Odds n Ends

In doing some cleaning today, I cleared up some of our empty juice bottles off the counter.  The Architect and I keep them to fill with water and put in the freezer we have downstairs.  I rearranged the bottles already there and counted to see how much water we have.  Looks to be about a week's worth, but that's only for The Architect and myself - I must continue putting some away for the dogs, too.

Logan and Blaze are on our prep list, too.  I know some people may think it's silly to spend time, energy, and space on a pet, but we think the dogs would be valuable in a SHTF situation.

As Akitas, the dogs are large and intimidating.  Logan, especially, would not hesitate to protect me if I needed it.  They are also large enough to carry supplies (we're getting them packs from http://wolfpacks.com/ for Christmas), and pull loads (harnesses from http://www.harnessesbycarol.com/ will come later).  Akitas were bred as bear hunters, and I've seen the way these two handle the backyard wildlife, so I'm confident they'd be capable hunters.

The Architect and I have also begun walking at least three times a week.  It's a prep that, until recently, we have severely overlooked.  If we had to get up and go, we wouldn't get too far, especially if we had to carry a BOB.

On Wednesday, Crash, The Architect, and I went to the Georgia National Fair and had a great time.  We were there more specifically to see the Feathered Horse Classic show which showcased Friesians and Gypsy cobs.

There were many more Gypsies than Friesians on the day we went, but it was a pleasure regardless.  This particular bunch of horse people are super friendly and happy to answer questions about their breed and let you pet their horses.

We don't have horses yet, but hope to in the relatively near future.  We love draft types, and I had a brief stint with a mustang rescue, and I fell in love with  them and their hardiness.

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday.  :)

Get Home Bags and Bug Out Bags...

The Architect's BOB and my GHB on top of it.

Happy Labor Day!  I hope everyone is having a safe, lovely weekend.



The Architect had placed an order last week, and it arrived on Friday. 

We received a pair of MOLLE packs and a shoulder pack for me, as a MOLLE pack will not fit in my tiny 2-seater convertible (yes, a big ol' pick-up truck will be my next vehicle purchase ASAP).

I work 18 miles from my home, the Architect twice that.  If something happens while we're at work (an EMP, for example), it's not going to be a peachy walk in the park getting home.

First of all, I carry no less than $20 in cash with me at all times.  If the CVS next door to my work cannot run a credit card, I can at least throw cash at them for as much water and food as I can carry.

One of my next purchases needs to be a holster for my pistol - I'd prefer a shoulder rig.

Anyway- I've looked over Google Earth, and there really aren't any shortcuts by foot on my way home.

So my Get-Home-Bag has been populated by energy bars, water, an extra magazine for my pistol, a poncho, an emergency blanket, some glow sticks, waterproof matches, and a magnesium fire starter.  I doubt I can fit much more into it, and I need to figure out how to fit some socks and toilet paper in it.


As for the big MOLLE bags, those will be saved for if we have to get out of here in a hurry (Bug Out Bag/Get Out of Dodge bag).

The Architect has already put his sleeping bag (another purchase I need to make) and other survival gear into his, and has already begun looking for modifications for the bags themselves.  He's already talking about a hydration pack for them.  Ha.


Does anyone else keep a Get Home bag with them?

The Cast...

A little background on some of the other characters who will likely frequent this blog:

The Architect and I roll with a pack of four other people - two couples.

Crash is my best friend of the past, oh, 12 years or so. Joined at the hip, we've been working together at various places off and on for the past four years. We finish each other's sentences, know what the other is thinking, and basically speak our own telepathic language. Her man/partner/boyfriend/fiance is Bubba, and they've been together nearly as long as The Architect and I have. Bubba and the Architect are often found Bro-mancing it up in the garage, or drinking coffee and discussing politics together on the couch.

Kitty and Redbeard are still "newcomers" to the scheme of things. Redbeard, ex-military, posts often on the car forum that The Architect runs, and he snagged a job local to the rest of us. He and his wife, Kitty, moved down to Small Suburbia from elsewhere a tad less than a year ago.

My first, and probably best, memory of Kitty, was when Crash, Bubba, The Architect, and I, went to meet Redbeard and Kitty for dinner when they first moved down here. Since Redbeard and Kitty had lived in military housing for so long, Kitty was used to socializing with women who Just Wanted More Kids. She burst into tears when she realized that the rest of us are all Childfree By Choice, just as she and Redbeard are.


I consider myself very lucky to have such a close circle of friends that I can trust, who has a pantload of common interests as I do.


Each of us in the Small Suburbia Society, in some capacity or another, is either some form of prepper/survivalist, or at least interested in learning new skills in the name of it.


In the near future, we'll be holding little classes for ourselves and take turns teaching skills that we know.

I will be posting the run-down and some pictures of what we learn in hopes of someone else gleaning some knowledge from it.

Our first class will be knife sharpening, though we don't yet have a date for it. I'm going to be pushing for it in the next two or three weekends(as we have other engagements this weekend), as soon as The Architect and I can get to a sporting goods store to get sharpening stones and whatnot.

My lousy set of steak/cutting knives shall serve as guinea pigs. I figure that the set is barely any better than cutting food with a spoon, so really: What Can Possibly Go Wrong? ;)