Preparedness for when

Fruball

Caterina wrote: »

Just an idea in my mind, don't know if possible, but will air it anyway. How about an OS Preppers weekend? In a cheap youth hostel, in the middle of the UK where easily reachable by all, to spend a couple of days getting to know each other, do skill-swapping etc? If any of you is interested please let me know and I can start the ball rolling. I have organised OS meet ups before and we have had much fun but this would be especially geared to SHTF issues.

Caterina wrote: »

Dragonette crochet is a very good skill to have, I can do it but never attempted clothes. Made a few shawls and hats, also a giant granny square blanket (like just the one square, round and round) for DD's bed and am in the process of making another one for DS, but would love to be able to make clothes. I find knitting very difficult, always dropping stitches and never finding my way back, so crochet would be great to have as a skill.

I do not have any manual skills that I can transfer such as crafts though I have a lot of experience in downshifting as I have done it over the years, quite successfully, it is more the case of meeting up and swapping ideas, being with kindred spirits (what a relief, not to be taken for a paranoid lunatic when you talk about SHTF issues! heehehe) etc.

Val I am curious of what you mean by the gadget. If you can post a pic or even a link I would be very grateful. Thank you! Then I shall need to have a go at putting the leather belt on the machine and see if it still goes, of course!

ThriftWizard (and others) I keep meaning to get a bulk buy of salt, but prefer the coarse sea salt, any suggestions where to order online? Thanks.

Mardatha re. meet up I was thinking of places like York, Hebden Bridge (there is a hostel there supposed to be very nice) or North Wales, or Chester, or there is a place I know near Swindon that could do for us. Or just even organise something in Scotland if you have suggestions? I am easy, open to any suggestions, for me this is just at the (FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT IS COMING NEXT) brainstorming stage.

Swindon would be good for me I am not good at travelling long distances but that should be in my range!

mardatha

ValkScot yes it is moi. And I only et 2, honest !
Cattie and Fruball, I need a map of England because I know where York is but not any of these other places.

westlothianlass

hi all
Well i have skill envy:o, can knit a bit, sew a bit, trying to crochet, aren't you lot useful and fab, I wouldnt know where to begin with spinning etc but hope to learn one day.
On the plus side I can grow stuff and cook and i'm a dab hand at wine making:D.
I think a meet would be a lovely idea but I don't leave Scotland very often, even had to look up where Swindon was:rotfl:.
Ive started putting together emergency bags for everyone, one completed one half completed, and 3rd one is a work in progress (ive ran out of rucksacks so stuff is lying around floor).
Made a list of stuff needed for the "armageddon" cupboard (it was a bit heavy on the beans/chick peas, and very low on anything to go with them).
Hubby is on board because i promised to buy him a cross bow!!so cupboard in the garage has been cleared.

Fruball

I've now got a keyring whistle Who knows, it might come in useful!!!

Also, ordered my water purification tablets but really need to buy in a LOT more water... I have used my stores :eek: which is nothing short of stupid imho.

I want to start keeping the 'armegeddon' type stuff separately in the outhouse as the kitchen is busting with the stuff in there. I am going to use large plastic storage boxes and make sure everything in each box has a use by date of the same - ie beans ubd 2015, rice ubd 2015 etc and another box with things all ending in 2016 - that way I can make sure it doesn't go to waste.

Next on list is a few glowsticks/snaplights for the car and in the store.

Going to get a sack of rice this week and about £10 worth of tinned veg from Ald! so that £10 should s-t-r-e-t-c-h quite far!

Tonight I am going to fill some empty coke/water/juice bottles and stash them in the shed

Caterina

There's a lot of you OS Preppers in Scotland, what don't you organise a meet? I was going to go to a Scottish OS meet last year but in he end couldn't make it. Even my friend MeanMarie (who is not mean at all BTW) made it all the way from Ireland! I'd love to have the excuse to go back to Scotland, haven't been for years and love it!

Westlothianlass you sound just like a lot of us, saying you have skill envy etc, then go on listing a long list of really useful skills that you have! We are modest about blowing our own trumpet, but we all have skills, and we all have something to teach and can learn something from others. That's why I really think that community networks are so important, to share and also to pass skills and infomation to the younger ones among us.

Fruball I am always puzzled by the date on beans, grains etc. I have used 10 year old dried beans that were perfectly ok, and wheat grains found in the Pharaohs tombs in Egypt have been used to grow ancient breeds of grain again (I know because I used to make corn dollies and my teacher had some of that variety of grain) so do dried produce really go off after a while? Thanks for any info to this question that always puzzles me.

mardatha

Actually a Scots meet would be a lot better for me too - I get exhausted really easily and then am flattened for days - and then the RV goes on at me for not being careful and then we argue lol. I could do Edinburgh or Glasgow or anywhere in between.
I haven't got many skills WLL, I can't cook which is the number one essential lol - and I don't spin and I can't crochet.

D&DD

I've used Karrimor Urban 30's for our bags and they're a nicely made bag for the price...currently on sale at Field and trek,and Sports direct for a tenner.
Gotta dash baking :rotfl:

Rummer

valk_scot wrote: »

Nahh, Thriftwizard and I will be the ones out in the fields chasing the sheep around while armed with a good old fashioned set of hand clippers....

I will join you both, although I have quite a fleece and fibre stash already :rotfl:

Fruball

Caterina wrote: »

There's a lot of you OS Preppers in Scotland, what don't you organise a meet? I was going to go to a Scottish OS meet last year but in he end couldn't make it. Even my friend MeanMarie (who is not mean at all BTW) made it all the way from Ireland! I'd love to have the excuse to go back to Scotland, haven't been for years and love it!

Westlothianlass you sound just like a lot of us, saying you have skill envy etc, then go on listing a long list of really useful skills that you have! We are modest about blowing our own trumpet, but we all have skills, and we all have something to teach and can learn something from others. That's why I really think that community networks are so important, to share and also to pass skills and infomation to the younger ones among us.

Fruball I am always puzzled by the date on beans, grains etc. I have used 10 year old dried beans that were perfectly ok, and wheat grains found in the Pharaohs tombs in Egypt have been used to grow ancient breeds of grain again (I know because I used to make corn dollies and my teacher had some of that variety of grain) so do dried produce really go off after a while? Thanks for any info to this question that always puzzles me.

I agree that dried stuff will last well past the use by date - all my dried stuff will be kept indefinately - It's the tinned stuff I am talking about altho I would add a good couple of years to the actual printed use by date - ie, the box labelled with stuff ok until 2016 will doubtless not get opened until 2018+ (unless needed for emergency) as the stuff I stock up (for armegeddon type scenario) is not stuff I would usually eat, ie rice and beans! along with tinned veg _pale_ but I would be grateful of if the shtf!

I do intend to stock up with more dried goods, and will be wholeheartedly ignoring the dates on those :rotfl: as usual!

ginnyknit

I may have some skills to share am used to making things out of whats lying around the house (well giant craft store:o ) Hebden Bridge is one of our favourite places to go in the entire country. OH can advise on things as he is a retired builder and is adept at making anything we need. I am also experienced at catering on a shoestring - not blowing my own trumpet here guys but I have been living this life for 53 years so am experienced and am out to help.