THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

monnagran

Witless wrote: »

It always amazes me how the non preppers just assume we'll have what they need (& failed to prepare for), and show disappointment on the very rare ocassion we don't!

I decided many, many moons ago I'd much rather be comfortable, warm, watered & fed even at the cost of raised eyebrows / perplexed looks from family members (who later open the conversation with a "I was wondering if you happened to have ....)

I think this every time someone picks up my handbag, staggers under the weight and says "Whatever to do you keep in here."
Answer is almost anything you are likely to need.

I can't beat something that happened on a visit to the Hampton Court Flower Show. A member of our group had dropped her specs and an arm had come loose. I said, quite quietly, "What we need is an optical screwdriver."
One of the thousands of visitors streaming past us, detached himself from the crowd, fished inside his jacket pocket, produced just that thing and effected an immediate repair.

Respect!

x

[Deleted User]

Oh my goodness I've just picked up a little article from the news feed where Mikhail Gorbachev is saying it looks like the world is preparing for war. Apparently the doomsday clock which signifies the likelihood of nuclear anhialation has just been moved 30 seconds closer to midnight! IF there's any credence even in the very long run of that prediction coming true does that make prepping a slightly less 'crackpot' activity than it has hitherto been deemed by 99.9% of the 'rational' population of this poor benighted world?

mardatha

My teabags are the Costco 1000s, 5 of them. When I open one then I'm going to be under pressure to drink 1000 cups of tea as fast as I can :rotfl:

NewShadow

I've actually got a day off today - Yay.

It's been a bit silly crazy busy at work for the last few, well, months I guess. But more so in the last week or two. Lots going on in the world and some of it quite scary.

Personally, other than enjoying the luxury of being able to lounge around the house in pyjamas, I've been spending the day checking my stocks.

As far as doomsday scenarios go, I think the most likely damaging outcome to people is the risk of inflation in the short and medium term - I'm expecting serious currency fluctuation right before/after we enact article 50.

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't get doomsday but we do go back more to what it was like in the 70's with inflation upto 24% and food becoming much, much more expensive.

For me, the best way to prep for this is to make sure I've got everything with an interest rate paid off, I'm making sure I have a good three month store of food - raising to six months of dry goods, teabags (6 boxes of 480 in the cupboard:p) and UHT milk, and I'm making friends with people with allotments.

I'm also thinking about increasing my 'rainy day fund' from 3.5k to 5k - which is enough to keep me at todays prices, living frugally, for 6 months if something happens and I lose my job.

NewShadow

ivyleaf wrote: »

I think the Govt would like us to believe that it was all borrowed money.....

It was - remember the first lot of people to gain from the NHS/Pensions/Welfare hadn't paid anything in.

We've been playing catchup ever since.

maryb

New Shadow in the short term at least, most Civil Servants will be OK, won't they? - I mean there is so much to sort out with Brexit and afterwards we'll have to do a lot for ourselves that the EU currently manages for the member countries. I know there are no guarantees but hopefully that rainy day fund will stay dry

DigForVictory

maryb, your rainy day fund may stay dry but the Civil Service will certainly notice inflation when it comes to the tea club, how much is acceptable for leaving gifts (& folk will disappear like cherry blossom)and the raw cost of the commute. Insurance & petrol are not getting cheaper, some train ticket prices have been held, but it is not looking wonderful...

Says she pondering a 20 mile bike ride & happily seeing sense. Besides which, even if I could borrow a pony for that length of hack, where do you leave on in Manchester city centre?! The horseless chariot for me, while we can.

Optical screwdriver? Can be fitted to Swiss Army Knife corkscrew - I'll be looking though my knife drawer for one with a still legal blade. Always good to have the Right thing as both you & person-in-distress are so pleased!

westcoastscot

I too have a lot of stuff I've inherited which will no doubt come in handy - have two old Roses tins full of sewing stuff, but can anyone recall why 2m of black binding was on my list? Bought it from my list whilst away in Dec (I shop for stuff in the city twice a year) - cannot recall what I wanted it for!!!!!

GreyQueen

Monnagran, a few years ago I mended a travelling companion's sunglasses with a bit of wire from a twisty-tie whilst we were in a moving mini-bus in Bulgaria.

Neither she nor I were driving, I hasten to add. The twisty-tie was stripped of its paper and the thin wire was threaded through the place where the lost screw used to hold the frame and the arm together. The SAK came in handy to trim the paper off the tie. Several persons present looked somewhat astonished by this speedy and efficient repair.

Twisty-ties are great travel accessories, as are nappy pins (I have a selection of the 1960s ones used on me and Kid Bruv). Nappy pins double up as elastic theaders (as do kirby hair grips) and are handy things to have; two of them and some string and you can improvise a modest linen line. Add some paper clips and you've improvised clothes pegs to use on it.

Another thing I find very useful is those small white mesh bags which came with laundry tablets. Very hand to corral small items, and can be used for soap when travelling or to hang alongside the allotment tap - soap will air-dry in situ.

Witless

GreyQueen wrote: »

Another thing I find very useful is those small white mesh bags which came with laundry tablets. Very hand to corral small items, and can be used for soap when travelling or to hang alongside the allotment tap - soap will air-dry in situ.

Thanks for the tip. A new one on me (don't use laundry tablets) - I'll ask around for a few to add to the 'kit'.