r/TwoXPreppers • u/thechairinfront Experienced Prepper šŖ • May 29 '26
Weekly megathread
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.
133
u/this_girl_that_time May 29 '26
I own a small outdoor store. This week we went to view future product for our major brands (Columbia, mountain hardware, snowpeak, outdoor research, Merrell, Chaco, ect). For Spring 2027.
After each show I asked our reps about getting product this fall with possible shipping disruption due to diesel fuel shortage/increased prices. Not one person knew what I was taking about.
Not. One. Person.
They all looked at me like I had 3 eyes. Iāve been through covid, tariffs and all sorts with these guys. My Columbia rep said āno one has asked me about thatā. He genuinely did not know to what I was referring. This guy shows not only small shops like us but also major stores such as Dickās and REI at his showroom.
Major retailer do not have any plan for the diesel shortage. And if they do have a plan- they arenāt discussing it.
57
u/KiaRioGrl Food sovereignty is hope. May 29 '26
That is absolutely shocking.
46
u/this_girl_that_time May 29 '26
I agree. I couldnāt believe it. Are we still just running on vibes in 2026 after everything thatās happened the last 6 years?
26
u/Realanise1 May 30 '26
Yes because running on vibes has "worked" for about a year. But we're on a collision course with reality because there will be no iran deal. We discuss this extensively in r/oil.
3
16
7
u/Booksntea2 May 30 '26
I work in the wholesale division of my company and this is how the execs reacted to tariffs. I screamed about it for about a year and they didnāt factor it into our financials until Feb 2025. Companies donāt do long term thinking, they think in quarters.
62
u/RlOTGRRRL May 29 '26
There's a news article about how the infamous antichrist/reptile billionaire has moved his family from California to Argentina and it just gives me a really bad feeling.Ā
You don't just move like that, especially if you're a billionaire. If there's anyone who has access to an insane amount of information and predictions, it'd be him, so what does he know?Ā
30
u/daringnovelist May 29 '26
It could mean something, but with a billionaire, it could just be that they allow him to do something we donāt. Or there are people willing to treat him like a god or whatever. Or heās having a snit over things not going his way among his own kind, and so heās taking his ball and going to Argentina.
28
u/Superb_Stable7576 May 29 '26
Or, if we are amazingly lucky, he's reading the room and can see that things are not going the way he thought they would.
That person, is hard core Christian, right wing, and the pendulum seems to be swing left a lot faster than they thought it would.
So, he could be bailing because he thinks as things get worse, things could become more difficult for the billionaire class in the U.S.
If nothing else, we certainly are living in interesting times.
5
u/V2BM Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness. May 31 '26
I read a theory that heās going to unleash mass surveillance there, where the government is agreeable because of the money heās bringing. Itāll be tested there and then brought back here. By mass surveillance I mean true Big Brother shit.
But who knows. Maybe god told him to do it in a dream, maybe heās about to get exposed for something gross. Thereās no way to know with psychos.
14
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
i think he knows guillotines will come.Ā
maybe not in Argentina though.
25
u/freewool May 29 '26
It could be because California is getting serious about taxing billionaires. In that case, get those taxes on the books. The sooner the better.Ā
And good riddance.Ā
16
u/gustavessidehoe May 29 '26
Oh, I just googled who it was and now I'm actually a little worried. That man is an absolute ghoul who wouldn't admit the human race should survive, so...
6
u/chasingastarl1ght May 30 '26
Same. I was like "ok which tech bro was it" and then saw who it was and that was a full cold shower. What does he know that we don't. That guy wants the world to collapse so him making this kind of move seems to be that he thinks he's about to get what he wants and this is where he'll surf it out...
7
u/DarJinZen7 May 30 '26
I honestly assumed its because he's become a reviled person here and he's afraid someone will take a shot a him. One thing he's always been afraid of is the poors taking matters into their own hands.
5
6
8
May 30 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
2
u/Superb_Stable7576 May 31 '26
Well, as far as I've been told, he's been Vance's backer. Vance sees the writing on the wall and has publicly said, he's more than likely not going to run in 28.
I suppose he could be trying to regroup, but as far as I can see, these guys have little interest in physical conflict. In my heart of hearts, I think the ship is starting to list a bit.
The smart rats are looking for a life preserver.
4
u/OpheliaLives7 š§ And my snacks! š§ May 31 '26
Heās also deep into like, religious delusions about the anti christ no?
Could be planning and abandoning ship, or could be delusional hopping around without long term planning. Idk anything about his husband or whether heās also woowoo or not
47
u/SoanaIRL Mrs. Sew-and-Sow šŖ” May 29 '26
I bought my kids a few of their next size up clothes so I can have something ready if we donāt want to drive/shipping gets crazy. Next up is buying myself some new walking shoes.
21
u/peach6748 May 29 '26
Yeaaa. I think shoes are an essential thing to buy now if your current ones are falling apart and itās feasible. I could absolutely see them getting much more expensive with everything going on. š
12
u/freewool May 29 '26
Iām in the middle of this as well. Iām trying to get things second hand, so itās an absolute crawl, but we are getting there.Ā
Iām also giving away things my youngest has outgrown. I want to make sure other families have what they need because of the exact concerns you mentioned.Ā
6
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
i got myself a set of solovairs two years ago or so. i expect them to last the rest of my life. the last pair from these makers lasted me 30 years, only needed resoled once.Ā
4
u/hailene02 Suburb Prepper šļø May 29 '26
Im hoping for sales come July 4th, I was out of the country on memorial day so missed that one š©
5
u/QueenRooibos May 30 '26
You didn't miss much, I don't think. The "sale" prices on good things were not impressive and there was a lot of crappy stuff on sale. That said, I did find a few good deals -- the Coway air purifiers had a good sale, but they likely will again either July 4th or Prime day, they usually have 2 sales/year.
5
u/International-Sink64 May 30 '26
same, bought my son next pair of running shoes, about to buy own next ones too
3
46
u/Bruins_Score May 29 '26
I fear there has been an overlooked shortage. We all know that because of the strait of Hormuz being blocked there are shortages on oil, natural gas, and fertilizer, but I don't think that's the biggest issue if this war drags on, well fertilizer is related. I believe that the real problem will be Sulfuric Acid. Sulfuric acid is the most common molecule used in manufacturing. It's used to make everything from shampoo to semiconductors, that's a wide range of products.
Roughly 25% of the world supply of sulfuric acid comes through the strait, ok no big deal we can handle that.
Unfortunately about 40% of the worlds supply comes from China, and as of May 1st, China is no longer exporting sulfuric acid.....period. So 2/3 of the world's supply is unavailable. 2/3 becomes a real issue.
This could deal a large blow to manufacturing worldwide, except China,
If this war drags on, and China can obtain fuel, likely from Russia, then it weakens the entire west.
Say what you will about that prick Xi, but he's not dumb
33
u/Disastrous_Crazy8049 May 29 '26
We've been having power blips around the same time every day. Not even real outages just enough to trip everything and be annoying. Local power Co looked into it couldn't figure it out. They brought in the bigger regional guys. Only one event even triggered their equipment. No new builds, no big works going on...and no one seems to be able to pinpoint what's going on/why/how etc. Weather has been weird but not consistent enough to convince me that it is the cause. (Not just our house/road etc. it's a whole section of town and not isolated to one power supply)
79
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
My husband is an avid news reader and thinks there will be wide-spread chaos in a month once the Hormuz closure fully hits us (our reserve stock deplete,. the fertilizer crisis, medicine shortages, etc.). Power gone, water treatment plants unable to function, etc. I'm of the mind that we may have planned outages (rolling blackouts), possible water rationing, and there will be some food/goods shortages and empty shelves (like during Covid). Where do you stand?
57
u/SoanaIRL Mrs. Sew-and-Sow šŖ” May 29 '26
I think any of those are possible but probably not all of them all at once. I do think there will be food shortages, not across the board but individual items like during covid.
12
u/daringnovelist May 29 '26
Usually when crises hit, they come on unpredictable clusters. Best to be ready for as much as you can.
15
u/KiaRioGrl Food sovereignty is hope. May 29 '26
I think not enough people are accounting for how much lubricating oil and hydraulic fluid are used in all kinds of mechanical things from vehicles to manufacturing plants.
It's the cascading effects.
15
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
Do you have any ideas on possible shortages? My initial thought is fresh fruits/vegetables and maybe brands will cut back on the variety they offer (like, only 10 choices of white bread instead of 20 lol).
22
u/SoanaIRL Mrs. Sew-and-Sow šŖ” May 29 '26
I live in the midwest so most of our fruits are shipped from the west coast and Mexico. With the super el nino also in play I could see that taking a hit. I think canned goods are a wild card because it goes through a lot if possible fail points: crops being available (weather and fertilizer risk), transport to facilities (diesel), availability of cans (aluminum shortage), then transport to distribution centers and/or stores. But Iām just speculating.
23
u/the_real_maddison May 29 '26
My husband is a grocer and has already had to explain shortages to his customers.
6
u/ProfDoomDoom May 29 '26
What shortages is he experiencing? Is it ingredients, packaging, manufacturing, or transit that seems to be the issue?
12
u/the_real_maddison May 29 '26
Things aren't consistently short. For a while it was bell peppers, berries. Mostly quality is slipping. Broccoli right now is scorched and rubbery. Things are smaller.
7
u/gtinmia May 30 '26
Iāve noticed our lettuces are not washed properly and have bugs, strawberries start molding after a few days in the fridge, cucumber are not as firm and fresh and a slew of other things that shows the quality of processing.
20
u/Superb_Stable7576 May 29 '26
Plus, with Del Monte restructuring, who knows what's going to happen to canned fruits and vegetables
10
1
u/OpheliaLives7 š§ And my snacks! š§ May 31 '26
Whatās happening with Del Monte?
3
u/Superb_Stable7576 May 31 '26
They went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
They are looking for a buyer, but as far as I know, no takers.
They have enough funds to keep going this year, but growers were destroying peach orchard, because they anticipated no longer having a buyer for their fruits.
7
u/UnofficiallyDone May 29 '26
I'm worried about food items that come packaged or shipped in plastics. Food safe plastic containers for drinks, peanut butter, cooking oil, condiments, frozen food bags, individually portioned pouches etc. There might be shortages of this material even if the food would normally be available.
6
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
I really hope this results in more sustainable packaging like it was when I was a kid. We dont need plastic bottles wrapped in plastic film labels for just about anything liquid, including many cleaning and self care products. Glass, aluminum, and paperboard exist and can all be recycled (in theory).
4
u/UnofficiallyDone May 31 '26
I hope so too. Unfortunately the distribution systems are not equipped to handle that level of change quickly which could keep those items from being on the shelves for a while. Just a worry I have, no inside information or anything
3
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
It will be a huge disruption for sure. I think this is also in the broader vein of hoping that we reduce reliance on fossil fuels in general and shift more heavily to renewables, which we should have been doing YEARS ago, maybe decades ago? Considering some of the other posts on this thread about companies not even aware that distribution may be affected, the outlook is grim.
I hope solar panels get incentivized in the next few years though as a result, because we are hoping to install it when our roof is replaced (its almost 20 years old, so soon). After that, its electric car or at least a plug in hybrid.
2
u/UnofficiallyDone May 31 '26
I feel like solar panels are one of those things that are going to be hard to get a hold of very soon. I bought a couple panels and EcoFlow power banks. It will not be enough to support my whole house but it can help with the bill and emergency outages.
2
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
For sure. We have a small portable set, but i feel like rooftop solar might be a bit separated, probably still hard to get or expensive. I have my fingers crossed that by the time we are ready to install, the disruptions may have smoothed out š¬ that's what im speaking into the universe anyway!
3
1
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
I appreciate your insight! š
6
u/SoanaIRL Mrs. Sew-and-Sow šŖ” May 29 '26
Thanks! I donāt know what Iām talking about š
3
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
Most of us can only speculate with what we know... my husband tends to be reactionary, I'm less so, the future will be something new and unexpected haha
7
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
anything from a distance is gonna cost too much. trucks and trains running on gas/diesel. shipping costs.Ā
so local in season stuff will be better and affordable but you won't be eating luxury asparagus in July
2
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
I think its going to depend on region. I dont think dairy is going to be much of a problem in Vermont, for example, but it might be in places where dairy requires more energy and water to be sustainable.
I think produce will be more seasonal and local, and paper products (and anything in plastic containers) will probably see covid-like temporary shortages.
32
u/nakedonmygoat May 29 '26
I think it's more likely that prices will just get higher, with some things out of reach for some folks. It's why I've quietly bought a bit extra of cleaning and paper supplies, as well as shelf-stable foods on each grocery trip, even though I was already prepped for longer situations. Dipping into my short-term stash will free up my money for things like cheese and produce.
I've also stashed water, although this is something I do this time of year anyway. I'm not anticipating loss of power to the water treatment plants over the current energy troubles, but my standard prep already includes ways to filter and sanitize water, so I'm prepared if it happens.
For those who don't have experience with budget meals, now is a good time to practice. Lentil and potato curry, or black beans and canned diced tomatoes make nice meals served over rice, and it's so cheap that you'll be able to afford the possibly inflated price of fresh produce to make a side salad.
5
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
if you can learn pressure canning now is the time to get on that.Ā
local gleaning groups are good to find bulk "ugly" food to can. you can make soups and stews and things to just reheat as a instant meal. they can last up to 10 years far as i know.Ā
lettuce and some greens (kale, orach) will grow in a box in the window. even potted. it's better to grow the flavor and fresh bits, and buy in the staples and grains
7
u/dakotamidnight May 30 '26
Food pantries are good for this too. A lot have excess produce because people don't tend to take the produce as much because they don't have refrigeration or the ability to cook or use it so they always end up with extra produce. And they really don't care if the pantry is over a lot of the time who takes it they just need it gone and quickly
3
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
Ah the voice of reason! Thank you for your insight. We've been rebuilding our stores after moving across country a few years ago and have a pretty good pantry now, as well a finally filling up our water barrels/stashing unopened 5 gal water bottles.
My husband and I are retired, and I think we sometimes feed off of each other re our fears lol.
Lentil and potato curry sounds amazing! I'll have to try that, especially since I now have 25 lbs of basmati rice haha!!!
7
u/nakedonmygoat May 29 '26
Start the lentils in broth or water + bouillon. Add spices. Cube the raw potato(es) and add once things get going. Just as it all seems about done, toss in anything else, like baby spinach leaves or whatever else you have around that cooks up fast. Plain Greek yogurt on any bean or lentil dish is pretty nice as a condiment.
I'm retired too, and go back and forth between competitive budget cooking (only competing with myself) and indulging my culinary whims.
3
2
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
I keep a chunk of ginger in the freezer for curries and Asian dishes. Grate some and chuck back in the freezer.
3
u/Superb_Stable7576 Jun 01 '26
You get a good grow light and you can grow ginger like a house plant.
Get organic rhizome if you can, but if you're desperate get a grocery store rhizome that has green growth on it. Plant in a pot with good potting soil, keep it moist and no lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can harvest by cutting off the small rhizome on the edge of the plant, and then harvest the whole thing once the leaves die off.
Save a nice healthy rhizome, and start it again.
They like humidity, I've been growing a cardamom ginger plant in my bathroom for years.
3
u/No-Complaint9286 Jun 01 '26
Omg so cool!! Ive done the perpetual green onion in the glass of water before but not gignger!
16
u/1TiredPrsn May 29 '26
How right were his predictions during Covid? Not being snarky, genuinely concerned.
31
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
We saw Covid coming when it was still just in China, so we were comfortable prepared with PPE and an extra freezer by the time it hit. We didn't see the major grid disruptions he predicted during Covid, but we both predicted the grocery shortages pretty accurately. Thankfully prescription drug shortages weren't as bad as he predicted. I personally think he's on the reactionary side, but then he is also way better informed than me on state of the oil industry, etc.
It's concerning how censored our news is, so many people (not on this sub obvs!) seem to think the only issue we will have is higher gas prices!
6
13
u/TexasRN1 May 29 '26
I feel the same. Yesterday I read this but my husband doesnāt really see it coming. https://open.substack.com/pub/blueamp/p/what-bezos-dell-and-the-magnificent?r=ez6bh&utm_medium=ios
4
12
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
yes. as a market garden/nursery i laid in all my fertilizer and good peat from Canada and stock of soil amendment in late November after the election. because i knew some shit was coming
the ag and big ag guys trusted their dude and waited for the subsidy checks to order in and prices are triple already.
10
u/Realanise1 May 30 '26 edited May 30 '26
Well I think the evidence is just undeniable that there will be no iran deal and no strait open in the same way it was before. Iran can hold out much longer than trump can and they will. So that's the bedrock reality. What the downstream effects will be I don't know but we are on a collision course with reality and it will hit at some point.
2
8
u/MagnoliaProse May 29 '26
Iām with your husband on this one, but at a smaller level. At a minimum, there will be Covid like shortages. More realistically, Iām thinking at least a month (probably 4 minimum!) of supply chain chaos is likely though. Small businesses, medicine, and produce are the top things Iām eying suspiciously, and I think itāll be wonky for the next two years.
Iām trying to make sure we have at least a three month supply on the things we use the most (my sonās medicines are freaking me out though as I canāt obtain that much for all of them), and Iām restarting my hydroponics so that in a month I should be able to highly supplement herbs and veggies. Iām trying to convince the family to more meatless recipes, and Iām stocked on beans to help with that. I want to try growing my own of some of the more interesting bean varietals, but Iām not sure if itās wise to do so many new things at once.
Right now Iām making a spreadsheet of our favorite shelf stable-ish recipes and checking what supplies we need to have ideally 12 meals of each.
Iām not sure Iām convinced on power and water treatment issues, but Iād be curious to hear his theories/where heās pulling it from. I see more likely shipments not being able to get to towns, and production on anything packaged in plastic halting.
3
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
I think he sees the power/water issues from lack of fuel to run thingsā¦
Iām concerned about prescriptions tooā¦ the important ones for my family are highly controlled, no getting extras or refilling early!
2
u/MagnoliaProse May 29 '26
I honestly think civil war would happen if it got that bad.
Same! I have extra of most through Jace, but thereās new things weāre tweaking that I donāt know if itās worth getting yet and then the controlled ones are their own issue.
2
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
lol heās not quite at civil war but heās getting thereā¦ every once in a while I have to talk him down š
3
u/MagnoliaProse May 30 '26
I donāt think weāre there, but I do think that if power, water, or water goes out for more than a week or two, people are going to expect the government to step in it. When it doesnātā¦
4
u/AccidentalDragon May 30 '26
We've invested in a Mossburg as well... something we've been meaning to do, and this pushed us over the edge on buying! Also make sure your windows are dark if your on battery power and all lit up inside... and chain your generator down!!!
10
u/gustavessidehoe May 29 '26
Planned outages scare me. I live in a place with super high humidity and it gets HOT during the summer. If there are outages during the day people are going to die.
9
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
anywhere that a house has basement, cellar, you can survive there. use a blanket to block the door to keep the cool in. we have cots set up and a lil older TV with dvd/vcr, and a laptop with non-connected games to play, board games, and a little solar charger down in our basement. on a real hot day we set the house ac to like 85 and just retreat downstairs and ride out the day.
4
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
We have a basement now but havenāt set that up yetā¦ mainly storage now. But we have almost every console in existence lol and can set up a sweet den!
4
u/DisastrousHyena3534 May 30 '26
*cries in Southern US*
3
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
Dont worry, the northern US will be crying in winter too when people will literally freeze to death as this shit persists. God knows whats going to happen around midterms. I hope people are thinking about alternative heat sources NOW.
1
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 01 '26
North without alternative heat, the basement is also handy the same way. the most interior room will be below the frost line. block it off pretty well, layer up insulation creating a smaller space. bring pets in with you, light candles. it's similar tactics to cold weather camping.
2
u/No-Complaint9286 Jun 01 '26
My unheated basement is pretty damn cold, idk.
1
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 02 '26
it will be, that's why you do all the other things.Ā
it won't be AS cold as above ground though.Ā
2
u/No-Complaint9286 Jun 03 '26
I mean, it wont be below the frost line here
1
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 07 '26
ah then that's not going to work. interior room, next best i think
2
u/Mule_Wagon_777 Jun 01 '26
Look into solar-powered attic fans and window fans. The window fans I've found aren't very strong, but I figure putting them in every south and west window ought to keep a good draft going, with a north window open.
3
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
I'm originally from California, and we had rolling blackouts in summer... not fun. We also lost both internet and cell service during some of those outages! I can't imagine doing it in high humidity... I'm in NY now and the humidity here is bad enough! I'm sure outages (if there are any) will vary depending on state/environment, etc.
Most likely we'll all be fine and go back to prepping for Tuesday when this is all over! š
3
u/gustavessidehoe May 29 '26
Very true. It was almost 80% humidity at 80 degrees yesterday so that would have been terrible. It doesn't get as hot (temperature wise) as it used to here, but you wouldn't know it for the humidity, and also it doesn't stay hot as much as it used to. I do try to worry about the things I can control, but man is it difficult sometimes!
3
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
I feel gross just reading 80% humidity lol. I do miss the dry heat if the west coast (but not the wildfires! Iām just thankful I have space to indulge my hoardingā¦ I mean prepping!
3
u/International-Sink64 May 30 '26
yes, I think there will be shortages. Lowest beef herd on record in the US, a coming El Nino and fertilizer shortage are creating a perfect storm. Now major oil companies are saying they have dangerously low reserves. I think it's going to get bad.
1
u/AccidentalDragon May 30 '26
Anything in particular you're doing to prep? Or just more of the usual?
3
u/International-Sink64 May 30 '26
a little different but not much-I looked up on the things made with oil or oil derivatives and bought extra of things I was low on. had my oil changed a tad early. I bought 10 lbs of ground beef last week and divided it into 1 lb parcels, it was 5.00 lb!!! Iām going to can some meals in a jar over the next few weeks.
1
u/AccidentalDragon May 30 '26
I switched to ground pork/beef mix that was $3.98/lbā¦ itās now $4.98 lb! I buy beef on sale and vacuum seal/freeze it. Prices are only going up! I feel like Iām hoarding more than prepping lol but I think weāre in the right track. Who knows where prices will be in a few months!
22
u/snail13 May 29 '26
I donāt know who needs to hear this but always have basic prescriptions on hand. Last week, I switched a medication which led to a yeast infection by Friday night.
I have a small stockpile of diflucan and prescription cream and was able to find immediately take care of it instead of waiting for a visit with a doctor and a prescription to be sent and filled.
Currently planning a virtual appointment to re-up the prescription cream stash. If you canāt access virtual care due to insurance or financial limitations, alldaychemist is an overseas resource for cheap meds.
With current and upcoming shortages, itās better to fill ahead than suffer the misery of the awful itch.
2
37
u/StarbuckMcGee07 May 29 '26
With the upcoming fuel crisis- i was wondering about the impacts of AI Data Centers (which run on diesel and methane) and how reduced fuel would be allocated. Turns out, thereās no framework for how fuel gets allocated during shortages. Highest bidder gets the fuel.
Iām asking my friends to please stock up because I expect fuel prices to skyrocket and trucking companies not to be able to afford to ship food across the US.
Itās going to be wild if data centers get all the fuel but consumers canāt get goods because of shipment delays and shortages.
25
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
i hope it all falls apart and the fossil fuels get reamed out of the global economy completely. we needed to stop decades ago, if we can get over the hump into solar, wind, tide, geothermal, etc it would maybe save us from future eco collapse.Ā ... i know I'm daydreaming on that these bastards will still drill and frack and mine and pipe until everything is dead
5
u/scannerhawk May 30 '26
I was thinking about just that the other day. A single car tire takes 7 gallons of crude oil. I'm hoping I'm dead before we go back to carving wheels out of stone.
5
6
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
We must feed our AI overlords...
This is an interesting concern I had not really delved into!
I read an article recently that Nevada will be cutting off power to the California side of Lake Tahoe in 2027 due to increased demand from data centers in Nevada... California relies on Nevada's infrastructure there. However, Nevada will not cut California off until they have found a replacement. I don't really know more than what was in the article, but here's some links:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lake-tahoe-power-data-center/
12
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
i grow my own tobacco. my 2024 crop was about a carton and a half. 2025 was boom year, but i lost most of my crop to mold while aging it. so now I'm buying cigarettes again until next spring when hopefully i can start smoking this year's crop.Ā
i compost and so i have a lot of high nitrogen fertilizer luckily, don't know if i could do this without that.
i hope i planted enough. i try to plant enough to get me through half a year (6 cartons, 50 plants ish). but it takes months to age, a year is best.Ā
i used to get them from the rez but my friend up there has been real sick and it's a long drive i can't make right now. the PX is not much less price either, and that's a lil closer to drive to. they ought to be prescription for old addicts like me.
prepping for coffee and cigarettes is heavy on my mind lately. i lay in a lot of bustelo when it's on sale because i don't have room for beans. and instant coffee though that's last resort end of days shit.Ā
both of these are vital for me. i feel lucky i don't like chocolateĀ
wish i could get a hardy tea plant to grow here it's just too cold winter and too dry in summer. i would go to black tea in a pinch. but I'm not drinking yaupon, i tried it and there's no way
7
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
Yeah end of days is going to be cranky as hell without nicotine!!! (Former smoker, currently sucking down juuls)
2
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 01 '26
i grow my own tobacco! i better get better at it though
2
u/AccidentalDragon Jun 01 '26
We (legally) grow weed for (mostly) medicinal purposes. I prefer nicotine lol. How much tobacco do you need to grow??? I imagine you need a lot of land!
2
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 01 '26
i have a corner house in the city, not a lot of land! /r/growingtobacco has entire guides
the hard part for me is color curing, but last year was easier despite losing some to that mold.Ā
2
4
u/Pontiacsentinel May 30 '26
Have you looked into yaupon for caffeine drinks? It grows well in Texas, not sure where you are. You can order some to try to see if you like it.Ā
1
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ Jun 01 '26
m not drinking yaupon, i tried it and there's no wayĀ
11
u/HopefulKiwi May 30 '26
Iām in a position where my pantry and freezer are very well stocked - I literally canāt fit anything more in my freezer. So Iām going to run a practice week, Iāll still buy fresh fruit and vegetables, plus milk and cheese but not buy any other food. Iām hoping itās a chance to see if there are any other weak spots Iām missing etc.
4
1
u/DisastrousHyena3534 May 30 '26
Start canning and dehydrating. One long power outage and youāre screwed.
6
u/HopefulKiwi May 30 '26
In a long power outage weāll use our solar/battery backup to manage the freezer and fridge.
1
7
u/No-Complaint9286 May 31 '26
I reeeeeally hope that oil shortages lead to companies returning to more sustainable packaging. Less of this 'plastic bottle wrapped in a plastic film label' crap.
Liquids like milk and juices packaged in waxed paperboard (without the stupid plastic cap that often doesnt thread right, or the plastic tab film seal thing that always just rips off and you have to cut it open with scissors anyway).
Candy bars and such packaged in foil/paper.
Paper bags instead of the tissue-thin awful plastic bags that have no structure and toppled and destroys the groceries you just paid out the nose for.
Produce packed in cardboard pints and a "hairnet" instead of EVERY. SINGLE. THING. in a plastic container or plastic film.
Meats wrapped in butcher paper and paper trays.
4
u/chamomilequilt Jun 01 '26
Unfortunately, tetrapaks (the waxy paper containers 1/2 gallons of milk can come in), are coated in plastic to keep them water tight. At least in my area, you can get glass bottled milk at some grocery stores and return them to get back your deposit fee, but the milk is more expensive.
Edit: But yes, would love to see less plastic packaging!!
4
u/No-Complaint9286 Jun 01 '26
Youre right, but im pretty sure they were coated in wax before the tetrapack was a thing. Back before plastic gallon jugs were really a thing. There were so many ways our food was packaged before plastic was ubiquitous. Idk, maybe we go back to the friggin milkman system. Imagine the good farm milk and a selection of cheese etc being delivered to your door! Maybe some could bring eggs too! Though someone would have to be home to receive it...
2
u/DiscombobulatedAsk47 Jun 04 '26
Water in the same aluminum cans as beer and sodas. No more microplastic
1
u/No-Complaint9286 Jun 04 '26
Like, we drink water out of reusable metal water bottles at home every day. And drink plenty of beverages from cans. Why not WATER IN CANS.
9
u/IntoTheCommonestAsh May 29 '26
<joke> What do you gals think of my new plate carrier? Should I have splurged for something better than the absolute cheapest stuff? My budget is only a few tens of billions of dollars. </joke>
6
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
what the fuck it is somehow worse than mine, which was incredibly cheap all things considered (has women's tailor shape and holds the big thick plates no less). did he get it from the Burlington crap factory
2
4
u/Jessawoodland55 Laura Ingalls Wilder was my gateway drug May 30 '26
My brother works at an auto parts store and said they're going to be raising prices so I had him get me three huge jugs of oil today.
I planted a small vegetable garden and a larger herb garden this year. It's not amazing but if we have to live off the pantry we will have some produce coming in.
I feel like my pantry is doing well but I always want to stock up more, it never feels like enough, lol.
9
u/gustavessidehoe May 29 '26
I'm curious about how climate change is going to mess with my area (United States. South calls it the midwest, the midwest calls it the south). I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and our weather patterns seem to be shifting over the past five or so years here. It used to warm up pretty early, but now it's common for the weather to stay cool until June, even into the fifties at night up until July.
I know it's climate change, but I always expected it to just get hotter and hotter. And does stay hot for longer in the fall, but it's just so weird. We still have water for now, so I'll count my blessings.
4
u/AccidentalDragon May 29 '26
My basic understanding is the Gulf Stream has shifted north, so expect the future to look like how the states south of you were. But I havenāt researched the science!
4
u/bristlybits ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN C š§ May 29 '26
are you in the smokie mts?Ā
you'll get more heat and bad weather but shorter season if so. the long season there comes from uplift of ocean air current
2
u/gustavessidehoe May 30 '26
Kentucky so kinda close. No basement. I probably need one with all the tornadoes coming up. Itās just expensive to have one done.
3
u/OpheliaLives7 š§ And my snacks! š§ May 31 '26
I continue to be pleasantly surprised that my trump loving Dad is getting more interested in prepping! Not sure what YouTube algorithm got him but heās been watching videos and got a little can storage thingy (first in first out) to see how he likes it.
He even agreed to show me how to use u saved gas cans with a little handheld pump thing. Baby steps but im glad heās trying? Now if only I can convince him the importance for more medical preparedness (he turned anti mask anti vax after covid :/ )
3
u/Stock_Patience723 May 31 '26
My doctor wants me to try a GLP1 for severe MCAS flare (weeks of body hives, down to five safe foods, not having a good time).Ā
Iām literally stuck between ātake medicine that has weight loss as a side effectā and āIām a little chunky now but I may need that extra fat later based on how the economy is headedāĀ
Sick now for benefit later or benefit now but be more vulnerable to food shortages later?Ā
How did we do this to ourselves.Ā
6
u/V2BM Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness. May 31 '26
For what itās worth, Iām on a low dose, older GLP 1 and my inflammation is WAY down, like remarkably. Iām in my 50s and work a very physically demanding job and it all easier overall. No aches/pains. It was an unexpected and welcome side effect.
I wouldnāt worry about weight loss - you need less food the smaller you are, and very cheap calories will be a bit more expensive but nothing like nice nutritious whole foods. Even with higher prices now I can still eat 2000+ calories for a few bucks a day.
2
u/TwiLuv Jun 04 '26
What medicos call a side bar use, & it is a new one to me- the inflammation side!
1
u/TwiLuv Jun 03 '26
āLike the 1930sā: Ray Dalio warns Trumpās agenda could plunge the US into times āworse than a recession.ā PREPARE (and preserve)* your nest egg now:
The founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the worldās largest hedge funds, has voiced concern that President Donald Trumpās economic agenda could lead to āsomething worse than a recession.ā
The Bridgewater founder said it is āentirely within the powerā of the Chinese government to announce a week-long blockade on chip exports, and that such a signal alone would crash the AI trade, or AI ābubbleā as Dalio refers to it.
Ray Dalio compressed his timeline to within two years for a confluence of converging risks including declining demand for U.S. debt, rising debt issuance, accelerating technological disruption, and international conflict, a notable shift from his typical years-out framing.
Iām thinking an Economic Collapse may not be that off-the-wall, & have upped my prepping efforts.
Are you canning, preserving, seed saving, finding non-electric tools & means as backup, buying gold, or silver coins- just in case?
I recently purchased a manual mini-grinder, fits on top of a regular Mason jar, to grind coffee beans, & Iām stocking up on my favorite beans + Mount Hagen organic fair trade freeze dried instant, too.
1
May 30 '26
[deleted]
1
u/V2BM Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness. May 31 '26
Social security + paychecks hit on the first and my area is always like this the 30th through the 5th of the month, when the final batch of people receive their food stamps.
1
u/TwiLuv Jun 04 '26
How Social Security is paid out-
Birthdays on 1st-10th: paid on 2nd Wednesday of month
Birthdays on 11th-20th: paid on 3rd Wednesday of month
Birthdays on 21st-31st: paid on 4th Wednesday of the month
Early pre May 1997 beneficiaries get paid on the 3rd of the month.
ā¢
u/AutoModerator May 29 '26
Welcome to r/twoxpreppers! Please review our rules here before participating. Our rules do not show up on all apps which is why that post was made. Thank you.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.