Big hello

[rburnsrich]

Reading the forum for about six months. Already feel I know most of you(don't mean for it to sound creepy). Planning to keep prepping low key. Just back from tesco spent extra £20 on tinned fruit, beans and sausage/mash thing that I hope I never have eat so a start albeit small. I am a father of two small kids and live on the edge of a large city approx 7 miles to centre but 1 mile from countryside. What to treat prepping as insurance therefore spend only a small about of time and money on it. Also because of the kids hope all the planning will be a waste of time. So is there any tips about what small things to do.

Thanks in advance as I know you guys will be more than helpful.

[Scythe13]

Hi rburnsrich

Welcome to the forum mate.

One of the best and easiest things to do, especially if you've got kids, is to get to learning outdoor skills. With my dad, we used to get out in the garden and he would have planted certain things that he would tell me about. "Digitalis (Foxgloves) are poisonous and you don't want to ever touch them. Feverfew (like daiseys) used to be made into a tea to make you feel better." And we used to share loads of time hanging out in the garden, then out on walks and stuff like that. I never thought about those things we used to do until your post.

Getting a tent and going "camping" in the garden. Learning to stack a fire and then cooking marshmallows on it. Things like that. Those kinds of outdoor skills bring you closer to your kids, as well as give them (and maybe even yourself) certain skills that could be very useful.

Even joining the Scouts can be good for the kids (I'm assuming they're boys for some reason). Put it this way, I'm going to be helping the local scout group soon, so those kids will be learning loads of CRAZY cool skills.....hot wire a car.....make poison....cure the same poison....make napalm......use a flick-knife.......general life skills haha.

Other things you can do and make into family experiences are things like building a fish pond. Building a small water catcher.

Think about the things you'll need. Food, water, shelter, fire, safety, and those kinds of things. I know it sounds really extreme, but it's stuff that a lot of parents do with their kids. Loads of people go camping. Go hiking. Have a pond. Do martial arts. Do archery.

Store up a bit of food, but teach the kids, and yourself, the skills you'll need. If nothing happens (which many of us hope) then you would still have spent quality time with your kids teaching them skills that may eventually save their lives.

I'm in the middle of writing a deep article about starting prepping, the scientific-business way. Once that's done, it'll be helpful.

[rburnsrich]

Thanks for the reply.
Kids are 5(boy) 1 (girl). My young fella does karate but really it's useless. I grew in the very bad streets of Belfast were it was rough but made you tough. The karate classes are more like modern dance than fighting.

Have ripped out some of the decking at the back to make a veg plOt need decide what to plant and when.

Don't think I could get the wife camping but would like to maybe go with the young fella. Maybe start with a proper camp site with showers etc to ease into it.

But real good suggestions exactly what I was looking for.
Ps I am a builder with no education so excuse the spelling etc

[Skean Dhude]

rburnsrich,

Welcome. Hope you enjoy your time on here.

I found that my kids liked camping but the wife didn't. Now they have grown up my daughter hates it. Such is life. She likes her warmth and comforts. Best thing is to try them on things and see what the bite. It all helps in the bonding and although they may not like it much it does teach them.

[Jodansgang]

Ey up rburnsrich, welcome.
I have to agree with scythe13.
We ourselves have just started "prepping" and all I can say is slow and steady wins the race.
We have 3 children and now, after 3 or 4 months or so we are well on our way, funnily enough we started with just a few extra bits from tescos and now we have a whole wardrobe full of processed food and rice and pasta etc not to mention 2 newly acquired ducklings and 4 hens, 4 rain barrels and some archery equipment, 5 gas masks, 5 NBC suits and the trampoline has given way to a veggie spot! Keep going mate and best of luck.

[mikebratcher69]

Ah ha, I'm building a chicken coop from "recycled" mesh...
Hoping to get some ex battery chickens at the end of the month usualy about £2.50 each...
We have a local fox though... I'll be watching for that bugger...
Might put a fox trap in... whats the legality of that? anyone know?

[Prep Girl]

Welcome.
The main reason I store food is coz way things are going with cost of it, I can see me not be able to afford much of it in the near future, we have not produce enough food in this country to sustain ourselves since ? 1968? we rely on other Countries to provide most of it, these Countries are going through troubled times them selves weather wise which in turn affects the amount and price of what we buy, makes sense to but it now.
It's hard to spend money on food you feel you may never need, I was the same, only thing I ate out of a tin was Tomatoes and baked beans.
change your mind set, don't start by thinking of a big event, think about food prices, the drought were heading in to, the crazy weather, strikes that could affect deliveries, what would you need?

[NorthernRaider]

(20 March 2012, 22:10)mikebratcher69 Wrote: Ah ha, I'm building a chicken coop from "recycled" mesh...
Hoping to get some ex battery chickens at the end of the month usualy about £2.50 each...
We have a local fox though... I'll be watching for that bugger...
Might put a fox trap in... whats the legality of that? anyone know?

Better off letting brer fox live tbh, after TSHTF he and any other surviving larger wild predator will be much needed to keep the rat population down, just make a fox proof coup

[uks]

Hello and welcome

[mikebratcher69]

I was'nt planning on offing the fella if I could help it, just possibly relocating him away from my chucks.... maybe teeside way...