Preparedness for when

alfsmum

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Just keep your eyes peeled in the £ shops alfsmum.

Not long ago, £land was selling boxes of 8x8" household candles, and they'll no doubt be selling something similar again.

However, have you considered Hurricane Lamps instead?

Brighter than candles, safer (concealed flame and self extinguishing if overturned), and gives off quite a bit of heat too.

An oil lamp producing 37 lumens (roughly 3 times as much as a candle) will burn for about 40 hours, on 1 litre of paraffin.

If you shop around, you can get paraffin for around £1-25 per litre.

That's a running cost of around 3p per hour.

Ooh yes, I remember the smell off the hurricane lamps and also the little oil lamps we had as bedside lights when I was a child. One of the hurricane lamps was a permanent presence in our outside loo during the winters to try to stop the pipes freezing.

I'll check the little local DIY shop for candle prices and try to get to a poind shop soon but they are all in town and I dont go often. There's a new Home Bargains on one of the retail parks though, wonder if they would have some? Thanks for the suggestions and the walk down memory lane. My teenagers will think I have finally flipped if I come home with a hurricane lamp!

alfsmum

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

Alfsmum, we also do rice and pasta, lentilss, spices, flour-plain,sr and bread, sugar, oil/butter/fats, stock cubes and cleaning supplies when we stock up.

Lentils, good idea, I love my carrot and lentil soup. Think I will check out teabags too, an essential for any SHTF situation.

[Deleted User]

alfsmum wrote: »

Ooh yes, I remember the smell off the hurricane lamps and also the little oil lamps we had as bedside lights when I was a child.

I love the light from a Hurricane Lamp.

It's so relaxing, and the smell takes me straight back to the late 60s and early 70s, when we had a paraffin heater in the kitchen.

[Deleted User]

I know this is more a rural, than an urban, option, but has anyone thought of storing emergency water in IBCs?

alfsmum

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I love the light from a Hurricane Lamp.

It's so relaxing, and the smell takes me straight back to the late 60s and early 70s, when we had a paraffin heater in the kitchen.

Yes, lovely gentle lighting! Not so good if you are reading or doing fiddly work though.

I remember looking forward to power cuts in the seventies because we had one old gas mantle in the house. That gave off a lovely light too and would flummox the neighbours in the village who saw our light glowing when the electric was off.

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I know this is more a rural, than an urban, option, but has anyone thought of storing emergency water in IBCs?

Errm, what's an IBC, please?

[Deleted User]

An Integrated Bulk Container.

They hold 1,000 Litres.

Based on the FEMA estimate of water requirements, two IBCs would hold over a years supply of drinking water, for one person.

jk0

GreyQueen wrote: »

Errm, what's an IBC, please?

Oo, oo, I've got one:

Incredibly Big Casks?

Seriously, they are here:

http://www.auer-shop.co.uk/en/bag-in-box-system-ibc_27.html?gclid=CKXvroTVjLkCFXQftAodyjMAWQ

alfsmum

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

An Integrated Bulk Container.

They hold 1,000 Litres.

Based on the FEMA estimate of water requirements, two IBCs would hold over a years supply of drinking water, for one person.

We have one of those on the allotment, not for potable water though. Hadn't thought of getting one for home.

[Deleted User]

alfsmum.

How easy was it to get hold of the cloth mantles?