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30 May 2025, 20:09
(26 August 2020, 22:12)Pete Grey Wrote: First Posted 27 August 2020, ( well before the Ukraine invasion ), reposted as a reminder.
.......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.
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.
i’m happy 
LOL! nice one Pete.