Preparedness for when

ALIBOBSY

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

We have only met two other people foraging this year, which is really sad when so much free food is out there

We haven't seen many others foraging when we have been out picking in the last few weeks.

Not far from here is a small area classed as a "park", but tbh its like a very big field with a small childrens play area in it. I have spoken to locals who had no idea there was a park there. It's down a country track around the back of a small housing estate and past a fishing club and a farmers field so is really hard to find. Its great for us as the kids can play and we get to pick over all the hedges that surround the place. On one side its a bit overgown and you get blackberries and rosehips, then there is a full length hedge that back onto a farmers field and is an old type hedge, basically its blackthorn (sloes), hawthorn and hazel so all edible. Then just off the lane where you park-no car park its that small (maybe that's why no one knows its there, we found it cycling originally) there are some john dory crabapple trees and we noticed yesterday a small tree tucked away with what we thought were green crabapples. Once picked they seemed big for crabapples, think of a golden delicious, but smaller like those apple sold as kids apples. So we tried one and they are nice, very much like small golden delicious and we got a carrier bag full to go with our rosehips and sloes.

Anyone else got "spots" that aren't well known that they forage at?

Ali x

[Deleted User]

So it's a Bio-Ethanol Fireplace.

When you said it was a stove, I thought you meant something like this.

ArthriticOldThing

I was still living with parents during the 3 day week period but as my father was an ex-miner we had coal for the fire. As it was still an old fashioned fireplace there was also a built in oven next to it so no problem with cooking. Plenty of candles and lots of nervous warnings (shouts) to watch what we were doing.

When we have had power outages recently I have always used my gas cooker to heat water and food but am getting worried in case the gas supply stops as well. :eek:

Can anyone advise me as to what sort of emergency stove I should purchase, taking into account my small first floor flat, arthritic joints, reliance on public transport and limited income - plus I cannot lift anything heavy never mind carry it?

I have food stocks, water, candles, matches, wind up torches etc.

bluebag

ArthriticOldThing wrote: »

I was still living with parents during the 3 day week period but as my father was an ex-miner we had coal for the fire. As it was still an old fashioned fireplace there was also a built in oven next to it so no problem with cooking. Plenty of candles and lots of nervous warnings (shouts) to watch what we were doing.

When we have had power outages recently I have always used my gas cooker to heat water and food but am getting worried in case the gas supply stops as well. :eek:

Can anyone advise me as to what sort of emergency stove I should purchase, taking into account my small first floor flat, arthritic joints, reliance on public transport and limited income - plus I cannot lift anything heavy never mind carry it?

I have food stocks, water, candles, matches, wind up torches etc.

There is very little chance of the gas being cut off, if that happens they have to turn it back on house by house as any air in the pipe is an explosion risk.

This would be very expensive and would take forever. So I think we would lose everything else first, industry, power generation. sewage and water you name it before the gas went.

Cottage_Economy

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Anyone else got "spots" that aren't well known that they forage at?

Ali x

Oh yes! Mature crab apple, sloes, damson-esque plums and mushrooms (just not brave enough although they are definitely edible) all tucked away quietly.

I've found a big sweet chestnut tree about half a mile closer to dog walking territory and you can already see where some stupid person has been ripping branches down to get to them, even though they're not ready until at least the end of October.

You can see where someone has got into a couple and found them underdeveloped and chucked them back on the ground. All very well but why pull a good 40 or so off the tree at the same time :mad:

herbily

ArthriticOldThing wrote: »

When we have had power outages recently I have always used my gas cooker to heat water and food but am getting worried in case the gas supply stops as well. :eek:

Can anyone advise me as to what sort of emergency stove I should purchase, taking into account my small first floor flat, arthritic joints, reliance on public transport and limited income - plus I cannot lift anything heavy never mind carry it?

I have food stocks, water, candles, matches, wind up torches etc.

AOT, I have something like this:
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/102145-campingaz-camp-bistro-stove.html/775076/&cm_mmc=googleshop-_-shopping-_-feed-_-all?mkwid=25QgUb3x_d{device}&pcrid=27214737157&gclid=CPyckq_8h7oCFY_KtAodGnkAVg
and you get cylinders of butane that are about the same size as a deodorant can - easy to transport, not heavy. One of the cylinders will do a couple of meals.

maryb

If it gets to the stage where the gas goes, there's really not much you can do to prepare for that - as Bluebag says, they will keep it going at all costs. However, gas pressure may drop significantly so if you are cooking, you may find that it is the equivalent of turning down the temperature several degrees. If there is something that needs to be reheated piping hot, take that into account

[Deleted User]

ArthriticOldThing wrote: »

Can anyone advise me as to what sort of emergency stove I should purchase, taking into account my small first floor flat, arthritic joints, reliance on public transport and limited income - plus I cannot lift anything heavy never mind carry it?

Something like this is cheap to buy (£8-99 from B&M), very stable, lightweight, and cheap to run.



4x220g cartridges (about 8 hours of cooking on full power) costs £3-99 at B&M.

[Deleted User]

maryb wrote: »

If it gets to the stage where the gas goes, there's really not much you can do to prepare for that

Of course you can prepare for the gas supply failing.

There's a range of options, in regard to portable cooking stoves.

GreyQueen

jk0 wrote: »

Yes, I have the same problem GQ. Very odd. It seems to load the page, then it disappears.

When things like that happen I wonder if TPTB don't want those of us in Blighty to know about something or other.

I read a blogger called 'The Slog'. He said the other day that a number of sites are blocked to him:

http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/the-saturday-essay-time-for-the-blogosphere-to-fight-the-establishment-on-its-own-terms/

I wonder who GQ & I have offended?

I don't kid myself that my internet presence is significant enough to have offended anyone. If I want to cause offense, I'm in a city of close to 200,000; plenty of people to offend against in some way, shape, manner or form.

But I'm ticked off about ZH. I like that site. Not all of the articles, not all of the commentators, but plenty to enjoy. And I.E. cannot display the webpages on the three separate occasions I have fired this pooter up today? It could yesterday and unless it can tomorrow, I shall be installing a new browser. Are you using I.E.? Short_bird said she could get it using Chr0me. Anyone use Firefox and can you get ZH atm?

I'm not having my reading material determined by a poxy program.

*********
:j I've been to the archery club and loved it. Even got an arrow or two in the gold (middle of the target). Also got some in the safety curtain behind the targets, in case you're thinking I'm about to give Robin Hood a run for his tights.

Errmm, slight digression for my fellow ladies; there was an inordinate amount of fit young blokes at this club. Not that I'm in the market, being old enough to be their Mum, but a bit of eye-candy helps the day along, does it not?:rotfl:

One could make some terrible puns about being all of a quiver, but prolly best not to............:D