Preparedness for when

mardatha

I have Ikea storage boxes with lids, not so much for prepping but more because I'm tidy and they're neat You can stack them in corners and they would keep tins & packets hidden.

westlothianlass

Hi all
Lost my post so will start again
Just caught up with all your great posts, another weirdo here:rotfl:its like coming home i feel all warm and fuzzy reading your posts.
Was in Sainsbobs yesterday and they still had some basics brand stuff in so bought some large tins potatoes (19p) tuna (69p) pasta, custard, buscuits etc.
Im just sitting here thinking about things i should learn, i have a fair number of books on self sufficiency etc but havent tried many things, so should maybe start trying stuff so that I don't need to learn after TSHTF.
I didn't drive for years despite having a car outside, but a couple of years ago bought a bigger car (which i felt safer in) and an automatic (less to think about i suppose so im more relaxed) and feel so much better.
I should be studying today but just want to browse Ikea catalogues now, you lot have a lot to answer for:D
X WLL
p.s fairtrade tea-bags (80) were still 27p

annie123

D&#8517 wrote: »

Caterina sorry missed your post re a croydon meet I might be able to later in the year when you get back would be lovely to finally meet up with you and possibly other local oldstylers..we can all be weird together then lolol

Caterina wrote: »

I know of at least 3 more London based OSers who would be interested (you know who you are, girls!).

Ikea:eek: Useful store but too bl**dy big. Yes I'll be there Nice to see D&DD without wondering 'is that her?'!!! although I may bump into you on the field this weekend if I can get hubby to take me one morning.

Caterina

Annie I knew at least one of the Usual Suspects would uncover her ID after my post, but I did not want to "out" anyone without permission! Good, this is going to give me something to look forward to after my return from sunny Sardinia, back I to the cold and rain! Something also to look forward to in the run up to Christmas and winter preparation! Am going to reopen the old OS meets thread, please look out for it so I don't invade this one with details of meet ups!

valk_scot

Beside the Top Ten of Ikea buys, what would be the Top Ten of necessary life skills do you think? I'd be thinking of dividing them into General Emergency Life Skills and Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills...

General Emergency Life Skills. (In no particular order)

First Aid.
Driving and basic car maintainence
Cycling and bike maintainence ditto
Cooking, especially on camp or other emergency cookers. (Yes it is different, you won't be simmering pots of dried beans for three hours trust me.)
Growing your Own
Preserving
Sewing, especially repairs
And.....?

Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills. Probably going to be more than 20, actually.)

Very good First Aid! And midwifery, probably.
Animal husbandry.
Hunting.
Crop growing.
Fibre shearing/harvest, preparing and spinning,
Knitting and weaving.
Rope and cordage making.
Herbal remedies and dyes.
Serious food preserving techniques like smoking and salting, plus making salt.
Carpentry
Fire starting and fire building.
Soap making.
Dairy skills.
Tanning and leatherworrking
Self defence.

I think I'd be looking for a community after the ZA, actually. I can't do that last lot all on my own!

[Deleted User]

VAL - I'd add in basketry and pottery as well, shelter making, knowing what to forage that wouldn't damage you, seashore foraging and knowing how to process what you'd found safely,and oddly enough the Flint knapping would be so useful for tools, weapons, cooking knives etc. Cheers Lyn.

grandma247

valk_scot wrote: »

Beside the Top Ten of Ikea buys, what would be the Top Ten of necessary life skills do you think? I'd be thinking of dividing them into General Emergency Life Skills and Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills...

General Emergency Life Skills. (In no particular order)

First Aid.
Driving and basic car maintainence
Cycling and bike maintainence ditto
Cooking, especially on camp or other emergency cookers. (Yes it is different, you won't be simmering pots of dried beans for three hours trust me.)
Growing your Own
Preserving
Sewing, especially repairs
And.....?


How to change a plug or fuse
How to fix a dripping tap

Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills. Probably going to be more than 20, actually.)

Very good First Aid! And midwifery, probably.
Animal husbandry.
Hunting.
Crop growing.
Fibre shearing/harvest, preparing and spinning,
Knitting and weaving.
Rope and cordage making.
Herbal remedies and dyes.
Serious food preserving techniques like smoking and salting, plus making salt.
Carpentry
Fire starting and fire building.
Soap making.
Dairy skills.
Tanning and leatherworrking
Self defence.

I think I'd be looking for a community after the ZA, actually. I can't do that last lot all on my own!

Two I can think of off the top of my head

runnerbean17

been reading this all morning def going to have a sort round my house and see what i need.

Also read this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/aug/23/arctic-sea-ice-record-low and all the comments that followed. So many people think the future is looking bleak...

not sure what's coming but sure something is

HariboJunkie

valk_scot wrote: »

Beside the Top Ten of Ikea buys, what would be the Top Ten of necessary life skills do you think? I'd be thinking of dividing them into General Emergency Life Skills and Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills...

General Emergency Life Skills. (In no particular order)

First Aid.
Driving and basic car maintainence
Cycling and bike maintainence ditto
Cooking, especially on camp or other emergency cookers. (Yes it is different, you won't be simmering pots of dried beans for three hours trust me.)
Growing your Own
Preserving
Sewing, especially repairs
And.....?

Zombie Apocalypse Life Skills. Probably going to be more than 20, actually.)

Very good First Aid! And midwifery, probably.
Animal husbandry.
Hunting.
Crop growing.
Fibre shearing/harvest, preparing and spinning,
Knitting and weaving.
Rope and cordage making.
Herbal remedies and dyes.
Serious food preserving techniques like smoking and salting, plus making salt.
Carpentry
Fire starting and fire building.
Soap making.
Dairy skills.
Tanning and leatherworrking
Self defence.

I think I'd be looking for a community after the ZA, actually. I can't do that last lot all on my own!

OMG! I am officially pooping myself reading this. :eek: I presume you're not really referring to Zombies so in what circumstances do you envisage needing the second set of skills? Genuinely curious.

FWIW I am unprepared for a zombie apolcolypse. :eek: I don't stockpile food beyond buying lots of certain things when they're on offer and keeping a well stocked larder, and having a drawer with torches, matches, candles and batterries for a powercut. I have always had a file box of important documents which could be retrieved in the event of a fire but no bog off bag. If we needed to get out in a hurry we'd just grab what we needed from my well organised drawers. I suppose I have skills which would be useful. First aid, can catch and smoke fish, can skin rabbits and pluck birds, forage, sew, knit etc, etc but they are hobbies rather than survival skills to me. I'm certainly not going to rush out and buy stuff like kelly kettles. Have you seen the price of some of these gadgets? :eek:

Here's hoping there's no apocolypse round the corner . I for one will keep concentrating on developing my old style skills to enrich my life and that of my family. Times are hard enough without me worrying that I can't make rope and have never delivered a baby. :cool:

Good luck with all your prepping though. I shall watch with interest.

Caterina

HariboJunkie wrote: »

.... I suppose I have skills which would be useful. First aid, can catch and smoke fish, can skin rabbits and pluck birds, forage, sew, knit etc, etc but they are hobbies rather than survival skills to me.

Hobbies you listed are survival skills even if you don't think of them as such! People in rural areas in the past just had these skills and never catalogued them under the header of "prepping", they just lived more in touch with nature and their surroundings, so don't let the word worry you, you sound more prepared than your average UK city-dweller anyway!:cool:

HariboJunkie wrote: »

.... I'm certainly not going to rush out and buy stuff like kelly kettles. Have you seen the price of some of these gadgets? :eek:

Don't knock Kelly Kettles, they are mega-useful things, you can make tea in seconds using twigs or even scrunched up newspaper. Even if the Zombies are not at the door, there is always a possibility for long-ish term gas shortages, energy cut-outs etc, and a Kelly Kettle could come really useful in those circumstances. I know they are relatively expensive, but I bought one as an investment.

I also hope there is no Apocalypse round the corner, don't we all? Zombie or otherwise. However there are a lot of other, less dramatic circumstances that could lead to shortages of food, water, fuel etc, and it seems very OS to be "prepared"!

I think I could deliver a baby at a push (sorry for the pun :rotfl:) even if I am not a trained midwife or nurse, having attended dozens of births when I worked as a doula. I would not choose to do so in normal circumstances but if a woman was about to pop a baby in the middle of the road in the dark in a black-out (just to think of a weird scenario of any), and I was around with a torch and an extra blanket I would certainly give it a go. I would also definitely NOT like to kill and clean fish and game as I am a fairly squeamish almost vegetarian (will eat unrecognisable "fish" such as tinned tuna and unrecognisable "meat" such as salami) but if it was necessary I would do it. Know how to fish (just - having done so when much younger), don't know how to hunt and deal with warm blooded creatures, so I would find your company in an emergency very useful!