Preparedness for when

DawnW

We had a small Clearview stove fitted into the existing chimney breast of our early 1900s terrace. We have had woodburners/ rayburns/ open fires forever, and couldn't imagine being without one. We used a registered tradesman recommended to us by a friend, who tested our chimney and the liner that was already in place (this will need replacing at some stage) and helped us select the right size for the room- we find that it heats the whole of the downstairs though tbh.

These days we have to buy most of our wood (you can easily buy seasoned logs by the load round here, and the firms either deliver or you can go and pick it up - OH has a pick up truck so does this, which makes it slightly cheaper). We don't have a very big garden so no room for years worth of storage unfortunately, but we do have 2 storage shelters outside the back door. Obviously we do scavenge any wood that we can (we burned the fence that blew down last year, and the old laths etc from when we got the roof done), and OH produces a certain amount of offcuts of seasoned timber from his small business, which does for lighting wood.

Like Mrs Lurcherwalker, we largely use it instead of the gas central heating that we also have. It is not only the cost saving, but the lovely cosy atmosphere that it gives. We chose one that you can put a couple of kettles on, so we get 'free' hot water for washing up and tea when it is alight If there is a power cut it really comes into its own!

The only notes of caution are that the installation needs to comply with building regs, for your own safety as much as anything, it needs sweeping at least once a year, more if the wood you are burning is not bone dry. It produces a certain amount of dust, and moving the logs, getting baskets of them in, cleaning the stove etc might get more difficult as we get older / less mobile.

Goldiegirl

I don't often post on this thread, but just wanted to give my best wishes to kittie

sb44

Ryanna2599 wrote: »

SB44 I'm still a novice with my dehydrator, however we've found sliced mushrooms, cooked beetroot, small plum tomatoes (cut in two) and chillies (cut open and seeds removed) very easy and they dry well. However, most of the time ours is used for making dried fruit - pears, bananas and apples sliced very very very thinly and they sort of caramelise. Blueberries and cucumber were awful. Good luck and let us know how you get on...

Well, mushrooms are one of the things I am going to try, especially mushroom powder made from the stems.

Bananas and pears will def be on the list. I have a Borner food slicer so will use that to slice them, perhaps an egg slicer though for the mushrooms as I like my fingers too much to use it for those!



I will let you know how I get on.

[Deleted User]

If you live in an area with plenty of open grassy areas, you might be able to gather field mushrooms.

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

If you live in an area with plenty of open grassy areas, you might be able to gather fields mushrooms.

Won't the fields object (part time grammar nerd).

We had some minor SHTF in my city this week. Condensed version is localised flooding combined with loss of supply. Important to have your bottled water ready to go, imagine the horror of coming home and not having any for a brew-up..................

I have purchased the 2015 seed spuds and they are now sitting peacefully in egg boxes all over my tiny sitting room. Had the 2014 ones out of the sack to check for sproutiness (none) and there are about 2 bucketfuls left. Once they're done, I have tinned spuds, rice, and the pasta mountain to keep me going until harvest in July.

Knowing where your next meal is coming from is very soothing, I find.

daz378

just finished an evening shift .... i resisted the evils of kffc.....(cos last week they wouldnt let me in at 9.40pm after work) you"d think salford precinct is fort apache the bronx... the way they close early...... did myself cheese and tomato toasties instead....... my mates birthday tomorrow so dirty beer in the town centre....... been using my tinned prepps from 2015 shelf as i defrost fridge.........tenerife is definately off ..on the bright side is approx 1300 quid saved.........have good weekend ya all

mardatha

Buy a multi-fuel-burner and not just a wood one. Coal is a lot hotter than wood. Buy one that sticks out so you can put a kettle on it, mine is inset like MrsLs and it really bugs me that I cant use that heat for tea. Find a sweep and get him twice a year always.

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

Won't the fields object (part time grammar nerd).

We had some minor SHTF in my city this week. Condensed version is localised flooding combined with loss of supply. Important to have your bottled water ready to go, imagine the horror of coming home and not having any for a brew-up..................

Knowing where your next meal is coming from is very soothing, I find.

Considering the numbers of floods in your town I would not call those a SHTF event as they are too frequent. Though you are appropriately prepared for it. I hope the water company is being fined for all the disruptions they are causing.

jk0

Remember that little joke I made yesterday about the 1940's German tax collectors? Looks like I wasn't that far out:

https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/the-shortest-book-in-the-world/

The demand for reparations today focuses on two clear issues: first, a war loan of 476 million Reichsmarks that the Bank of Greece was forced to make to the Nazis – the Greeks were made to pay for their own occupation, they being Untermenchen an’ all; and second compensation for the destruction and suffering caused by the occupation.

Frugalsod

daz378 wrote: »

just finished an evening shift .... i resisted the evils of kffc.....(cos last week they wouldnt let me in at 9.40pm after work) you"d think salford precinct is fort apache the bronx... the way they close early...... did myself cheese and tomato toasties instead....... my mates birthday tomorrow so dirty beer in the town centre....... been using my tinned prepps from 2015 shelf as i defrost fridge.........tenerife is definately off ..on the bright side is approx 1300 quid saved.........have good weekend ya all

That is a lot for a short break if that is just your bill. If they planned ahead and there are enough consider renting a villa off season and if you book months ahead you should be able to get decent prices for air fares. If you are all willing why not camp? It will cost a lot less and you can have just as much fun, though you might have to be quieter at night, though there are plenty of bars to get rowdy in if necessary.