Bill Gabriel - Member - The Prepared

Discussions

Reply to: Update: Costco has Mountain House 15 pouch set for $80 ($5.33/pouch) 4/28-5/25/23 Posted April 28, 2023

Its now $79.99 until 5/25. Stock up 🙂

Reply to: Toilet paper vs. a bidet Posted November 26, 2020

I use an electric bidet robot thing that has a hot water tank, heated seat, heated air drying, and the nozzle can move around. Bliss! Fortunately there is a GFCI outlet right above my toilet so the installation was easy. You remove the old seat, attach the bidet seat, plug it in to the outlet, and install a tap on the water line that goes to the tank. As long as you can see the shut off valve to turn it off it is super easy. I did have to replace the water line to the toilet tank tho because the one that was installed was a hard plastic line that couldn’t bend to give space for the “T” tap fitting. As the other commenters have said, a bidet won’t entirely eliminate the need for toilet paper. Even with heated drying you will need a little bit to dry off, and depending on your diet the water may not get you 100% clean the first time. I will say tho it has been about 10 months since I last bought toilet paper – one roll can last me weeks. I will never go back to using just TP now I’ve experienced that bidet life – the difference in perceived cleanliness is just too huge. Imagine putting your hand in dog poop and wiping it with just dry TP. Would that feel clean to you? And its so much more comfortable.

Reply to: Perpetual gear finds thread Posted August 23, 2020

I just got a flyer in the mail from Costco.com where they are advertising a “Chef’s Banquet ARK 2020 Food Storage Kit” for $99. Claims to have 2020 cal for one person for 30 days with a 25 year shelf life. Don’t see it on their website yet but the prices aren’t valid until 8/27 so it may not be posted. Don’t know how good of a paranoia bucket it is tho!

Reply to: Best MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) Posted May 25, 2020

Well, obviously I know what the “main” is since its listed on the outside of the bag on the US military MREs and I genuinely like most of them. Except menu #14. I’m currently working thru a 2017 “B” case and that Creamy Spinach Fettuccine is staring at me. Being on the trail all day makes most food taste better but I don’t think there are enough miles I can hike that is going to make that one taste edible. I’ve tried! In terms of surprises – the Santa Fe rice and beans side dish is surprisingly good. I also enjoy pretty much any of the fruit stuff they put in there with one exception. “Osmotic” raisins are the devil and I throw those away. Osmotic cranberries on the other hand are delicious. I also enjoy pretty much any cookie because I never get cookies anywhere else, and the lemon poppyseed pound cake.The best part tho is when the menu actually makes sense…which sometimes isn’t the case. Peanut butter, jelly, and tortillas? The turkey nuggets, while looking like something you’d pick up with a bag while walking a dog, are actually really good. Oh yeah, and the sour skittles are not good. When its cold they are hard as a rock and you have to heat them up in the FRH, which is just weird. And kid me would probably like the tartness, but adult me…not so much.

Reply to: Best emergency water storage containers for your home Posted May 24, 2020

2 year update – they haven’t gotten any worse. They all leak if you put them on the side, so…don’t do that? Seems ok stored upright – the water tasted fine.

Reply to: Best MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) Posted May 24, 2020

I get this question sometimes, and I always say “if you aren’t going to eat these on a regular basis, you shouldn’t own any”. An emergency situation is not when you want to try and figure out if the cheese spread is still edible. I have a number of cases because I love long day hikes/overnight camping and its easy to toss a MRE or two in my pack (plus it appeals to my love of surprises – what is in the bag this time?!?), so I keep them rotated and fairly fresh. If you aren’t going to do that tho there are much better options for long term food storage.

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Reply to: Update: Costco has Mountain House 15 pouch set for $80 ($5.33/pouch) 4/28-5/25/23 Posted April 28, 2023

Its now $79.99 until 5/25. Stock up 🙂

Reply to: Toilet paper vs. a bidet Posted November 26, 2020

I use an electric bidet robot thing that has a hot water tank, heated seat, heated air drying, and the nozzle can move around. Bliss! Fortunately there is a GFCI outlet right above my toilet so the installation was easy. You remove the old seat, attach the bidet seat, plug it in to the outlet, and install a tap on the water line that goes to the tank. As long as you can see the shut off valve to turn it off it is super easy. I did have to replace the water line to the toilet tank tho because the one that was installed was a hard plastic line that couldn’t bend to give space for the “T” tap fitting. As the other commenters have said, a bidet won’t entirely eliminate the need for toilet paper. Even with heated drying you will need a little bit to dry off, and depending on your diet the water may not get you 100% clean the first time. I will say tho it has been about 10 months since I last bought toilet paper – one roll can last me weeks. I will never go back to using just TP now I’ve experienced that bidet life – the difference in perceived cleanliness is just too huge. Imagine putting your hand in dog poop and wiping it with just dry TP. Would that feel clean to you? And its so much more comfortable.

Reply to: Perpetual gear finds thread Posted August 23, 2020

I just got a flyer in the mail from Costco.com where they are advertising a “Chef’s Banquet ARK 2020 Food Storage Kit” for $99. Claims to have 2020 cal for one person for 30 days with a 25 year shelf life. Don’t see it on their website yet but the prices aren’t valid until 8/27 so it may not be posted. Don’t know how good of a paranoia bucket it is tho!

Reply to: Best MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) Posted May 25, 2020

Well, obviously I know what the “main” is since its listed on the outside of the bag on the US military MREs and I genuinely like most of them. Except menu #14. I’m currently working thru a 2017 “B” case and that Creamy Spinach Fettuccine is staring at me. Being on the trail all day makes most food taste better but I don’t think there are enough miles I can hike that is going to make that one taste edible. I’ve tried! In terms of surprises – the Santa Fe rice and beans side dish is surprisingly good. I also enjoy pretty much any of the fruit stuff they put in there with one exception. “Osmotic” raisins are the devil and I throw those away. Osmotic cranberries on the other hand are delicious. I also enjoy pretty much any cookie because I never get cookies anywhere else, and the lemon poppyseed pound cake.The best part tho is when the menu actually makes sense…which sometimes isn’t the case. Peanut butter, jelly, and tortillas? The turkey nuggets, while looking like something you’d pick up with a bag while walking a dog, are actually really good. Oh yeah, and the sour skittles are not good. When its cold they are hard as a rock and you have to heat them up in the FRH, which is just weird. And kid me would probably like the tartness, but adult me…not so much.

Reply to: Best emergency water storage containers for your home Posted May 24, 2020

2 year update – they haven’t gotten any worse. They all leak if you put them on the side, so…don’t do that? Seems ok stored upright – the water tasted fine.

Reply to: Best MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) Posted May 24, 2020

I get this question sometimes, and I always say “if you aren’t going to eat these on a regular basis, you shouldn’t own any”. An emergency situation is not when you want to try and figure out if the cheese spread is still edible. I have a number of cases because I love long day hikes/overnight camping and its easy to toss a MRE or two in my pack (plus it appeals to my love of surprises – what is in the bag this time?!?), so I keep them rotated and fairly fresh. If you aren’t going to do that tho there are much better options for long term food storage.