The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

euronorris

Thanks @DigForVictory I've got a 'friends' membership to sign up for and was considering going tomorrow to sort it. You've made up my mind!

YoungBlueEyes

Anybody else crying a little bit inside cos they don't have a CostCo card and they're getting a bit jealous....?  

bellabella

Costco fuel is also great if they have a fuel station undercuts the big supermarkets Xmas is always my favourite time of year their own brand shearling wool slippers are great value with a good thick sole in case you venture outside with them

Karmacat

Speaking of driving ... I'm going to finally get a car.  I passed my test 40 years ago, but I've never driven regularly.  I had my eyes checked, I'm researching chains of driving schools for refresher lessons using an automatic (I learned on a manual, of course, but everybody I've spoken to has said, get an automatic).  I want something small, even a 3 door, and a hybrid, not full EV.  Not sure what type of hybrid yet, I'm not quite there.

Does anybody have any prepping-type, or other type, tips as to what to get, what to watch for?  Or even what satnav to use, since I may not have one built-in in the car I choose - no idea when they took over. 

I have: emergency lantern, AA flashing lantern, nice new atlas, nice new highway code, AA book of roadsigns, I'm about to investigate the driving section of Which.  

All advice and information, including websites I probably don't know about, gratefully received.

euronorris

It depends on your car, but most of the newer ones you can just connect to your phone with a USB cable. We do this, and then google maps comes up on the dashboard. So no separate sat nav required. Means you can also play music direct from spotify, so no need to have cds etc. Our car is a 2017 reg, for reference.

We haven't got one yet, but I do think that dash cams are becoming increasingly important for your own protection. Too many con artists out there, as well as a lot of bad drivers who think they're good.

DigForVictory

Karmacat said:

I have: emergency lantern, AA flashing lantern, nice new atlas, nice new highway code, AA book of roadsigns, I'm about to investigate the driving section of Which.  

Steady on - you'll end up with everything "recommended for winter" that ends with "and I looked a right plonker on the bus"..

If you get a current highway code it has the road signs in it - and your refresher instructor can probably sell you a second-hand copy from a recently passed teenager. 

An up to date atlas - absolutely but start with Lidl & Aldi (£2 when in stock last seen) rather than Amazon where there's little new under a tenner.

A good torch, (with lithium batteries - cost more, last longer - a philosophical debate for any bloke you want to leave pondering for a few hours) is a godsend but you can get torches with LEDs & magnets that are egg sized but put out a load of light & don't need a hand holding it. Or a headtorch - Go Outdoors have a wide range so you can have a play & try with mittens on etc.

Flashing lantern - won't mean much to most road users so maybe a bicyle tail light off ebay from China  will do - all you need is something that'll catch a motorists eye so they do not clobber you. The red triangle should come with the car. 

Satnav - if your car has one, you won't need it, if it doesn't something from Tesco or other only purveyors (I personally love Tomtom, himself loved Garmin & we never actually agreed!) but get the one that feels most intuitive to you - and don't use your phone, it crackers your battery & it may not keep up with where you are on a roundabout. Ask me how I know?!

A fleece blanket, a tinfoil emergency blanket & enough nested camping gear that you can brew up a cup of tea or a hot chocolate or both (so Always at least half a litre of water sealed in its bottle.)
Even the most unlovely hat should help keep your hair out of your eyes & your head warm. One with a thinsulate liner slows the wind down a treat, but so long as its washable & warm, it need not be glamourous.
Something to eat, be it a protein & oat bar, or a stick of marzipan, or a roll  of Polos - whatever you can eat but are not passionately keen on. One of the other joys of motoring is that when you get struck, you can get very very stuck usually a long way from food drink, civilised sanitation etc.
A Haynes for your vehicle - it's not dealer workshop grade but it does steer you through how to change a tyre, what pressure it should be at, the basics that make a woman less vulnerable & dependent on anyone else. It's also thick enough to kneel on while you are figuring where the jack goes. If your vehicle hasn't got a Haynes for it, think twice before buying. It's not That popular a brand and make.
Dashcam - sadly, yes. Better still if its fitted by the garage so the cabling is unobtrusive & it charges without hogging a socket.

And finally, every smart driver has a hi viz gilet which will go over their thickest coat. Gilet doesn't need to do up, does need to be blatantly obvious where you are. There are idiots on the road. If they insist on hitting you, make blinking sure "But I never Saw You" seems unlikely...

DigForVictory

YoungBlueEyes said:

Anybody else crying a little bit inside cos they don't have a CostCo card and they're getting a bit jealous....?  

Come visit! If Lancashire seems Too Far, Manchester has a Costco  M41 7PP over the road from the Trafford Centre <shudders>

YoungBlueEyes

Bit far from me for a looksie sadly, I’m the other side of the country.   

Just checked and my nearest is Leeds, which isn’t that far… 

DigForVictory

Have a day out, plan to "do a recce" of Leeds Armouries (free so a fun educational day so long as you don't go into the horse yard/outdoor display arena which usually costs) and let's figure a date? I do recommend shortly after payday as it is definitely store cupboard loading but they do not take credit cards. it's cash or bank cards only. It doesn't have fuel, alas, or I'd say scheme to arrive on fumes as the pump prices are easily ten pence a litre less than the supermarkets for petrol. 

YoungBlueEyes

Looks like a good reason to (finally) clear out the little bedroom then! 

Gonna have to use up some serious stores first…