Second wave

[Straight Shooter]

So, we have lived through the first wave , how did you find it ? .....as preppers we should have coped easy and without much fuss , so with that experience under our belts .....how did we do ? Any short comings , what if anything would we do different......when the second wave hits ( and it will ) will you do anything different this time , are you planning for more supplies ....be it food or gear ? What caught you out ? What lessons were learnt ? Are you increasing your security ? Not forgetting the sheeple will become more desperate with no jobs and no likelihood of getting any employment to care for their family’s and my well lose their homes in fact all they have.....so what is everyone doing to counter the situation ? .

[Little Lou]

Good question, SS.

I've done all right so far, but have made several really amateur mistakes I'm now trying to put right.

The biggest is that I didn't own a chest freezer. Stupid of me, but I'd somehow always assumed a freezer would only be useful at the start of an event (while there's still power) and had never realized how essential it would be as an ongoing tool. I found it out this time when getting food deliveries with several items on the same short date, ie when I needed to freeze half my weekly shop just in order to get through the week without breaking into my prepping supplies. In a real event I now realize it would be even more important - eg when harvesting more fruit and veg than I can reasonably eat or preserve, or even if we had to kill an animal and had more meat than it was practical to store.
I've solved the immediate problem by buying a bigger freezer, but for long term I'm now looking to find a really quiet generator so I can keep a freezer going even when the power is off.

There've been little mistakes too. For instance, I never guessed how quickly ordinary people would latch onto the need to bake their own bread, and how difficult it would be to replenish my stores of yeast and strong bread flour. I also found out that those big sacks aren't really as practical as I'd hoped, as I take so long to get through them with just two of us that it's hard to keep the rest fresh.
I've solved the immediate problem by replenishing and increasing my stocks of flour and yeast, but I'm now aiming at getting more of the smaller bags and fewer of the sacks, and trying to find reliable ways of keeping them good. Would vacuum packing work? Should I invest in one of those little machines?

Most importantly, I think I underestimated people's reactions - both the good and the bad. The 'rallying round' phase seems to be over now, and we're starting to see some of the real desperation showing, which is making me think more and more about security. If the second wave looks bad, then I'm looking to bug out up to the country, where I have very reliable neighbours, and some really good (and 100% trustworthy) friends who own shotguns...

[MaryN]

It was pretty much what we expected. I run a fully stocked pantry and 2 freezers, so no problems with food stocks, and the garden and hens were producing, so, truthfully, on the food side we had no difficulties. I already had stocks of flour and yeast so no panic at all. The only thing that makes me a bit twitchy is the possibility of losing power to the freezers, and I working on OH to deal with that. We can easily cook on barbecues and logburner, so no problems there, and lighting is easy enough.

I too have noticed the change in attitudes in some people. I'm not sure that a second lockdown would be tolerated or even taken notice of, so I am looking to up the security a bit. We have security lights and cameras all over the place, and to be honest, would be well able to defend ourselves (OH ex military!). Just waiting to see what happens.

[Skean Dhude]

Pretty much went OK here. I kept in until it was clear it was just a normal flu bug, albiet a bad version, and I kept the kids fed. Then I topped up but kept my distance and took a bit of care. Now I know a lot more I'm back to normal. I didn't lock down but work did which was handy. I didn't stop seeing family but mine are local anyway being just over a mile away.

Except for everyone wearing face masks in shops, although not me, it is pretty much back to normal around here. Roads are full again, people are going out, although some are wearing masks.

I think everyone can now see it as the farce it was. What a bunch of wimps the general public is.

[Stewart]

worked all the way through it with no problems.just need to sort out the hungery gap on the allotment.was a little low on fresh greens

[Pete Grey]

After four months we are in a better position than at the start of the lockdown, homegrown fruit and veg doing well, more basic/strategic (rice, pasta, flour, cereal etc) food stocks than ever. We’ve hardly used any face masks, not surgical but proper FFP3/N95 with exhaust valves, these are 3 or 4 times dearer now than when I first stocked up. I’m about to order our coal for the winter, summer orders get a good discount.

Most businesses are falling over themselves to supply mail order, competition is so great, and surprisingly we find we’re spending less than previously chasing round the shops. We are also building up a number of online suppliers covering more of our needs

The only thing we were not prepared for was timber in various sizes, paint and roofing felt, oh! and tap washers, but all that has been rectified.

So all in all things are good, when the second wave comes it shouldn’t be a problem.

[Skean Dhude]

There won't be a second wave. We will have a wave through all those that locked themselves away. I actually think I had this flu back in January.

I read somewhere, but can't find it, where in Glasgow people who were social distancing were catching a virus spread like Covid. Works out they weren't social distancing at all just playing the game like everyone else. It just was Covid is nowhere near the Black death as they thought. If it was Covid would have spread along with this other one.

[Outsidethewire]

In my job I come into contact with 1000’s of the general public every week and many are medic and hospital workers. In almost every contact I have had they are all preparing for a second wave, these are not just interns and porters, but very senior medics with decades of Epidemiology experience.

So, in short where possible I am keeping my head down and topping up preps for the Autumn and winter.

Good luck.

OTW

[River Song]

All OK here

Managed to get food deliveries weekly. because of age and medical conditions
we are keeping distance.

Prep supplies -- tinned food was approaching 40 days of its use by so thats been given to
to food bank - we will review and restock.

First aid supplies - unused

Thats it
Onwards and upwards

rs

[Outsidethewire]

Might have a slight issue, just finished the last of the Jam from 2012, only 7 years worth left!

OTW