The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

[Deleted User]

An interesting piece on the newsfeed weatherwise that we're in the period of stratospheric warming that brought us the Beast from the East last year (or was it the year before?) and that they've seen the polar vortices have split again this year which usually means very turbulent weather in the USA and in Europe.  The time frame was a couple of weeks for the changes to happen but it seems we might be in for some snow and some turbulent weather in the not too distant future.  I know they're not always right about these things but it might be disruptive enough to stop the UK in it's tracks, we're not all that good with snow so being stocked up might be a very good idea.

baggins11

I think whatever your politics no one envies them being in charge and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It's just frustrating when you see the advice of respected scientists not always being taken.

They are in a no win situation though and I am glad I don't have to make decisions that might cost lives or cost livelihoods.  We would no doubt have a lower deaths figure if scientists were in charge but our economy needs to be considered too so its an impossible balancing act.  

I did hear an interesting interview though that said all the countries that faired the best had women in charge and those who did the worst had macho men in charge! 

euronorris

It's irrelevant weather or not someone else may or may not have done a worse job. It doesn't excuse him doing a bad job.

I don't envy the job. And I appreciate there is a balancing act, but it seems obvious to me that he is very reactionary. Not pro active.  And its often not a reaction to the science, facts or figures, but other politicians actions or public outrage that forces his hand.

Anyway, I shan't go on. We are where we are. I hope you are all holding up well and well stocked. Delivery for us tomorrow morning. Hopefully not too many subs.

MingVase

Re prepping - don't stop now. Because now they're saying there are holdups with the vaccine... and FluTrackers plus a raft of other influential bodies are saying the UK gov idea of stretching the second dose out to 12 weeks between doses will. not. work.

MingVase

Stay aware and stay careful, and keep stocks of food up - we haven't seen how brexit will affect food & meds. And maybe find out when your local shops are quietest and go then. Change your way of doing things just now, until things settle.

maryb

I'm doing just what you say!  I had to go into town So I went in on Monday morning as soon as the shops opened.  Even though lockdown hadn't been announced yet it was like a ghost town.  I was done and out again in no time.  As an over 65 I won't get the vaccine until March probably but I really don't want to fall at the final hurdle having dodged it so far

Though I do marvel at the fact that I managed to avoid it before Christmas when my two DDs and my 80 year old sister all tested positive.  I had to take my sister to A&E and sat next to her for five hours.  She tested positive next morning so must have been virus shedding.  But she had had her first jab the week before and was asymptomatic, luckily for her

euronorris

MingVase said:

Stay aware and stay careful, and keep stocks of food up - we haven't seen how brexit will affect food & meds. And maybe find out when your local shops are quietest and go then. Change your way of doing things just now, until things settle.

We are doing this also. We have regular deliveries booked, and I now have two places in mind to pick up essentials if caught out. I messed up our milk delivery order for Monday, and only got one pint (which doesn't last long in this house), so had to pop out to get some more to see us through until today's delivery. There is a little 'B' shop attached to a new petrol station, and it always seems to be quiet (different story for the Greggs next door to it), so I went there and it was very, very quiet.

Luckily no subs on our order, but one missing item - houmous. Though I'm pretty sure we have chickpeas, so I should be able to make it.

VJsmum

We had it brought home to us about the need to stay stocked when DD was sent home from work last week and needed a COVID test.  The test was negative but she is still unwell and we've 'more or less' treated it as a positive test (more or less in that we have kept ourselves away from other people but have still gone for walks up the lane where we see no-one).  It demonstrated how we could easily be confined to the house for 2 weeks and not able to get any online deliveries so do need to keep rolling stock - particularly of fresh food.  We wouldn't starve but meals would get 'interesting' after about a week.

[Deleted User]

Making use of some dry store ingredients this morning to stretch what we can get fresh a bit further so I've made soup from the veg box delivered on Tuesday and used up the little jar of leftover gravy from yesterday to give it more flavour, I've made 'custard powder' custard using some dried skimmed milk powder and I've got rice pudding simmering on the hob using dried skimmed milk powder, a handful of sultanas and the dregs of a jar of golden syrup to sweeten it.  I stewed some stored apples too so that should be lunches through for the next few days until we get the next Tesco delivery.  It's nice to have stocks of things but they need using not being left in cupboards.

greenbee

VJsmum said:

We had it brought home to us about the need to stay stocked when DD was sent home from work last week and needed a COVID test.  The test was negative but she is still unwell and we've 'more or less' treated it as a positive test (more or less in that we have kept ourselves away from other people but have still gone for walks up the lane where we see no-one).  It demonstrated how we could easily be confined to the house for 2 weeks and not able to get any online deliveries so do need to keep rolling stock - particularly of fresh food.  We wouldn't starve but meals would get 'interesting' after about a week.

I ended up isolating for 10 weeks during the first lockdown, as I had a fever that they couldn't get to come down. Not only did I not want to infect anyone, but I also felt too unwell to even think about driving to a shop! As I'd just arrived back from the US and had only planned to be home for 4 days before my next trip there wasn't much fresh food in the house and panic-buying had just started! Between the contents of the freezer and cupboards, the veg box, the milkman and a couple of small shops (and prescription deliveries) by the village volunteers, I managed for several weeks until I finally got a supermarket delivery. So you might want to plan for more than 2 weeks - particularly anyone who lives on their own (or only has small children for company).