Preparedness for when

sb44

Well, I tried two things today re the SHTF scenario involving loss of heating, cooking facilities.

The first, I bought some bricks from Wickes and made a 24 brick rocket stove.

Could I get the fire to take, could I hell! I tried lint coated with wax, cotton wool balls with a bit of vaseline on, but still couldn't get the fire to stay in.

Mind I was only using a few twigs from around the garden and a broken up hanging wicker basket. Guess I will have to watch some more YouTube vids for ideas.

Anyway, the brilliant success that I had involved a pot room heater.

I have been trying different sized terracotta pots, with and without bolts and wasn't very impressed by the results.

Now, I have found a fantastic replacement for them.

I had saved the crock pot from an old 1.5ltr slow cooker that died on me.

Last night I found this vid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJqyrHlKQaw I have tried the idea today using Wilkinsons tea lights.

I have it sat by the side of me on the computer desk and I am going to have to blow the candles out, I am boiling!

I had some small foil tray bake tins that I had bought a while ago from Asda, put 5 candles in there (the bloke in the vid only used 3, didn't realise until later), sat it on top of an Argos catalogue, put a wire rack above with the crock sitting above the candles.

It isn't half throwing some heat out!

Far better than plant pots and it doesn't smell either.

It isn't that cold anyway at the minute but the temp reading of the room (which is about 12' x 15') is 24 degrees.

I have small working slow cooker (1.5Ltr), I may use the crock in another room should the SHTF and we lose power.

I have just put a terracotta coaster on top of it, looks like an ideal way to save my coffee from getting cold at the same time as keeping me warm.

sb44

Just decided against the coffee on top idea.

I wouldn't be able to drink it, or the cup my crack, it is really hot.

Like the fella in the vid says, it is like holding your hand above a toaster.

Ok, the plant pot was hot above but only because there was a hole in the top where the warm air escaped.

Non in this and it is way hotter.

Very impressed.

sb44

Here it is .

[Deleted User]

There might also be considerable economic problems if the population succumbed en masse to a pandemic illness!!! I would most certainly obey a curfew not just for me and mine but for the good of my fellow man too!!!

pumpkinlife

Good evening folks. I haven't lurked for a bit.

I will be inventorying (?!) the storecupboards this week and stocking up for winter. I usually do it a bit later in the year, but with the Scottish Independence vote coming up, I am getting in early.

I can't see the markets reacting calmly in the event of a yes vote, considering the impact a small corner of a small country thousands of miles from home has. I don't hold out much hope that their won't be at minimum short term chaos in the aftermath. I'm also considering drawing out extra cash too.

Naturally my preps made me think of you lot and I thought I should drop in :wave:

pumpkinlife

And please excuse the typos. Blimming autocorrect autoerrors

Frugalsod

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

There might also be considerable economic problems if the population succumbed en masse to a pandemic illness!!! I would most certainly obey a curfew not just for me and mine but for the good of my fellow man too!!!

I suspect that they would isolate each area to control any pandemic, it would be far less damaging economically. Also we have the significant advantage of our medical knowledge. We are far more aware of pandemics than our predecessors.

As for obeying a curfew I think that the vast majority would comply. I would as well, as you said it would benefit everyone. Though I think I might move in with my elderly parents to help them before the curfew was imposed.

daz378

you hear people ...lament.... people used to be more civilized, if a doctor in 40s or 50s said boil your foot for hour every night and come back in a week..you would..... today its more like he prescribed the wrong tablet ... can i sue? historic stronger peer pressure with dash of respect for authority... Since then a steady decline for authority and the diluted peer pressure to be a good egg..... could there be pals regiments today?
my 2015 shelf has no tinned veg horror yet loads of tin potatoes beans, main meal tins quite a lot and loads of tomatoes .... my 2016/17 tins seem a bit more balanced...... got no baking soda , apparently a useful prepp item.... need to get some

enjoy your weekend

GreyQueen

I could see major problems with an all-areas curfew even for a couple of days.

What about persons reliant on carers? And animals who need to be fed? Cows requiring milking twice a day and that milk having to go somewhere? Would the police attend crime scenes, or would it be carte blanche for law-breakers? If someone fell sick, or a mother was in trouble in labour and needed to get to hospital, would paramedics move about? Would food be delivered to prisons?

And what about hospitals? Would you say that staff on duty had to stay there, and fresh staff couldn't come on duty? If a water main ruptured (we seem to have several bursts per month in my city) would engineers attend? If something caught fire, would it be left to burn because fire-fighters were under curfew? What about electrical engineers restoring power to the grid, or those running the nuclear power stations? And what about industrial processes which cannot just be turned off without long-term consequences, such as furnaces?

So, even if you said emergency personnel and those providing critical social services are exempt, what about those providing services to them, such as staff in petrol stations, staff in hotels where people are accomodated whilst working away from home?

I can see that you'd have a curfew/ quarantine with more holes in it than a colander. Reading about the Black Death was an eye-opener and life was a lot less complicated all those centuries ago, and it caused absolute chaos to all levels of society.

sb44

Forgot to mention about the crockpot heater.

I read that because you have large candles doesn't mean the heat will be greater. It is the amount not the size of the flames. So, I am going to melt some old candles into a tuna tin (will just sit it on top of the crock) and then put about 5 wicks into the tin to set.

That should give me a lot of heat from a small area.



I have some old tall candles that we don't use, a) they are all bent, b) don't like tall candles, I think tea lights seem to be safer if handled and positioned properly. I will just pull the wicks out of those and cut down to make smaller ones for this.