Preparedness for when

Karmacat

Frugalsod wrote: »

Here is probably the best bug out bag video I have seen. It covers things that others do not even mention can deal with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEC6Ve1HOo

Thanks for this! I've got it on in the background right now, and I'm snipping back and forth to it ... he's got the most gorgeous accent I've ever heard :j

thriftwizard

jk0 wrote: »

I recently acquired sufficient blankets that I have been able to make up my spare bed for any unexpected house guests.

Do I need to wash the sheets occasionally, even if it's not used, or maybe put a plastic cover over the whole thing?

Should I worry about moths?

jk0, you haven't been shopping in a certain Emporium near the South Coast, have you? Someone's gone & bought virtually all my blankets this week! To the extent that I shall have to nick some of my own to replenish the shelves. Or think of something else to put on them!

Personally I'd keep the bed unmade, with clean bedding stored in your airing cupboard, and wool blankets kept in intact woven polypropylene bags sealed with Clippits. I store sheep's fleeces in these; they allow moisture to evaporate & the goods inside can "breathe" but moths don't seem to be able to work their way into them. I always add a bar of Mysore Sandalwood Soap to each bag - failing that, a new, strong lavender bag - which would act as a deterrent too.

And TS really will hit TF round here if ever I run out of Msyore Sandal Soap... wonderful stuff! I'd walk to India to restock...

Doveling

Morning,
Had some security lighting fitted at the back of the house yesterday. Another job done whilst we have the money.:)

Our back garden is very private and enclosed by trees and shrubs but there are fences which could be climbed. I've left the "Beware of the dog" sign on the side gate.

Realistically, we won't go looking for another dog for at least another twelve months as I am not physically fit enough to walk and train one.
However, if another dog came looking for us (which happened with the last rescue dog) let's just say Mr. Doveling isn't averse to helping with the walking;)

I do wonder about the balance beteween having a dog for security but then having to worry about them as well if TSHTF.

Electionwise, as with other things in life, I don't have a clue at the moment:rotfl:
One thing we've always wondered about though is the second home stuff. Most people when they work away from home don't actually buy another house! At least the people we know don't. They go in digs or B&B's. We realise that MPs may need more security but couldn't that be overcome by purpose built housing maybe like the nurses home attached to hospitals used to be?

Giving them less money would surely mean that only wealthy people could afford to go into politics wouldn't it, and also deter Independents?

Possibly one of the problems is that many are career politicians and haven't actually worked their way up and lived in the "real world" for a few years. The programmes where a politician lived on benefit for a week were ridiculous. Anyone can do it for a week, but long term what happens when your shoes split or your washing machine breaks down?:(

I can feel a rant coming on.... I'd better move over to discussion time:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Brrrr it's cold today and I'm going for comfort food to warm me up. NUATHA debating winter gear and clothing yesterday seems to have influenced the weather!!! I find we need lots of layers in our house in the winter. We have central heating but haven't run it since we had the woodstove installed, we use the boiler only to heat the water in the tank and that's for an hour twice each day so the house runs cool other than the lounge when the stove is lit and the utility room and bathroom above it when the boiler is on. I find it hard to get the clothing balance right in these 'between seasons' periods and go for layers, short sleeved at the bottom, then a long sleeved sweatshirt and if it's still cold a gilet on top of that. When it cools off in the evening I add a nice thick tabard/throw on top of that and snuggle up in the armchair. It seems to be enough in all but the coldest weather when I add in thermals. I find it uncomfortably warm going into centrally heated places nowadays and find some shops/shopping precincts vastly overheated also busses seem to keep the heaters running far too long into the warmer weather too. I am old enough to remember only having one fire in one room in the house as the norm with no other heating system than that and don't remember ever feeling freezing so I wonder if having the heated homes now makes us need the heat more? Certainly we're comfy with what we do by way of heating and dress accordingly but I'm aware of seeing people in the village come to the front door in the depths of winter wearing strappy T shirt tops and shorts, how warm must they be running their homes? Anyone else choosing not to use a heating system but to layer up and run the home cooler? or am I alone???

mardatha

I think you get used to warm houses MrsL yes. I can't remember ever being cold when I was growing up with only one coal fire in the house.
Have you thought of coal though - it's far far hotter than wood in a stove. We compared coal wood and peat and the coal won hands down with the peat coming a (smelly) second. I am another one who is sick and tired of this bl00dy cold, that wind goes right through you.

[Deleted User]

Hi MAR we only use wood as a)it's free most of the time if you discount all the sawing, chopping and cutting down the odd tree. b) the ashes get put in the compost heaps along with the veg waste to use on the gardens and c)He Who Knows won't have coal as he'd have to pay for it!!! I don't think I can complain about the temperature as justifiably as you folks in Scotlandshire though, we only had 1/2 a mornings snow on one occasion this and last year, I'm just being a moany wimp!!!

mardatha

No, not at all. It's horrible being cold. Currently 6 degrees here but the wind is a killer. Poor wee birds are on the back step, ready to mug any human who goes outside for some food.

Frugalsod

Doveling wrote: »

Morning,
Had some security lighting fitted at the back of the house yesterday. Another job done whilst we have the money.:)

Our back garden is very private and enclosed by trees and shrubs but there are fences which could be climbed. I've left the "Beware of the dog" sign on the side gate.

Realistically, we won't go looking for another dog for at least another twelve months as I am not physically fit enough to walk and train one.
However, if another dog came looking for us (which happened with the last rescue dog) let's just say Mr. Doveling isn't averse to helping with the walking;)

I do wonder about the balance beteween having a dog for security but then having to worry about them as well if TSHTF.

Dogs can be useful for other reasons. They might keep you far more active that you might want to be, which is good for your health.

While most family dogs are pretty useless as guard dogs they do provide a lot of emotional support at stressful times. They can also look after young children. Our first dog would get between me and electric sockets or the fire when I was a toddler. So they might be a burden in a SHTF moment but they can also provide you with a lot of comfort when things are down.

Doveling wrote: »

Electionwise, as with other things in life, I don't have a clue at the moment:rotfl:
One thing we've always wondered about though is the second home stuff. Most people when they work away from home don't actually buy another house! At least the people we know don't. They go in digs or B&B's. We realise that MPs may need more security but couldn't that be overcome by purpose built housing maybe like the nurses home attached to hospitals used to be?

Giving them less money would surely mean that only wealthy people could afford to go into politics wouldn't it, and also deter Independents?

Possibly one of the problems is that many are career politicians and haven't actually worked their way up and lived in the "real world" for a few years. The programmes where a politician lived on benefit for a week were ridiculous. Anyone can do it for a week, but long term what happens when your shoes split or your washing machine breaks down?:(

I can feel a rant coming on.... I'd better move over to discussion time:rotfl:

In the US where states may only have a dozen voting days a year they hire hotels and get block rates for the state senators. No choice of hotel or ability to fiddle expenses.

Also politicians are among the highest paid occupations. You only have to earn some £50000 a year and you are in the top slice of earners. MP's earn more than that and they even tried to link their pay to that of FTSE executives whose pay has risen 5 times faster than inflation for years, as it would give them perpetual rising incomes.

How many other people would be willing to do an MP's job for less than half that if they had accommodation provided on top? It is the accommodation in London that is the problem. Many people in London are trying to live and house themselves on half that salary without the option of free accommodation. Though it might be better to allow no housing costs with the current salary and so they either have to commute or rent privately and so find out what it is like for the many of us.

Also by making MP's live on minimum wages for a year they will to see how tough is for people, especially if they get rehoused 200 miles away and have to commute back to London, or face being sanctioned.

Doveling

Frugalsod wrote: »

How many other people would be willing to do an MP's job for less than half that if they had accommodation provided on top? It is the accommodation in London that is the problem. Many people in London are trying to live and house themselves on half that salary without the option of free accommodation. Though it might be better to allow no housing costs with the current salary and so they either have to commute or rent privately and so find out what it is like for the many of us.

QUOTE]

I meant that they should pay for their accomodation just like anybody else working away from home for periods of time, not free with the job
Just purpose built for security reasons.

GreyQueen

I believe there have always been some secure accomodations in Lunnon Town. The Tower, and various other dank and dungeonous places. Or how about an oubliette?

Today I have been leafletted by UK!P and a cash-for-clothes place. Says it all, really.............:rotfl: