What have done towards your prep?

[Mortblanc]

I ordered a new deep freezer, tracking says it will arrive by end of the day today.

Corona survival has left its impression on me. I used to be dead set against dependence on a freezer that required electricity. For the past year I have suffered through trips to the outside world that could have been avoided by bulk buys of frozen foods.

Pandemic did not call for the suspension of hunting and fishing laws to supplement the food stocks like EOTW plans called for. I still had to go out and buy stuff! Money still worked, the ATM still worked and the Aldi still had stocked shelves after that first two week panic.

I am beginning to realize that TEOTWAWKI is scheduled as a two week event. If you can stay off the streets/grid/markets for the first two weeks you will be OK.

So what if the power goes down? Well that is why I own generators and fuel stocks to last for weeks. And no, I am not worried that the Golden Horde will hear the generator, not where I live. That's why I live where I live.

If the end of the world comes and the power does not come back on and the fuel can not be replaced then we will eat well for a good week or so, then use the rotting remains as a bait pile for wild hogs and eat for another month.

[Pete Grey]

We have a second freezer, it’s been very useful during the pandemic allowing us to cut down on our shopping trips. We also have a generator, s/h cost just £50 last year, running a couple of hours a day we have fuel for a month or so.

Living on the edge of a town we would be careful of the noise but I could soon knock up a frame to fit around the genny and we have several spare duvets for sound insulation.

We could also use the fridge in the camper, remove the freezer compartment door and turn up to the highest setting, run on 12V solar power, absorption type fridge, no motor so no power surges, nice steady current required.

In a SHTF no power situation before the genny our intension was to cook food as it defrosted or salt it if we could, like most preppers we have a good stock of salt, however that should not be necessary now.

[Pete Grey]

PS. No wild hogs here.

[bigpaul]

when the pandemic started here last year and we went into lock down for the first time we didnt go any further than 1 mile in any direction for 3 months, I cant say I missed seeing people , so TEOTWAWKI would be much like that, for us personally anyway.

[Straight Shooter]

We took delivery of a upright freezer Last week....nine draw stack , we transferred all the contents of the chest freezer into the new freezer , defrosted the chest freezer and cleaned it ......this will be used solely for home grown fruits n veg we have five freezers now and three generators if needs be ....plus solar that will run one freezer maybe two . Like Pete we could use the caravan utilities , also the two fridge boxes that are 12 volts . I am going to convert a bicycle to drive the alternator i have in the shed ....l also have a a dynamo and voltage control box off a Morris 1000 to do the same thing with ......it all helps ! .

[Pete Grey]

SS, We too have a 12V thermoelectric cold box but it’s only really good for keeping beer cool. A bicycle driven alternator sounds like hard work, why not use wind power ?, it would complement your solar generation.

I remember seeing a picture of a wind generator made from an oil drum cut into vertically into two sails fixed between two plywood discs and mounted on a vertical shaft, like the rotating signs you used to see outside garages. One of the ply discs wes laminated and the edge was pulley shaped with a drive belt to the alternator fixed to a solid timber mounting frame.

[Straight Shooter]

The reason for the bicycle Pete , is to generate power on demand , guaranties some power with some effort , to run coms and battery charging , I have talked about water wheels and windmills many times on here but the main stumbling blocks were flow rates and wind rates ......at least this way with some effort we will get some power.

Yes those fridge boxes are good for cooling beer amongst other things , but a 12 volt ....positive ! None-the less.

Finished the recover of the flat roof yesterday ..........everything in the growing beds is fleeced up or covered in polythene , poly tunnels are now heated ready for the cool spell that’s coming in tomorrow ( light frost this morning ) so I am ready ! .

The hydroponics system is absolutely amazing ! The growth rate is astounding ! I have a job to get my head around it , it’s that good .

Planted out ( and covered ) cabbage ......transferring the sweet basil into the hydroponics system today and some more lettuce ( iceburge ) also some coriander ........the last of the raised beds are now ready to go .

Charge on !

[Pete Grey]

We have a couple of windup rechargeable led lanterns each with a USB socket, these can be charged through the socket (mains or solar), or the hand crank and the lantern can recharge a mobile phone, iPad or any USB device, however in daylight I would always use solar.

We have two sealed 12V batteries from an emergency light system, only 7Ah each, connected in parallel, they are gaffer taped together and kept topped up from a diminutive solar panel, this is solely for emergency comms - cb, walkie talkies, SW radio.

[Straight Shooter]

Yes I have a selection of those windups with usb sockets within my preps Pete ......the bicycle idea is just another backup ....that I have control over and a lot quicker and easier than winding by hand ......plus I can operate the bike out of sight and in private ......the draw back with solar panels ..my array in particular would be visibility and likely attempted theft .......the bike would be able to handle the deep cycle battery’s too.....after two weeks I would be fit as a gypsies dawg .

[Tartar Horde]

Making 10 gallon of homebrew, soon to be turned into Spirit.