Are you dressed for success?

I have always wondered how people prepare, and found some really amazing information on SM. My question is, how many of you Monkeys have prepared by stockpiling clothes and footwear for post SHTF? Many of us probably couldn't make more than rudimentary clothes or shoes when the manufactured stuff wears out. Also, for those of us with small children or grandchildren,do you guess and buy larger sizes so they will have proper clothes and shoes or count on sharing or hand-me-downs.I would really appreciate your input or plans for this situation.

 

How strange! I was just thinking yesterday about this part of stocking up and had come to the conclusion that I should get several pairs of my favourite shoes come the spring when I can get out and about and also maybe catch the sales. Yes, clothing/blankets/towels...all that stuff could be irreplaceable a couple of years after The Big One, whatever form it takes, when everything is beginning to wear out. There is no such thing as being overprepared, at least not in my book! I hope you get some good answers to your question, Sapper John - I am going to give the matter more thought also and will be very interested to see what comes out of this thread. And in my book, most important of all, for comfort, hygiene and wellness, UNDERWEAR and SOCKS. I am also stocking up J & J's Baby Wipes by the thousand....very inexpensive way to be hygienic in a water shortage.

 

In my extended family group, we have people that tan deer and elk skins, and we can make moccasins. We have some cowhide and I can resole boots. Other than that, it doesn't hurt to have a few extra denim shirts and pants. Buy quality clothing, and it lasts for several years.

 

A couple of trips to the Thrift Store can land you lots of clothes.

I would stoch up on SOCKS as well as underware. The health and cleanleness of your feet and your waiste line are vital to good health.

Sewing kits are also a must.

Clothes wear out alot because of washing machines. Unsoiled clothes can often be freshed up by hanging on a clothes line without washing them.

 

When I go shopping, I buy everything in doubles. If I used a can of corn for dinner the other night, I'll buy two to replace it. Use two jars of spaghetti sauce, buy four. If I buy a pack of socks, I'll buy two 6 packs and set one pack aside. It's amazing how fast you accumulate stuff by doing that, plus it naturally stocks things according to actual use. From the looks of the 82 boxes of macNcheese on the rack, I seriously need to re-evaluate my dietary habits.... hrm, wonder if that's why I've racked up 18 packs of diaper wipes...

Socks, undies, we're good until we die. I also have several pairs of good hiking boots and some cross country running shoes still in the boxes up in my closet. My only weak spot is my jeans. I keep saying I will not buy another pair unless it's a size smaller. If I don't put the macNcheese down soon I'm gonna be wearing rags!

 

John, thru my mill once a year we get new steel toed boots for cheaper than stores sell them. The first pair they pay most but not all of. Second or more pairs you pay the full price, though still far less than in stores. I have 6 pairs of my preferred ones =)

As fer other clothes, well the clothes I like, I buy lotsa pairs, shirts, pants, socks etc...

 

Duluth Trading Co. has some bomb-proof clothing made out of firehose material.

Men's Workwear, Women's Work Wear, Work Clothing - Duluth Trading Company

This is a good topic. The one thing I have completely overlooked is future kids' clothing. Thanks for making me think about it.

 

I really haven't felt the need to go on a PAW buying spree

I really haven't felt the need to go on a pre PAW clothes buying spree.

My 1960's assortment of cheese cloth shirts, love beads and JC sandals are sure to come in useful and my 1970's bell bottom trousers, paisley shirts, and safari suit collection are bound to get an airing come the big one (though I am certain that the fashion cycle will turn full circle again well before TEOTWAWKI rears its uggly head) and my 80's glam gear (including platform boots and a diamonte decorated satin body suit) is sure to make a fashion statement at my Local equivalent to your FEMA camps.

I already have all the clothing and footwear that I need to easily manage at least a decade of post TEOTWAWKI survival. Now what I will need is a personal hairdresser who will correctly coiffure my head to match my ensemble of the day! : O

P.S. And my Adam Ant outfit WILL strike fear into the hearts of the marauding hordes of mutant zombie bikers!

Adam Ant - Stand and Deliver - YouTube

 

Well as my size changes, when I have to eat what I've stored......... I have LOTS of clothes!!!!!!!!!!!

On the serious side.....well maybe not so serious I also have a huge stash of fabric........... women will understand

I do have, on purpose and planning, 2 pairs of my favorite heavy leather hiking boots. The cannery has a nice stash of Xtra-toughs....enough to last a few generations anyway. As BTPost is fond of saying YMMV

 

chelloveck, I expect that you will be the very image of sartorial magnificence personified!

 

Beau Brummel, move over.....! Be careful you don't stand out too much, Chelloveck, remember we are supposed to be inconspicuous in a SHTF situation! But I guess you could deck out some camouflage outfits with rhinestones and beads, eh?

Glad to see everyone is so well prepared, clothing-wise. Sure don't want to be half-nekkid in a Canadian winter, I can tell you! Lots of sweaters going in the box, along with Long Johns, not to mention comforters, blankies and HOT WATER BOTTLES.

Re food prepping, I have noticed a strange phenomenon - every time I get a good load saved up of something that everyone likes, they then lose their appetite for it. Anybody else notice this? Makes it difficult to rotate the supplies, to say the least!

 

Gender bender blending for the big ending???

 

On longevity, I have several pairs of combat boots that have a tour or two on them and are still used as my weekend / work boots. Occasional resoling may be necessary, but at least they CAN be resoled, unlike most other footwear today. New soles and new insoles practically make a new boot.

With a 7-10 year life, not many other boots can come close IMHO. Great price to "boot".

It's not a bad idea to keep a tube or two of shoogoo around as well.

 

I will second whoever said buy quality clothes, you pay for it up front. I quit buying Levis for work years ago, they do not hold up to the abuse of my occupation. Carhartt double front duck canvas bib overalls or pants will outlast a pair of Levis or any other pair of blue jeans out there, hands down. Levis are for casual wear for me, not work. Levis almost cost what a pair of Carhartts cost.

 

shoe goop is also a must.... you can resole boots with a cheap tire a hack saw and goop....

 

My family/group has stockpiled clothing, boots, shoes, for all the adults, and children from birth to about 12 years of age, so far. This includes cloth diapers, diaper pins, clothing, undergarments, shoes, boots, etc. Currently that means we can clothe/show our kids for at least 6 more years. In addition, my wife is a fair hand at sewing. Anything beyond this is really untenable, you run out of space quickly. Clothes and shoes, even in vacuum bags, take up a lot of space and weight.

We have a huge stash of fabric, needles, thread (sewing sundries like bias tape and buttons, yarn (oh yeah, knitted or crocheted sweaters, socks, hats and blankets), and the means to turn these items into wearable, useable stuff.

Blankets, sleeping bags, sheets, afghans, quilts, pillows, everything we may need for ourselves and about a dozen more folks.

Anyone think of belts, or anything like that to keep your pants up when you start dropping weight? We did.

 

Not to mention a gal's best friend....no, not diamonds....a 100-year supply of Safety Pins, all sizes, lol.

Actually, I am beginning to wonder how some of you folks live, given the amount of "stuff" you have accumulated. You either have mansion houses, or are like some of the "stars" of Hoarders, with alleyways to walk in between the stacks! I have a fairly large house and not a whole lot of preps compared to other Monkeys - and we are bursting at the seams already. There must be some secret to successful storage that I don't know. Of course, if you have a basement (we only have an unusable crawl space - it's called a crawl space, in my opinion, because of the crawlies that live there, ugh and yuk) then that would explain it, but still there are a lot of items that I, for one, would not store in a basement. Just wonderin', is all.