The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

[Deleted User]

Well preppers the result of the European elections came as no surprise and we are still at 'impasse' even though the Brexit party won a convincing proportion of the vote of the nation because the pro remain 'Liberal Democrats' and 'Green Party' who were also very successful in winning peoples hearts and minds and both favour remaining in the EU are almost as highly supported by the nation, virtually a reaffirmation of the 2016 referendum. No surprise that both the Conservative and Labour parties have been removed from the top of the pile given the monstrous behaviour of most of the MPs in both!

Far from the clarification of direction I'd hoped for this sends a clear message of discontent but I feel we're still in exactly the same place as we were in 2016 after the peoples vote just with different opposing parties having the power and having to deal with the decision of the nation. I think those 'Interesting Times' of that old Chinese curse may actually be upon us!

My prepping continues unchanged I think we're still on the roundabout it's just that now it's going faster than it was the day before yesterday! and is carrying more people on the horses but they are still going round in the same old circles!

DigForVictory

And to anyone who heard of big scary bangs over Australia - yes it was the equivalent of a shooting star but bigger & the Australians already have an Australian Desert Fireball Network tracking these eye catching but not usually more than of scientific interest displays.

Karmacat

DfV, thanks for the linkie - I'm interested in astronomy and spaceflight in their own right rather than as a prepping thing, so thats great for me

I've managed to get back out to my local council's healthy walks - prepping in so far as it's meeting locals/ continuing acquaintanceships. I got stuck for a while with a woman that moaned about everything local, international and global, starting with how far her house was from our rail station - then I found out they only bought it 4 years ago. I got the chance to back away naturally, thank heavens, from the way the monologue was going, she was about to start on some pretty nasty stuff

Since lots of us are older, looking after ourselves is definitely a prep, and this Guardian article really caught my eye: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/26/happy-ever-after-25-ways-to-live-well-into-old-age

MingVase

I'm just going to read that article, thanks KC.

(It's Mard )

jk0

Thought this interview might interest you guys:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uklt4zVVtS0&t=1563s

Greenglockenspiel

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We ran most things down to a couple of months supply before we moved last summer and I've built up our reserves again since we've been here. I knew we'd have room to store things because we viewed the house so knew ahead how much would fit. I'd think to use some and move some would stop you feeling vulnerable (ask me how I know) rather than run everything down to a minimum. When you know how much room you'll have in your new home you'll know how much to keep and how much to use up.

PipneyJane wrote: »

How far are you moving? And when are you taking possession of your new home? The reason I'm asking is that we transported the contents of our pantry in the back of our car, when we last moved, but we only moved 3 miles away so could easily do several journeys. If you can arrange to take possession a week or so before your lease ends, then it makes sense to just move your stores.

Things I found that helped were to pack the pantry into fruit boxes (which stack) and, because the kitchen at our house was in poor condition, we bought an Ivor bookcase in IKEA and just slotted the fruit boxes into that, using them as drawers until the kitchen was rebuilt.

HTH.

- Pip

ancientofdays wrote: »

We've just moved and similar to Pipney Jane, we moved the stored stuff over in fruit boxes and crates. Much more storage here which is a bonus.

Thank you all for your replies. We are hoping to move at the beginning of September which would be a couple of weeks before our tenancy ends, and just within the same town so only a couple of miles like you Pip. Hopefully we can manage it like that to avoid having to hire a proper removals van and save a few bob! We are going to be moving into a bigger home though - a one bedroom maisonette to (hopefully) a two bedroom house, so I am looking forward to the extra space. And no longer feeling like it's pointless planting anything slow growing in the garden.

My concern is partly embarrassment I think - I have convinced OH that prepping isn't crazy but I can see the removal men giving me some odd looks if they have to carry in my clear plastic crates full of tins of beans

jamanda

Clear plastic crates - so everyone doesn't think I'm bonkers, I've inserted some plain white paper around the insides so they can't see what is in. Even newspaper as a temporary measure would do to keep your street cred.

littlemoney

With preping how do you deal with the lack of fresh fuit and veg. For various reasons I am unable to get to the shops, just before I planned to do a shop for more fresh fruit ( bananas, oranges, satsuma etc) and veg. I have frozen peas, carrots and sweetcorn but I wouldn't like to eat them all the time and I usually add fresh to give a variation through the week.

I have tried frozen sprouts and caluiflower but when I microwave them they are soft. Can you offer any suggestions on how to cook them or other frozen veg which microwave OK.

For fresh fruit alternatives how does everyone deal with this when they can't get any?

MingVase

Tinned fruit and frozen berries work ok for me.

DigForVictory

I have a dehydrator. OK you can't soak an apple ring back into crunchy apple again but then I love to gnaw on apple rings as they are.
Peppers dehydrate wonderfully & then vacuum pack for long no-power-required storage.
I don't know if vacuum packing mangetout without any cooking would keep them crunchy, but it might be worth a try next they're sold on promotion?
The classic good to store fruits are raisins, sultanas, & figs -and dates if you can keep them. Ramadan means a wonderful range & excellent prices at the moment...