prepping and hoarding the fine line

[rentprop1]

I would call myself a prepper, but I wouldn't call myself a hoarder, but lately I find it hard to get rid of things cause I see they could have another use

just today we had a new mattress for the guest room delivered, it came wrapped in a heavy 3 + mil thick plastic and they slit it professionally across the top and slid the new mattress out, I instantly thought bivy and snagged it, worse case its a big heavy piece of plastic.

wife went to toss out the Foldiers coffee can , its plastic with a good lit, do I grabbed it

I think its a sickness, I don't plan on keeping /storing garbage and used newspapers but I'm starting to see uses for everyday things

[helomech]

Every time I clean up and throw away a bunch of junk I always regret it. It never fails a few days later something in that pile was needed. Now I don't throw away any piece of metal that can be used. Luckily I have land and I have a pile of metal. Anytime I need a pipe or flat metal I go digging through it. No one is allowed to throw away anything in that pile.

[bacpacker]

I try to be selective in what I keep, but metal and larger wood scraps always get put back. Used hardware, even nails if in decent shape get thrown in a bucket. I always sort very tightly thru screws, nuts, and bolts for damage. I learned this years ago from my stepdad and grandads.

[Evolver]

It's all good until you start saving things that's rotted, moldy, rusted out beyond repair or things that you already have a million of... right? :o

[4suchatimeasthis]

Just thinking out loud here, but I would imagine that hoarding would be more disorganized, where as with prepping, you should be able to find what you need in very short order. I have seen pictures of hoarders houses where they had crap/junk stacked floor to ceiling, with trails they climbed to get from room to room. THAT is sick! With all that crammed in there, how on earth would you find anything?!

So, to me, the biggest difference isn't the amount of "stuff", it would be

1- it's usefulness, especially things that have multiple purposes
2- organization, if it's reasonably ordered and arranged, and I can find what I need, when I need it, not just a mountain of crap I refuse to get rid of

That's my .02

[prepguide]

RP, glad its not just me feeling that way. Was cleaning and reorganizing an area of the barn today and darned if I wasn't doing the "well what's another way to get a little more life out this (insert item name)" lol We have stacks of various items, bricks, cinder blocks, scrap steel, pvc pipe (all kinda sizes), fence posts, and and and...there is gonna come a time that we can't get more so I'm stockpiling. Great post

[FL-Jeeper]

I may be similarly afflicted... I won't throw away hardware. Period. I've got large pickle jars filled with misc screws, bolts, nuts, washers, brackets, electrical connectors, scraps of wire, old light fixtures, etc, etc, etc.

Don't get me started on the stack of old clothes too ratty to donate that have been demoted to shop rags... or the boxes of car & jeep parts in the attic. Or... :D

[Katrina]

RP,
It's called Packrat-itis.To concur IF you have it organized and neatly put away, you're a prepper and doing great. My pop on the other hand couldn't throw a thing away and was so disorganized it took us a month and a half to sort out the junk from the good stuff for the auction. Well, garbage and old newspapers he did get rid of. He wasn't as bad as some of the horders on tv but he came awfully close, LOL.

[bacpacker]

To me the key is sorting and giving a true test of usefulness/damage/wear before deciding what to keep. Takes more time up front, but is worth it to not keep true trash.

[Gunfixr]

"Pack-rat-itis".
Yup, come from a long line of those.
Not as bad as some in the family, and my house wouldn't make the tv show, but I've got plenty of junk that needs to leave.
All the same, mostly I can't bring myself to get rid of it.
Somehow, I just know I'll need it a few days or a week after it's gone, even though it's sat unused for 20+ yrs.

[Willie51]

I would call myself a prepper, but I wouldn't call myself a hoarder, but lately I find it hard to get rid of things cause I see they could have another use

just today we had a new mattress for the guest room delivered, it came wrapped in a heavy 3 + mil thick plastic and they slit it professionally across the top and slid the new mattress out, I instantly thought bivy and snagged it, worse case its a big heavy piece of plastic.

wife went to toss out the Foldiers coffee can , its plastic with a good lit, do I grabbed it

I think its a sickness, I don't plan on keeping /storing garbage and used newspapers but I'm starting to see uses for everyday things

That's too funny! I just did the same thing as we just got new mattresses too. I think we all have the same sickness. :rolleyes:

[ladyhk13]

There is a thread where we discussed this subject titled : Hoarding or saving? Where do you draw the line? It's under Equipment and Basic Supplies I believe. You can also read that thread to get more information on members thoughts.

[ElevenBravo]

The transition from prepper to pack rat is a fine line... your fine line may be different than mine so adjust according to your personal needs.

That is all...
EB

[2die4]

I would call myself a prepper, but I wouldn't call myself a hoarder, but lately I find it hard to get rid of things cause I see they could have another use

just today we had a new mattress for the guest room delivered, it came wrapped in a heavy 3 + mil thick plastic and they slit it professionally across the top and slid the new mattress out, I instantly thought bivy and snagged it, worse case its a big heavy piece of plastic.

wife went to toss out the Foldiers coffee can , its plastic with a good lit, do I grabbed it

I think its a sickness, I don't plan on keeping /storing garbage and used newspapers but I'm starting to see uses for everyday things

I feel your pain. Containers that used to get tossed out, are now being kept. For what? Who the hell knows. It's only a matter of time until the General asks why the hell are there 75 empty prescription bottles in her kitchen junk drawer.

[rentprop1]

my problem is that I need more storage, I already have a 2 car garage pretty filled, not floor to ceiling, but you can't get a car in there ...lol...I also have a 10 x 14 shed with loft, but between Christmas decorations and the tractor and stuff, its all full, my wife is a neat freak, there is no way I could ask for another building to store things she wouldn't allow it , she thinks I need to toss stuff and get better organized, but its not like I have 1000 VHS tapes laying around or anything, I don't collect anything but gun stuff and tools and by collect I mean stuff I use like reloading stuff, mags etc, as for tools I have 2 rolling too chests full but no where to store things like power tools, power miter saws, blast cabinet, and parts wash bin, I really need a large shop with a ton of shelves

you can see from the pics its messy and disorganized, but I don't have anywhere to put things
.
http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu118/rentprop1boats/Picture1056.jpg
http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu118/rentprop1boats/Picture1057.jpg

[rentprop1]

ok its a game, how many prepper items can you spot ??? ;)