Preparedness for when

Popperwell

smileyt wrote: »

Here's why I prep: my work is seasonal. Over the summer I have very little money coming in. My preps keep me afloat and mean that I only have to buy fresh foodstuffs, which keeps the grocery bill down. It has nothing to do with zombies and everything to do with avoiding an overdraft!

Also, I suffer from depression, and in the winter I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I can usually manage to drag myself in to work, but I have little energy left over. On those sort of days, it's a relief to know I can get something from my storecupboard and not have to face the crowds at Asda.

It's also meant I have been able to help some of my less better-off neighbours when they've been in a crisis with no money left for food.

I think it's sensible to have some basic preps and to learn to do various things by yourself (knitting, sewing, cooking from scratch etc) as you never know when unemployment, illness, floods or powercuts are going to strike.

If people want to take it further and start digging escape routes down through the patio and out through the sewers that's up to them .... - but you only have to look at what's happened in Greece to see how hard it can be when an economy falters.

I so agree...I can cook and the help and support here has been great(I hope I can keep my internet going when things get really difficult)I can sew a little, I have my food store for all the reasons suggested for when income reduces as it will for all the reasons Smiley suggests...there are so many unknowns...

Popperwell

smileyt wrote: »

That's so cruel .... :rotfl:

Angel-Jenny, you could perhaps get some water purification tablets, a small camping stove and maybe a storage box with basic food items in (keep it under your bed?). Just easy cook stuff like noodles, dried milk, teabags, a bag of sugar. Some candles and matches and a torch. None of this would take up much room but you would then have the stuff you needed to get through a powercut, at least. A 'go bag' with a change of underwear, some toiletries, medication, important documents would be quite small too.

That sounds pretty good to me...

nuatha

newlywed wrote: »

One thing though... we have lots of candles but an electric cooker. So if there was a power problem (we've had 48 hours with no elec), then there is nothing to boil a kettle on. We also live in a flat and so I'm not sure whether we are allowed to store gas cannisters....

Has anyone used those solid fuel cooker things? Are they worth it or should we just burn a shed?

You don't want a solid fuel (hexamine) stove for indoor use. My suggestion would be a gas hob that runs off small cylinders, something like this which I've just seen reduced to clear for £2.50 in my local Asda. They also have the cylinders reduced to £1.75, though these can be found cheaper online. You will get about 2 hours of cooking time from a canister.

HTH

[Deleted User]

Thanks POPS - just a bit of time out to catch my breath again, I get too involved and just want the world to get along, I hate wrangles and spitefulness. I'll keep up with you and you'll all get a bit of peace and quiet, Cheers Lyn .

Popperwell

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Thanks POPS - just a bit of time out to catch my breath again, I get too involved and just want the world to get along, I hate wrangles and spitefulness. I'll keep up with you and you'll all get a bit of peace and quiet, Cheers Lyn .

I quite understand...I have seen it happen elsewhere...I'm an easy kind of guy and rarely get into spats(often they come looking forme rather than the other way around...);)

Fruball

frugalgal wrote: »

Thanks Fruball, I have been a bit overwhelmed with it all. I have decided that I will begin by just getting a few extras so that I have at least a week's worth of food/toiletries, etc in the cupboards at all times. I can then start building from that. I am then going to have boxes that I can store one week's worth of food at a time, that way I can easily rotate food and in an emergency situation I can give someone else a box if needed. In the box I will include tea, coffee, sugar, dried milk and food stuffs (may also include some water purification tabs in the box).

Would other people recommend storing water in jerry cans (I read that they can be stored in a dark, cool place for 6 months)???

I get overwhelmed too sometimes. Prepping is rather addictive Unfortunately my preps are a bit disorganised so I am not really sure what I have but I suspect I could feed the street with tinned new potatoes for a few weeks! I know I am short on protein foods such as tinned fish and tinned meat but that is because it is expensive to buy and I just don't have the funds atm.

I usually buy around 10 cheapy cans each time I go shopping which costs about £3 or £4 and have built up quite a store from doing that

Quite what I am going to use my headlight for I don't know :rotfl: But it seemed like a good idea and when I found one for £3.99, I had little choice but to buy it :rotfl:

Popperwell wrote: »

Most of us are preparing for normal life events...life can be ticking along reasonably ok and change in seconds...
Don't disappear for long Lyn...I nearly went went I felt I was being targeted and then I thought "S** It!" If I go who has won and there are so many views/opinions...

Losing jobs, illness, weather problems, power cuts, income reduction, price of food going up, utilities, rent, CT, BT increasing nothing outrageous and unusual...

It can be a bit daunting Fruball but this thread has a point and the fact so many join in shows that it is of interest...and of course we may have many "Lurkers" who read but decide not to post...

Yeah and they got to the asd@ double slankets before me :rotfl::rotfl:

valk_scot

I was sad that not everyone belives in the Zombies. It must have hurt the zombies' feeings. They're people too! (Well, sort of....)

Anyway to get back to life skills and gadgets. Maybe I'm just weird but I like old fashioned hobbies like knitting and spinning and basketweaving. I do them for fun but they may just come in useful one day. I also think if you're of the crafting mindset you're more likely to try other related crafts, which is how I've quite unintentionally amassed a fairly fomidable survivalist skill set...because many of these things are fun to learn and do. I do like to learn something new every year too, it keeps the mind sharp. So why not something potentially useful?

Gadgets...oh yes, you often hear me saying that such and such is an essential gadget. Not! I'm the one making a wayfarer's kettle out a couple of tin cans, saying that your granny's hand crank sewing machine is better than most modern plastic horrors, that I hate my slow cooker and really, the best bread comes from my 30 year old Kenwood Chef. I'm a real gadget woman, yeah, as long as said gadget is at least thirty years old.

So I'm not really preparing for the Zombies, no. On the other hand I was pretty good at archery at school and my late FIL's compound bow is still in the attic. I wonder if I can still hit the side of a barn at fifty paces..? :rotfl:

valk_scot

nuatha wrote: »

You don't want a solid fuel (hexamine) stove for indoor use. My suggestion would be a gas hob that runs off small cylinders, something like this which I've just seen reduced to clear for £2.50 in my local Asda. They also have the cylinders reduced to £1.75, though these can be found cheaper online. You will get about 2 hours of cooking time from a canister.

HTH

You absolutely mustn't use one of these indoors...you need proper ventilation. And if you really must then at least change the cylinders outside. The camping forums are full of reports about leakage and side flares from this type of cooker. Also remember not to use a pot that overhangs the cylinder, the flames flare out and can overheat the cylinder. The cheap versions can be pretty iffy too, with poor seals. I've got a Coleman one which is as good as anything but even when I'm camping I only use it ten paces away from the tent.

Popperwell

I would certainly have windows open and probably work in the passage alongside the house if I am staying here and possibly just outside in the garden but it would only be to heat water or something quick like soup/baked beans if the electric failed as I only have gas CH, everything else is electric...

newlywed

valk_scot wrote: »

You absolutely mustn't use one of these indoors...you need proper ventilation. And if you really must then at least change the cylinders outside. The camping forums are full of reports about leakage and side flares from this type of cooker. Also remember not to use a pot that overhangs the cylinder, the flames flare out and can overheat the cylinder. The cheap versions can be pretty iffy too, with poor seals. I've got a Coleman one which is as good as anything but even when I'm camping I only use it ten paces away from the tent.

thanks - that's the kind of thing I'm going to need to know - wouldn't want any emergency to get suddenly worse!

so if its best to use it outside (we have a teeny garden) then is the solid fuel version going to be as good/better (cheaper cheaper )

I'm totally fine with using things outside even if it's snowing....