The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

YoungBlueEyes

Hope you feel better soon @euronorris

That's the thing with covid. People don't have it at the front of their minds any more because it's not all over the news every night about the death and infection figures, but it's still out there for sure. The man that lived next door to my aunt died of it the other weekend. He was a very fit and healthy man (with all his jabs) but he died an awful death, God love him.

halfamo

kelly kettle wise.
The hobo stove is basically a pan with some holes and the bottom cut into pieces.
I made one from an old pan and it does seem to work as the hobo would. It sits in the base of the KK and you sit your stuff on the top bent bits. It was several years ago when I did it  using a dremmel for the cutting,and I 'think' the pan I used was a metal case that used to be the outside of a tiny little camping stove who's gas canisters were no longer made . I have a grid too to go on top of the actual kettle which was a fan cover from a computer case. We have used our KK on the beach in the wind and were able to boil water for tea.  Once lit it just kept on going with feeding of little bits of wood etc.
You will get smoke from the chimney top if your fuel isn't perfectly dry so it's really for in the garden or anyway, a ventilated area for the smoke to escape.

Those little usb chargeable arc type lighters are good to get it going despite wind though you do have to remember to check their charge state every now and then so the battery doesn't deplete and die from neglect.

We've got a feros rod thing that makes a spark when scraped but the arc lighters are more instant.

euronorris

Thank you. I am already feeling a lot better now, and finally testing negative. Just the dregs of the symptoms to go now. I knew it was still out there, but naively thought I wouldn't feel so bad with it. I was wrong. Timing was also awful as DD tested positive the day before my 40th, which scuppered our plans, and 2 days before our friend's funeral meaning that DH had to go alone. Glad to be on the other side of it.

Might I suggest some kind of cooling gel pad to add to one's preps, if you don't already have one. Great for injuries, but also for headaches that won't be relieved by OTC painkillers.

I see that energy bill cap is to remain after April, but at an increased amount, so we all still need to prep for bills to continue increasing (though I'm sure majority of us already are).

MrsCD

The only meds that worked for our DD when she had covid is ibuprofen with lyceine.
Glad you're feeling a bit better, @euronorris

DigForVictory

I like hobo stoves - a few years back I was a bit startled to see a couple of blokes peering at cutlery strainers in Morrisons. Generally they looked somewhat out of place, (altogether more suited to fishing or just being well away from crowds by being on mountains etc) but they were peering at the strainers to make hobo stoves. Himself lent them his folding ruler, and it was very sweet. 

I’m all for a simple stove that doesn’t take fuss, but I cheat. Little tubs of dragon gel (go outdoors & other camping places) drop into folding stoves which in turn drop into a small mess tin along with a lighter, teabags, sugar sachets, hot chocolate sachets etc plus a bottle of water & my car is ready to brew in all weathers.
Dragon gel is lovely stuff but if I want more than a pint of tea, the hobo setup definitely keeps on delivering for delightfully little flammables. Even weedy garden waste, barely thicker than stuff I knit with, burns & adds. When worried the pan I’m using may overbalance, I shove the stove or a handy rock (whichever is more manoeuvrable) so the pan can’t tilt too far.

MrsCD

Could I make a shout out to folks to get their flues cleaned and buy a carbon monoxide alarm.
Our DD's carbon monoxide alarm went off in her bedroom this morning, and after a day of us trying to find out what the problem was, buying a second alarm in case the first was faulty, and ringing the emergency helpline, a gas man discovered it was her neighbour's woodburner causing the problem.  Her alarm probably saved his life! The levels in her house were enough to just need ventilation,  thankfully. 

0800 111 999 gas leaks emergency helpline, also for carbon monoxide queries!

thriftwizard

Saw this just after waving the chimney sweep off! A timely reminder. I grew up with stoves, but people who didn't may not know that it's as vital to get your chimney swept & checked every year as it is to get your boiler serviced. Booking both is high on my mental list of "things to do in October", along with checking fuel stocks & salt for the road/pavement/driveway - we're off the main drag, the gritter doesn't come down here - auditing the freezer contents & getting tender plants under cover.

boultdj

I gave carbon monoxide detectors out the Christmas after my friends and the next door neighbour died of CO poisoning. 
With the number of people now having stoves it might be a good present to give out.

DigForVictory

To my bemusement, I received an email telling me I am in rota block letter S & then remembered the power out plans  

Seemingly to check what may happen to you look at this website here, input your postcode & lo, a letter.
I'm charmed by their pragmatic advice on what to do in Any power cut.

WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING A POWER CUT?

• Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
• Leave a light on so you know when the power outage has been resolved.
• Check to see if your neighbours are okay.
• Wrap up warm.
• Contact your network operator to report the power cut, either by calling 105 or via their other available channels.

newlywed

DigForVictory said:

To my bemusement, I received an email telling me I am in rota block letter S & then remembered the power out plans  

Seemingly to check what may happen to you look at this website here, input your postcode & lo, a letter.
I'm charmed by their pragmatic advice on what to do in Any power cut.

WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING A POWER CUT?

• Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
• Leave a light on so you know when the power outage has been resolved.
• Check to see if your neighbours are okay.
• Wrap up warm.
• Contact your network operator to report the power cut, either by calling 105 or via their other available channels.

Thanks. Was hoping my mum would be on a different letter… oh well. Guess we will be in it together.