View Full Version : Are you preparing for supply chain disruptions?
My wife and I seem to be spending much planning and resources on this topic.
1. Expanded garden this year. Expanding again in Spring. Had a small greenhouse installed.
2. Adding to pantry as money allows. Purchased a dehydrator recently, can't afford a freeze dryer at this time.
3. Have chickens, rooster and incubator.
4. Have a small solar generator.
5. Purchased a gas scooter to use if gas gets expensive.
Have many things on wish list.
rain water catchment, communications, alternative heat source, and an outdoor pizza/bread oven to name a few.
Anyone else planning accordingly?
Which possible disruptions are you most concerned with?
ToomuchStuff
11-29-22, 11:06pm
Where have you been? There have been supply chain disruptions since 2020.
Where have you been? There have been supply chain disruptions since 2020.
This hasn't been a new revelation to me, I've been trying to prepare since 2020.
iris lilies
11-30-22, 8:51am
This hasn't been a new revelation to me, I've been trying to prepare since 2020.
We “ prepared” decades ago by saving lotsa money so that when the lumber shortage hit in 2021 right when we were renovating our house, we had the additional $20,000 for materials.
No. Of forecast shortages my major concern is home heating oil and I don't have a spare tank to store more in.
catherine
11-30-22, 1:26pm
Wanting less
Needing less.
Being flexible.
Being adaptable.
Not really. I have a medium sized garden, can get around much of the time by bicycle and can heat much of the house with a woodstove if needed. And I'm pretty good at belt tightening with lots of practice. It doesn't cover all of the bases, but I'll take my chances.
I always recall the 2021 February Texas freeze and how unprepared people were for this very rare occurrence. DD and family had no power or water for three days and many for a week or more. Way too many people died for lack of heat. We have a huge stack of firewood, a well-stocked pantry and bottled water but that's about it.
I've lived through several days without power in 20+ degree weather with plenty of layers of clothes plus bedclothes. I don't understand how people die of hypothermia living inside--maybe much colder temperatures?
frugal-one
11-30-22, 7:18pm
Went today and stocked up on food. People are out in droves. Don’t want to have to do mega shopping anytime soon. If there should be a supply chain problem, we can get by too.
THe one thing where supply chain issues would be a problem for us is the bathroom renovation that we're in the middle of. Most of the stuff we need for that was bought months ago and has been annoyingly sitting in our dining room. Our contractor finally started working on it in earnest this week and at this point as long as we don't suffer some bizarre electricity outage or something he will be able to complete it by christmas without needing anything other than a few random bits and pieces. Other than that we'll be fine. If food shortages happen or whatever we'll just eat something else.
Teacher Terry
12-1-22, 1:40am
No I was not worried then and not worried now. I never let myself get completely out of anything.
rosarugosa
12-1-22, 6:26am
My only significant change in behavior is that I now really stock up on preferred types of cat food. For purposes of comparison, we used to have 1 - 2 weeks of supply on hand, and now it's more like 1 - 2 months of supply.
I suppose I'm quicker to buy a bit more of something that they don't always have in stock at the store, but DH and I are a bit more flexible than the cats for sure.
Oh, and I also have a lot of toilet paper on hand!
Jane, maybe they have asthma or COPD. I can't go under about 40 without it activating bronchospasms. I would definitely succumb.
Jane, maybe they have asthma or COPD. I can't go under about 40 without it activating bronchospasms. I would definitely succumb.
Ah, that makes sense. My grandmother had COPD, and she died one December while walking to visit a friend. I bet the cold weather was a contributor. I had (idiopathic) bronchospasm once (food reaction?)--scary business.
I was at Walgreens just a while ago buying a sympathy card when I heard conversations in line about no one being able to find distilled water--anywhere.
I guess you need that for cleaning your CPap. A lady in line was buying an entire hose unit because she could not find distilled water to clean her present one.
Anyone else heard about this? Can you only use distilled water to clean your CPap? I don't need or have one, but curious now.
I don't sense much urgency about the current supply chain.
Just what do y'all normally discuss in this "emergency preparedness" forum?
I was at Walgreens just a while ago buying a sympathy card when I heard conversations in line about no one being able to find distilled water--anywhere.
I guess you need that for cleaning your CPap. A lady in line was buying an entire hose unit because she could not find distilled water to clean her present one.
Anyone else heard about this? Can you only use distilled water to clean your CPap? I don't need or have one, but curious now.
DH doesn't use distilled water to clean his. Just regular water. But he smokes like a fiend, cleans with full-strength ammonia and generally believes that when it comes to chemicals, more is more, so I'm sure cleaning with distilled water is not high on his priority list.
I just uses regular water in mine for years. I have hard water and need to clean/descale it now-and-then. It hasn't been a problem.
The new CPAP I switched to recently doesn't even need water.
iris lilies
12-1-22, 6:51pm
I don't sense much urgency about the current supply chain.
Just what do y'all normally discuss in this "emergency preparedness" forum?
Someone asked for this formum years ago. Maybe it was you.
I’m not a prepper and I don’t have much interest in stocking up on things.
I’m not sure what the current concern is about supply chain issues. Does that have to do with the possible railroad strike?
Someone asked for this formum years ago. Maybe it was you.
I’m not a prepper and I don’t have much interest in stocking up on things.
I’m not sure what the current concern is about supply chain issues. Does that have to do with the possible railroad strike?
Yes, it was about the possible RR strike. Which I think isn’t going to happen now after what I just heard on the news.
The island I live on is subject to constant supply chain issues. I was visiting here ~25 years ago, about the time I joined this forum, when the main ferry dock was destroyed by a ferry crashing into it, and there was no ferry service for 5-6 weeks.
One of the reasons I simply stayed and moved here (other than being stuck) was seeing how well the community adapted to the problem, improvised solutions, and relied on local resiliency. I figured this would be good folks to live amongst.
I have not been proven wrong.
I hear a condom shortage is plaguing the sex industry, due to supply chain issues. I have no idea if that's true.
I hear a condom shortage is plaguing the sex industry, due to supply chain issues. I have no idea if that's true.
I have only noticed that female condoms are in short supply, with inflated prices. High quality non-latex male condoms seem quite available and not inflated.
I have only noticed that female condoms are in short supply, with inflated prices. High quality non-latex male condoms seem quite available and not inflated.
Don't let that get out; frantic sex workers will swarm your island. :~)
Don't let that get out; frantic sex workers will swarm your island. :~)
It's the slow season, alas.
Teacher Terry
12-6-22, 10:43am
You don’t clean your cpap with distilled water. You put it in the humidifier because with regular water you can grow mold. You clean it with a combination of water and vinegar.
Should have mentioned in original post,
I'm stocking up as hedge against inflation as well as supply chain issues. So, I view it as a can't lose financial decision, since I will eventually consume many of my purchases anyway.
A local closeout store had purchased 72 trailer loads from a Sam's Club that closed. Prices were 40% off Sam's original price.
Also been getting cardboard from work to use as ground cover over expanding garden area.
Also been getting cardboard from work to use as ground cover over expanding garden area.
I don't have a problem finding cardboard, but that is my favorite way of expanding my gardens. So much easier than tilling. Before the winter, I laid down another area of my pathway with cardboard, compost, leaves and topsoil. Should be ready by spring planting.
littlebittybobby
2-21-23, 10:57am
Well, the Doomsday Press says that the Ohio train derailment was part of a conspiracy to impact the food supply chain. Evidently, almost every faction is involved in it, including the cover up. Yup. I do not know. But yeah---for peace of mind, DO stock up on cattt food. Yup. Hope that helps you some.
rosarugosa
2-22-23, 6:07am
Well, the Doomsday Press says that the Ohio train derailment was part of a conspiracy to impact the food supply chain. Evidently, almost every faction is involved in it, including the cover up. Yup. I do not know. But yeah---for peace of mind, DO stock up on cattt food. Yup. Hope that helps you some.
Cat food shortages are the possibility that really worries me. I have quite a stash built up. We had trouble previously finding preferred types and flavors locally, so it became kind of a treasure hunt, and I bought some types by the case from Chewy.
Fortunately, cats (and dogs) can eat meat.
Fortunately, cats (and dogs) can eat meat.
And luckily, tourists are made out of meat.
And luckily, tourists are made out of meat.
:devil:
And luckily, tourists are made out of meat.
Oddly this reminds me of a work call I was on today. Coworker was talking about having a pot bellied pig and that the running joke was always that whenever she was in the kitchen she was told she could be bacon... Then one day they'd taken her to a bbq at a friend's house and a pork rib fell on the ground. She happily lunged at it and ate it up. Coworker was like "she understood that pigs get eaten." (for the record she never got eaten. Sensing that we were all slightly creeped out coworker clarified that she lived to be 15 and died of old age and was cremated and her ashes are now in a box in their living room...)
Oddly this reminds me of a work call I was on today. Coworker was talking about having a pot bellied pig and that the running joke was always that whenever she was in the kitchen she was told she could be bacon... Then one day they'd taken her to a bbq at a friend's house and a pork rib fell on the ground. She happily lunged at it and ate it up. Coworker was like "she understood that pigs get eaten." (for the record she never got eaten. Sensing that we were all slightly creeped out coworker clarified that she lived to be 15 and died of old age and was cremated and her ashes are now in a box in their living room...)
This reminds me of the vegans who are always mewling "Won't somebody think of the animals?" when animals themselves have no such compunctions.
invisibleflash
2-26-23, 11:03am
Yes OP, but I could have done much more. I squandered lots of $$ and time in my previous YOLO life.
When it comes to canned food...go for non pop-top cans if you have a choice. Traditional canned goods generally hold up better than pop-top cans.
Walmart has good prices on canned food, although they have gone up on some things by 20% or more. Before you bulk up, buy a few cans and try them. See how you react to them. No use buying something that gives you heartburn or tastes bad. Walmart has a pro can opener for about $10. Best I've ever used. Smooth as silk when in operation. Make sure you got a supply of good can openers.
Store your canned good in the cardboard flats they come in. For deep preps, get chrome wire shelving and go up to the ceiling with it. Keep adding tubes and shelves until you get to the max height. Have them on high quality casters and have 2 layers of them in front of each other. You roll out the front shelving unit to get to the rear unit.
I like chrome wire shelving as it is very adaptable and standardized to filling even odd spaces. My walls are short. If your walls are a decent length, you could have 500 linear feet of shelving easily.
When I moved here, they had one narrow 10-foot long by 10-inch-wide wood shelf on the wall. I removed it and went from one 10 linear foot wood shelf of storage to 120 linear feet of shelving with just one layer of shelving on 1-1/2 walls. And as a bonus, my shelf width went from 10 inches deep of wood to 18 inches deep of chrome wire.
If you already have built-in wood shelving, you can add another layer of roll-out chrome wire shelving in front of it. Just get the big, easy roll casters.
catherine
2-26-23, 11:22am
Yes OP, but I could have done much more. I squandered lots of $$ and time in my previous YOLO life.
When it comes to canned food...go for non pop-top cans if you have a choice. Traditional canned goods generally hold up better than pop-top cans.
Walmart has good prices on canned food, although they have gone up on some things by 20% or more. Before you bulk up, buy a few cans and try them. See how you react to them. No use buying something that gives you heartburn or tastes bad. Walmart has a pro can opener for about $10. Best I've ever used. Smooth as silk when in operation. Make sure you got a supply of good can openers.
Store your canned good in the cardboard flats they come in. For deep preps, get chrome wire shelving and go up to the ceiling with it. Keep adding tubes and shelves until you get to the max height. Have them on high quality casters and have 2 layers of them in front of each other. You roll out the front shelving unit to get to the rear unit.
I like chrome wire shelving as it is very adaptable and standardized to filling even odd spaces. My walls are short. If your walls are a decent length, you could have 500 linear feet of shelving easily.
When I moved here, they had one narrow 10-foot long by 10-inch-wide wood shelf on the wall. I removed it and went from one 10 linear foot wood shelf of storage to 120 linear feet of shelving with just one layer of shelving on 1-1/2 walls. And as a bonus, my shelf width went from 10 inches deep of wood to 18 inches deep of chrome wire.
If you already have built-in wood shelving, you can add another layer of roll-out chrome wire shelving in front of it. Just get the big, easy roll casters.
So, Invisible, what would you do in my situation. When I lived in NJ there were certain flats of cans I always bought at Costco. Diced tomatoes, baked beans, etc.-things we used a lot. They were stored in the basement.
When we moved to VT I did the same thing, and stored them outside in my shed, and I learned Winter #1 that I can't do that. They freeze and get nasty. What is your solution for that? We have no storage in the house--no attic and no basement (just a small crawlspace, and I'm not going to heat up the shed just for a bunch of canned goods. So I don't have much of a stockpile of anything.
happystuff
2-26-23, 11:46am
So, Invisible, what would you do in my situation. When I lived in NJ there were certain flats of cans I always bought at Costco. Diced tomatoes, baked beans, etc.-things we used a lot. They were stored in the basement.
When we moved to VT I did the same thing, and stored them outside in my shed, and I learned Winter #1 that I can't do that. They freeze and get nasty. What is your solution for that? We have no storage in the house--no attic and no basement (just a small crawlspace, and I'm not going to heat up the shed just for a bunch of canned goods. So I don't have much of a stockpile of anything.
catherine, your dilemma reminds me of some of the older "small space storage" articles I used to read. Most popular suggestions were, of course, under the beds and sofa. There was also the one to stack table-high, place something rigid of the same size on top, and throw a tablecloth over it as an instant side table.
I’ve got an antique bed that is higher than modern beds. I’ve been storing a lot of canned goods and paper goods under the it the last three years. I don’t have much space either.
Teacher Terry
2-26-23, 11:27pm
I live in a condo and could go probably 2 months without shopping but I don’t eat nearly as much as when I was younger. Beyond that I am not going to worry about it.
It sort of depends on whether a person is preparing for short term shortages or a prepper looking at global catastrophe. I have rice, beans, and legumes to get by for a coupe of months and are easy to store, but my canned goods would run out in a couple of weeks. I'm fairly comfortable with that, but it's probably not sufficient for nuclear disaster, civil war, an even worse pandemic or vampires. There are survivalist web site what sell long term food packages of mostly dry, dehydrated, or irradiated foods with several year shelf lives. I've gone back and forth on those, but so far have not been that concerned.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.