Doing The Apocalypse Shuffle: Southern Prepper Adventure Fiction of Survival Grid Down (Old Preppers Die Hard Book 2) (3 page)

“Damn, Farley, that’s creepier than hell to even consider. I won’t even bother to ask you if it’s really gotten that bad out there. I know it’s got to be much much worse than I can even imagine. It really scares the hell out of me to even think about that picture you are painting of so many people giving up and taking their own lives, not counting all the other deaths that must have occurred in the millions from countless causes.” Charlie said.

“Its famine, pestilence and death that exceed even biblical proportions that waits out there.”  was all Farley said before locking up his van and foreboding emotions.

.

2

Ponder The Problem

Farley surveyed the clearings and wooded sites around the cabins and tried to picture in his mind what they might want or need to stay here indefinitely. The cabins lacked fireplaces for heating and something needed to be done before winter about that. Being ever resourceful, Farley had the answer for at least one of the cabins and had anticipated the need for a small heater or cook stove.

He had in his preps two possible solutions; one was a Silver Fire hunter model that could be used as an emergency heater if you put an iron griddle on it to radiate heat. The Rocket stove design did not make for an ideal heating source because it was highly insulated and the sides and bottom of the stove did not get hot.

Silver Fire Hunter Model coupon code Foster

You could get some heat produced just from the exposed flame but fuel consumption was an issue because you could only burn small pieces of wood at a time. He had purchased a small steel barrel stove that could burn larger pieces of wood that was meant for a solution to that problem. It was actually meant for outdoor use but the purchase of an elbow joint from the hardware store and a few sections of pipe from the manufacturer allowed him to configure it to run out a window.

Great Northern Camp Stove

Farley didn’t worry very much about heating the cabins right now; he could concern himself with that later when it got closer to winter. On the other hand, being able to cook indoors if it was storming outside was something to consider but not likely.

The summer heat was oppressive enough inside the cabins and he speculated on finding himself some table or box fans and running them off a marine battery using his inverter. He only had his car battery at the moment to consider for that task but a trip back to that boat Marina and some luck should remedy that shortfall for an energy source nicely.

Becky remarked about how lucky it was that they were to be staying in the comfort of the rental cabins and that they would have to ask Charlie where the campgrounds normally stored its supplies of toilet paper and such.

“Hey, we need to find us some buckets to haul water indoors for the toilets and for doing dishes with and such, but on the bright side we got something approaching indoor plumbing so that is sweet!” Farley responded thinking it was nice to just have to fill the toilets tank once in awhile to try to time a flushable bathroom break as best they could.

“I wish we could figure out some way for us to rig up a pump or something  to get running water and reduce how many trips we have to make to haul water up from the lake.” Jeremy said thinking about the never ending chore of going to fetch water.

“I am thinking on that problem, Jeremy, first thing we got to do is figure out a rain water collection system for ourselves. Finding any kind of empty 55 gallon barrels these days is going to be problematic but we should be able to find some kind of suitable containers. Now as for pumping water to the cabins, I have got a few ideas in mind that might work. That boat repair place on the highway is going to get a visit from me, I am thinking sometime tomorrow after we pick up your car.  There are all kinds of marine bilge pumps and such that they should have around there. Some boats use 12v electric bilge pumps so I can check out their parts department or go looking in the boat yard for something that I might be able to take one off of. There should also be around there somewhere various types of hand pumps that people put in their boats to help bail them out.” Farley said pondering his growing list of scavenging goods he wanted to acquire.

sump pump or bilge pump

“That’s all 12 volt type stuff isn’t it, Farley? I say that we should add some boat lights to the list but how will we charge the batteries once they get run down?” Jeremy said knowing a lot of the rudiments of electricity.

“I was just considering that, Jeremy, thank you for reminding me about the lights, but back to your question about how to charge batteries. I need to look for Marine Alternators, specifically the ones that have the voltage regulators built in. We are going wind power!” Farley said excitedly and began to explain how they could build the blades for a wind turbine out of PVC pipe by sawing it in half at specific angles.

“Before the grid went down, I used to look at all the different kits or pre-built wind turbines made out of marine alternators or treadmills on EBay. Preppers and cottage industries used to have a lot of different wattages and types of those things offered for sale. I had a setup that was 1500 watts that I bought once but I traded it off to a homesteader because I needed the cash. They are very simple and useful designs and they are a hell of a lot cheaper than commercially made ones. I think that I only had like a total of 300 dollars invested in mine but I never got a pole made or purchased for it.” Farley said thinking back.

“Mom, do you have any paper and a pen in your purse? I want to make us a list of what Farley and me need to go scrounge and look for.” Jeremy said excitedly.

“ I am going to lend you some paper and a pen Jeremy but you and Farley are going to have a long talk with me about this so called “scrounging” you are thinking you are going to try doing. Its stealing, Farley, and you know it!” Becky said as she rummaged in her purse and gave both an icy looked that said “watch out”.

“Yea, we need to talk about that some in more detail later.” Farley admitted as Jeremy wore an “Oh no! What’s up?” look while eying both of them curiously.

“Ok, back to
MY
list.” Farley said stressing the “My” in his statement inferring that he was the only one that was going to go out and collect pilfered items he was needing for his projects.

“I am still coming along to help you aren’t I, Farley?” A greatly deflated Jeremy asked while he prepared himself to take notes.

“We will talk about that later, much later.” Farley said carefully with a wincing glance at Becky and then began telling Jeremy what to put down on his list.

1. Buckets (Plastic and Metal)

2. Marine Batteries

3. Battery connectors and 12 gauge or better                 wire.

4. Marine alternators

“Hey, Farley, didn’t you say you could make yourself a wind turbine out of a treadmill motor?” Becky asked.

“Yea, I sure can but a marine alternator is much better for what I have in mind. Why do you ask?” Farley questioned.

“I remember the brochure said there was an exercise room on this place somewhere. I bet they would have what you need in there.” Becky said.

“Cool! Now that you mention it I remember seeing that place marked out also and forgot about it. Those tread mill motors are easier to turn or spin than a lot of alternators so we will see about that. Thanks, Becky.” Farley said thinking treadmill motors took much less power to spin than ones made to run off engines.

“There are probably lots of things you could use right around here going to waste instead of burglarizing the neighborhood.” Becky said dryly.

“Uh yea…. I see we are going to have that foraging conversation sooner than we had thought. Ok, Becky, I will attempt to confine my scrounging to only stuff on this facility as best as I can but we are still going to have that talk about what I need to find that is not here. Let’s just imagine for now that this list that Jeremy and I are building of possible items we might need or want, is temporary. Now if I mention a place or vacant store close by that I can find something at easily that’s just because I haven’t thought about looking for that item around here, ok?” Farley said with his own dead pan stare.

“I will help you with that, you make your list and we will show it to Charlie and Feng to see if they know where you can find those items first on this resort, ok?” Becky said reminding Farley he was out numbered when it came to the number of people around that strongly disapproved of his so called scrounging or parts foraging.

“Ok, I understand you loud and clear, let’s just go back to the list, OK? Now then, Jeremy, my scribe, are you ready to get back to creating my list of mad scientist items? Add DC to AC Inverters, we might find one of those on some fancy boat but it will be mostly 12v although there is a lot of 24v in use sometimes on bigger boats. Lots of times there will be some kind of 12v specific appliances like a wet dry vac, fan, etc. around to be used on boats so I will keep my eye out for those. In the meantime, I have two inverters in my stash of goodies so I am not sweating that one. The boat rental place on this facility has a battery charger we can hook to one of those gas powered generators around here in the meantime so I just have to think about running a small battery bank for now. That reminds me, I have to figure out how to get gas out of that underground gas storage tank down there without blowing myself up. Put an ear syringe on that list. I need one as a foot valve to make what is called a well bullet. If I can’t find one of those somewhere then just a piece of rubber can work, also. There are lots of ways to build these.” Farley said and went about describing how it would work and how one was made.