Preparedness for when

Popperwell

That is so true D&DD. I am comfortable in my own skin and like my own company but I defy anyone not to get a little stir crazy.

BessieBooBoo

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

So this week the Dr's announce as BIL has recovered far beyond their expectations he can go home whilst still being under district nurse and outpatient care-plus a likely readmission for further op's to sort out his bowel and intenstines later on. So he came home yesterday and SIL STILL went away and left him alone. FIL and MIL went on holiday (booked last year) on thurs and were worried, MIL wanted to cancel, but my OH told her to go and he and his sisters would try to keep an eye on BIL. Oh gone up now to see if he got some lunch and to see if he needs something for his tea later on.

Glad to hear he's picked up, but, its a shame his partner isn't there for him.

Plus had a weird experience. Couple of weeks ago I had a dream where my gran's spirit was trying to contact me by knocking on the wall-I could hear the banging and see her, but not make out the words she was saying. I awoke with tears on my face. When I spoke to my mum over the weekend about it she looked a bit shocked-my sister had a dream the same night where our mum had a heart attack and colasped-she also woke up with tears on her cheeks. We didn't know till the following Monday how weird it really was-Mum hadn't told us but she had been feeling off colour for months and was getting breathless and having some chest pressure. Dad had been pushing her to see the Dr, but she wouldn't go. After what we said about the dreams when she had another bout on the Mon and Dad pushed her, she finally decided to go to the Dr's. He said her blood pressure was through the roof and she had classic heart problem/angina symtoms. She got one of those under tongue sprays, blood pressure pills and statins as well as being back and forth to the hospital for test/ecg/x rays. Makes you wonder if my gran (mum mother) was out there trying to send us a message. 2013 been a bad year for families health so far .

In my family, that's 'normal'; we have Irish ancestory, so being 'fey' doesn't cause a batted eyelid... Knew when my uncle died, woke up crying with the sense he was there saying goodbye, knew when OH passed LGV, etc. Surprises me more when others are spooked by this, so tend not to mention it now... Oops.

Ali x

Hope you and yours, and all you poorlies have a better day.

BBB

mardatha

I do love spooky!

Paul_Varjak

Has anyone used Mylar bags for long term storage of food? I see that several use food-grade vacuum seal bags but these have a number of disadvantages...

Vacuum food bags are generally transparent and you really do need to keep out light when storing food long-term. To vacuum store you probably use a vacuum sealing machine which requires the use of channel bags (unless you get a 'snorkel' type vacuum sealer) Also, crushable foods are not suitable for vacuum packing.

Enter, Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers!

Mylar bags are made of polythene (just as are vacuum bags) but they contain a layer of aluminium which makes them tougher, less permeable and also block out all light - similar to modern day crisp bags!

You could use Mylar bags with a 'snorkel' type vacuum sealer but that would still not allow you to store crushable foods. So, instead of getting a vacuum sealing machine, you can use packets of oxygen absorbers instead. Just pop a packet (of appropriate size) in your Mylar bag, squeeze out excess air (if the food is not crushable) seal the bag (use a household iron) and let the oxygen absorber do the rest.

The oxygen remover removes practically all of the oxygen from the bag, creating a partial vacuum in the process. The only free gas left inside the bag will be nitrogen, argon and a tiny amount of CO2, which will not degrade the food inside.

Mylar bags come in a number of sizes and grades. The cheap bags (eBay from Hong Kong) are only 3 mil thick and somewhat transparent. Thicker bags (up to 7 mil) bags are the ones do go for but can be extremely expensive.

I have finally found a cheap source of 7 mil Mylar bags sold by the Mormon Church! They have outlets in the UK and provide free shipping. The one downside is that they only sell one size of bag (11"x13" internal dimensions) and only in packs of 250 bags which cost £58.30p. This is way way cheaper than any other supplier and about the same price as 'channel' vacuum bags.

You won't need to use a vacuum machine when using Mylar bags but you do have to factor in the cost of the oxygen absorber packets and the Mormons sell those too at a pretty decent price of £7.45p/100.

You can buy the Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers on-line at...

http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_10704_10551_21158_-1_N_image_0

sb44

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Has anyone used Mylar bags for long term storage of food? I see that several use food-grade vacuum seal bags but these have a number of disadvantages...

Vacuum food bags are generally transparent and you really do need to keep out light when storing food long-term. To vacuum store you probably use a vacuum sealing machine which requires the use of channel bags (unless you get a 'snorkel' type vacuum sealer) Also, crushable foods are not suitable for vacuum packing.

Enter, Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers!

Mylar bags are made of polythene (just as are vacuum bags) but they contain a layer of aluminium which makes them tougher, less permeable and also block out all light - similar to modern day crisp bags!

You could use Mylar bags with a 'snorkel' type vacuum sealer but that would still not allow you to store crushable foods. So, instead of getting a vacuum sealing machine, you can use packets of oxygen absorbers instead. Just pop a packet (of appropriate size) in your Mylar bag, squeeze out excess air (if the food is not crushable) seal the bag (use a household iron) and let the oxygen absorber do the rest.

The oxygen remover removes practically all of the oxygen from the bag, creating a partial vacuum in the process. The only free gas left inside the bag will be nitrogen, argon and a tiny amount of CO2, which will not degrade the food inside.

Mylar bags come in a number of sizes and grades. The cheap bags (eBay from Hong Kong) are only 3 mil thick and somewhat transparent. Thicker bags (up to 7 mil) bags are the ones do go for but can be extremely expensive.

I have finally found a cheap source of 7 mil Mylar bags sold by the Mormon Church! They have outlets in the UK and provide free shipping. The one downside is that they only sell one size of bag (11"x13" internal dimensions) and only in packs of 250 bags which cost £58.30p. This is way way cheaper than any other supplier and about the same price as 'channel' vacuum bags.

You won't need to use a vacuum machine when using Mylar bags but you do have to factor in the cost of the oxygen absorber packets and the Mormons sell those too at a pretty decent price of £7.45p/100.

You can buy the Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers on-line at...

http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_10704_10551_21158_-1_N_image_0

Many thanks for this.

I have a couple of FoodSaver machines but may buy some of these and the oxygen absorbers.

Re the ox absorbers, can they be reused?

Paul_Varjak

sb44 wrote: »

Many thanks for this.

I have a couple of FoodSaver machines but may buy some of these and the oxygen absorbers.

Re the ox absorbers, can they be reused?

No, oxygen absorbers cannot be re-used. As soon as you open the plastic bag they start to work!

If you are not going to use all 100 packets at once, you need to reseal the bag they came in, excluding as much air as possible. The packets should feel 'powdery' if OK but harden when exhausted - heat is generated during this process.

The oxygen absorbers contain iron and salt; as soon as they are exposed to air, the iron turns to iron oxide ('rusting') getting the oxygen from the surrounding air; this is why when placed inside a sealed bag, a partial vacuum is formed.

When you finally open your preserved bag of food for consumption, remember to throw the oxygen absorber away!

vanoonoo

elaine241 wrote: »

Hello All, hope you are keeping warm, really cold wind here but occasional burst on sun! We start lambing next week so I am praying that the weather warms up a bit & stays dry.

I have just finished The Death of Grass and The Road. Death of Grass made me realise how quickly "civilised" people have to put their normal standards to one side and basically shoot first and rather than ask questions later just forget the questions and shoot again! It is very much of its time being based in UK when we could still have guns but it made me think especially about blocking people into the centres of population. Makes me glad I live in the sticks!

TBH The Road was quite depressing, it made me realise some SHTF scenarios mean that no amount of prepping will be of use and that how wretched survival in some instances would be. I think, for myself, plan B would be the only option if this situation occurred.

Anyway get away from the depressing thoughts! I bought TEOTWAWKI and am determined to put some of the ideas into action. I am building up my foraging skills although tbh they are pretty good, livestock and gardening I have done all my life, I am learning to sew properly, can already preserve, pickle and produce wicked home brew!! First aid training is there if not a little rusty same for shooting skills but I can at least hit a barn door!! If I had to I could trap & fish, skin/gut etc We are already collecting wood for next year as our main source of heating is the woodburner although I do cook and heat using bottled gas.

My longer term aim is to look at being able to live off grid if neccessary. DUe to the large amounts of poo! I am going to look at biogas for cooking and if possible heating. A ground source heat pump would be possible as we have the space and machinery to do it. A local famer has just put in a hydro generator using a fast flowing mountain stream and is now selling back to the power companies.

I did propose a Doomsday book club for everyone to report on good, bad and indifferent books that they have read. What does eveyone think? It would be informative if you could post short review so that we dont waste time looking for useless books.

Anyway keep prepping and stay safe everyone.

very keen on the idea of a book club thread - just going thru all my books now we've moved

hello all - I have a lot of catching up to do - love, hugs, snuggly socks and kind regards to all

[Deleted User]

D&DD yes they do, there are several absolutely imperative designated gubment departments totally dedicated to over regulating simple things, and several more dedicated to tracking down simple things to over regulate, it's why we pay our TAXES!!!!!!

Re Cowpats the easiest way would be to leave them until absolutely dried out and very light, then wearing suitably strong rubber gloves, pick them up and put them into a plastic sack to transport home. If they are completely dry on top just leave them for a week or so with the undersides upwards in a dry and sheltered place, then they're ready to go - simples? Cheers Lyn xxx.

GreyQueen

:j I've been playing with my Kelly Kettle and we have had tea, and hot water for the washing up. Such fun. I can see it getting a lot of use on the lottie, assuming it ever warms up enough to spend time up there whilst not working like stink to keep the body warm.

I also like the idea of a Doomsday Book Group. I've decided that I shall set myself the task of copying some of the stuff I have on the internet into hardcopy (will probably draw some diagrams of some things as this is my skillset and printer ink costs an arm and a leg). Dividing by sections such as fire, outdoor cooking, water, shelter, hunting, navigation etc etc.

This morning I was whizzing around the back roads of Provincial County in brother's car and was very tempted to stop for the roadkill pheasants. There were several which were in middle of the road, had obviously been struck in the previous hour or two (and the outdoor temp as as low as a fridge) but we already had the beef joint bought. Bliddy things are all over the place and if the infestation carries on at this pace, I think the only solution will be to go out and shoot them.

My Grandad was the horseman on a farm and ploughed with horses as late as the 1950s. He could take a pheasant off it's roost with a horsewhip.......... it's an old trick.

Incidentally, pheasants being beyond stoopid, have a crazy habit of announcing the the world and it's wife with a special cry where they are flying up a tree to roost. If you're ever foraging in a twilight wood, keep your ears peeled for them.

Today's reason for being up at sparrowfrt was to attend the first bootsale of 2013. Less than a fiver spent but very satisfying as have a lot of candles and the Reader's Digest hardcovers (oblongs) of Trees & Shrubs, Wildflowers and Birds. At 20p each. The candles will be left at the parents' place for deployment in a powercut. I'm convinced we'll start seeing these again before much longer.

'Nother booter tomorrow as I work my way thru my preptastic wants list. I shall also attempt to warm thru baked beans on the kit which fits on top of the KK. Anyone tried this?

daz378

sorted my tins out the other day , moved some tins that run out this year to my everyday cupboard , out of 13 fray bentos , 5 have best before date of may 2013 , boxed up some salmon marked to make room on the shelves , also checked my dates of rice and noodles.

Mrs L think your signatures great , i do visit germany now and again and will try to memorize the german part of it, will try and impress at the stammtisch , while of course giving you and Herman the credit due:)