Prepping: the new world...

fionaandphil

Interesting article in the Guardian today reporting that lots of people prepping and putting some funds, tins and power away for a 'major disruptive event'

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81992807#Comment_81992807

Link:

Worried Britons ‘prepping’ for major disruption with stash of tins and cash, survey shows | Business | The Guardian

Interesting… and there's a link to the Government's 'Prepare' website and a printable emergency plan to discuss at home and fill in.

DigForVictory

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81992807#Comment_81992807

Seems a bit harsh to regard what passes for summer as  'major disruptive event' but I suppose all the sporting fixtures might be seen as potentially hazardous?

All credit to them though, under Prepare, when recommending we stash things

such as ready-to-eat tinned meat, fruit or vegetables

they did add

(and a tin opener)

DigForVictory

As I watch the met forecast soar, can I urge you to get the sunscreen, floppy hats, fans & cold drinks sorted Today, so you aren't competing for them tomorrow, or worse over the Bank Holiday Weekend?
Myself, I have just picked the wrong weekend to come down with a juicy cold (last weekend) and I am still wrestling with it, almost a full week later. Me for the tepid shower, and a bath sheet for modesty & still boilwashing the handkerchieves.

Cherryfudge

I hope you feel better soon, @DigForVictory. Thanks for the reminders! (Sunglasses, too).

DigForVictory

Just to repeat those American how to handle hot weather tips (I was too zonked over the weekend to find them)

An American prepping site had this advice for how to cope without power. I share with sundry caveats like water may be metered, your pets have other ideas & if it suggests a product you don’t already have shrug & move on. (Says she with an assortment of water pistols & splendid stuff for taking your mind off the heat they are too.)


50 tips to keep cool when the power’s off

Wear light-coloured clothing, dark clothes absorb heat

Use a damp cloth to wet face, arms and legs

Find a cool breeze to sit in (especially after getting wet)

Make a paper fan and fan yourself

Hang out in the basement of your home

Install attic vents to release the hot air that rises

Sleep on the porch between wet sheets

Relax during the hottest hours, do heavy chores/cooking in the morning and evening

Do your canning and cooking outdoors

Take an afternoon nap

Use a buckwheat pillow, it won’t hold on to your body heat

Close all blinds and window coverings (don’t let the sun in)

Open all the windows at night to let cool air in

Lie down on the floor in the lowest level of your house

Keep a window open upstairs to pull hot air up and out

Wet your hair

Put white sheets over furniture, it will reflect heat instead of absorb it

Wrap a wet towel around your neck

Plant or find shade trees

Take cool baths

Make sure your home is well insulated, it will keep the heat out

Drink lots of fluids

Use a spray bottle and spray yourself down

Hang wet sheets in open windows that have a cross breeze

Keep babies in a light onesie (not naked) for when you hold them

Dip feet in cool water

Keep your body covered (in cool clothes) to shade it from the sun

Don’t wear polyester, it makes you sweat

Sit still, moving around makes you hotter

Make recipes using mint/peppermint to cool the body

Brush mint against the skin to cool you down

Wear loose-fitting skirts

Use battery-powered fans 

Put wet rags over a batter powered fan to make a “swamp cooler”

Give the kids water pistols and have a water fight

Buy some evaportative cooking bandanas. These look so neat!

Eat cold meals

Eat spicy foods, they increase perspiration which cools down the body

Buy some cooling towels/cloths

Wear a large-brimmed hat to shade your face

Spray your house down with a water hose for a temporary cool down

Keep ice packs in your freezer and then use them for relief

Go around naked (if appropriate)

Use silk or satin sheets and pillowcases, they feel cooler

Hang up bedding in cool areas of the house or shade during the day

Get a waterbed, it will absorb heat and feel cool on hot nights

Build porch awnings to provide shade

Have a generator to plug in electric fans

Make a homemade air conditioner or swamp cooler if you have a generator

GO SWIMMING!

As ever, some may be helpful.

DigForVictory

And culled from Which? (You can tell I do not love the heat…)

Use an electric fan (intelligently)
Electric fans are a cheaper option than air conditioning and are usually relatively cheap to run. Whether you opt for a desk fan or a tower/pedestal fan, remember that a fan doesn’t actually cool the air, it just moves it around. You feel cooler because the breeze helps to evaporate moisture off your skin. So don’t bother leaving a fan on in a room with nobody in it, as you’re just wasting energy. When setting your fan up, try to position it at the same height or lower than you, such as on the floor or a low table, with the unit pointing up. That will blow the cooler air up, rather than pushing warmer air (which rises to the top of a room) down on to you.

Close your windows, blinds and curtains
You might think an open window will create a breeze. But unless wind speeds are high, you won't necessarily feel as much benefit from it as you expect.
Keep the windows shut when the air outside is warmer than inside, and you’ll keep warm air out of the house. Open the windows when the air outside is cooler than it is inside – usually when the sun has gone down.
If you’ve ever stood in a greenhouse on a warm summer’s day, you’ll know that glass windows in full sun can dramatically increase inside air temperature. Use curtains, blinds and shutters to keep the sunshine out of rooms in the heat of the day and while they’re not in use, to avoid the air heating up.

Take cool or lukewarm showers
Don’t be tempted to turn the dial right round to freezing when having a shower. If your body is subjected to extreme cold, it will try to regulate its core temperature by retaining heat.
This will increase blood flow to your skin to warm it up, making you feel even hotter.
Taking a cold shower might make you feel better for a short time, but your best option is using cool or lukewarm water, and then letting yourself air dry rather than towel-drying yourself.
The action of water evaporating off your skin will create a cooling effect on the surface of your skin.

Wear the right clothes at night
Trying to sleep in a heatwave can be torture, and you may think the easiest way to keep cool at night is to completely strip off. (Regular readers of the thread will know to if possible to only answer the door dressed in case you're being told to evacuate the building)
In fact, it’s best to wear some clothes, provided they are thin, loose and cotton-based. They will act as a wick for sweat, increasing the surface area for sweat to evaporate from and helping you feel cooler.

Eat cooling and hydrating food
In a heatwave, cold salads, chilled soups, pre-cooked meats and quiches, and fruit (think melon and citrus fruits) are quick and easy foods that don’t require cooking and save you from having to heat your home up further by turning on the hob or oven. Drink plenty of fluids and eat normally, but be sure to include cold food, particularly salads and fruit which contain a lot of water and help us stay hydrated.

If you're concerned for the wellbeing of others, bear in mind the symptoms of heat stroke and dehydration, including:

muscle cramps in the arms, legs or stomach
confusion
headaches
dizziness
extreme thirst
nausea or vomiting
heavy sweating
a fast pulse

For info tailored for the vintage, you can call Age UK’s free advice line on 0800 169 6565 or visit Age Concern's advice for older adults in a heatwave.