What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

Been clearing out the raised beds , digging them over and racking in more compost , I have reseeded with carrots , pak choy and some potatoes , will sow more lettuce, kale, radish , and some beetroot this week .

Collected four more full trailer loads of logs and logged them ready to split ...but I will have to empty the drying shed first and transfer to my wood shed , that will be us ready for winter , I will order some lpg gas bottles ( I will wait till four of the eight are empty ) 47 k bottles .

Tipped down today well off and on so the damsons will have to wait ( ready right now ) gin ,jam and wine ......I am way behind with the solar powered shed , and cleaning out the workshop ( again ) the extra supply of food and gear needs a home ......wild thang is on my case with the shelving contract it the rear hallway so best I get on before she removes my giggley bits .....fix bayonets ......charge on .

[Skean Dhude]

I'm thinking of banning SS. He makes me look really bad with everything he does in the home and garden whilst I play at it. He sounds light years ahead of most of us.

[Pete Grey]

(17 August 2020, 20:09)Skean Dhude Wrote: I'm thinking of banning SS. He makes me look really bad with everything he does in the home and garden whilst I play at it. He sounds light years ahead of most of us.

NO NO NO.....Please don’t ban him.....how would we know what and when to plant ?.....i read his posts and think.....I MUST GET OFF MY LAZY A** and do something.

[Straight Shooter]

No SD it just looks and sounds that way........retired means catching up on what we never had time for when we were working........but I do enjoy myself and especially eating the proceeds of my labours ...like tonight’s dinner (corned beef pie) .....all fresh out of the garden and pastry made by wild child ! She is top banana pastry maker ! .

Picked 2.5 kilos of damson in a few minuets ....there are buckets left , making some jam later on and will get on the wine next tomorrow ......wild child said No gin this year ! “ you already have a dozen on the shelves , you hardly drink anymore! ....you only give it away anyway “ and the wine look at it in there ! ......... oh baby I love it when you take the lead roll....comon back to papa , papa got something for you right now ! ......” shut up you silly bugger “

[Straight Shooter]

Damson jelly is done....damson wine is on the go .....out this morning picking blackberries.....they are now being turned into wine .......pears are beautiful eat one while I walked past the tree ...just happened to have fell into my hand ! Elderberries will not be much longer, we had to delay harvesting the honey due to the weather will see this weekend.

I bought a new beach casting rod and reel with new rigs , weights, hooks , some good knives bits and bobs ....then I went nuts.........thermal all weather waterproof bib n brace with jacket....with free head light .....I was on a roll ....a shelter for the beach , boots , thermal socks .......but I used a bit of self control on the rod rest , I will make my own from some Brazilian mahogany I have in the workshop ....and I still have my Tilley lamp .......yes it’s approaching COD time and I intend on getting some, in any event fresh fish for the freezer would be welcome.

Charge on !

[Straight Shooter]

Bought some peal barley , five kilos and ten kilos of haricot dried beans off the internet, this morning we called into Buyology and picked up more spices and herbs eight boxes ......then called into (What ) and picked up six I gallon glass jars with screw tops..........some hss bits,opoxy two part resin , rigging cloves , and some cloves for fishing....wild child ordered and received a pile of cotton, and bobbin reels ( she has a truck load of wool ) in all colours of the rainbow.

As Pete pointed out in a recent post ... a simple tap washer in your stores , fuses , screws , bolts , duck tape , insulation tape , electric cable , fencing wire , staples , nails , spare chain for chainsaw , oil , wd40 , files , and on and on ........what we take for granted now my well go short ......we need to think about the small everyday stuff that we will require when things go south ....so have a think take a look and see what you have NOT got on hand ..there will be something you are missing .....go get it.......NOW ! If you are able ..........btw how about your gardening tools are all the shafts good ? If they are do you have spares ? And what about a spare wheel for the wheel barrow ? Or a puncture outfit and a hand pump ......and some bolts to put the bloody barrow tray back on the body ! ........sometimes sitting down grabbing a cup of coffee or tea and thinking things through pays back BIG.

[Pete Grey]

SS i did get some more tap washers, also some timber, ply and a couple of rolls of felt, fence paint and more hardware. One thing i do need is a new footpump as it’s easier to carry than an electric pumps and a 12volt battery.

[Straight Shooter]

Ordered ten , five gallon Mylar bags ( Fresherpack ) Amazon yesterday ......dried haricot beans and pearl barley arriving today .........although food preps are ongoing and never really stop , we are Ready for what ever comes next ...food wise ..........there will always something to to get or improve on ! .

[Pete Grey]

Double whammy ?

I see the government is finally giving some thought to the possibility a Covid second wave this winter and seasonal flu coinciding with a no deal brexit.

Plans include the army helping the police deal with civil unrest due to unemployment and food shortages due a possible lorry jam at Dover (because of a no customs deal) and using the navy to help sort out a fishing war with the EU. This is with the usual winter storm season adding to the chaos.

Meanwhile.....

Over the last few months Western governments have slowly been realising we are all too reliant on China for manufactured goods, and Europe is too reliant on gas from Russia and oil from the middle east. The UK imports more than half of our gas needs, by pipeline and as lpg by tanker. Then the UK also has to import half of our food.

Also there has been a lot of talk in both UK and the US that we should be producing many more key strategic items ourselves. What applies to governments can also apply to us to a certain extent.

My thoughts.....

So what can we do as preppers to be more independent and self reliant ?. Well we can’t drill for oil or gas in our back garden but we can try to be less reliant on fossil fuel. Not for our vehicles perhaps but we can heat our homes burning wood not gas or coal and insulating them the best we can.

And as SS keeps reminding us we need to produce as much of our food as we can, we can grow fruit and vegetables, probably not all we need but enough to make significant difference to our diet and our finances. And we could keep chickens for eggs and meat, or rabbits, a close neighbour of ours keeps both.

While we can we need to stock up on more long life dry food prepper basics like rice, pasta, flour, cereals, powdered milk etc.

What about our other necessities ?, water, heating, cooking, lighting, medication, communication, security these should already be part of our plans

Water..... if mains water is lost we would need a lot of potable water (hopefully already in storage - jerrycans ?) and the means to collect and store rain water ( waterbutts fed by rain diverters from downspouts or even a large tarp spread out) and purify (Berkeley or sand filter or oasis tablets ) water from streams and pools, then transport it back home ( using a cart or shopping trophy ). If there is no water supply, the sewage system would probably be down so we need a chemical toilet and the chemicals for it.

Heating.....if the gas supply is interrupted and if we have not got a fire grate or a wood burner we need an alternative form of makeshift heating, perhaps a wood burning stove made out of a gas bottle and with some makeshift chimney trunking. Any form of temporary heating will produce deadly carbon monoxide so ventilation is essential, to make sure get a CO detector.

Cooking.....the same safety points apply to SHTF cooking, if cooking indoors ventilation is essential, camping stoves using gas or methylated spirit should be part of your BO kit, you can always cook outdoors, use a homemade rocket stove or a barbecue.

Lighting.....if mains electric goes down and you haven’t got an off grid solar system, you have a choice of wind up solar lanterns, candles preferably in a proper holder, hurricane lamps (and of course fuel) or a mixture of them all.q

Medication.....we all should have good stocks of OTC meds and as much prescription meds as we can get, but a good book on herbal medication and some very basic laboratory equipment to make things up could be useful.

Communication.....the need to know what is going on, nationally, locally and in the family is essential. A good multiband radio, CB or UV5R and a couple of PMR walkie talkies, should cover most things. You also need plenty of rechargeable batteries and a solar panel to charge them. For under £150 you can get a folding solar panel kit with a charge controller and leads ( mine came in a padded storage bag ), add a 12v battery, preferably a leisure battery, and you have an excellent emergency solar system. Make up some 12v leads now to save time.

Security.....make your home and garden including any sheds as secure as you can, the best locks you can fit, door hinges fitted with longer, stronger screws, window locks, and make sure you can defend everything......and especially your family.

[Straight Shooter]

All relevant Pete ! Especially with the news yesterday regarding wheat being 40% down ....and production shortages all over the globe ......unusual weather patterns seem to exist the world over ......we need to remind ourselves of what the markets do......and countries come to that .......prices go vertical and producing countries hang on to produce ( in short supply ) to feed their own people ........in short Shortages are a coming and in Fact have began , dried foods ......you bet Pete ! ......so to extend the life of dried food .....you better get some ( Mylar ) bags and some oxygen absorbers ( Fresherpack ) eBay or Amazon ...not cheap but top notch way to store ....you can use a iron to seal the bag , take a look on Ytube , glass jars also really good way ......learn how to pickle, do preserve and dehydrate .....not hard at all ....it’s easy ! .......my Mylar bags arrived yesterday the five gallon ones, my crossbow bolts this morning ......we will need to build up for the next ( round ) now is not the time to sit on ones ass , chickens , rabbits and a goat or two will be coming our way before long all high protein and not that much work to keep .......Mr Thomas used to keep two chickens under his kitchen table , and fed them scraps and leftovers ....held in with chicken wire ....this was not so unusual back when I was a kid .......I can see him now ! ....when I bang on and on about growing your own food , I see this as the single most urgent pursuit we need to get Good at .........how else you gunna eat ? How else you gunna survive ? ....this is elementary level stuff for any prepper .

Today we pulled off the honey 22 lb ....all jarred up ! .......melting the wax ready to pour into the moulds not bad going really .....we are pleased with our bees ! .

Going to pickle some of my shallots and some onions tomorrow , and start packing away some dried stock in them Mylar bags ......I can’t think of any other time since being on this forum the urgent Need to get prepared as fast as is possible .......it’s about to get real....and in your face ......going sea fishing this weekend ! .