Prepping: the new world...

DigForVictory

Whilst we ponder what to put in a bug out bag, we may also want to consider what to put into the uniform pockets of our children. In Manchester a school was evacuated & told the pupils to ring their parents & go home. Now, without knowing why, I have to assume it was pretty darn serious, but it looks like a nasty gap in the school's duty of care. "Leave your things & go". OK that's serious, & it's May, kids can probably cope without a coat. What about bus fare, house keys, a meal?

I've been caught on the hop by fire alarms at work, but will still walk away from a fire escape to grab my laptop. (My phone & car keys stay on me even in hot weather. My trousers will never be chic, I demand functional pockets and the car keys live deep in one, the phone shoved in another.) I then have a free hand for the first aid kit & will head for the first aiders' muster point, where I can support my colleagues & then go home, still equipped for work next day.

Pupils coming in to do exams may not have their usual kit with them, so all plans need to be flexible to survive contact with the unexpected. My lads lived a short walk from school & we were easily capable of accommodating several more in the event of some nasty shock, so I'd suggest (if your child hasn't got an emergency plan sorted with you) that you start with "head to the nearest library", and for longer term planning set something up with other parents so that if it's a Monday everyone goes with Ted, Tuesday Wilf etc. "I can't fit another 4 kids in!" Actually? The pressure point is the loo. A bunch of young animals cooped up together generate impressive heat - you shouldn't need to turn the heating up, and if it's hot weather turn them loose in the garden or a communal open space that isn't affected by whatever's had them evacuated from school.
As for meals, stressed kids need carbs, to release insulin allowing more tryptophan into the brain. Haribo all round & you'll get a sugar crash, oaty biscuits (get them to help you make them, and wash up as they bake) and they'll steady down a bit. Carbs are sedative. (It's quite hard to remain stressed after a packet of digestives - I've tested. Guilty yes, but stressed, less so.)

DigForVictory

At what age you expect a child to start stepping up to the challenge of First Aid and the possibility of more serious things beyond sticky plasters is in your hands. Bear in mind Scouts teach Beavers Scouts (6+ years old) how to make emergency phone calls, & heave breathing unresponsive adults into the recovery position. (I'd have that as standard for primary school teaching & include chest compressions for secondary school pupils.) Just so they can help keep their parents, carers, teachers going long enough to hand over to a qualified adult. You may want to discuss with them (& with the grandparents) what to do if granny/granda goes over? Children can be remarkably level headed if taught early enough & it's trickle-topped-up. (These conversations are Never once & done!)

By no means all First Aiders know what to do with the trauma response kits - the dressings & bandages may seem familiar, but just being with someone who needs a tourniquet does also mean the responder is going to need a debrief after. That said, there is no effective age restriction on YouTube, never presume they're "too young to be interested". They may well have watched a video, applied what they saw & now also have to deal with the issue of "I've got blood on my uniform, mum's going to kill me!". They may well have saved a life, you can help them manage the shock, keeping both the casualty & the rescuer as safe, warm & fit to hand along the casualty or the intel as possible. Please call 999 at once? If you're of the "not good with blood" number, (along with about 10% of the population), sit down & force yourself to breathe. Just make that call. Try to keep the video watcher focused on the casualty & if you really can't handle the environment, write a note for their mum about the clothing. Sign date & time it. Then get a bit of distance, and watch for the ambulance.

Broomstick

Has anyone tried storing longer-term shelf-stable food in a garage in a solid metal cupboard such as an office stationery cupboard? If so, did you find that the temperature remained fairly constant? I'm trying to think of options that might be as rodent proof as possible. Thanks.

Cherryfudge

There were non-food items stored in my parents' garage and I'm absolutely sure the temperature fluctuated - how much might depend on whether the garage is sheltered and how much it's used. In an unheated area like a garage, I'd imagine that damp would be an issue, perhaps through condensation. Tins would store quite a while so long as they weren't dented, but the labels might deteriorate.

Broomstick

Thanks @CherryfudgeI think I might move a max-min thermometer into the garage to see the range. If I were to store food there, it would all be in tins or well-sealed containers but, as you say, damp might be a problem. Nothing got wet in there over the winter and the floor remained dry but some big cardboard boxes have become a bit limp! Maybe I should look into food-grade moisture absorbing crystals to use in a cupboard. I'm not long-term prepping for zombies just for a bit of food security really and the maximum shelf-life of my deep pantry is about 2-3 years.

I suppose, if I tried it and it didn't work as a long-term food option, a metal cupboard in the garage might be useful for lots of other things such as tools.

MrsCD

What about the lock and lock type plastic boxes to store tins? You could also tape duct tape over seals. If everything is dry when it's fastened up it should be ok.

Floss

@Broomstick maybe get hold of an old fridge or freezer to use without being plugged in, as an insulated cabinet?

DigForVictory

Google is cheerfully ruthless that garages fluctuate a lot in temperature but condensation is the major challenge.

Condensation Risks: Cold snaps followed by sudden mild weather cause the highest risk of condensation, with relative humidity (RH) often hitting 70–80%.

Also given sons, I think I'd be replacing can labels with numbers marked on with Sharpie. (It may slow them down a little.) Reusing a vintage defunct appliance also appeals, as metal is harder for rodents to gnaw into.

fionaandphil

We have an old kitchen cupboard in the garage and use it for tins, not had any problems

Broomstick

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I think I'll see how many of my existing plastic crates with lockable lids I can empty as a temporary measure for storing the food and I'll put a search out for a recycled metal cupboard or unplugged fridge/freezer to use as a more permanent solution. If I ended up with a metal cupboard, maybe I could cover it with that closed-cell insulated foil material that people use in their diy campervan conversions… or maybe I'm over-engineering the idea!