Preparedness for when

2tonsils

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

A couple of years ago DD1 bought me for christmas a couple of very heavy duty wool blankets from a surplus store, they were part of international aid packages and smell unbearably of camphor. Two years of hanging them on the line in the hottest sun, wind etc has lessened the smell a little but it's still so strong that they have to live in the summerhouse and we can only use them for laying on the lawn in the summer, indoors the smell just pervades the whole house and makes us cough. Any ideas as to how I can remove this awful niff and actually be able to use them as blankets???

Yes, there is an essential oil called May Chang which could be used on them. It is used in aromatherapy massage to overpower the smell of oils the client needs but does not like......its brilliant, it is antibacterial and insect repellent as well....and it smells of Lemon Opal fruits...

2tonsils

Here is a good link for survival tips...you may like them:) http://sfglobe.com/?id=997&src=share_fb_new_997

GreyQueen

thriftwizard, I'm considering foraging for some soft rushes on some boggy ground by the river and having a play-around. I like lots of different crafts but haven't the budget to go to the craft shops and buy the makings, so am always looking out for ways to entertain myself for pence. If you could weave rushes, you could make rough doormats, as we wouldn't be importing coconut matting in a post-cheap-oil world. And there are some lush nettles around at this time of year, I must have a few of those and practise my cordage-making.

Anyone here about middle-aged or over and can recall a 1970s childrens' TV prog Why Don't You......(Turn Off the Television and Do Something More Interesting Instead)? I usually had turned it off as had Stuff to do such as bows and arrows to make, flintknapping to attempt and various other things rather more suited to the Paleolithic than the late twentieth century. Plus I had my Observer Book of Wild Flowers to tote around the countryside, identifying random green things. Very helpful to a gardener, being able to tell your scarlet pimpernel from your black medic. I have tweaked both out of the beetroots today.:p

This Minerva business shows the lunk-headed stupidity which you expect of the MIC. That's they've chosen to name it after the Greek goddess of wisdom proves that someone involved has a sense of humour, at least.

If you want to know how likely a country is to have a revolution, the cohort you need to worry about is university-educated males in their late twenties without partners or children. Those are your drivers for change. And if the MIC really want to have a revolution, targetting peaceful protestors is an excellent way to trigger one.

Given that the rates of household formation in the US are at historic lows, as young adults with degrees and huge debts struggle to get even part-time unskilled work, their grubbyment could have set themselves athwart history, in terms of picking the wrong time to get heavy.

People have to feel that they have something to lose, in order to be controllable. If they haven't got that, there's no telling what they might do. Even tiny rodents weighing a few grams will take on something gigantic, if cornered.

Jazee

I remember "why don't you?" I can be a lazy so and so and everything they suggested seemed to take too much effort so I just carried on watching telly.

auntymabel

Mrs LW, just thought I'd add my two pennorth to the great blanket challenge.

You could try putting one in a plastic bin bag (you might need one of the extra large ones) with a quantity of bicarb, sake it up a bit if you can and leave it overnight.

nuatha

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

This is deeply disturbing and I wonder if that is what our grubbyment is instigating as well, especially with the water canon that Bojo wants to deploy in London

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/jun/12/pentagon-mass-civil-breakdown

Basically they will target peaceful protestors and treat them like terrorists.

The other use for the information gathered is to manipulate situations to get the results they want - either excuses to intervene or to produce preferred outcomes.
Governments have long treated peaceful protesters as "the enemy" and much of the modern society we enjoy owes its existence to protesters - universal adult suffrage, relatively safe working environments, end of serfdom and slavery (well, we're getting there) the right to organise and unionise. I'm sure there are still individuals who would like to roll back "progress" in these and many other areas.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all the ideas for my blankets,I'll try them one at a time until something works, you lot are amazingly helpful and if I can get them deodorised enough to use indoors it will save me considerable outlay for new ones, much appreciated folks.

GQ are you going to have a go at RUSHLIGHTS? I've got a method somewhere in an old magazine clipping which I'd happily post if you're interested in playing. Rushes for matting is a really good idea and for baskets and hats also in sweden oldfashioned living included sweethay woven slippers for indoors in the colder weather, enormously large and stuffed with more hay to keep your tootsies warm, I reckon you'd be able to do the same with soft rushes if you had some. I too was eyeing up some enormously tall mature nettles yesterday when I walked the lurcha and thinking what good cordage they'd make, they were over 6 ft tall massive beasties.

Don't know what's on the agenda for today but feeling more human as the lurcha decided to let me sleep last night, wahaaaayyyyy!!!!

GreyQueen

Yes please to the rushlights, Lyn. Don't think I will be burning them in the flat - smoke detectors lol - but it would be good to know.

Goshdarnit, I have to go to work now, doesn't the world know I have things I need to be doing with various forms of botanical life!?

Laters, GQ xx

[Deleted User]

I'll look out the article and share it with you later on today, it's a good thing to know I think, I haven't tried it myself but it would use much less tallow than making candles. On the other side of that argument rushlights only burn for half an hour and candles much longer so rushlights would be useful if you didn't have much tallow in the first place, wouldn't they?

RUSHLIGHTS

The rushlight is made from a partly peeled rush dipped into molten fat. It's a very old way to light a home and will burn for approx 20 minutes and has to be repositioned in the holder every few minutes as the top burns down. Rushes are picked at the height of summer and then soaked in water, Then the rushes are peeled leaving just one strip of outer layer to strengthen the softer inner pith. They are bleached by leaving them outside in the sun and dew for about 6 weeks than left to dry in the sun until completely dried out, best to lift them off the floor for this and set out in a single layer, turning once in a while. When the rushes are completely dry they are soaked in boiling animal fat until they won't take any more and left to set and dry. Mutton fat was the preferred fat but bacon fat or any other hard setting fat can be used. The longest and largest rushes were chosen to make rushlights. The original form of holder for the rushlight was a split stick where the rushes were placed diaginally through the split. Once made the rushlights were kept in containers until needed for use.

Seems pretty straightforward but I suspect that like all simple sounding things there is a method and a knack to doing it properly.

craigywv

My next door neightbour was a regular in why dont you she was an aspiring actress..........never seen her again in anything ,might hunt her out if shtf scenarios happen big style xxx my garden is like a jungle all but the flat and iceberg lettuces are growing like crazy, i do have approx 30 little gem lettuces which have took on a life of their own so all is not lost lettuce wise! Looks like i shall have bumper crops of blackcurrants and raspberries the b currant bushes are nearly breaking i have their branches propped up with allsorts of things.got a load of baby pots out and havemade a massive batch of pot salad with mint and red onions yummmmmmmmm.all this talk of gas prices/shortages has made me go buy 3 more bottles that and the 3 i have is plenty for over a year, 3 being stored at mums house.started turning food of earlier than normal and covering with heavy towels made my pot salad in large pressure cooker pot , boiled for 10 mins then off checked still hard covered and left foer an hour checked again water still steaming and pots cooked perfectly so took them out and made noodles in the same water for noodles salad so no water wastage at all. I enjoyed finding this out and also not throwing the water out. Deffo will be thinking how i can use resources better from now on. Have a lovely day all, also boy aged 10 wanted shorts they were like tracksuit material no way was i paying 24 quid in sports shop for them, got 2 pairs of jogging bottoms that are too short and carefully cut them hey presto 2 pairs of free shorts and they like new as it was the knees that had wear nothing else. Reminded me of when my sister was a baby and was growing out of babygrows my mum cut the feet off them and just put socks on her she got another few weeks wear out of it . Well off to do the dishes have a lovely day all xxx