Because we live on a farm, we are stocking things that many of you won't need to, but many things would be useful to everyone. Here is a list to get you started:

large box of common nails

various other sizes and types of nails

various sizes of screws, washers, nuts

rolls of #9 wire (great for fixing a lot of things)

duct tape (of course)

extra screw drivers, hammers, pliers, wirecutters, etc. ( pick these up cheap at auctions)

spare handles for axes, hoes, rakes, etc.

extra lumber - 2X4s, 1X10s, plywood, etc.

chicken wire (you'd be surprised at what you can use this for)

kitchen brooms

flyswatters (just got invaded by flys this week and ruined mine)

WD-40 and penetrating oil

pocket knives

What other things can y'all think of that would make life just a little easier and may not be available later?

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 10, 1999

Answers

Sewing needles (including those for leather), and dental floss for heavy-duty sewing.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), July 10, 1999.

staple gun and lots of staples (makes building things out of chicken wire easier, also good for putting up insulation etc)

crowbar & sledgehammer - you may want to salvage an abandoned building or something

extra work gloves, and goggles

drywall screws - I use these for a lot of things besides drywall. Because they're so pointy, they're easier to get started than nornal woodscrews

solder, flux, brazing rod, bottles of fuel for your torch

epoxy, RTV, shoe goo

paint ( to keep metal things from rusting)

fuses, tywraps, twist-ties

mouse traps, bug spray (or powder or traps)

hacksaw and bowsaw blades, actually all kinds of saws

also some new files (you'll be using them more when you don't have power tools), and sharpening stones

hand drills, both crank and brace-and-bit types

two-stroke oil if you have any equipment that needs it. Actually this might be a good item to barter to people who are using their chainsaw more than usual. likewise, get a file for sharpening chainsaw chains

fishing supplies which would also be good for barter - what doesn't work in your lake may work fine in someone's creek & viceversa

By the way, don't buy WD-40 in spraycans. Its a lot cheaper, lighter, and takes up less space, if you buy it in bulk. You can get the gallon jugs or cans at a good auto parts store, and put it in any kind of squirt bottle you like.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 10, 1999.

Back-up spare parts for autos and trucks.....spark plugs, hose, adjuctable fan belts, extra tire, tire repair kits, hand pump, bulbs, etc etc etc

A good bike and spare parts.

extra plastic buckets (many many uses)

flash light bulbs

basic materials to make solar ovens (cheap)

extra watch batteries

a couple of cases of wet naps/moist towellets

-- rb (ronbanks_2000@yahoo.com), July 10, 1999.

Greetings Beckie!

Assuming that all the necessary items have already been proccured and stashed away, one needs to take a look at what would'nt be availiable if it all comes down. When you look at it in this perspective, it can be very mind-boggling to say the least. But, if you break it down into several groups of life-giving and life-saving items, it's somewhat easier to look at in the sense that all of these things can be obtained in the short duration that remains for us all.

Life-Giving:

All sources of fuel that you intend to heat,cook,provide light with.

All types of medications that you and your family depend upon now and currently use in a day to day routine.

Any tools and supplies that will maintain your source of shelter:Examples-plywood,lumber,nails,roofing nails,shingles,tar-paper,etc...

At least 2 different means of obtaining safe drinking water.

All tools related to gardening,also fuel and spare parts for tillers.

Fuel and spare parts for chain saws,axes,handles,mauls for splitting wood.

Knowledge,be it in your head or in a library of books and magazines,just have it!

Life-Saving:

Ways and means to protect you and your family,meaning weapons,ammunition.

First-aid and medical supplies,training for each member of family.

Fallback plans to alternate shelter/food caches,bug/out transportation,bug/out packs for each family member.

Flashlights,radio,batteries(lots),compass,maps.

Again,Knowledge.

True, there's alot more items that one could add, but my goal here was to focus on the basic needs to survive. If you cover these areas then you can move on to others. Just thinking of all the new folks lurking around out there. Ya'll come on in and say hi,sit a spell,we don't bite over here on this forum!

Take care!

-- Ex-Marine (Digging In@Home.com), July 10, 1999.

Depending upon where you live, you might get slammed by fire ants, sandstorms, drought, or locusts. Those seem to be the historical goblins. Perhaps a check with the older locals will indicate where history might repeat.

-- A. Hambley (a.hambley@usa.net), July 10, 1999.

Great lists and ideas all!

What about a #3 galvanized wash tub? My folks used them when we were kids, even got a bath in one now and then.

-- Carol (jdufrene@laci.net), July 10, 1999.

Carpet sweeper and extra brushes (buy from your local Fuller Brush dealer). Toys for kids. Clothes and shoes in larger sizes for kids. Plastic sheeting in clear and black.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), July 11, 1999.

Propane brazer/torch for soldering. Lots of silver solder with flux.

Plenty of copper pipe and fittings, plastic pipe and fittings. Think of how many broken pipes there may be next year. What a great way to help neighbors (or repair your own), or to use as barter. That could include the service of soldering/repairing.

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), July 11, 1999.

Here's href="http://www.lacarte.org/y2k/purchase">my own list of things to consider. Special notations are made for items known to be in short supply, items that would be unlikely to be confiscated or stolen, and items frequently underestimated.

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), July 11, 1999.

Typo. Here's my own list of things to consider. Special notations are made for items known to be in short supply, items that would be unlikely to be confiscated or stolen, and items frequently underestimated.

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), July 11, 1999.

I grow vegies organically, and have been hit hard by both cucumber beetles and Colorado Potato Beetles this year- so I would add appropriate "pest controls" for your crops- you WON'T want to risk losing them or reducing yields. So- I'll stock some Rotenone and Bt. Also- fly pest strips for the barn- a serious fly problem this year....

Also- any greenhouse plastics/plastic mulches/row covering that you use- if gas/oil is in short supply, plastics could be pricey....

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), July 11, 1999.

This is great and just what I had in mind when I started this thread. You all have had wonderfull ideas and the plastics idea is one that I hadn't thought of. Rolls of plastic could be extremely useful for a number of things, besides gardening and greenhouses (closing off unused portions of the house that may not have regular closing doors).

Keep up the good work! ! !

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 11, 1999.

Penetrating oil. If there's no electricity or fuel for a long time, we're gonna need it to get things going again.

Some folks say that Kroil is the best kind but I've never tried it myself.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 11, 1999.

Metamucil for older relatives. Don't laugh - it will happen to you someday.

-- at work (abcdef@aol.com), July 12, 1999.

Plastic, in combination with a staple gun, can be used to repair windows and roofs.

-- Liz S (ypwitch@theadmins.com), July 15, 1999.

It's me again. Yesterday I ran into a problem that made me realize that I need to stock up on buckets of all sizes. Not necessarily food grade buckets, but small paint buckets (usually less than $2 ea) are great for small wash up jobs and work for a milk bucket in a pinch. Larger buckets for feed or just carrying things around. It is amazing how much I use buckets for things and get really irritated when I can't find one like yesterday when I needed to treat a horse and couldn't find a small bucket to put soapy water in.

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 15, 1999.