Preparedness for when

Alisonpennypincher

I had a "nearly" SHTF moment this weekend. Went to a astronomy event yesterday evening and walking back to the car at the end I fell, smacking my head off the pavement/road. Resulted in a massive lump to my forehead, cut nose and lots of bruising (that is still developing).

Luckily somehow I managed to not break my glasses, but it made me realise how lost I'd have been for few days if my glasses had been smashed. I'm as blind as a bat without them!

Very sore today too, shoulders ache from the jolt and head throbs like a good 'un! May need to up my stash of paracetamol/ibuprofen!

GreyQueen

Alisonpennypincher wrote: »

I had a "nearly" SHTF moment this weekend. Went to a astronomy event yesterday evening and walking back to the car at the end I fell, smacking my head off the pavement/road. Resulted in a massive lump to my forehead, cut nose and lots of bruising (that is still developing).

Luckily somehow I managed to not break my glasses, but it made me realise how lost I'd have been for few days if my glasses had been smashed. I'm as blind as a bat without them!

Very sore today too, shoulders ache from the jolt and head throbs like a good 'un! May need to up my stash of paracetamol/ibuprofen!

:eek: OMG, that sounds painful and must have been quite a fright. I hope you will let the GP check you over, just to make sure all is OK. Bumps on the head aren't good.

When I drive, I always have a second pair of glasses with me. It's a habit picked up from my Dad who is very short-sighted. His reasoning was always that if something happened to his glasses when he was out, he wouldn't be able to drive back again as couldn't see.

At night, my glasses live on the small shelf beside my bed. I also have a second pair in the current prescription which live in the Bug Out Bag (BOB) in the bedroom, plus a pair in the last prescription, the one I was using up until last summer, in the drawer where I keep medicines.

I have each of my glasses cases labelled 'current prescription' or 'last prescription' and also have my paper prescription in the BOB along with other important papers.

Us visually-impaired batties need to take extra precautions, hey?

mardatha

You get used to power cuts, the worst bit is no internet
We haven't got a windup radio and I think we should get one - is handy in snow and bad weather to hear what's going on, as the phones here don't work in powercuts.

jk0

GQ's prompting regarding her glasses prescription just chivied me in to working out how to do this. If anyone knows of an easier way, by all means post it.

I have scanned my prescription into my computer as a pdf. On my webmail site, I created a new folder called 'EyePrescription'.

I then sent myself an email from Windows mail attaching the pdf, immediately closing Windows mail as soon as I press send. (I don't want Windows mail downloading the file again.)

When the email popped up in my webmail inbox, I clicked on it and then saved it in my EyePrescription folder. I checked I could view the pdf, and then logged out.

Broomstick

Thanks for the reminder about glasses. I've been tidying up shelves and have come across a couple of old pairs which I need to take into the opticians to find out which was my last prescription before the ones I currently wear because I think that was still legal for driving purposes.

I think I will also choose an older pair to get fitted with my current distance prescription to keep in the car permanently as the back up pair. I wear varifocals normally but to have a repeat prescription of those would be too costly.

It's the small SHTF things that need to be planned for better in our house. The blinking washing machine has just died. We have tons of washing to do - my DSs are good at hoarding theirs despite reminders :eek:- and we also have masses of washing associated with our sports business. Fortunately my savings pots (bye-bye Kelly Kettle for the time being ) are going to come into their own. I've discovered a laundrette 5 minutes drive away that I didn't know existed, have a load of strong bin bags, have loads of small change from the pots and will spend tomorrow afternoon trying to get the whole lot of our own stuff done in one go. Then Tuesday, I'll start on sports kit. It could have been worse but it could have also been so much better...

The next job that I must, must, must prioritise is to get a back up car key. My spare has vanished. I will be in so much difficulty if I lose the remaining one. Back-up keys are easy to overlook.

B x

GreyQueen

jk0, that's very clever but I would also looking at having hardcopies and at least one of those off-site. I have a printer/scanner/copier and have a hardcopy of my eyeglasses prescription (as well as my medical prescription) in a folder of copies of important documents inc proofs of purchase of all my big ticket stuff.

This folder lives over at my parents' place in the one large holdall where I keep a few clothes and a toiletry bag over there. It's in case the worst scenario is a total loss of access to/ contents of my home.

There's a lot of things to think of but you can buy clothes, shoes, toileteries off the peg or borrow. It's a lot harder to get prescription glasses. Now I'm on varifocals, they even seem to take longer to make.

Also, for those who wear contact lenses, there might be some circumstances which cause dustclouds and could render you half blinded and with streaming eyes. Have worn lenses for years at a time so know whereof I speak. Good idea to carry the spex also, in the daily bag?

Does anyone who watched the original 1970s series Survivor recall that there were at least two places where characters remark in passing that they need new (as in updated) glasses? That and dentistry would be major problems. Let's hope the world doesn't end, or if it does that my dentist allows me to kidnap him into the Tribe of GQ.:p

I had cause to instigate wonderment among acquaintances by producing the diddiest Swiss Army Knife from my handbag where it lives, with a few other bits, in a lipstick case. Well, when you need a little knife.... and they needed a knife. It's so cute that I bought two of them.

newthrift

I have done an couple of kits for each car this week: 2 x high vis vest / 2 x socks / 2 x pairs gloves. Need to add a wind up torch in to both cars and a first aid kit in to one (one already has it in). I added the fresh de-over sprays in to each car & checked ice scrapers were in. Must remember to add two big coats in when we go out too.

jk0

GreyQueen wrote: »

jk0, that's very clever but I would also looking at having hardcopies and at least one of those off-site. I have a printer/scanner/copier and have a hardcopy of my eyeglasses prescription (as well as my medical prescription) in a folder of copies of important documents inc proofs of purchase of all my big ticket stuff.

This folder lives over at my parents' place in the one large holdall where I keep a few clothes and a toiletry bag over there. It's in case the worst scenario is a total loss of access to/ contents of my home.

There's a lot of things to think of but you can buy clothes, shoes, toileteries off the peg or borrow. It's a lot harder to get prescription glasses. Now I'm on varifocals, they even seem to take longer to make.

Also, for those who wear contact lenses, there might be some circumstances which cause dustclouds and could render you half blinded and with streaming eyes. Have worn lenses for years at a time so know whereof I speak. Good idea to carry the spex also, in the daily bag?

Does anyone who watched the original 1970s series Survivor recall that there were at least two places where characters remark in passing that they need new (as in updated) glasses? That and dentistry would be major problems. Let's hope the world doesn't end, or if it does that my dentist allows me to kidnap him into the Tribe of GQ.:p

I had cause to instigate wonderment among acquaintances by producing the diddiest Swiss Army Knife from my handbag where it lives, with a few other bits, in a lipstick case. Well, when you need a little knife.... and they needed a knife. It's so cute that I bought two of them.

I just searched for 'Make your own glasses' and this popped up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R54ifRZ9pew

The guy bought cheapo glasses from the 'Dollar Store' and swapped the lenses so they suited his eyes. I wonder if you can do that in the UK.

BTW, I must go and get some new glasses to my new prescription. I am presently wearing some 28 years old for computer & telly. (I have some correct ones for driving.)

Perplexed_Pineapple

I think it would also be worth obtaining if possible some prescription sunglasses, if needed. If TSHTF we'd probably be spending a lot more time outside foraging or growing and there would be a real risk of eye damage from the sun at some times of year including winter when snow glare is an issue. Particularly I guess if not accustomed to spending long periods of time outdoors. Also, going back to the melanoma thing, I think it's possible to get melanoma in your eye from sun damage :eek:

maryb

GreyQueen wrote: »

:eek: OMG, that sounds painful and must have been quite a fright. I hope you will let the GP check you over, just to make sure all is OK. Bumps on the head aren't good.

When I drive, I always have a second pair of glasses with me. It's a habit picked up from my Dad who is very short-sighted. His reasoning was always that if something happened to his glasses when he was out, he wouldn't be able to drive back again as couldn't see.

At night, my glasses live on the small shelf beside my bed. I also have a second pair in the current prescription which live in the Bug Out Bag (BOB) in the bedroom, plus a pair in the last prescription, the one I was using up until last summer, in the drawer where I keep medicines.

I have each of my glasses cases labelled 'current prescription' or 'last prescription' and also have my paper prescription in the BOB along with other important papers.

Us visually-impaired batties need to take extra precautions, hey?

since I had my cataracts done, I no longer need distance glasses YAY! Actually, serious point, getting things done sooner rather than later could well come under the heading of prepping. I have a crown on one tooth which was getting a bit old so I had it replaced - one less thing to worry about if times get difficult.

However I still need reading glasses. Fortunately I can get umpteen pairs for peanuts from the pound shop and they are perfectly adequate - but can I ever find a pair when I need them???

ETA
PP when I was wearing prescription glasses, it was too expensive to get prescription sunglasses. But Vision Express sell very good clip ons which turned my ordinary glasses into sunglasses for £15. They weren't too clumpy and the quality of the lens was fine plus they had a variety of shapes which included one which matched my glasses. Worth having in your bag