What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

All raised beds were finished off on time and now ready for the growing season, all cleaned up , made a door and frame for the polytunnel and fitted it last Saturday easier access rather than those zippers …..had a good clean up in there and now ready.

Had a sort out on the three generators today , just a clean and fettle up , whipped them all up ….and all running sweet (all started within three pulls) the remaining genny (set in the faraday cage) is brand new so I left that one be …………...The trailer needs a new bed so that's the next job up and some hook tie down brackets welded on …..then some new paint ……….I did ask Santa for a new welding set and plasma cutter …...they did not arrive …...he gave me some shit about BREXIT and uncertainty of supply …..Rudolf looked me square on and said "SS he's full of shit man !).

[Straight Shooter]

A beautiful sunny day today so on the garden most of today in a tee shirt , repotting plants that have out grown their tubs , sown some leeks,and more sweet peppers …….I have one strip of ground to dig over about 6 ft x 12 ft I intend this patch will be for potatoes only, I will get it done tomorrow and set up some boards as a raised bed.


Made some tie hooks from some steel ready to weld onto the trailer ….6mm round bar vice and a block hammer , been stripping down the trailer ready for new ply and rubbing down the metal as I go …..should get it all by next weekend and new paint , the forecast is good for this coming week.


Adding more food prepps (as we do most weeks) but being more selective these days and learning from past mistakes....But the main thrust of our prepps is more about home grown food these days (more than ever) …...any way you cut it...…your survival will depend on it in the end game …..learning how to Now will pay dividends later......reports of food shortages the world over (not including Brexit) are everywhere along with extreme weather patterns (like here today) ……..a good prepp is some hd polythene , I have covered ten raised beds (to warm up the soil) you can buy from Ebay (recover for polytunnels) not cheep but excellent quality and better than those cheep tarps ….in fact I will order more right now !.

[Pete Grey]

I’ve not done anything towards our preps over the last few weeks due to family illness but am now slowly starting to sort things out.

Lesson learned......Pneumonia.....Amoxicillin.....Paracetamol and plenty fluids.....do not use cough medicine as coughing clears the lungs.....caring for patient is full time.

This is when we have access to doctors and pharmacies, have good shelter, central heating, open fires, electricity, running water and proper sanitation. With none of the above it’s another ball game.

For preps i think we would need enough amoxicillin for two full courses for each person and something like 500 paracetamol each and plenty of potable water and sufficient food as the carer would not have time to collect food or do much gardening.

After TSHTF especially after bugging out, camping or sheltering in the woods, not being able to look for food and water, just using the BOB things would be really desperate.

[Mortblanc]

Pete, I was born middle of the 20th century. In the year I was born the biggest killer in the United States was pneumonia !!!

Not heart disease, cancer, plague or auto accidents, just plain old pneumonia.

[Skean Dhude]

Been sorting out storage over the last few weeks. Bought a caravan for the woods, good nick and cheap considering it is fully working. Got given a caravan, that is a mess but only small leaks which I have covered up and I'll use it for storage as my tents get blown away. Also bought a large van, for scrap price, which has no engine. It's not leaking and I'll use that for storage as well. Spent the sunny days putting everything in place and also having a first look at the bees. Survived the winter, which isn't surprising as it was so mild just hoping that we don't have a long cold snap as they think it is spring and starting to lay eggs to get the food in.

On to sorting out flooring for the chickens and ducks. Pallets are too small so looks like I'll have to make my own.

[Pete Grey]

(3 March 2019, 11:35)Skean Dhude Wrote: Been sorting out storage over the last few weeks. Bought a caravan for the woods, good nick and cheap considering it is fully working........

Hi SD, i know it’s early days as you’ve only just got the caravan but have you given any thought to improving the insulation yet ?.

If you have to escape to the van during winter for any reason you’l need a lot of propane to keep warm, For our camper van i’ve made thermal screens from several layers of the foil covered insulation for use behind radiators which is a great help.

[Skean Dhude]

Pete,

Already got propane installed and a solar set up is going in. Always have plenty of sleeping bags and blankets. I'll be fine. Much better that being in a tent. Usually I'm sleeping in the van or the car so a bed will be much better than that as well.

[Pete Grey]

You’re doing well SD, but i was thinking normally the panels caravans are made of are only about one inch thick, as the manufacturers expect people to use caravans mainly in the summer months.

Winter is a different matter if you’re bugging out, prolonged minus temperatures, bad weather keeping you inside will mean you would burn a lot of gas, you can only keep a certain number of bottles, if TSHTF you won’t be able to get more, you can’t stay in your sleeping bags all the time. Any improvement to the insulation would be to your advantage.

And please don’t forget a carbon monoxide detector, i speak as one who has lost a close family member.

[Skean Dhude]

Already fitted a carbon monoxide alarm. Haven't lost anyone, yet (fingers crossed), but well aware of the dangers.

I take your point about the insulation. I'll have a look at it but I favour the hamster approach. Wrap everything up and stay snuggled in. Plus you can move that wrapping around when you need to.

[Mortblanc]

I have lived in caravans through several brutal winters. I ave also know many full time caravan dwellers and they often view a stationary caravan as the start to something bigger and better as they add rooms and more soundly built features, using the self contained portion as a utility base.

The key to being warm is underpinning them and sealing them against air intrusions.

SHTF you should have a small tin wood stove set up instantly.

If you are wearing everything you own to stay warm inside, what do you do when you go outside?