What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

No Pete ! I was not having a go at you or anyone else on here come to that, I was on a top secret mission for real ! well at least a friend of mine thought it was...……...new to prepping and very aware of security risks and issues , helping out with prepping related stuff …….can't say more he may well shoot me ! .


On other stuff going on ……..created a new secure shed within a existing roofed area in readiness to dismantle a shed that's in the way to access the bottom ground ……...started to transfer stuff today , garden wise ….all good and growing well ….all polytunnels are in full swing .

On the concrete tomorrow ……..patching the trench over the drive ( diverted land drains ) about two cubic mtrs to knock up and lay …....
the S I L is starting to look like Arnie .

[Pete Grey]

(26 May 2019, 19:51)Straight Shooter Wrote: No Pete ! I was not having a go at you or anyone else on here come to that, I was on a top secret mission for real ! well at least a friend of mine thought it was...……...new to prepping and very aware of security risks and issues , helping out with prepping related stuff …….can't say more he may well shoot me ! .

That’s good SS helping a new prepper, i hope he finds the forum as useful as we do, exchanging ideas.

As i said we’ve been away a couple of weeks.

Our first choice of BOL, with friends on the welsh border, has very poor internet so it’s sometimes a struggle to post.

We’re also helping a relative up north to start prepping (without using the p word), we’ve told him he’s becoming “more self reliant” in case of an emergency, we will let him find his own way through and slowly feed him ideas. Even with family Opsec is important.

[Straight Shooter]

After much too and froing we ended up buying a touring caravan …..over a campervan …..just gave us more options that made more sense (at least for our needs and outlook) and still keeping the 4 x 4 …...that will now be upgraded for something newer , the caravan has been well looked after and is mint in and out ! so this week wild one has been busy getting all the bits n bobs ready for the trip this weekend up to mid Wales to try everything out . Bought a few new books on foraging, countryside and seashore so some reading up will get done this weekend .


The garden is doing great …...well happy with everything at the moment , but I did have a bad experience this week...….weeding around some cabbages pulling the leaves up to get at the weeds …...two bloody sheep bolted from underneath nearly shit myself !....then another half dozen bolted from and around the other raised beads......wild child said "this is what you get when you leave the electric fence disconnected " I nodded in agreement as I walked to the shed to make coffee .

[Pete Grey]

(6 June 2019, 17:59)Straight Shooter Wrote: After much too and froing we ended up buying a touring caravan …..over a campervan …..just gave us more options that made more sense (at least for our needs and outlook) and still keeping the 4 x 4 …...that will now be upgraded for something newer , the caravan has been well looked after and is mint in and out ! so this week wild one has been busy getting all the bits n bobs ready for the trip this weekend up to mid Wales to try everything out . Bought a few new books on foraging, countryside and seashore so some reading up will get done this weekend .

Once the caravan has been kitted out for the first trip it’s a doddle for subsequent outings, replace food and any stuff that’s been used, check gas bottles, a bag with clean clothes and any medication and off you go.

Did i see a post some time ago that you had a caravan before ? or are the little grey cells playing up again.

Many years ago i made up an electric fence using an old car battery, an ignition coil and a flasher unit .............. good fun.

[Straight Shooter]

Yes Pete you are correct....I have had three touring caravans and one motorhome plus one static caravan before this latest addition …..I have previous form alright Pete! ……….soooooo the trip turned out great , we ended up in Crickhowell on a family run site ….spotlessly clean and well run …..everything works just fine and no nasty surprises ….towed great with complete ease , we had a great time and enjoyed every moment...….we will be off again shortly …….wild child is busy with planning loads of trips , I did most of the cooking on the gas barbeque ….while wild child stretched out on a sun lounger holding a bunch of grapes aloft and just dropping one in her gob now and then as I selflessly cooked her amazing mouthlets of lovingly prepared food with dressed plates of salad bedding to rest various meats upon......
the only thing to go wrong with the trip ( some dull bastard forgot to load the satellite dish ) but there again the sound system made up for that ….my saving grace was my CD collection …..and wild child pulling my bottom in real close …..dirty girl ! .

So going on some foraging trips country and seashore done some catching up with some reading , now its time for some practice and do my level best not to kill anyone .

[LAC]

Good stuff SS. I'm toying with the idea of a 2 person pod to get me started. I don't want anything too big yet just for me and OH. I had the idea to use it to explore parts of the UK for potential relocation. My thinking is we can spend time in different areas to get more of a feel for them before committing. Do you have experience with them?

[Straight Shooter]

I think that's a great idea LAC and makes perfect sense ! our caravan is a two birth which is exactly what we wanted with a separate end bathroom , its 20 foot from ball hitch to rear lights , its got everything in there , plenty big enough for us old chickens , as it happens LAC parked up next to us was a (POD) two birth ….I would say they were late sixties early seventies , this caravan was no more than 14 / 15 ft …from ball hitch to rear lights.....looked brand new (did not get the make) thing is LAC most sites charge for a caravan/motorhome plus persons , in other words they paid the same as us £22.00 per night.....even if ours was a six birth and us two its still £22.00 ……..just like Pete …..I am built for comfort these days , make sure a pod type is really what you want LAC , there is nothing worse and no fun at all being cramped up with minimum creature comforts …..especially when windy and raining....and you need to take a leak and the toilet block is 150 yards away at 3 am pitch black and you could be eaten by a wolf …….The fact is Lac if you are going to explore the UK ...do it in comfort and you will enjoy it much more , from a cost point of view …..there is very little difference (if going down the two birth route ) …..second hand wise . I have no experience at all with (pods) …….but plenty of experience of being cramped up with three daughters wanting to play shop and rubbing chocolate wagon wheels in my hair and a wife thinking I was having great fun and enjoying our kids.....no wonder I now drink whiskey …..no wonder we bought a two birth caravan ! .

[Pete Grey]

The two reasons we changed to our current motorhome are better toilet/shower compartment and power steering. Comfort is king.

[LAC]

Great advice SS and PG, good to hear different opinions. I know what you mean about the comfort factor, we're both middle aged now, can still cope with roughing it a bit, but not exactly spring chickens any more. What I'm finding with the pods is the top end start around £10k (like the Go Pods) and most below that price are hand/custom made. So maybe a two birth carravan is a better option as long as it's small enough to fit on a driveway. What make is your? What makes might you recommend?

[Straight Shooter]

Its a Coachman 450/2 2005 paid £3350.00 for it , we were very lucky to get such a very well looked after model....its like new ! but go's to show there are some great bargains to be had (if you wait to get what you want) and lets face it for the price of one overseas holiday ...we will have at least eight more trips alone this year ….and that's on the low side.

With anything oldish maintenance is key ….I am no stranger in that department ….and simple stuff to be sure …..getting it down your drive... this is about 7 ft wide ….GET ONE with a mover...dead easy to use ….dead simple to move about in any direction ….there was a time I could stick a trailer/caravan/speedboats anywhere in reverse using wing mirrors ….and still can , but the mover is just plain easier and besides all the chicks watching say things ….like ...oh look at that guy.....what a mover ! nice ass ! we hate his wife !.