The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

maryb

DfV you can get special phones for people with dementia with large buttons with room to insert a photo on the programmable buttons. So if she wants to call you she just presses the button with your picture.  I looked into it when I was a carer for a relative but didn’t get as far as getting one before she was no longer able to live independently anyway.  So I can’t say from experience if they are helpful or not, just putting it out there as a possibility 

DigForVictory

We have one of those (With the gruesome photos!). it's just I don't know if it's plugged into the Right Socket for when the power goes out. (Impressively loud, too. If it Does Work in an Emergency, hurrah, the supply of hearing aid batteries becomes less critical.)

euronorris

Gosh, I have a lot to catch up on on this board. 

I hope you are all keeping well.

The last few weeks for us have been filled with ups and downs. I won an industry award (which had a small cash prize, so yay!), then we had our holiday to Cornwall which was lovely. Sadly, whilst there, our friend's health deteriorated quickly and he passed away on Thursday. Bowel cancer (which had spread), and only 43. Gutted.

thriftwizard

@{{{Hugs}}} @euronorris, that's a real tragedy to lose your friend so young. But congratulations on your award, and glad you have had an otherwise-lovely holiday.

Toying with the idea of buying one of those big powerbanks, here, in case of powercuts. I would almost certainly be able to keep it well topped-up with solar, as I do the van's leisure battery. We already have means of cooking & heating without 'leccy if needed, but two members of the household are studying PT at present & will need lights & laptops on in the evenings, and another is knitting everyone socks (with reclaimed yarn) for presents. Don't really need that kind of expenditure with Christmas coming up, but it might be a wise investment. Anyone got any recommendations?

pineapple

thriftwizard said:

Toying with the idea of buying one of those big powerbanks, here, in case of powercuts.

I'm looking into this too. At our last (scheduled) powercut, I thought I was very smart remembering to charge up everything in advance but I forgot about the router needing electricity! Doh..... It's not simple however depending on the voltage of the router and the powerbank. So I'm reading the online advice and may post a question in the tech section of another forum I'm on.

basketcase

pineapple said:

thriftwizard said:

Toying with the idea of buying one of those big powerbanks, here, in case of powercuts.

I'm looking into this too. At our last (scheduled) powercut, I thought I was very smart remembering to charge up everything in advance but I forgot about the router needing electricity! Doh..... It's not simple however depending on the voltage of the router and the powerbank. So I'm reading the online advice and may post a question in the tech section of another forum I'm on.

Same here.  Totally non-techie though, so all suggestions gratefully received!

ariarnia

on/off topic of power cuts and preping. we picked some of these up at a market and used them while staying in a friends camper for the weekend a while back. just found the website to order some more. not very cheap but tasty and filling. small packets but make good size potions because of the added water. maybe something those with there own dehydrator might want to do?

i mention them because we found that if you leave them a bit longer than it says with a lid on they dont need active boiling (everything is cooked in the packet) so maybe good for power cuts if you have a differnt way of making hot water (maybe without taking up a lot of space on a camping stove). warning though they arent joking about there spicy stuff! OH likes hot food and i'm a wuss but even he couldnt manage the free sample of jerky (tho we were warned that one was very hot and they had others)  

https://cowleysfinefoods.co.uk/product-category/meals/  

MrsCD

We have 2 small Anker power banks to charge mobile phones. Our main problem is if our power is off, either scheduled or not, we have night storage heaters, so they don't charge up overnight and our house gets cold quickly. We have lots of blankets, hot water bottles and a gas heater. Camping stoves for hot water for drinks and dried packet foods, and for heating up ready cooked tinned foods. Lots of torches, some candles and tea lights to be placed safely. A stock of tinned foods to just heat up, so as to conserve gas on the stove, i.e. not cooking from scratch, and packets of mugshots, cup a soups, potato, vegetables, and custard to have over cake for a warm pudding. 
Layers of thinner clothes are better than one or two thicker ones. Gloves, scarves, hats and thicker socks to wear indoors if it gets too cold.
We have a good collection of books to read or games to play if we get bored!
We've managed this far, we'll manage again. Just prep one thing at a time.
Today I've hung a second pair of curtains on the pair in the bedroom to see if it makes the room any warmer at night...no heating on in there yet.

sammy_kaye18

@euronorris so sorry to hear about your friend.

No heating on here yet but I am going to find things out today and put things in place so I know the kids are warm. Both my kids dont really feel the cold so when they do I know its nippy but neither like to sleep under a quilt and prefer a heavy fleece blanket so Im going to spend today putting duvets under their bottom sheets for them to nestle into. My sons room is attached to the neighbours wall and she has her heating on 24/7 so his room is like a sauna but I think I will have to put some curtains up on daughters window as well as her blind and that will help with the chill for her and her guinea pig. 

Have been looking at power banks myself or solar panels so I have a way of charging things should the power go off. I think a little panel might be best that I can just hang in the window if need be. 
I also made a point of buying another small USB charging lamp and have got it ready to charge up and then I think I will put it either on the stairs landing where I have a book shelf so it will light up the stairs and bedrooms if doors are open or into one of the kids bedrooms. Whilst I was having a clear out the other day my daughter Holly found some battery powered string lights which she has put up in her bedroom and they light up her room well in a pretty blue colour so she will be ok if the lights go out too. 

Next on my to buy list is definitely a solar panel / power bank, a small outdoor cooker, and some under cupboard lights for the kitchen. 

I have had a food shop today as well and stocked up on uht milk, tinned food, pasta and rice.  

annieb64

We've been staying with family in Yorkshire and for the first time since the spring were cold in the house. It was a 1960s house with big windows and large sitting room with an arch into the dining room. They had the heating on but it didn't seem to make much difference. 

We are now back in our little new build house with small sitting room . It's much warmer even though we don't have the heating on yet.