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Preparedness for when

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  • Beetlemama
    Beetlemama Posts: 1,153 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Ha ha I was like "what's a sex speriment?" oh yeah...
    craigywv wrote: »
    Hi all u shtf ers, just seen advertised....DOOMSDAY PREPPERS!!! ...they all have white suits, masks etc

    ...actually, so do we, but I thought that was a bit OTT for this thread, I think I was right considering the upset the old zombs caused.
    GreyQueen wrote: »
    Gosh, I can well remember the "fun" we had in the 1970s trying to keep warm and fed in the powercuts...........Mum still won't part with her parafin stove from back in those days. I think some people who are below middle-aged don't have an awareness of how things can go wrong in these respects.

    Oh those were the days, I reckon that it didn't really teach us how to cope - but it taught us we *could* cope, much better than any books, there's nothing like practical experience. I think some of the fear people have is because they've never done it, but you don't have to wait for an emergency to see if you can make it.

    It's like the fire drill, we have fire drills (yeah not like Sheldon or anything), but it's well worth doing to make sure it goes the way you thought it would, can the kids indeed crawl downstairs backwards in the dark keeping under the pretend smoke that's filled the stairwell? do you have a plan to evacuate a dog from an upstairs window if the stairs are blocked? (stick it in a quilt cover and lower it out of the windows (this probably wont work in flats!)) - I don't evac the dogs as a practice, that's for emergencies only, but having a plan of how that's going to happen is good.

    DS, who is 9, loves the fire run, it's exciting. Once a year after I've replaced the battery (always do it on New Years day so I know I've done it) I set off the smoke alarm, turned off the lights and off we go on our hands and knees. God forbid we would ever have to do it for real, but we know we can, and its set in stone in his head now how important it is to clear his bedroom floor before he goes to bed every night, that pair of shoes/toy/console controller, isn't as innocent in the pitch black with bare feet.

    Did anyone mention having a fire extinguisher yet? I don't remember seeing it, but if you don't have one, it won't hurt to get one, they don't take up much room.

    Love you all, keep calm and keep prepping.
    xxxx
    "There is no substitute for time."

    Competition wins:
    2013. Three bottles of oxygen! And a family ticket to intech science centre. 2011. The Lake District Cheese Co Cow and bunny pop up play tent, cheese voucher, beach ball and cuddly toy cow and bunny and a £20 ToysRus voucher!
  • valk_scot
    valk_scot Posts: 5,290 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My mum used to keep two pillow cases by the front door so she could carry the cats out in case of fire. My opinion is that you'd probably die in the time it took you to find the cats and stuff them in the pillow cases, also they can run faster than you so why not just leave the front door open as you left? (Not in the case of a flat, no, got to close doors against a fire.) Dogs are more biddable than cats though!

    I have got a fire extingusher and a fire blanket in the kitchen, yes, plus both a battery operated and a mains wired smoke alarm in the hall. We've got two ways of getting out on our own, out the attic velux and over the flat roofs or out the front door and the kids know both routes. Plus there's good window access from the street for the fire engines and the kids know how to use the safety keys for the windows just in case they have to go out that way.
    Val.
  • Talking about wartime farm it was filmed at Manor farm in Hampshire, for those who live near there and I have just found that the book is available for notification on Amazon which means that it should be due to air soon................Off to see if I can find out when
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • It airs At 8pm on Thursday 6th September happy-132.gif
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • Beetlemama
    Beetlemama Posts: 1,153 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    valk_scot wrote: »
    My opinion is that you'd probably die in the time it took you to find the cats and stuff them in the pillow cases

    I think the stuffing of the cat in the pillow case would be as likely to cause death as the smoke :rotfl:
    "There is no substitute for time."

    Competition wins:
    2013. Three bottles of oxygen! And a family ticket to intech science centre. 2011. The Lake District Cheese Co Cow and bunny pop up play tent, cheese voucher, beach ball and cuddly toy cow and bunny and a £20 ToysRus voucher!
  • vanoonoo wrote: »
    do you reckon we could crochet with paracord? :D

    I've always got at least 5m of paracord in my cupboard, got used to using it for so many things when my hubby was in the military. I've even used it to make cat toys and crocheting with it is certainly possible, though not sure why one would want to :p
  • smileyt_2
    smileyt_2 Posts: 1,240 Forumite
    Beetlemama wrote: »
    I think the stuffing of the cat in the pillow case would be as likely to cause death as the smoke :rotfl:

    I am laughing like a drain at this. Having had to stuff a cat in a pillow case in order to administer tablets I can tell you that I am lucky to still be alive ..... :rotfl:

    Am spending today sorting out my food storecupboard so I can see what gaps there are. Trying to be organised is not my forte!
    Aspire not to have more but to be more.
    Oscar Romero

    Still trying to be frugal...
  • GreyQueen
    GreyQueen Posts: 13,008 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    vanoonoo wrote: »
    now, I keep reading on "propper" preppers forums about paracord - I even saw how to make a bracelet out of it. please tell me why its so useful and why I need to have some about my person at all times? does it come in purple? :D
    :p I've only got it in olive drab but then whaddaya expect when you're shopping at the Army Surplus. I'm inordinately fond of surplus stores and still wish I could think of a good reason for owning camo netting. Haven't managed to find one yet.........:rotfl: In a book they suggested using red paracord as it is easy to find it when moving on from your bivouac which presupposes that you are travelling across open country and making your own shelters each night. Given that I have no particular urge to trample the wilderness without a tent, I don't think that will be necessary. But if anyone can source coloured paracord, it would be a community service to post it on this thread.
    vanoonoo wrote: »
    do you reckon we could crochet with paracord? :D
    :) Well, possibly other people could but not me but I'd be game for a laff and try knitting it. Can't be any harder than knitting plastic bags and I've done that.

    Paracord, as well as being an excellent substitute shoelace and general purpose string, can be opened up and there are 32 fine white strands of core under the woven outer casing. Which means lots of opportunities to separate threads of various calibers for sewing jobs. If anyone hasn't cut paracord before, bear in mind that it frays in seconds so you'll need to be ready to seal the end with a match/ lighter etc.
    Beetlemama wrote: »
    I think the stuffing of the cat in the pillow case would be as likely to cause death as the smoke :rotfl:
    :D Had many a jolly time over the years loading spreadeagled cats into cat baskets, all I can say about loading them into pillowcases is the very best of luck and please put your oven mitts on before attempting this at home.

    I have a fire extinguisher at home, mounted on the kitchen wall but have mercifully never needed to use it.

    I was having a muse on the subject of preparedness in general and how it can attract mockery in both the real world and in the virtual one. Most people do some preparedness; they buy home contents and buildings insurance, they buy holiday insurance, they fit smoke detectors, fire blankets/ extinguishes, have a basic first aid kit at home.

    All of the above is regarded as simple common sense but take it a little further and you're regarded as a nut-job in certain quarters.

    I live in a city centre in southern England, not a part of the country known for severe weather and most winters pass without a hint of snow nor even many frosts severe enough to penetrate the thermal mass of the buildings. In Dec 2010, we had snow which was quickly compressed into about an inch of ice which stayed frozen and was like a skating rink for almost 2 weeks.

    You couldn't get in and out of my block without traversing several areas of sheet ice many meters wide. Two neighbours broke limbs falling on it; woman about 30 broke her leg and a man about 50 broke his arm. The rest of us, inc me, had to pick our way about with hearts thudding, and it was as bad out on the pavements. How I wished I'd had my YaxTrax back then, something I picked up from MSE's Prep for Winter thread and bought for myself as as gifts for several of my family inc my elderly parents. How much better if my neighbours had had them back in 2010 and avoided those breaks.

    :D Today I went bootsaling and have now got 2 stainless steel cutlery drainers, one brand new with label. Woolworths ones. I think I mak put the cutlery in the new one but the other is destined to go to the lottie for my pryomanical play activities, mwha ha ha . I've also added a few more cheap pillar candles to the emergency supplies.

    Keep on prepping, people.;)
    Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.
    John Ruskin
    Veni, vidi, eradici
    (I came, I saw, I kondo'd)
  • HI all
    Loving the thread guys:D
    GQ we used some camo netting over our fruit canes so the birds didnt get the fruit one year, it was older stuff so a few more holes and it amazingly let in enough light.
    I haven't managed to crochet anything proper yet (just learning) but my mind is wandering to thinking about pink dayglo paracord :rotfl:.
    Mar i keep trying to knit socks but get stuck, im sure once ive done one it will flow but my brain hurts trying to work it out:o. I might beg you to tell me how to do it, i could barter sweeties:rotfl:.
    WLL
    p.s there are lots of sellers on ebay selling many many colours of paracord in all sizes x
    Moving towards a life that is more relaxed and kinder to the environment (embracing my inner hippy:D) .:j
  • vanoonoo
    vanoonoo Posts: 1,897 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    crocheting with it is certainly possible, though not sure why one would want to :p
    need to keep it oldstyle :beer: plus, I want to fashion a zombie leash and think this might be the solution I've been looking for :rotfl:
    Blah
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