Prepping for Brexit thread

AndyCF

MingVase wrote: »

I lived 7 floors up in a multi storey flat during the 3-day week. I had a newborn and a toddler and a big high pram.. had to drag them all up 7 floors in the pitch dark when the lights were off. Cannot imagine now how I managed!

I think its a case of "having to" , the same way if say the 'household income' increases you don't tend to actually (at the end of the day, so to speak) end up with more unless its a large sum you just tend to end up using it up on various bits. Same if it dropped although that is by its nature painful, you just end up having to manage on what is there. Just general comment not aimed at anyone!

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I'm very cautious with naked flames even small ones like tea lights, they are always in safe places where no one can accidentally knock them or brush against them. I have lots of proper candles too and also solar lights of several kinds always charged up and ready to go. If you are nervous of using tealights and worried you'll knock them over or brush clothing against them then the safest way to burn them is inside a glass jam jar without the lid on. It's easy to light the tealight and then drop it in and it's safe to not only light your room but to pick up and move if you have to. We've used this method for years for barbecues and Halloween when I lined the drive with them so the small people could see their way to the door for trick or treat.

Me too, I do like candles but I'm slightly wary of even holders for them. I did look online at those square lantern type holders that had four panes in them, they looked quite good but some of the really cheap imported ones, the panes were some kind of plastic ( ! ) , rather than glass. I do recall when growing up the occasional power cut we'd have a candle 'stuck' via its own wax on a small saucer or similar.

[Deleted User]

Ikea have very reasonably priced (think they're £2) lanterns with glass panels that hold tea lights in a central tealight cup. They come in all colours and plain silver metal and have an opening door with a latch and a carrying handle. Useful bit of prepping kit!

fuddle

We've made a boob in that last winter we wrapped our condensation/mould prone bathroom walls with nasty resistant cladding. It is working wonders for respiratory health but as the walls are now nicely wrapped in plastic, emergency lighting can't be of the naked warm kind so i need to get on with finding a solution.

DryTheRain

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Ikea have very reasonably priced (think they're £2) lanterns with glass panels that hold tea lights in a central tealight cup. They come in all colours and plain silver metal and have an opening door with a latch and a carrying handle. Useful bit of prepping kit!

Love ikea lanterns! They have some new white metal pierced ones in, very scandi looking and cast out a really good diffused light compared to a candle on its own. I used to be fairly cavalier about tea lights (i can see the scorch marks on my teenage bookshelf from here!) but definitely safety first these days

fuddle how about some solar lights or battery operated pillar candles for bathroom back up? Ikea have lots of them, and there's plenty of choice on ebay, some with usb charging too which is handy if it's not sunny enough for solar.

silvasava

I have a horror of candles - a friend had a girlie dinner and had lit candles on the table,it looked so lovely. She was serving and leaned across to pass a dish and the lace bolero she was wearing caught alight - it flared up in seconds & I threw my glass of water over her luckily she wasnt burned but the bolero was a black sticky melted mass and it could have been SO much worse. We were all as white as sheets with shock & it brought back memories of my childhood when there was a poster showing a badly burned child through wearing a nylon nightie near an open fire. Still makes me shudder - I'll keep to battery stuff If anyone is interested theres a website lights4fun & they do a super selection and some of them can be timed. HTH

DigForVictory

I have a very healthy respect for naked flame of all sizes.
When Claudia Winkleman's daughter was badly burned in a Halloween costume, even my children understood why I insist on pure wool for fancy dress & not fleece, nor blends. (I am a non-smoker who shops for fabric with a lighter in my bag - the burn test is Critical.)

Then Scouts sell logo'ed camp blankets for use on camp (and by fires) of fleece. I could scream, but I think the camp fireside activities are actually pretty specific about sensible clothing on the Risk Assessment, just Marketing didn't get the memo...

happydays89

DigForVictory wrote: »

I have a very healthy respect for naked flame of all sizes.
When Claudia Winkleman's daughter was badly burned in a Halloween costume, even my children understood why I insist on pure wool for fancy dress & not fleece, nor blends. (I am a non-smoker who shops for fabric with a lighter in my bag - the burn test is Critical.)

Don’t the shops mind you setting their fabric on fire?:eek:
Or have I misunderstood what you mean.

DigForVictory

I ask for a few threads, or a sliver, then ask where may folks smoke, so I can do a burn test. Most stores are understanding & supportive & the ones that aren't do not get my money/trade/recommendation if asked.

It was sheer rotten luck that son had an epileptic seizure by an open fire & needed a skin graft etc (although we got a lot better at fireguards after the event) but most people 'get' the avoiding an avoidable clinging burn, especially on a child. That said, the Royal Manchester Childrens' Hospital Burns Unit is absolutely marvellous, but I'd really rather not have to do that a second time. Plus what with Bonfire Night they usually go from occupied to flat-out busy.

happydays89

DigForVictory wrote: »

I ask for a few threads, or a sliver, then ask where may folks smoke, so I can do a burn test. Most stores are understanding & supportive & the ones that aren't do not get my money/trade/recommendation if asked.

It was sheer rotten luck that son had an epileptic seizure by an open fire & needed a skin graft etc (although we got a lot better at fireguards after the event) but most people 'get' the avoiding an avoidable clinging burn, especially on a child. That said, the Royal Manchester Childrens' Hospital Burns Unit is absolutely marvellous, but I'd really rather not have to do that a second time. Plus what with Bonfire Night they usually go from occupied to flat-out busy.

Thanks for explaining......:)

AndyCF

DigForVictory wrote: »

I have a very healthy respect for naked flame of all sizes.

I think that is the most sensible bit of advice.

Mentioning "conflagration" (yes I know but I'm in an 'alt words' mood): I brought a fire-blanket for the kitchen a few years ago, thankfully its never been used. Not quite sure why I got it, it just made sense to me as I'd got a new powder extinguisher a week or two earlier. We'd at that time not had a "real" chip pan for years either!

Powder is very messy indeed however its better than a fire! I dread to think that some would panic with an oil/chip pan type fire and throw water on it , you might as well throw petrol on it given what can happen, water instantly boils = steam = expansion = oops. Soaked tea-towel (water) meant to work quite well, certainly better than nothing.

Never had a co2 one so not sure what 'effect' that would have on a chip pan type fire. No doubt Google would tell me but its not important to know (for me) although any gas based one is going to "push" the burning oil about that makes common sense reason not to try.

I think they banned the Halon ones for home/work use ? , not seen one for a long time, they apparently did work very well but the environmental impact of them was quite bad, not sure on their toxicity level but you'd not want to breathe it anyway. Come to think of it they might still be used in semi-sealed environments planes and the like perhaps.