The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

DigForVictory

Boring old Sothebys suggest the pace indicates you are married or engaged.
What demoiselles overheating were supposed to do (other than swoon gracefully) I have no idea!

Frankly, it’s all fun in storybooks but real life female perquisites like effective medicines, property ownership, the vote etc I find altogether riveting. My chaps might mutter they can’t imagine me without google in my pocket either but my bizzare general knowledge was installed by people not devices.

Working_Mum

I was introduced to these last year - they fold up in a neat little package, pop out and waft beautifully!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07D2WTTDK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

DryTheRain

Gosh what a good idea the fans are (just ordered some) I wish I'd known about them last summer.

I wanted to ask about water stockpiling, as most prepping guides recommend it. I don't have space for storing bottled water, so was wondering about getting collapsible containers that could be filled up quickly in an emergency - any thoughts?

Karmacat

I experimented with collapsible containers, and promptly abandoned them after there were leaks along the seams. I didn't get good quality, though, so perhaps thats just a normal case of you get what you pay for.

Thing is, if its a case where you need water, and you get it *after* the problem starts ... then often you can't get it - a broken water main won't wait for you, all that sort of thing. What about doing the minimum? Forget washing up and cleaning - what about storing even two days drinking water? That gives you some leeway to find water from other sources.

This little town I currently live in, for instance, has several streams, I've never lived in an area with as many. While taking local walks, I've amused myself by following them upstream as far as I can - they're sometimes in little protected green spaces, sometimes by people's back gardens. And one, in particular, is very interesting - it's formed by five ground drainage pipes all falling into the same channel. It's not as accessible as the rest, but it's liable to be moderately clean at that point (the area being drained is mostly common land and residential gardens). There are also several streams just outside the town, owned by angling societies, that have a couple of dams across them, and fishing platforms built out from the banks.

This is probably going a bit too far, sorry it's just a problem solving thing I enjoy thinking about and there's always a chance I may actually write that novel :rotfl:

Pyxis

Karmacat wrote: »

I experimented with collapsible containers, and promptly abandoned them after there were leaks along the seams. I didn't get good quality, though, so perhaps thats just a normal case of you get what you pay for.

Thing is, if its a case where you need water, and you get it *after* the problem starts ... then often you can't get it - a broken water main won't wait for you, all that sort of thing. What about doing the minimum? Forget washing up and cleaning - what about storing even two days drinking water? That gives you some leeway to find water from other sources.

This little town I currently live in, for instance, has several streams, I've never lived in an area with as many. While taking local walks, I've amused myself by following them upstream as far as I can - they're sometimes in little protected green spaces, sometimes by people's back gardens. And one, in particular, is very interesting - it's formed by five ground drainage pipes all falling into the same channel. It's not as accessible as the rest, but it's liable to be moderately clean at that point (the area being drained is mostly common land and residential gardens). There are also several streams just outside the town, owned by angling societies, that have a couple of dams across them, and fishing platforms built out from the banks.

This is probably going a bit too far, sorry it's just a problem solving thing I enjoy thinking about and there's always a chance I may actually write that novel :rotfl:

Thinking about that one you described, if residential gardens drain into it, you might get pesticides and herbicides draining into as well, or nitrates.
It'd probably be ok for washing in or flushing the loo, but I wouldn't risk drinking it. I'd rather collect rainwater, I think, although someone might argue that collects pollutants on the way down!

Living_proof

How serious is this? The world's doomsday seed bank is in danger of becoming unstable. Longyearbyen, on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, had an average temperature in Svalbard was -7.8C in 1900 but since then, it has risen by 3.7C – more than three times the global average rise of about 1°C.

As it happens I have been here twice and it really does feel like the back of beyond, but it's being affected by climate change in the same way as populated areas. We should probably as a matter of course save seed of all our crops (or those of our gardening buddies) on a regular basis, just in case!

Siebrie

DryTheRain wrote: »

Gosh what a good idea the fans are (just ordered some) I wish I'd known about them last summer.

I wanted to ask about water stockpiling, as most prepping guides recommend it. I don't have space for storing bottled water, so was wondering about getting collapsible containers that could be filled up quickly in an emergency - any thoughts?

Hi DryTheRain, I don't usually post on this thread, but your question drew my eye. We have used several types of collapsible tanks for camping, and most of them seem to smell horribly, and give a chemical taste to the water. We now use stainless steel thermosses, and buy a five-litre container on our first day. We have purchased a small handpump that you can place on the container.

DryTheRain

Top advice, thank you, so nice being able to bounce ideas around here

I'd wondered about possible leakiness with collapsible containers, and how well water would keep in plastic. I remember the brackish taste and smell from water tanks on boats when I was little, not nice. That said, collapsibles are cheap and the carrier bag type seems less prone to problems, so I might pick up a couple anyway, along with digging out the ancient thermos!

Sounds like a small stock of bottled water would be sensible too. My carer found a good hidden gap behind an armchair earlier, mainly to escape the HoC madness. Eau dear. But oui to water storage, silver linings non?

Karmacat

Pyxis wrote: »

Thinking about that one you described, if residential gardens drain into it, you might get pesticides and herbicides draining into as well, or nitrates.

Absolutely everywhere will have that level of pollution - and in this particular case there's very little of either of the things you mention put onto on the common land, in any case. If you're in a situation of "drink this water or die", then you drink this water. I was talking about a thought experiment for my novel, after all!

It'd probably be ok for washing in or flushing the loo, but I wouldn't risk drinking it. I'd rather collect rainwater, I think, although someone might argue that collects pollutants on the way down!

It would certainly be fine for washing in and flushing the loo. In a life or death situation, I'd filter/boil/distil etc, if it was that or nothing else. Beats dying. And I too would rather collect rainwater, but it isn't either/or, its both. Plus other options as available.

Zentimes

I started my soil sprouts yesterday! I have 3 containers with sunflower, red clover and beetroot seeds on a dark shelf (I've used black paper to block out the light). Will be 4 days there, then out on a windowsill for a few more. I'm excited to see how they'll turn out (and more importantly, taste!). I've cleared out a seldom-used kitchen cupboard and I should be able to store my supplies there for ease of access.