The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

[Deleted User]

Question!

I was watching the news this afternoon and the Scottish report on coronavirus up to today and a gent of around our age (so older generation) was asking if it was fair to keep all older people in the lock down if they had no health issues and lived a healthy lifestyle, weren't obese, and why should he (who was in good health and not obese and lived healthily  ) be on lockdown as a blanket recommendation because of his age alone.  Do any of you feel it's unfair to be on lock down at home because you're older or do you feel it's the safest thing for both yourselves and the rest of the population and helping the NHS deal with the numbers of covid sufferers without adding to the pressure they're under day to day?

We will be in for the duration, I believe it's not just for our own sake but for the NHS too, we don't feel 'caged' but I have to say we're lucky to live rurally and can walk out safely every day into countryside and see very few other people so that perhaps makes a great difference to how we see this situation. 

 How do you all feel at the prospect of this lock in lasting for us older folks with underlying health issues until perhaps next year or until we're vaccinated?

jamanda

I've been telling myself that I am overdoing it trying to keep stocks up ready for the winter, and that I was overreacting.  It seems that it isn't only me that is thinking life is going to be difficult this winter, so I'll continue to build up essential stocks (already have quite a bit).  More toiletries I think.  I have enough soap to see me out, because people seem to buy me posh ones for Christmas when they don't know what to buy.  All efforts are going into the garden to produce as much as we can, and we can be found clucking over a new seedling with delight.  I'm going to have to sort our loft out to try to make more efficient storage for long life food.  We also don't know if OH's job will survive, so I am also trying to get anything we might need while it is still available.  
I've ordered some new snow boots today.  In May.  Anyone else, other than you people on this thread, would think I am bonkers.

[Deleted User]

Snow boots are a fantastic investment as are decent thermals, waterproof outer layers and base layers. Go for it!

jamanda

Got everything else (we have 2 gormless large dogs), so we are out in all weathers.  I have only had my current snow boots this winter, but have worn them a lot because they grip in mud when we chase cats and I'm being dragged.  I believe they should, however, have lasted longer than one season.  OH also has thermals, waterproofs, etc. and I bought him a coat early this winter which is one of those tested to -60 degrees.  He is still laughing at me because I bought it big enough to get jumpers underneath.  He asked if I was expecting some extreme weather, or a polar shift.

Si_Clist

MrsLurcherwalker said:

How do you all feel at the prospect of this lock in lasting for us older folks with underlying health issues until perhaps next year or until we're vaccinated?

TBH the two of us lead such a simple life and have such low expectations that the lockdown has made precious little difference to us other than we're no longer able to mooch round the charity shops for clothes and jigsaw puzzles, or go to the library.  Having said that, though, the total absence of aircraft noise and the vastly-reduced level of traffic noise is a fair swop AFAIC.

(I should perhaps point out that the transition to a simple life and low expectations came about over a period of years as part of a very deliberate plan for our then-approaching old age.)

P.S.  Just stock-checked the 50p-a-tin Branston baked beans after discovering they've gone OOS at Morrisons and am relieved to find that we have 12 x 6-packs plus 17 loose, so we'll be OK for a while then ...

annieb64

There was a letter in the paper recently from an older gentleman who also objected to the idea of being kept in lockdown longer because of his age. He asked if younger obese people would be kept in as the virus does seem to be hitting them harder.

thriftwizard

Our stocks have barely gone down; DD1 works in a supermarket & has just about taken over on the "non-perishables" front, buying tins & packets as soon as she's aware that the stock level might be dipping. I estimate we could keep going for about 6 weeks with our current supplies, and am aiming to keep two week's worth of fresh stuff on hand whenever possible, in case we need to isolate. I normally buy in bulk, having had a big family though the boys have all left home now, but luckily didn't need to order anything in during the worst of the shortages, & we keep a handful of hens in our small-but-productive back garden so we've been fine for eggs too.

OH is a key worker, working from home, so we're lucky enough that our main income has barely been affected, but I'm not able to work at present as all the markets, fairs & festivals I normally trade at have been cancelled or postponed. The Emporium I have a fixed stall at is closed for the duration; luckily the owners have let us off the rent so far. So I've been going flat out in the garden & at our allotment, raising seeds & planting. I've ordered a little greenhouse, something I've been after for ages, but only now have the family agreed that it'd be a worthwhile use of our limited garden space. Also, a sit-up-&-beg bike, complete with front & back carriers, so I don't keep having to use my van to trot to & from the allotment with plants & tools. DD2, meanwhile, has taken it into her head to redecorate the house, which I have to say is much appreciated! 

I do think that this is likely only to be the beginning of some Interesting Times, and quite possibly some permanent changes to our ways of life. I'm not sure what the most likely scenarios are, but for now I shall just keep on keeping on, trying to keep everyone's spirits up as well as the store cupboard well stocked. It's not nice, not being able to go & see my 94 y.o. mother (though I know she's well cared for where she is) or my brothers & their families, but I'd rather know that they're all as safe as they can be. But as for not seeing my boys... it's hard.

[Deleted User]

I agree, not being able to physically be with the girls and their families is very hard to bear, we're lucky in that DD1 lives relatively close by and we've had three visits from them where they've sat at the end of the garden, brought their own coffee in a flask and their own cake and visited us with the baby, we sit inside the house with the windows open and our own cups of tea and that's lovely, never near enough for there to be any risk but I still ache to hold the little pickle in my arms as I do the three boys that DD2 has.  Thank goodness for skype and face time which are keeping us linked together and allowing us to actually chat to each other and even read stories when the boys want us to.


I agree we're in for some 'interesting times' but my biggest worry is that the second it's announced that there will be a very slight slackening of social isolation all the world and his wife will be hobnobbing head to head without any concerns for safety because they think the covid pandemic is now ended and they are perfectly safe to do anything they want and three weeks later we get more cases than ever we had the first 6 weeks of the pandemic. Time alone will tell I guess.

MoneySeeker1

Re older people under house arrest in Lockdown (okay we'll call it by fluffy-wuffy title of "being cocooned" - so it feels ever so cosy..) it's my understanding it's a "recommendation" by the Government and not an "you are being ordered and we'll send the police after you to fine you if you don't stay in". I don't recall reading anything saying it's an "order - or else". So it's entirely voluntary and, if people in that agegroup want to abide by a "recommendation" then that is up to them and their personal choice so to do.

Personally - I'd have found out the absolute exact wording (and carried it round on me - as I still went out) if I were in the over 70's age group. But I'm pretty sure it's not compulsory - despite the fact I see very few people around that look as if they are over 70 (so am guessing many are following the "recommendation"). I've got a friend that's over 70 and goes out twice daily and nothing gets said by anyone and I just follow my usual practice of pretending I've not seen or heard anything that would be deemed "against the rules".

Admits to being very surprised at how many people seem to treat "recommendations" as equivalent to "orders - with penalties attached for disobeying". Having had to point out to yet another person today that the "exercise for one hour" is a recommendation of what the Government would like, but the Government's actual words are "One form of exercise daily" and don't specify a length of time.

euronorris

I love my snow boots. Bought after being caught in a snow storm on my way home from work, in Holland, one year. It took me 5 hours to get home, and I only managed it because of the kindness of strangers who gave me lifts for different parts of my journey, until I was close enough to walk the last bit. My feet were soaked through and absolutely frozen, and it was essentially hitch hiking, which was fine on that occasion, but could have easily not have been. Snow boots bought within the week after that experience, and a promise to myself that I would never let a boss pressure me into staying too long again.

Re over 70s staying home. Whilst there are obviously some who are fit and healthy, no underlying conditions etc, unfortunately the immune system still reduces in effectiveness with age. So age alone does put people at greater risk. How that compares to the risk of a younger person with diabetes? I don't know specifically. But I would think it's best to protect all those at risk. Not sure it should be either or. More likely, both should stay home.

There is beginning to be a lot more pushback from people all round.

As for stocks, we did dip into them in the first 3 weeks whilst we were awaiting our first delivery. In that time we managed to get some beef from the local miller and carters as it shut, and some fresh fruit and veg from them. And also a sack of potatoes and some eggs etc from a local farm shop. Haven't been to a shop since. Since that first morrisons delivery, we have managed a weekly shop each week. It's not easy to get them, but we have managed them, and have used them to re stock as well as meet our ongoing needs. It's not so easy to restock with restrictions still in place, so it has been gradual, but we are pretty much there now. We are also lucky that we managed to get a Milk and More account the day before they closed to new customers, so we have had fresh milk throughout, and had bread from them a few times too. 

We also had compost delivered by local garden centre, and had plenty of seed, so lots growing in garden now. I purposely did extra tomatoes to share with the neighbours. The seedlings were finally ready yesterday, but I didn't have enough pots, so I offered what I could on our neighbourhood facebook page, with a request for some spare pots in exchange so I could share more. It was hugely popular! I got extra pots, so I ended up sharing close to 30 tomato seedlings. And one guy left a fiver, bless him! Very pleased with that