The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

LadOnTheHill

The conversation about hand cranked devices from a few days ago inspired me to get a large model from ebay. It's coming today, I'll update when I've played with it a bit.

pelirocco

maryb said:

Definite queues today at the petrol station and one pump was empty.  Now that one of the tabloids has run a story on it, there probably will be a run on petrol, it's a self fulfilling prophecy.  All our cars are topped up anyway because an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion is planning to blockade refineries and forecourts in March so that will add to the general joy if they go ahead.  Maybe, just maybe they might think now is not the time

We run a transport company fuel card prices are emailed to us every Friday
They are up around the £1.30  plus vat per litre today
At the hight of covid it was under £1
 That's a huge increase in cost for us ,these increases need to be passed on 

elaine241

LadOnTheHill said:

The conversation about hand cranked devices from a few days ago inspired me to get a large model from ebay. It's coming today, I'll update when I've played with it a bit.

Me to! I had earned a £25 reward doing surveys so used it to get a radio with solar, crank etc from Amazon. It will be good to have in the garden as well as camping

MingVase

Guineapigsqueaks said:

I would say read up on the health risks of open fires/log burners before you decide whether to go ahead.  They release harmful PM2.5 not only into the local area, but also directly into your home.

Well if the alternative is death by freezing or pneumonia then I think I'd get the woodburner! The fumes go up the chimney if the stove is fitted by professionals.

Thriftygifty

Thanks Elaine & CW007, I'll have a look and explore our options plus the health risk although if we were to get it it would only be used when needed and the reassurance of being able to keep our kids warm, when we looked before I really liked the stoves with the little oven part at the top however safety needs factoring is aswell due to said small children. My Dad was in charge of project management at the time as I was due to have DS1, I know building regs was a pain in the erm... I was pushing for a woodburner however they wanted a glow worm boiler which is what we ultimately ended up with. I didn't get chance to call the stove place today. 

I popped out and topped the car up with diesel, it's the main car and the only car we can get all of the children plus my mum in. The pumps were busy but not over run or panicked, DH who's on the road said he hadn't seen any one panic buying fuel just yet.

I've been following bbc news today, its beyond awful I have no words, Ukraines president addressing the nation got to me, I had to stop watching. On one group I follow for expat travel they were asking for recommendations for companies and if Amazon.pl was reliable,that they could use to buy things for their friends to pass on the Polish borders to help as everything was running out. 

Si_Clist

Guineapigsqueaks said:

I would say read up on the health risks of open fires/log burners before you decide whether to go ahead.  They release harmful PM2.5 not only into the local area, but also directly into your home.

Then there's the risk that an ember could jump out and start a fire.  And you could easily put your back out carrying logs about the place.  Or drop one on your foot.  Or get a splinter.

Verily, life is full of risk ...

Si_Clist

elaine241 said:

At our old house we installed a Dursley interchanger, sounds complicated but isn't. It basically allowed us to put the boiler on and light the wood burner. Once the woodturner was up to temperature it would take over the heating from the boiler. When there was a power cut , the interchanger did need electricity to run regarding the switch over but would allow hot water to circulate without power.  

We looked into this a few years ago when we got the logburner in the kitchen, but had to rule it out on three counts.  One was the difficulty of finding a plumber who had any experience of interchangers: in fact we only found one who'd ever heard of them!  The next was uncertainty as to how the system would work in a power cut, but the clincher was the added expense we would have incurred in putting a new cold water tank in the roof and putting the plumbing back to how it was before the previous occupants fitted the combi boiler.

If we could afford it, we'd do it now for sure ...

[Deleted User]

There are risks to everything in life. So long as your stove is fitted correctly and you’re burning decent stuff there is no issue.

You will find your children will learn very quickly that it’s dangerous and not to touch - had our fires since children were 4&3, they’ve never gone near them as I stressed the danger of fire.

Genuinely couldn’t be without ours now.

Laundry dries over it hung on a rack, we’ve heated tonight’s dinner on top, boiled water on it all day for cuppas / to boil pasta/ for hot water bottles later. It’s a godsend and I’d rather rely on that than overpriced gas which may be temperamental in supply going forwards...

CCW007

Heating oil prices have increased over 50% since I topped up 3 weeks ago. Cheapest price on boilerjuice is 89.99p.

Turned temperature on schedule from 17 to 15.5 and reduced the time it is on by half an hour each in the mornings and evening so it's now on for 1 hour in the mornings and 2 hours in the evening. We both work from home so that feels like the minimum we can get away with.  Already wear layers and use fleeces etc.

Will be using the log burner more I suspect; hopefully milder weather will help. 

Nargleblast

Happy_Sloth said:

morning ladies and gents... felling a little lost this morning.   I sort of feel like we are the kids in the playground watching the bully's beat up the little guys. Sure we asked nicely for them to not do it and we've told them we won't be friends anymore but sometimes bully's need to be made to back the $^%£ up.  

I know the situation is complex and its isn't as simple as all that... i get it, but my heart is breaking,  i'm desperately wracking my brain to work out what a mid 40's woman can do to help  

Not to mention my anxiety is though the roof! what do i have, what don't i have... do i have enough ... kinda having a meltdown this morning    

Happy Sloth, in times of crisis it is clear that there are things in the world that we cannot control. Those people who accept that some things they cannot control, and who focus on the things they personally can control, will almost certainly survive and thrive. I guess we all are worried about the ramifications of these current events, but there is no point in us worrying about what might happen. That is a waste of our time and energy. Instead, if we think about possible consequences to us personally, e.g. fuel, food, energy price rises or shortages, and plan and prep for those events, we will have a better chance of getting through the days ahead physically and mentally intact. It's hard, I know, but we have just got through two years of dealing with a horrendous new virus, we got through that by adapting how we do things and trying to maintain normality as far as possible. As a species our prime directive is to survive. We will do that if we put our minds to it, and this thread will be a valuable resource for support and practical advice.