Preparedness for when

Popperwell

mardatha wrote: »

I was at a spinners guild meeting waaaay out in the sticks yesterday, in a tiny village hall. Got talking to one lady who was very def a prepper. We started on about rural living and the high cost of diesel - and ended up talking about stashing flour and potatoes, bank crashes, listening to Radio Moscow, and the need for revolution
And this was a wee middle aged Scots lady who lives on a farm 22 miles from the nearest shop. So imagine how many other people feel the same way!

Morning Mar,
You have proven what is true...we often hear a load of rubbish from our leaders and the media, many strat to believe what they are told if said often enough but you need to talk to the so called "Silent Majority!"

The trouble is the name says it all...hopefully the time isn't far away from when their voice is heard and taken notice of...most are not weird, strange, radical in their thoughts but are different to many that are given airtime and most vocal.

thriftwizard

That's intriguing, Mardatha - I belong to one of the bigger Guilds and I've often been surprised just how many of us are aware how thin the crust of normality is, in a quiet way, including, possibly even especially, some of the real "golden oldies". Ghandi reckoned spinning kept him in touch with reality, outside the world of politics & finance; perhaps he was onto something, or perhaps spinning & weaving just attracts more than its fair share of back-to-the-land types?

Be that as it may, in the two-hour scenario, I'd message the kids to get home if they could, or otherwise prepare themselves, then I'd hurtle up town (a 5 minute walk) for some cash (there's always the float from my stall, too) taking my shopping trolley for anything I thought the stocks might be running low on; we have two small supermarkets as well as the big street market so can get hold of basics, albeit at a price. If I sounds a bit lackadaisical about the kids, that's because the youngest is 17 now & they've grown up with Transition & preparedness. Only once have I ever "spooked" the two who live away, when it looked like the Euro might come flying apart, to tell them to keep some cash handy just in case the holes-in-the-wall stopped working, so they'd know something was really up this time.

I suppose I should also worry about my elderly parents, half an hour's drive away, but they are in a posh retirement village with lots of staff, right in their town centre, so in theory well looked-after (at a humungous price) and reachable if necessary, via more than one route. I have a step-sister who lives closer to them, but as she's minorly disabled I expect I'd worry more about her than about them; they're in their mid-80s but pretty fit.

bossymoo

I think my main aim would be to get the children home. If I had advance warning, I gather I could collect them from nursery without causing any problems, and at the same time I'd be on the phone to my mum, and inlaws to get themselves over to mine, bringing whatever food, medicines, fuel etc they had with them, plus some spare bedding, cash and clothes, if they had room. And tea bags. I have several boxes, but after last winter, with people coming and going all the time with what happened to DH, I know just how much tea we can get through...

From there I think we would stay put. Perhaps zip out to fill the car and get a few supplies if there were time.

sophlowe45

Is there somewhere i can learn how to turn off the electricity, gas and water? Have a flip fuse box so flipped it back when the electricity went out last night (think it because i was using the washing machine and hot water at the same time as the switch kept flipping back until i switched off the washing machine and hot water then flipped it back and it stayed). Used my phone on the flashlight function to be able to see, i do have a torch and keep it out on my bookcase but phone was nearer.

What if i was living somewhere with the older cartridge fuse boxes? I can remember a neighbours flat catching fire (they were at home so put it out straightaway and said it had to do with the fusebox and they would be upgrading it)

Any heatwave preparation tips? i put empty bottles in the fridge full of water but this was to use space in the fridge to reduce electricity bill rather than for the water but i have water. I have a £10 off £30 voucher for Tesco (can only be used instore) that expires today but dont think i can do it in this heat. I was going to use the extra £10 for stock up food.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/heathealth/

bluebag

GreyQueen wrote: »

I
I did have a Rolson LED wind-up lantern but it was a very poor performer and I got about 1 minute of light, fading all the time, per minute of winding, not the 1:8 the label promised. I would like a wind-up lantern, preferably small enough to take camping, but don't know which is a good one and don't want to get stung. Does anyone have any recommendations, please?

A camper for forty years I've had every type of light known to man. Try a uco tealight latern if you don't need bright lights to read but enough to not fall over your shoes.

A headlight is brilliant, keeps your hands free and runs for ages and ages on a small battery. The peitzel are the best but a bit ooof on the purse.

A cheap 72 bulb LED light works dazzlingly well, cheap, batteries last well and remakably sturdy, plus if one or two of the bulbs joss it the rest still work.

Wind up torches and lanterns are OK to find your way to the candles or the 'real' torch in the dark in my opinion.

PS meant to say missus, don't try to use that hexi stove indoors, HIGHLY toxic fumes and the flames can be startlling.

GreyQueen

bluebag wrote: »

A camper for forty years I've had every type of light known to man. Try a uco tealight latern if you don't need bright lights to read but enough to not fall over your shoes.

A headlight is brilliant, keeps your hands free and runs for ages and ages on a small battery. The peitzel are the best but a bit ooof on the purse.

A cheap 72 bulb LED light works dazzlingly well, cheap, batteries last well and remakably sturdy, plus if one or two of the bulbs joss it the rest still work.

Wind up torches and lanterns are OK to find your way to the candles or the 'real' torch in the dark in my opinion.

PS meant to say missus, don't try to use that hexi stove indoors, HIGHLY toxic fumes and the flames can be startlling.

Thanks, hun, boy would I love to pick your brains. I treated myself to a Petzl Tikka Plus head torch last year, after swithering for ages in front of the display with gift money in my hot little hand. I love it, how sad am I?

My camping has to be very lightweight, as I don't have a car and carry stuff on public transport, so my tent is a wee backpacking thingy only just big enough to sleep in, so cannot be using tealights in there or I shall immolate myself. I will look into a battery-powered LED lantern, though.

I have a mini Maglite torch on a lanyard which hangs over the bedpost and a teeny-tiny LED torch which sits on my keyring, and is smaller than most keyfobs. I also have an unusal extra on each of my keyrings; a GI style can opener. You can get 2 of these for 99p and they are easy to use. Have been struggling without can openers in the darndest of places even YHA kitchens fer goodness sakes. In more than one place.

Going to bug you again; are these collapsable water carriers any good? I wouldn't trust the £land ones but was thinking of something a little pricier but wondered if the whole concept is carp?

BTW, will be using the hexa stove on the lottie on a patio stab so will be safe, but thanks for the warning; I have seen hexas fizz and flame before and it's quite dramatic, isn't it?

bluebag

GreyQueen, Pick away at my brains as much as you like, they are a bit mushed tho'

I did quite a bit of backpacking back in the day so understand the weight thing.
I have tried all kinds of water containers and have never found one that didn't eventually leak. I just use an empty plastic water bottle, cheap and easlily replaceable and don't leak. Some of the energy drink ones hold half a litre and have a wide mouth.

If you need a bigger jobbie then the litre cola bottles are good and fit in a rucksack easily. I have on occasion used a large strong ziplok bag but only once pitched as it needs to leasn against something.

The only other thing that may suit your purpose is a water hydration bladder , they turn up second hand on e-bay occasionally, but I've never used one myself.

All the best bb.

katieowl_2

Someone just posted this on facebook - http://truththeory.com/2012/08/18/startling-evidence-that-central-banks-and-wall-street-insiders-are-rapidly-preparing-for-something-big/

Thought you guys might be interested... :eek:

Kate

valk_scot

mardatha wrote: »

I was at a spinners guild meeting waaaay out in the sticks yesterday, in a tiny village hall. Got talking to one lady who was very def a prepper. We started on about rural living and the high cost of diesel - and ended up talking about stashing flour and potatoes, bank crashes, listening to Radio Moscow, and the need for revolution
And this was a wee middle aged Scots lady who lives on a farm 22 miles from the nearest shop. So imagine how many other people feel the same way!

You were at Broughton? So was I! Oh !!!!!!, I wish I'd known, it would have been great to say hello in person.

ETA: I was the one doing a bit of garden out of the boot of my car, I'd brought rhubarb crowns, Bocking 14 comfrey root cuttings, lots of home saved seeds for veg and flowers and a pile of Kitchen Garden magazines. I'd brought some of it a pre-arranged trades but there were spares and I got rid of all my "stock" in the end. I went home with two dozen eggs, yarn, a lot of hand made soap, a kilo of Ryeland fleece, some courgettes and a small money box in the shape of a sheep with a flower in its mouth, all without spending a penny.

Very OS but also worth thinking about in tems of prepping...when the SHTF, what do people have that you could trade for things you need and want? Not just things either, how about skills and knowledge? I don't think I'd be setting up a spinning cooperative first year after the Zombie Apocalypse but eventually someone is going to notice that they need a new pair of socks and they're not quite sure how to go about getting them from first principles...or from the back of a sheep either.

So I would suggest that if anyone is going in for serious long term prepping a manual sewing machine and a complete set of old Golden Hands magazines might be a useful investment, next time you're passing the charity shop. Spinning, weaving, knitting and sewing, how to make soap, woodwork skills, brewing, preserving...they'd all be useful things to know about but you could also trade your skills and knowledge for items you might need, no?

Popperwell

Well, in case you miss this elsewhere I'll post a link here as it does fit here

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/world-must-brace-higher-food-035150253.html...