Preparedness for when

mardatha

Wot they all said - buy a wee Bistro type camp stove with the canisters of gas.
Tinned potatoes/Smash, tin of beef or chicken stew, tin of peas or beans - dump all into one pot.
Ready Brek or instant porridge with a glug of cream to make it nicer.
Tins of all day breakfast, beans & sausage, ravioli, corned beef hot or cold, rice pud too.
Soup soup soup!

pumpkinlife

Soworried wrote: »

:hello: I was wondering if you could help me?
We were hit last night and left without power, It has really left me thinking.
Today I am going to buy some charcoal so that we can cook on the bbq if need be.
I am also going to buy more tinned foods that can be eaten cold or heated in the cans. I'm struggling to think what to buy though, hotdogs are my first buy but what else?

I am also going to buy more candles. We really couldn't have done without them last night.

What would be your must haves?

Tinned foods are always a good standby, because you don't actually have to cook them. Second, anything that can be 'cooked' with the addition of boiling water - cous cous, porridge, instant mash, that kind of thing. Warm drinks and a few sweet treats would also be helpful.

For longer term preps of more than 48 hours, comfort is a huge factor in mental resilience - you need to ensure that the stuff you store to eat is stuff that you and your family actually eat now, especially if you have young or elderly family members. One way of doing it is to think of a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner that you currently enjoy regularly; and buy the bits in to make it a few times, substituting non-perishable ingredients in place of fresh. Porridge oats made with dried milk powder and jam makes a well received breakfast around here for example. Tinned pilchards, a tin of tomatoes, and pasta and some herbs make an OK lunch. You can add a second or third menu plan as you see fit for variety.

I second buying a stove, BBQs are a complete pain to light on a high summer day in Blighty, let alone in the aftermath of a storm

pumpkinlife

I am glad everyone is safe and dry.

the Norfolk coast is my motherland; and from the current comfort of the South coast it was very worrying to watch the coverage. We used to have flood siren tests every summer and one year our house did actually flood; but the '53 floods were the stuff of local legend and great sadness and loomed large over the towns and villages. Thank god the sea defences mostly did the job. My Facebook feed is littered with pictures of swept away beaches, but no injuries or horror stories, which is good. It is very weird to look at pictures of your childhood haunts under water :eek:

Anyway, I have been considering packing a 72 hour bag for months now, time to finally get around to it, just in case. I have the rucksack, just need to decide what to pack.

westcoastscot

Hi everyone,
Have heard from my daughter so happy now!
One thing I'm noticing this year is that i'm not as confident in the dark as I was - I guess not being so physically nimble is the reason. I always keep two torches - one up one down - in the same place so I can grab one if need be, but I was very hesitant moving around to get them yesterday. Going to look for something that will hold a charge somehow and glow when the light is low??? Just for a bit of a confidence booster. Jeez I'm getting old!!!!

WCS

mardatha

Am the same WCS, I cant move if I cant see my feet!

westcoastscot

mardatha wrote: »

Am the same WCS, I cant move if I cant see my feet!

weird eh? I felt like a real numpty yesterday!!! was ok once I reached my torch though :-)

mardatha

I don't think it's weird really, I think it's a bloody good survival instinct

parsonswife8

If I move too quickly, I'll end up seeing my feet up close as they fly above my head. I've had about 10 falls now, ended up on crutches twice. Slowly does it for me.

westcoastscot

I used to be good on my feet - when we crofted we were miles from anywhere/anyone and darkness was with us every night, except in mid-summer - and I had good night vision, now it takes me a while to adjust, and I'm concerned about falling and damaging myself again after my tumble down the stairs when my hip went a couple of years ago.

happydays89

Carolyntia wrote: »

Happydays I live near Aberdeen but originally come from Norfolk
Please don't worry about your son. I can assure you all offshore staff are well looked after and no company would ever do anything to put him in danger. None of our staff were allowed outside yesterday and today it's only minimal to carry out emergency repairs.

I really hope he's enjoying offshore life . You can be sure that there will be a lot of offshore tigers keeping an eye on him and making sure he's ok

Thanks,I'm just being a mum.:rotfl:
My husband works offshore aswell in Denmark,I don't seem to worry about him as much,I think its because he's a chef while my sons job is more dangerous.It doesn't make me feel any better when he phones to tell me he nearly fell down a hole into the sea but his life jacket hooked onto something and saved him.you never stop worrying I will still be like this when he's 50.:D