Preparedness for when

NewShadow

Any suggestion for bugout/camping clothes?

I get jeans aren't great - they get/stay wet, are heavy, and limit flexibility.

So, what's good?

I've fleece and wool jumpers, long and short sleeve t-shirts, a mac, a heavy winter coat, and a couple of plastic (disposable) ponchos. And I've hiking boots, steel toecaps, running shoes, decent socks.

All things I wear normally, and all clothes I think are suitable for a range of situations from camping to evacuation.

It's bottoms I'm struggling with - I've sweatpants, suit trousers, and many, many pairs of jeans... What am I missing?

jk0

Anyone see this article on Goldcore?

http://www.goldcore.com/us/gold-blog/bank-deposits-no-longer-guaranteed-by-austrian-government/

The 100,000 Euro guarantee is no longer to be provided by government, but by banks collectively. Now, I may be reading this wrongly, but I get the impression this will be the arrangement across the whole EU.

Translation of Austrian article here: https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdiepresse.com%2Fhome%2Fwirtschaft%2Feconomist%2F4696824%2FStaat-zieht-sich-aus-der-Einlagensicherung-zuruck%3F_vl_backlink%3D%2Fhome%2Findex.do&edit-text=

greenbee

NewShadow wrote: »

Any suggestion for bugout/camping clothes?

I get jeans aren't great - they get/stay wet, are heavy, and limit flexibility.

So, what's good?
<snip>
It's bottoms I'm struggling with - I've sweatpants, suit trousers, and many, many pairs of jeans... What am I missing?

Corduroy (and tights/thermals) underneath.

milasavesmoney

Thanks Mrs Lurch and Capella. I think I'll up my amount of vinegar I have in storage. This would be great for processing and keeping food. I also need to increase my pasta stores. We also have a fresh spring near. I do need to look into better water storage though as it has not been tested. I would love to have bartering chocolate on hand but would just eat it if I tried to store it.:D

Are there other items that's are recommended for bartering?

nuatha

milasavesmoney wrote: »

Not having read this entire thread :eek: I am wondering what type of food preparedness is your preference?
My family stores large sealed cans of dried food for cooking. We also have a well stocked pantry of canned goods. Do you all do the same type of food storage?

Apart from bugout and car packs I no longer do separate emergency foods.
I have an extensive stock cupboard/pantry comprising a mix of tinned goods (generally A1Ts 400g ish) both ready to eat/heat meals and meal components. Dry goods, flour, beans etc I tend to have 6-9 months on hand.
Assuming we lose fridge and freezer foods we would normally have at least 6 months worth of meals on hand (though we only have 3-4 months of off grid fuel currently, not including timber).
Currently I'm down to a month's supply of teabags, that will be corrected this week - not really sure how this happened and will be keeping an eye on usage and stock levels.

NewShadow wrote: »

Any suggestion for bugout/camping clothes?

I get jeans aren't great - they get/stay wet, are heavy, and limit flexibility.

So, what's good?

I've fleece and wool jumpers, long and short sleeve t-shirts, a mac, a heavy winter coat, and a couple of plastic (disposable) ponchos. And I've hiking boots, steel toecaps, running shoes, decent socks.

All things I wear normally, and all clothes I think are suitable for a range of situations from camping to evacuation.

It's bottoms I'm struggling with - I've sweatpants, suit trousers, and many, many pairs of jeans... What am I missing?

Jeans can kill people in outdoor pursuits, when wet they sap heat from the body, chafe as well as the issues you mention.
I have several sets of so called technical trousers, I believe the original version of these were Rohan Bags (unfortunately a very good brand that became trendy and the prices reflect that) I have versions made by several of the mountaineering equipment companies, in two types, thinsulate insulated for winter use and standard for the rest of the year. The later can pass as smart casual wear.

Ladies tights make a very good thermal layer, climbing tights over them, and then either the technical trousers or corduroy/moleskin breeches (plus twos) have been my gear in the worst that British and Scandinavian weather could throw at me.
(And a Goretex shell, jacket, trousers and gaiters. The advantage of a breathable shell system can only be fully understood by those of us who only had impervious waterproofs - you ended up very wet from your own sweat, to the extent that putting on a waterproof was often the last resort.)

Over the last couple of winters I have faced a different challenge. I've been spending long periods immobile with very little if any shelter attempting to get photographs of various wildlife. Previously my gear was based around being active (or in a tent, good sleeping bag etc) not generating your own heat can become an issue. the same layering principles apply as in mountain walking, but you need less ventilation and far better insulation. I found the following works for sitting at minus 4C for upwards of twelve hours. A string vest (actually a cellular tshirt, smaller holes, same idea) a wicking tshirt (also known as a technical tshirt, mine came from Aldi and were designed for cyclists -nice long back) cotton t-shirts get damp and keep the damp against your skin. A fleece poloneck, a microfleece pullover with a half zip and high collar. Lower half has the equivalent string trunks and technical trunks, then climbing tights and technical trousers. I wear two pairs of pure wool loopstitch socks. I have a thermal insole in my walking boots. If the conditions are seriously muddy I'll wear snow boots, generally its walking boots and gaiters.
I'll also wear a down gilet and a breathable shell jacket. A motocycle under helmet (think balaclava) and a thinsulate hat, together with neoprene fishing gloves completes the assembly (fishing gloves have finger tips that fold back so I can handle my camera).

A lump of polystyrene about 50mm thick (I think it was a swimming float in a former life) provides an insulated seat that is light and easy to carry.

I'm fortunate in that most of my client base wouldn't be surprised to see me wearing smart casual. However on the times I'm representing their companies, I may well be in a suit, I have a full length fully lined leather trench coat which makes an acceptably smart overcoat, a lambswool scarf and a fedora, cover the neck and head. I have thin lambswool gloves and leather gloves over them to protect my hands.
As a remarked recently, I've found I've got into a habit of wearing jeans recently. I'll wear the existing ones out, but will replace them with more general purpose clothing.
HTH

GreyQueen

I haven't even owned a pair of jeans in the past decade, I find them terribly impracticable; uncomfortable to wear, beggars to launder (drying time) and a nuisance if you get wet when out and about.

And, as nuatha points out, cotton kills on the hills.

From personal experience, you don't want your warm layer to be a fleece if you're going to be using fires as a spark alighting on you will instantly melt a hole in the garment. A wool sweater will allow you to swat a spark out without holing. Plus wool is a hollow fibre which can absorb almost its own weight in moisture without losing its insulating properties, and remains warm to the skin even when wet.

I have a couple of pairs of R0han trousers from years ago, a pair of the Bags which I am currently too porky to get into (working on that, lol) but which I've used world-travelling. These are virtually indestructible, with great pockets and double-thickness fabric on knees and the seat. You also want the styling where there is a dart-type effect at the knee, meaning you can raise your leg through 45 + degrees easily; ordinary trousers are essentially tapering tubes and don't have this.

I don't wear shorts when out hiking as I've seen so many walking companions with cuts and contusions to the knee which a trouser would have rendered a mere bump. Or with their shins criss-crossed with cuts from plants.

My other pair of Rohan trousers look like casual summer trousers but are made of a fabric which will dry in wear from sopping wet (as in wading in the sea) to dry in 10 minutes.

I agree about the priciness of R0han stuff. I've only ever bought mine on sale (and it's pricy enough then) but it is quality gear. Occasionally it turns up in TK Maxximus here, but only very occasionally and not always in my size.:(

If Rohan is beyond your budget, EMT technical trousers are a recommended item for preppers. Nine pockets, how exciting is that?!

Having a fair bit of experience, and read extensively, your best bet is to look at a mixture of synthetic and natural fibres. A synthetic tee or long-sleeved tee against your skin to wick sweat away, followed by a warm layer. A synthetic shirt with long-sleeves (sun protection and scratch protection) for warmer seasons, with a wool shirt for colder seasons. Top off with a wool sweater (chazzer shop merino?) and a top layer which will cut the wind chill and shrug off the rain.

The New Zealanders favour polypropelene longjohns and long-sleeved undershirts and I have a set of 'stripies' which I bought from there. I used them as a base-layer on multiday kayaking/ camping trips and as jammies when out camping.

My BOB is primarily aimed at supporting me through an emergency evacuation from the flats and staying in an urban environment in emergency accomodation. It contains some charity shop clothes such as a pair of lightweight sporty type trousers and a long-sleeved synthetic top, plus a black microfleece and a black undershirt and leggings which can be layered for extra warmth or serve as jammies. The colours are chosen to be unremarkable in an urban environment where black and grey clothing is commonplace.

[Deleted User]

I think that good barter items would be soap, candles, salt, loo rolls, alcohol might be useful but certainly not top of the list, veg seeds might be good too.

thriftwizard

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I think that good barter items would be soap, candles, salt, loo rolls, alcohol might be useful but certainly not top of the list, veg seeds might be good too.

I'd add needles & thread, first aid supplies, and string, duck tape & can openers.

ETA: if you can afford it, or are lucky enough to come across some in a dusty corner of a charity shop, knitted silk thermals are fantastic; lightweight & very, very warm. My BOB usually contains a couple of "hippydippy" silk skirts, too, which can be worn over leggings or not, depending on the season. They pack down to nothing (really useful for budget airlines, too) shake out without ironing and suit my shape & lifestyle, such as it is! But I wouldn't want to wear them for a trek across the moors in driving rain...

Karmacat

milasavesmoney wrote: »

I would love to have bartering chocolate on hand but would just eat it if I tried to store it.:D

Me too **sobs loudly**

thriftwizard wrote: »

if you can afford it, or are lucky enough to come across some in a dusty corner of a charity shop, knitted silk thermals are fantastic; lightweight & very, very warm. My BOB usually contains a couple of "hippydippy" silk skirts, too, which can be worn over leggings or not, depending on the season. They pack down to nothing (really useful for budget airlines, too) shake out without ironing and suit my shape & lifestyle, such as it is! But I wouldn't want to wear them for a trek across the moors in driving rain...

Thanks to everyone for the clothing comments on this page - I've never "gone walking" as such, though I've always walked for miles in urban environments or on holiday, but its only been in Mediterranean type environments since I was a teenager, and a lot of this knowledge has passed me by, or not been fully integrated into my kit. There's a lot of adjustments I can make now

[Deleted User]

I don't find having the chocolate a burden, it lives in the storeroom and is bought for a purpose that is NOT eating it because it's there. Not my favourite sweetie anyway (I know, I'm very odd!) however, if it was liquorice it wouldn't even make it up the stairs!!!

I think on reflection matches/lighters would be easily stored barter items both being small and with long shelf life, perhaps various glues, pencils/pens, the needles and thread is a good idea also wools, fabrics and maybe things like crochet hooks and knitting needles too, scissors, shoe repairing items like stickasoles and heels and puncture kits for repairing wellingtons but we're getting into serious amounts of stored stuff here which would be impossible to take with you if you needed to evacuate quickly for any reason. All would be good though in a time when we were safe to stay in situ but having to fend for ourselves over a longish period of time.