Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

If anyone wants my share of snow I'll be very glad to send it to a supplied address!!! no problem, really!!!

Princess_kate

Hello all, I used to read this thread a lot, haven't for a while but have kept up to date on the winter prep thread. MrsLurcherwalker pointed me back in this direction.

I have a large store cupboard, so food wise I think we'd be ok. Also loo rolls, we've always got loads! I have no alternative heat source, other than lots of candles, and no alternative for cooking, although I have some disposable BBQ's if the worst came to the worse!

Could you (or does one already exist) provide a list of essentials to have in?

GreyQueen

Princess_kate wrote: »

Hello all, I used to read this thread a lot, haven't for a while but have kept up to date on the winter prep thread. MrsLurcherwalker pointed me back in this direction.

I have a large store cupboard, so food wise I think we'd be ok. Also loo rolls, we've always got loads! I have no alternative heat source, other than lots of candles, and no alternative for cooking, although I have some disposable BBQ's if the worst came to the worse!

Could you (or does one already exist) provide a list of essentials to have in?

Hello and welcome.

Sounds like you've made a solid start there. It's hard to provide a list of essentials as we'll all have different domestic set-ups and physical locations. Some people will have to prep with poorly partners and/or children or pets. Some have cars and some don't etc etc.

Disposable BBQ can't be used indoors, or anywhere in an enclosed area, really. And you should be careful with them even when extinguished as they give off fumes. Some poor souls have died like that.

How about one of those portable butane gas stoves (pix only a few pages up-thread?) They're cheap (tenner), widely available and simple to use.

You really need to think about water as urgently, if not more urgently,than food. Currently you can get 2 litre bottles of water for 17p and this size is very portable and can be stored in nooks and crannies. You might also want to look at a few larger, camping water carriers, although be aware that a litre of water = 1 kilo weight, so ask youself how much you can lift. I can recall standpipes in the bad droughts in the 1970s. You might encounter a similar situation, or have the water company truck emergency supplies in via bowser, in which case you'll need to get to the bowser with some kind of receptacle. And perhaps think about a trolley to move it, and bungee cords (2 for 99p at 99P St0re) to hold the container on the carrier?

A lady at the water company's call centre told me that she always fills her kettle before bedtime, as she knows that water can go off unpredictably, and feels this would be much easier to cope with if she's able to have her morning coffee as per usual. I'm just the same, but with my tea, so I do this, too.

A good way of finding out what you need is to try spending the weekend with no power at all, and not using any tap water/ water to flush the WC. This will quickly highlight any prepping issues.

You might want to also mentally-rehearse an evacuation plan, in event of an emergency. I live in a block of flats and we were once woken in the middle of the night by a gas explosion and shortly afterwards, the fire brigade were running around the landings banging on doors yelling GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!!!!

People had to run out in their jammies and evacuate to a community centre. They were allowed back in the morning, bar those whose flats were utterly-destroyed (block required a partial rebuild). So, you might want to have a "bug out bag" containing a full change of clothes, a washbag and small towel, essential paperwork and cash, in case you have to do a runner, too.

Lots of things to think about, and lots of resources online as well as in books. Happy prepping adventures.

jk0

Princess_kate wrote: »

Hello all, I used to read this thread a lot, haven't for a while but have kept up to date on the winter prep thread. MrsLurcherwalker pointed me back in this direction.

I have a large store cupboard, so food wise I think we'd be ok. Also loo rolls, we've always got loads! I have no alternative heat source, other than lots of candles, and no alternative for cooking, although I have some disposable BBQ's if the worst came to the worse!

Could you (or does one already exist) provide a list of essentials to have in?

What GQ said, plus may I recommend one of these:



http://www.calor.co.uk/campingaz-catalytic-portable-heater.html?gclid=CNfRqq_a8LsCFW_MtAod5HUArg

alfsmum

First known fatal case of h5n1 in Canada http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25662730

On that cheerful note, off to work...

[Deleted User]

Morning PRINCESSKATE nice to have you with us again, I think that each of us makes preparation slightly differently so there is not a definitive must have list, it depends on what individual priorities are with each of us.

I have collected many useful things over the years and always keep a weather eye open in charity shops, at jumble sales and boot fairs and also on freecycle and E*ay for items and books that increase both readiness and knowledge. I keep in a fair stock of tinned and dried foods, things like powdered milk, split red lentils, pasta, tea bags, rolled oats, flour etc. I also keep some 'nice' things, chocolate, biscuits, tins of fruit, custard, rice pudding as they cheer you up if the chips are down don't they? also meducations and hardware things like soap, disinfectant, loo rolls, etc. we have candles, tealights, lanterns to safely burn them in and solar lamps too. We grow a fair proportion of our own fruit and veg and that is eaten, processed, frozed, preserved in many ways. Equipment wise I've still got the camping gear we had when the girls were small so camp beds, sleeping bags, enamel mugs, plates , bowls and the camping stove and gas cylinder, billy cans, mess tins (for making soda bread on the woodburner) also some foil blankets and shelters for the emergency bags, we have a woodburner indoors as our main source of heat and don't run the central heating any longer, just use the boiler to heat water, we have an outdoor woodburner too which I cook on in the better weather, we also have a kelly kettle which is the one thing I'd suggest investing in as you can use absolutely anything to fuel it with and it also has a cooking set which you can buy to heat foods over the flame while you're heating the water in it. I store water, I save gallon containers when I've used the malt vinegar in them that I buy for preserving and usually have some 18-20 gallons of water stored for the two of us and the hound. I rotate this every 3 months or so and put the stored water into the water buts in the garden and refill the containers from the tap.

In terms of useful skills, learn to do and recognise as much as you can, I've done woodcraft and shelter building, flint knapping and cordage, wild and prehistoric cooking methods, firelighting, can process wild game and recognise and use many wild edibles, most importantly though I know those NOT to touch, still have to learn how to set snares though. He who knows can fish, I know enough animal husbandry to cope with chickens, rabbits and perhaps a goat for milk.

There is an abundance of knowledge and skills that can be picked up and that I think is probably the most useful addition to your armoury in prepping as it would last you longer than the 'things' of modern day living and make you a useful member of the community too.

Stay with us, there's always a new idea and those who keep thier fingers on the pulse of life always share it with us which is worth more than rubies isn't it? Lyn xxx.

nuatha

Princess_kate wrote: »

Hello all, I used to read this thread a lot, haven't for a while but have kept up to date on the winter prep thread. MrsLurcherwalker pointed me back in this direction.

I have a large store cupboard, so food wise I think we'd be ok. Also loo rolls, we've always got loads! I have no alternative heat source, other than lots of candles, and no alternative for cooking, although I have some disposable BBQ's if the worst came to the worse!

Could you (or does one already exist) provide a list of essentials to have in?

Good morning and welcome to the [STRIKE]madhouse[/STRIKE] thread.
As others have said, it depends on your personal circumstances as to what you're likely to need.
The first things to consider are generally water, food, lighting, heating/cooking and it sounds like you've already got a good start on some of that.
Partly it depends on what you think is likely to happen, are you at risk of being flooded? Powercuts can happen to anyone. If you have the time, its worth reading this thread from the beginning as various approaches to prepping have been discussed as well as some scenarios that may happen and how folk plan to cope.

The other essential is to keep things up to date when your life changes - we lost our elderly cat at the beginning of December, and ended up adopting three cats earlier this week - the quantity of cat food litter etc we need to keep on hand has obviously increased, but we also need to add additional cat carriers and update the relevant paperwork and its physical and digital copies.
HTH

Broomstick

I've been collecting together old lists and print outs from here and elsewhere to try and put together my own checklists. I think, as different people have said, all prepping comes down to sorting out for every person and animal you are responsible for, and for each situation you find yourself in:

• physical safety
• drinkable water
• getting and keeping your temperature right
• food
• transport
• shelter including lighting
• keeping healthy (hygiene and meds)
• keeping your morale up
• communication with other people/the outside world

So if you set off on a train journey that goes horribly wrong and you are stuck for hours in the middle of nowhere in the heat of summer or overnight in recent foul weather conditions; or go blackberrying in the country in the autumn and slip and injure yourself badly; or have to do an emergency drive in bad weather; you need to be aware of making sure that you have the resources to cope under each of the above headings and that, if you can, you also have a bit spare to share. Much of it is commonsense and applies as much to being out and about as it does to being marooned at home in gales, floods, snowstorms and the like.

The more I think about it, things like being responsible for my own health and fitness (working on it, honest!!!) or awareness of basic first aid, or knowledge of my surroundings whether at home or in the outside world are probably just as important as any material stuff.

B x

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

How about one of those portable butane gas stoves (pix only a few pages up-thread?) They're cheap (tenner), widely available and simple to use.

Completely agree.

There's nothing guaranteed to bring your spirits down more, than an absence of hot food and drinks, in the middle of winter.

I'm just the same, but with my tea, so I do this, too.

I do that.

As for lighting, candles are better than nothing, but it takes a lot of them to properly light a room, plus there's the risk from exposed flames.

You could take a look in the 99p Store, to see if they have any collapsible lanterns in.



A couple of those, plus three packs of AA batteries, will cost you less than a fiver.

Some kind of entertainment is also a good idea.

For a family with young children, simple games which don't need electricity (cards, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, etc.) are ideal, inter-spaced with telling them ghost stories.

A radio is always a good idea, plus it's also a source of information.

Battery radios are OK, but wind up ones are better, and needn't cost a fortune.

I got one, some years ago, from Tesco, for about £3.

Unfortunately, they no longer stock that one, and the ones they do stock are closer to £20, but a search of the internet, should find you one at a reasonable price.

If all else fails, Amazon UK do one (with good reviews) for £9-99 + P&P.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duronic-Ecohand-Wind-Up-Rechargeable-flashlight/dp/B002DWP684/ref=pd_cp_ce_3

Butterfly_Brain

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

According to Metcheck, today, I'm supposed to get 10.4mm (about 4" in old money) of very heavy rain.

Let us know if you do and then we will know how accurate it is