THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

ivyleaf

Karmacat wrote: »

I was expecting thunder and lightning today, but I got away with a downpour that lasted about ten minutes... hope all's well for everyone on here.

I'm working on including a few prepping bits on my cruise holiday (extreme embarrassment at taking a cruise holiday, seems such an outlandish thing to do) windup radio, torch, matches, seatbelt cutter, whistle, 1" penknife, spare battery for the torch, water purification tabs, high calorie snack food, apart from normal first aid kit of aspirin etc, thats about it.

As a result of the holiday, I'm thinking continually of a 3book series of zombie books on kindle, The Sovereign Spirit Saga

That's brilliant, you must write it I hope you have a great time. My friend went on a cruise, very reluctantly at first, but when she got home she said it had been wonderful to see so many different places without having to keep packing and unpacking her suitcase.

Karmacat

Ivy, I'm even more embarrassed now ... its already been written, this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voyage-Dead-Book-Sovereign-Spirit-ebook/dp/B006Y3XF4A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527800437&sr=8-2&keywords=sovereign+spirit
It's even fairly well written, though of course the prepper had just won a big lottery prize, sigh ... I picked each book up when it was free on offer, I get free kindle offers collate by kindofbook.

I'm having some daydreams at the moment about prepping for mega shtf on board a boat. An English Channel crosser, or the ferryboats across the Mersey (yes, they still exist!) or a fishing boat, or a tug ... anything, really I love playing at the design - solar panels on the roof of the main cabin, a few small windmills here and there, distilling water, catching fish, its only a bit of fun, but it has definite possiblities.

On the cruise, I'm going to keep a weather eye open for possibilities for that sort of thing

Karmacat

I actually came back onto the thread to ask what people think about this sort of thing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009378AG2/?coliid=IPU2MYEO92E99&colid=AWQLFDPOQVXG&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Any book you read about making compost always says about access to air, and forking it over every now and then. But I have a bog standard bin from the council, thats basically a slightly elongated tube. It has a silly little hatch at the bottom, and a very light lid, and thats it. Nothing can be tumbled, nothing can be forked over, and turnover is excruciatingly slow.

With this sort of tumbling thing, I'd be able to get a couple of goes out of it each year, from the sound of it. What do people think, is it a gimmick? I'm adding to my Amazon vouchers from free stuff on Swagbucks at the rate of about £20 a month, currently got £42 in there. I could get it in a few months time ...

And the other thing, I know it sounds mad, but there's a particular weed grows in my garden that goes from flowering to full scale seedhead in a week or so - should you put flowers in a compost bin, if they're still attached to their stalk? I know not roots, but these flowers are a real menace. Maybe some are okay, but these are worse than dandelions for seed formation. I really want to feed the soil and stop throwing green material away, but if I just create more problems for myself, or spend almost £100 unnecessarily, I'll be really peeved with myself :cool:
All feedback gratefully received.

[Deleted User]

karmacat, I have a hot bin with a small footprint, ok pricey but I had to remove 3 wooden bins and only had a small remaining space. 7 years old so far and is voracious, eats everything very fast, in fact I am making paper shreds to keep it topped up. It is mega full of worms, thousands in fact and makes black gold that I simply shovel out from the bottom, at least three times a year. If I move and get an allotment, then I will get another one


I am going to recce an unknown area for a house, only 45 minutes from here. Fingers crossed, again. New house and very small development


doh, I only came on to say that smile internet banking is not working and thank goodness for good old fashioned cash, I am definitely going to keep my cash stash topped up

Karmacat

Thanks kittie - this sounds like a research problem! I really need to be using more of the ordinary waste that my garden produces.

missusP

Visa debit has crashed across europe and uk. People are being advised to get cash out. Guessing there will be some long queues now.
Time to feel a little smug.

moneyistooshorttomention

Wondering what time it crashed?

As I was using mine earlier today and all went through as per normal. But I've now safely got my supermarket shopping for the week - so not feeling unduly bothered.

ivyleaf

Karmacat Oops, my mistake about the books I misunderstood.

Anyone know if Lyn's all right? I'm trying to remember if she said she was going away.

[Deleted User]

missusP wrote: »

Visa debit has crashed across europe and uk. People are being advised to get cash out. Guessing there will be some long queues now.
Time to feel a little smug.

karmacat you need layers of different types of natural stuff to make good compost. The other day I put in a shallow layer of grass, then paper shreds then full to the top with comfrey leaves. 2 days later the bin had gone down to half so it was a handful of composted bark then house peelings and chopped dying flowers then more shreds and honestly there were stacks of thin red worms all over, I had to push them down before I shut the lid. It steams in there and worms love it. I can keep on top of it by feeding shreds, catalogues through the door are good and thin card. At the moment it is about 80% shreds, will be different in autumn. Oh yes comfrey keeps it heated. I don`t put house food in or egg shells or tea bags and I cut stuff to make it smaller and compost faster

What a palaver about visa.


oh yes the house, beautifully constructed only up to second fix but way too expensive on a smaller footprint than it looked plus far too rural, I am too old to place beautiful scenery as a number one priority

mardatha

Any word on what caused the Visa thing and is it ongoing? RBS bank cards are Visa Debit and I only use mine for Amazon and online shopping... guess who's waiting on a big grocery order tomorrow lol