Preparedness for when

Caterina

Thanks Elona, you sound much more organised than me, as I said in a previous post, I used to me much more on the ball but lately, since (thanks God, said with gratitude!) we are so much better off, I have really turned soft and complacent! This thread is good for me as it is helping me sharpen up again!

elona

Caterina

I am far from organised but at least I have managed recently to sort through tins, toiletries and can find things. Stuff I have squirelled away is another story and I really need to get to grips with it. I not only hid it from family but am hiding it from myself.:o

Have realised there is no benefit in AF saving me a fortune if I can't find things so they can get used properly so am sorting through kitchen cupboards , putting flour , batter mix etc in glass jars and labelling it. DD (26) benefits when she visits from down south as I can easily let her have pasta, rice, sauces, stock cubes etc from cupboards and the odd yellow stickered goodie from the freezer.

I am assuming that things like tomatoes, potatoes -anything made from wheat and cereals will shoot up in price this winter so am scrabbling around for good deals while they are around. Even got a five litre professional bottle of F**** liquid to top up empty smaller bottles and some laundry liquid tablets on special offer for things dds would prefer washed in nice smelling product rather than huge box of powder.

abailey54

Although the idea of preparing for a zombie attack is a little far fetched, I don't think the needs would be very different if a resistant killer virus was going round in this country - it's what we all panic about as soon as a new 'bird flu', 'swine flu' etc gets anounced on the news, because we all think it's possible

2 years worth of stuff is just rediculous though, you'd probably have to spend every other year living off the things you'd put by and topping it up for future use and I'm not sure how good that's going to be for your health in the long term. American's have bigger houses on average so probably have more space to stack 700 toilet rolls :rotfl:

mardatha

The Mormons work used to work on a min of a years supplies - to cover the gap while they grow more food.
I agree 100% that its silly to sneer - we did have chaos when H1N1 first hit, we have had riots in London, floods all over England, snow everywhere, Lockerbie, and the terrorist/bomb threat that never goes away.

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Just had my handbooks out Byatt. There's nothing in either of them. All that the website says is that they communicate via text message should there be a problem.

It really is useful to think about and I will be embarrassing myself to go ask for the emergency evac policy come September.

All the boys' schools say about is bad weather closures. I'll be asking as well.

skintscotslass wrote: »

I was in Poundland today and they had some.



Pink, stupid question time. Does it make a difference what the room temperature is? So if it was a really harsh winter and it was at least say, minus 6, would it still stay frozen? Or would you unpack the freezer and leave it in the kitchen?

Mums fridge freezer is in the conservatory & stopped working last winter as the conservatory was too cold...

luxor4t

elona wrote: »

......He does not know about the kelly kettle, tealights , matches and disposable lighters with a tiny bulb on them or the wind up torch and radio but has a good idea I have squirrelled stuff away.....

DH was in when the postman delivered the water purifying tablets I ordered (only yesterday, great service!). I couldn't pretend it was sewing stuff as the package had "Emergency Kits " & "Safety Supplies" printed in big letters . Good job he knows I'm odd

[Deleted User]

Afternoon all - FUDDLE - have just asked DD1 who is a head of department at a secondary school about emergency procedures, every school must have one by law but do not have a requirement to send a copy to parents. Parents have a right to ask to see the policy and there may be a facility to e mail this to you. There may be a copy available to view in the school office but they are not obliged to give you a hard copy , however many will be willing to do so. This will give you some peace of mind and stop the feelings of panic you are currently worried about.

It doesn't really matter about being taken seriously when you make provision for possible problems, my family are mostly on board in a mild sort of way, certainly not obstructive to my 'eccentricities', but DD1 and I have learned some useful skills between us, we have learned flint knapping and cordage, we have learned leatherwork, she has done a permaculture design course, I have done prehistoric cooking ( clay oven, hot stone cookery over a wood fire, clay wrapping whole fish and cooking in the fire). We have both foraged and learned preservation methods, we have done field butchery, she had done cheese making, we both have a basic knowledge of the use of easily located herbs, both medicinal and household. I feel safer for having the confidence these skills bring, it doesn't matter a jot what anyone else thinks, I'll be useful if there ever is a problem.

I didn't think about being a 'prepper' at all, was just interested in domestic social history and have always liked to know the practical side of housewifery. I now am convinced that to make preparations and to have provisions stashed away and know how to do things is just purely a common sense approach for the days we live in. I couldn't manage on my own for a very long time, but for long enough to let things settle down and hopefully help with the solutions needed.

Keep the faith - who knows, one day we may be looked on as enlightened!!!!! Cheers Lyn x.

Beetlemama

Caterina wrote: »

Beetlemama, re. flour not keeping for long, the best thing is to have whole grains, then use a hand mill to grind them to flour. I have just enquirer about a hand mill that grinds and flakes too, but haven't had a reply yet, will update here when I do. Apparently the best grain to have is hard wheat but it is difficult to find in the UK from what I read. I have oats and spelt.

I don't think that was me.

Beetlemama wrote: »

plans for baking bread and that are going to be eclipsed by not being able to buy flour

The flour will live forever as long as you keep it dry and weevil free (and really, even if they get in there, you can either sift them out or leave them in for protein ) with baking soda so you can make it rise once it passes a year OOD. The problem is, no one has a massive supply of flour to hand, if it happens tonight, really, how much flour does an average person keep at home?

I'd be more concerned if this went the zombie way that people would be trying to eat my dogs :rotfl: we really need to be armed but that aint gonna happen here anytime soon.

In the spirit of preparedness, here's our plan for the zombie apocalypse:

Drive to the local prison in 90 year old neighbours car, which they will leave behind when their amazing kids (in their 60's) come to rescue them. Shout "Good news! you're all free!" (assuming the guards had all panicked and scarpered already), let everyone out - they will promptly all run away. Close the prison gates, locking ourselves in. Their kitchen will have plenty of food, the security will be excellent and we'll have lots of space. We can hold out there until the zombs die out (a la 28 days later) then we can go find a nice house. Or stay there, depending on whether we've gotten use to it.

If anyone wants to come with us, you have to prove you haven't been bitten, and give the password, which is....um...ZombieSavingExpert. There, we're ready.

Popperwell

luxor4t wrote: »

DH was in when the postman delivered the water purifying tablets I ordered (only yesterday, great service!). I couldn't pretend it was sewing stuff as the package had "Emergency Kits " & "Safety Supplies" printed in big letters . Good job he knows I'm odd

Where did you get yours from? How Much?:)

Beetlemama

So, just so you know I am not just a psstaking old bag here is our actual SHTF store - though we call it just "The Store" as in "...did you eat the damn crisps from the store again???" :mad:



Top shelf:

Instant noodles, stock cubes and gravy, cook in sauces for pasta, curry etc (ok on the hob), cup-a-soups, bread sticks, ready oats (instant porridge you make with water), Black Box contains packets: puddings that can be made with hot water, spice mixes, jelly (it might snow...), instant whip etc. Kilo of salt, 2 x 5kg sugar, 3 bags of flour, ground rice, pasta, tinned basic goods - beans, chili, meatballs, peas fruit etc, canned milk, jars of preserved pickles and chutney I made last year, herbs and spices, canned fish.

Bottom shelf:

Cleaning products (wrapped in plastic so it doesn't leak), dog food, LOTS of bog roll , purple box on it's side next to that is 6 months medication for everyone (may be a lot harder to come across than food), more noodles, crisps & sweets, condiments (if you burn it you can cover it in sauce), vinegar, milk, packet coffee in the far right. pack of drink straws if someone is hurt they might not be able to hold or use a glass.

Not that we're expecting the end of the world, because this is clearly not more than a couple of weeks supply (including the stored vegetables and currently growing garden/animals), but it's a start and it makes us feel better to know we at least have a few things put away.