basement and some garage space might be the extent to the amount I can store Plus the idea of a home gym also is a want for me haha I think I should focus on learning about "urban prepping" because I feel I am most likely going to always be a person living with very limited space

Also nice to meet another Minnesotan being that I living on the south side aka Northfield area I guess were not that far apart it's nice to know I'm not the only one in my extended community that is of this group. Any other book recommendation? I planning on getting a e reader soon of course I know the irony of that haha but any super important books I will read I figure I could get a paper copy if needed My school text books has already required me to buy a 2nd bookshelf! I do find myself watching alot of youtube videos I find it fun viewing there storage units and listening to them talk about the topics.

 

[lancestar2]

haha another Minnesotant! and here I was thinking I would be the only guy from Minnesota haha now there are at least 3 hmm pretty popular I was thinking I was all alone in my thinking about having a need to prepare for what might be to come.

 

[longrider]

Lance,

You might want to look at books on container gardening. It can be done. Also look into food dehydrating, canning, etc. I think Mrs. Inor would be the canning/dehydrating guru to talk to. She's pretty awsome. I'm not at home, but will look at my favorite books. Most of my books are geared to rural living. You might look at Barnes & Noble or Amazon for "Uban survival" or Bugging in within the city. Something like that. Or mabye you could hook up with a rural group, if SHTF. Young people are always welcome, in a group setting. At least in my group. although Northfield is a nice community, with rural roots. You might find a good group there. Good luck. I'll send a list of books, when I get home.

 

[Moonshinedave]

Hello Lance, and welcome to the site.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Welcome from Florida

 

[Old Man]

Welcome from Mississippi.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Welcome from Texas.

One note about doing laundry in your bathtub... Most apartments have an explicit written rule forbidding this. While you may not be able to see it, anytime you wash something, you produce somthing akin to lint. This will eventually clog your pipes and when they find it you may be liable for the repair. The next time you wash somthing, especially if it is several articles, try and find a way to strain the water prior to sending it down the drain to see what I mean.

There are a number of hand operated washing set ups out there that are not too expensive. You might want to look into them. The only downside I have heard is trying to wring the water out when finished, but you already have that issue anytime you hand wash, lol. I have an online aquaintance who uses a hand operated "washer" and he drains his water through a woman's stocking to catch all the lint. He also lamented about how many times he had to wash all of his clothes without soap to get all the residual soap out of his clothes. It seems we have a tendancy to use the soap companies recommended amount of soap to wash clothes and not the clothes makers recommended amount of soap, lol.

 

[Inor]

Hello again from Minnesota. As I am sure your can tell from my nic, I am married to MrsInor. So I am not sure if this counts as two greetings or one, but hello anyway.

 

[paraquack]

Welcome to the group, from ILL annoyed

 

[lancestar2]

Welcome from Texas.

One note about doing laundry in your bathtub... Most apartments have an explicit written rule forbidding this. While you may not be able to see it, anytime you wash something, you produce somthing akin to lint. This will eventually clog your pipes and when they find it you may be liable for the repair. The next time you wash somthing, especially if it is several articles, try and find a way to strain the water prior to sending it down the drain to see what I mean.

There are a number of hand operated washing set ups out there that are not too expensive. You might want to look into them. The only downside I have heard is trying to wring the water out when finished, but you already have that issue anytime you hand wash, lol. I have an online aquaintance who uses a hand operated "washer" and he drains his water through a woman's stocking to catch all the lint. He also lamented about how many times he had to wash all of his clothes without soap to get all the residual soap out of his clothes. It seems we have a tendancy to use the soap companies recommended amount of soap to wash clothes and not the clothes makers recommended amount of soap, lol.

oh my goodness! I forgot about the lint! haha thanks for the post! I think my local dollar store sells lint traps I will have to experiment with using them. I figured it was against the rules but it seems like such a harmless policy as long as I start straining the lint and making sure no mold develops with the extra moisture. I thought about getting a ringer but by doing so I would really not be saving any money by doing so haha so for now my method has been working. I might have some old panty hose I could try to use thanks again for the tip!

 

[longrider]

Hey Lance,

Here are some books to look at: National Geographic Complete Survival Manuel, Foxfire Books, Backwoods Home Magazine, The Trapper's Bible. Good luck.