I grow a lot of vegetables in containers, the garden is reserved for fruit bushes and fruit trees, by growing in containers I can move the containers around as needed, water is collected off the roofs into water butts at the moment only needed for plants but post collapse will be filtered and boiled for personal use, urine can be used on the garden so can human waste once composted, with only the two of us this wouldnt be an excessive amount.
I have a huge stock of candles and wind up torches, we have a small log burner=its a small house, I have a stock of firewood which I am adding to regularly.
Pete, You prep for what you can and even without sp[ending any money you can mentally be prepared for unexpected events.
That is why I always say it is never too late to start nor do you need to be a millionaire.
BP you have planned well and are all set for TEOTW, one question (it’s actually two) can you grow all the food you will need, and do you have food stocks to fill any shortfall between crops.
SD that was the reason for the post. Remember the basic needs of survival, then plan and test your plans, build from there, as you say you don’t have to be a millionaire.
As for us, would not like to be without our potable water, 4-6 months food, meds, coal, propane etc built up over the years.
ps. I forgot the chemical toilet
Pete, the answer to both your questions is YES.
SD as you said you don’t need to be a millionaire to be a prepper.
As an exercise......a very basic start up from scratch....choose what you think is a priority....some things you might already have.
I hope some guests to the site read this.
Water storage..........two 25 litre water carriers....£20, waterbutt with downspout kit....£45,
Water sterilisation........thin bleach....£2, oasis tablets....£10.
Food......each time you shop an extra couple of tins/packets of the food you normally eat, especially good or 2for1 offers, it soon adds up.... £5 week ?.
Heating.....if you have a wood burner that’s great, could you make one from a gas bottle ?....Have you a chimney for an open fire? ....Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors ESSENTIAL....£40.
Cooking......wood burner/stove job done.....open fire possible but care needed.....portable camping stove with gas bottle....£100 ?. Homemade rocket stove....£5 ?.
Lighting......Windup led lantern....£20, Head torch....£7, rechargeable batteries....£10.
Battery charging.....folding 100W solar panel....£120, use with car battery, for 12v lighting or to charge power tools etc.
Medications.....assorted OTC meds....£20 ?, First aid kit....£20.
Communication......windup portable radio SW capable....£18.
Toilet......camping chemical toilet with chemicals....£50.
I think this would be a reasonable basic start up plan, around £500, over a year less than £10 per week, allow another £5 per week for food.
If anyone would like to comment please do.......or am I wasting my time.
Pete, It's even simpler than that. You are looking for a life of luxury there.
Tins of beans, mackerel, etc. and bottled water will keep you going Clothes and blankets to keep warm and that will keep you going long after most have popped off. Then you can scavenge from their homes. Going into winter now and many won't make it out even if civilisation carries on as it does now. It it collapsed there will be a lot more going.
Make sure you can survive till summer and food starts to grow and you are already a winner. You require a lot less than you think. Anything above that is gravy. Then once you hit the summer time to grow and make life a bit more comfortable.
SD your suggestions may work for a young single guy but not a family.
But don’t forget this old bu66er is 80 and he likes his gravy
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Pete, This is for a small family. Single guys with no dependencies don't even need to do that much as they can move around and persecute the weak. The only difference when you are talking family is the size of the stores. Enough for everyone and somewhere to bunker down and that will see most people through the initial event.
For example from your list above I have everything you list there but I can live without most of the stuff you list initially if I had to. A proper toilet, solar panels and comms can come later but basic survival doesn't need them. However, I agree that your list is the next stage up from basic survival and isn't that expensive to attain.
All I am pointing out is that simple basics are what our ancestors lived on daily. We could easily be forced back to that.
SD I believe there is a vast difference between survival at the lowest level which involves mostly a lot of luck, and actually prepping, taking steps to build resilience to the various events/disasters, large and small which could/will occur.
We could never copy our ancestors who were hunter gatherers or subsistence farmers who lived not knowing where the next meal was coming from or if there was going to be a next meal, that gene is long gone.
No one was fat in the stone age.
However each of us should make our plans, and as I said we choose what we think is a priority and go from there.
To all......take care and keep safe.
I have lived on a lot less, basic living should not cost that much, build up stocks as you go along not all at once, I feel that a lot of preppers are trying to live the same way they live now post collapse and that isnt going to work.
hunter gatherer alone isnt going to work post collapse even with a large die off, even the best hunter can come back empty handed and there is little or nothing to forage during a British winter, you need some sort of back up and that is growing your own food and a supply of tinned food until your first harvest.
water is easy with the British weather get some water butts/blue barrels and attach them to downpipes and have some way of filtering then boiling the water before use.