Preparedness for when

mardatha

Ah well.... it was not really a challenge. It was more to make me feel better because I'm not doing it either :D

Hardup_Hester

They are, on the Summer Solstice, I'll let Nuatha fill you in with all the details

katieclampet

It has been very interesting read op views on the practicality of bugging out. Although I am well prepped for staying at home, (as well as I can be) in event of a short term emergency, I am not sure how I would fare in the long term, in a real massive scale meltdown of society. Probably not well at all.

I have often though the reasons so many eotwawki books are set in America, is because they have so many places to go to. It is such a vast country and we are not. Although I have family and friends in different places throughout the UK, no one lives in a really good area to bug out to.

I have no kith or kin in a remote location with a good source of water, fertile farmland and easily defensible homes. After reading "lastlight" and "afterlight" it would seem that these type of places would eventually be over run anyway. Oil rig in the north sea anyone?:)

I am ever an optimist and if the worst did happen I do have a couple of backup plans. Being a realist, I am really going to try hard to stay put though.

I think economic melt down or a pandemic flu/other disease outbreak are the most likely scenario's. I also think that, as many preppers have said, knowledge is the best weapon anyone can have.

So I will carry on and "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" (as best I can) Not sure who said that, but its a good motto.

katie

bornintoit

Hi everyone.

Hope the bank holiday weekend has been good to you all. I have really enjoyed trying to catch up on all the posts.

I have been busy buying supplies, started at poundland and the B&M store and got some great beginner bargains. Will have to wait awhile before I can buy anything else due to funds but I have made a start so I feel alot better now. Dont feel so much of a sitting duck anymore.

I need to get fitter by a long mile. I walk around 3 hours everyday from Monday - Friday on the school run so I do get out alot but my snacking on rubbish food means my diet is not good and that needs to change and quickly.

the cake I hope Jeeves, the other cat and the horses are alright. I have held snakes and I am not scared of snakes in general unlike spiders but I have never encountered a wild snake before so not sure I would be able to identity an adder if I came across one. That is something that is also going to change from now on.

Grey Queen I think you bring up an important point. You may have all the equipment but unless you have the skills to use them they are useless or could be dangerous if used incorrectly. I have only ever been camping once at Download Festival so I definately need to get outdoors again and hone my skills.

[Deleted User]

ELONA that is a super positive post, thank you for the up beat feeling that comes from it. You are right of course, no one of us could ever, no matter how prepared and imaginitive our lives are, be completely ready for all the possible eventualities there are for problems. You are also right in the fact that the ability to think outside the box and say 'what if?' is a useful tool. I think we all have a better chance of riding out any problems because we have the awareness that nothing is unchangeable and permanent and that thinking ahead as much as we can, even if it is only having your bottle of water ready for tea making in a water off situation, will give us a much better attitude if and when problems occur. If we had nothing in place like most of the population it would be us running about like headless chickens too!!! Our advance preps will give us the ability to hopefully stay in place, out of sight and out of the madness and danger on the streets for the initial period of panic and that will give us much better chances of coming through problem times. After that, the skills and knowledge we have would serve us very well so it's a good thing I think to keep stocked up and keep on learning, yes? Cheers Lyn xxx.

elona

MrsL

It is not so much upbeat as a thrawn determination and bl**dymindedness that I will not let the b**gers get the better of me.

Does anyone remember the hedgehog song in the TP books?

DDs have paid me the somewhat dubious compliment that I am good in an emergency (otherwise I shudder to think what a pessimistic drama queen they think me )

Sun is trying to shine on the puddles so going to make the best of any pleasant weather on the principle of "Gathering rosebuds while you may" although the author was referring to something less respectable.

Crossing fingers for a trip to hospital with DH this afternoon for his appointment for results (seems ungrateful but after the last year I am heartily sick of the places.)

Have a lovely day or else as good a one as can be contrived.

Hug to all ( and sweetie to mardatha).

[Deleted User]

You and me too ELONA, yes, I am a TP fan too and Gytha Ogg is one of my favourite characters!!! Hope you get your nice weather, we're due rain for the next couple of days but to be honest we could do with it, we've been dry here for a while and the gardens need a drink. Both my DDs are so used to my oddness they don't bat an eyelid at anything I do these days, one of them is as prepped as I am and the other one says as she only lives 2 minutes from a huge Sainsbugs she needs to do nothing at all, that's life I suppose isn't it? Cheers Lyn xxx.

mardatha

Adders are the only snake found in Scotland (I think - that's what I was taught at school anyway) - when the school kids go grouse beating they sometimes come across them. My son says they're very hard to see, the camoflage is so good.

D&DD

You know thats what I love about you lot you are always so positive about life in general even if the S did ever HTF I think we'd all meet it with a smile on our faces and maybe a Rambo bandana or two

I had an interesting conversation with my eldest one evening about technology.When I was growing up we had books and the outdoors,they have the internet and the xbox..it's a very different world now and an exciting one really when you embrace a lot of the tech it has to offer.BUT although its fantastic what technology can do, is it making us lose even more skills and making us more dependant on power than ever?

I'm split on wether it's a good thing as some inventions such as the mobile phone charger gadget the young girl in the states came up with will be great but if the power goes out and the phone network crashes what use is that?

I am as guilty as anyone now of googling the answer to just about anything whereas at one time I would have got out an encyclopaedia..most homes don't even possess a set now.

A lot to ponder!

nuatha

bornintoit wrote: »

I need to get fitter by a long mile. I walk around 3 hours everyday from Monday - Friday on the school run so I do get out alot but my snacking on rubbish food means my diet is not good and that needs to change and quickly.

Three hours a day isn't bad going.

the cake I hope Jeeves, the other cat and the horses are alright. I have held snakes and I am not scared of snakes in general unlike spiders but I have never encountered a wild snake before so not sure I would be able to identity an adder if I came across one. That is something that is also going to change from now on.

The diamond pattern down their backs is the give away, but they are remarkably difficult to spot (unless you find them sun bathing on rocks.

Grey Queen I think you bring up an important point. You may have all the equipment but unless you have the skills to use them they are useless or could be dangerous if used incorrectly. I have only ever been camping once at Download Festival so I definately need to get outdoors again and hone my skills.

Its worth practising putting your tent up in the garden until you can do it with your closed. Your kids might enjoy the idea of camping in the garden, which is all useful practice.

katieclampet wrote: »

I have no kith or kin in a remote location with a good source of water, fertile farmland and easily defensible homes. After reading "lastlight" and "afterlight" it would seem that these type of places would eventually be over run anyway. Oil rig in the north sea anyone?:)
I have kin in the Western Isles who I suspect will survive anything thrown at them, since their day to day reality is what most folk would regard as the end of civilisation
Growing food on an oil rig might be an interesting challenge.

vanoonoo wrote: »

ooh, is you and herself going legal?

We is . Though going legal sounds like it takes all the fun out of it