Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, there is so much to learn from others.

I had already decided on getting a bivvy bag as well, just which one would depend on what other shelter system (if any) I would put in the bug-out bag.

Even a heavy duty 5'x7' Mylar emergency blanket (which I already have) can be used as an emergency tarp, giving both a groundsheet/three- sided windbreak and also act as a heat reflector if you have enough wood to build a fire nearby.

Being only able to walk with crutches, I won't be venturing far - it really is only in an emergency I will be sleeping out. I guess the crutches could be used as emergency poles if rigging up a tarp tent.

Just noticed that the Google spell-checker does not even recognise 'tarp' or 'bivvy' as abbreviated words!

Hi PV, I wonder if you've seen the ultralight backpacking tents out there? I have a Vang0 Banshee 200 which weighs about the same as a bag of sugar and is very compact.

It's laughably described as a 2 person tent but this would only be viable if both persons were extremely slight and sharing a sleeping bag, IMO. The only criticism I have of it is that there isn't a proper porch, just a long skinny bit alongs the side about wide enough to put one boot at a time. My Banshee has stood up to 6 days of howling Atlantic gales and incessant rain with nary a leak or a wobble. And it was rough enough that trees were snapping off and falling.

Memo to self; don't vacation in the Lake District.........

I, too, am a fan of the closed cell foam pad as opposed to the Therma Rests and I have used both. If anyone has to factor in weight as part of their plans (and there a lot of us who aren't terribly well nor in the first flush of youth) may I suggest you google Ray Jardine, father of ultralight backpacking? He has much to teach and patterns on his site to make your own ultralight kit. http://www.rayjardine.com/index.shtml

BessieBooBoo wrote: »

Hello PV

Just an idle thought, but, if you have metal hollow crutches, could you put emergency stuff inside them?E.g. weather proof matches, tiny torch, flint, firestarting stuff, compass, obviously, not so the weight slows you down.... Or, whittle out a hollow in wooden ones? Dunno why this thought popped into my head... Please excuse me, must be something I've read; another idea good weapons to bash someone (zombie) with....



BBB

I saw something about this, think it was Rawles' TEOTWAWKI, about carrying a stick as a weapon in jurisdictions where guns aren't legal. And that a medical-looking crutch is more believable than a Gandalfesque staff.

Hi RAS, I'm sure I've seen quail mentioned somewhere permaculturish as an excellent small fowl for the garden. Is it that they don't scratch stuff up as much as chickens, as well as being very productive for their size. Eggs are tiny but very pretty with their dappled shells.

Been busy today but tomorrow's cunning plan is to venture into the camping store *quivers with pleasure* after a butane type stove. I shall be carrying them in hidden up, one doesn't want to let the neighbours know what you're up to. Esp not if you have neighbours like mine.

Right, casserole with 75p of whoopsied beef is now ready. Nomnonmon.

maryb

I got a pack of 20 candles when I was in Ikea for £4.50. They're the tall thin candles. They're good quality ones, 100% stearin and burn for 5 hours each. I couldn't remember if that was a good price or not, but as I don't go to Ikea all that often I thought I'd buy them anyway. However, I suspect I'd have been better off with some tea lights which seem to burn for not much less time.

The blackthorn has been in blossom for a couple of weeks round our neck of the woods but today was the first time I saw the faintest flush of green leaf on the hawthorn along the hedges. It was almost as if it was saying "Ah, sun - at last!!"

But not much else is growing. The little weeds on the allotment aren't doing anything which suggests it's way too early to sow anything outside, especially as we are forecast for this cold weather to last a while yet. I think food prices will shoot up - again - this year.

I feel uneasy about things. Cyprus makes me feel as if there is nothing anyone can do to stop "them" coming for ordinary people. They've reached the stage where they will now go after your money directly. You can be sensible and save for a pension, have savings (spread around different banks, of course), pay off your mortgage, etc, do all the right things but there is nothing you can really do to protect yourself.

Paul_Varjak

GreyQueen wrote: »

Hi PV, I wonder if you've seen the ultralight backpacking tents out there? I have a Vang0 Banshee 200 which weighs about the same as a bag of sugar and is very compact.

Vango Banshee? Sounds like the portent of doom to me. Maybe be better than a tarp though, which, by all accounts, wail like a banshee! I will have a look, thanks!

GreyQueen wrote: »

I, too, am a fan of the closed cell foam pad as opposed to the Therma Rests and I have used both. If anyone has to factor in weight as part of their plans (and there a lot of us who aren't terribly well nor in the first flush of youth) may I suggest you google Ray Jardine, father of ultralight backpacking? He has much to teach and patterns on his site to make your own ultralight kit. http://www.rayjardine.com/index.shtml

My Thermarest (awaiting delivery) is actually the closed cell foam type. I will have a look at Ray Jardine too. In a way lightweight stuff would be good for a disabled person like me, but as I don't intend walking anywhere it does seem a bit expensive. Instead, I am looking for communications equipment to get me out of trouble. Such as PAYG satellite phone and a Personal Locator Beacon.

GreyQueen wrote: »

I saw something about this, think it was Rawles' TEOTWAWKI, about carrying a stick as a weapon in jurisdictions where guns aren't legal. And that a medical-looking crutch is more believable than a Gandalfesque staff.

I had thought about a flick knife operated by the button which changes the length of the crutch, but they are not legal either, nor is pepper spray. The best would be a DNA water spray, assuming there will be any Police after the apocalypse to catch the criminal

The other problem is if I go flying and the crutches are put through an x-ray scanner! I once had my shoes x-rayed which caused a bit of stir as they thought I might be a shoe bomber! But I wear a caliper which needs to be fitted to the sole of the shoe.

pollys

nuatha wrote: »

Sleep with your head at the top of the slope and feet downhill.
Though I'd avoid sleeping in a sloping pathway in heavy rain (they can turn into streams, as I found out)



You're very welcome


Having just checked ebay, you can get a goretex bivvy bag for £25, you may get one for less at an ex-army store. The big problem with the plastic bags is that they retain moisture - a wet sleeping bag is not a good insulator.
Rigging a mylar sheet as a heat reflector is a good idea. I use paracord to rig tarp tents if there are trees around, and have used a drystone wall and loose stones when there wasn't.

The other thing I'd look at is some sort of sleeping pad, to go underneath you. It adds a little to the comfort and a lot to the insulation - being relatively old school I use karrimats, some folk swear by air beds or self inflating mats.

HTH

Having camped using both airbeds and self inflating mats, we prefer the self inflating mats. We find them comfortable and easier to transport - no pump!

HTH

Pollys

Cheapskate

I was adding some £1 and £2 coins to my tins, when DH make some snide comment about my "Tins of Doom" - he said it with capitals, too! :rotfl: He's made other, similar, comments before, but I think he (finally) actually "gets" why I do this prepping stuff because he doesn't ever say it's a waste of time or money any more - maybe he's a convert! Can I have a certificate for "turning" him? :rotfl:

We have 2 remaining hardware/ironmonger shops in town, way down from my childhood when every single village round here (including mine) had one, and I'm reacquainting myself with their wares. One sharpens just about any sort of knife, which I'm getting done gradually next week now the snow's retreating, and they both have good stocks of proper candles and some lovely little whittling type knives. I'm a cheap date, me!! :rotfl:

A xo

Butterfly_Brain

Have any of you seen this on the day the Queen got a £5million pay rise
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9965039/Minimum-wage-could-be-frozen-or-cut-if-it-starts-to-cost-jobs-or-damage-economy-Government-suggests.html

They really are extracting the yellow liquid now:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Butterfly_Brain

Reading about the laws on chickens, buying real seeds, opening up fireplaces etc, it seems like the powers that be (banksters and politicians) really are out to prevent us from living as self sufficient as we can, this is truly scary stuff worthy of tyrants and dictators

nuatha

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

have any of you seen this on the day the Queen got a £5million pay rise
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9965039/Minimum-wage-could-be-frozen-or-cut-if-it-starts-to-cost-jobs-or-damage-economy-Government-suggests.html

They really are extracting the yellow liquid now:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

The other way of looking at it is that the government paid her 15% of the rent due on her properties two years in arrears.

I'm surprised the government hasn't floated this idea earlier, it took seven years for a previous incarnation to abolish the Wages Councils, I suspect it will take far less for the current lot to render the NML meaningless.

Though the government seem to be getting away with a whole host of measures that will make people far worse off and at the same time are seriously increasing the national debt.

Though extracting the yellow fluid is what politicians seem to do best

Butterfly_Brain

Haf you guessed burrefry has not had too good a day today?
Firstly my phoned died completely...........dead, deceased, gone to the great phone shop in the sky.
To top it all I had to go to the hospital on my birthday, they told me I am very very short sighted (No S*** Sherlock) and have the beginning of a cataract and blepheritis the optician will have to keep a close eye on that, but I don't have any signs of retinopathy which is great news :j
Then DH took me out to dinner, we were going to go to the carvery, but he wanted to go to the local Harvester instead.....wrong move I asked for a well cooked steak and got a rare one so they took the whole plate away to re-cook it, when it came back it was still pink and as tough as old boots on the outside, and everything eklse had been put in a warmer, I complained again and they said oh we will take it back and cook it properly :eek: three times cooked steak, I should blurdy cocoa, so I told them they could keep their meal and that they had spoiled my birthday and asked for the phone number of head office to complain. I can't fault the waiting staff because they deducted the price of my meal from the bill and were very apologetic, but the so called chef needs to be re-trained, or barbecued on his own spit :mad: I remember the last bad meal we had there it was the same "chef" on duty.

Rant over you can come out from behind your cushions now I am normally a sweetie.........honest

ginnyknit

Ras thats very interesting about the quail, Ive heard they are quieter than chooks too. I have a two tier rabbit hutch that I used for my hens and they were very happy in there so I just need to find out the best kind of aviary type pen for them. Will have a ponder as we loved our hens and miss them.

Oh butterfly, thats just wrong having a lousy meal when its such a treat to go out for one. Hope you have had your feet up this evening and feel a bit less tense hunny.

I am re-planning my tactics for survival at the mo, lots of notes written and thinking done but am very stressed with everyday life at this time so cannot seem to sort out what I want and need. I think if I make the notes then wait a couple of days till things calm down here I may make some sense of it all. BTW am not ignoring the convo re - bivvys etc just dont think I would be able to camp out with Oh as he is, so my plan must be to bug in and mostly am guarding against personal poverty. We do have camping gear and all the necessaries but its a bit old and will have to do for dire emergencies.

Maryb I have to agree about feeling uneasy but also that theres not much you can do apart from keep an emergency fund well stashed at home.