What have done towards your prep?

[Pete Grey]

(23 January 2019, 23:14)Pete Grey Wrote: I’ve been pulled up in the past for suggesting people keep some of their finances in gold, in case of problems with cyber attacks on banks, with no cash machines working, shop tills frozen or even problems due to brexit.

I’m not saying all your money, just a percentage, not at the detriment of your normal preps but as a prep in its self.

In the last three months gold has gone from £972 per troy ounce to £1,127 per ounce, an increase of over 15%.

I know the price can go down but with the uncertainty due to brexit, the lack of any decent candidate for prime minister, and no chance of parliamentary agreement on any plan, i think gold will continue to rise for some time yet.

Maybe not a good time to buy at the moment but if you do have some gold sit on it.

[Straight Shooter]

Even at £1,127 ….it's Under valued and cheap ! especially when the real break out comes (as predicted) by many and Silver will keep pace ….we live in uncertain , unpredictable and volatile times, tipping points are in sight on many fronts ,the bone dry tinder could ignite anywhere.....Gold , Silver ...any precious metals Will skyrocket as it always has …..a safe haven and REAL store of wealth over the last few millennia …...but I mean the real stuff you can hold in YOUR hands, if you can't do that , it amounts to nothing ..zero , bitcoin ? no thanks after the reset ? maybe ……...so when we are out buying tinned beans . pasta and rice some gold and silver coins is a very good prep for ANY prepper / survivalist IMHO sure you can't eat it …..as is pointed out every time this subject comes up ! ok there's a question of how to fund such a purchase set against what other preps that you could buy and may well be more important to you ! EASY just forget about ANY precious metals all together and stick to what You feel is right for YOU ……….if you are able GET SOME !

[LAC]

The main driver at this time is the fed's change in fiscal policy to cut interest rates. Trump's America first policy to increase exports and manufacturing needs a weaker dollar, and looks like the fed is finally caving in to the pressure. Trouble is to continue stimulating secondary industry they need cheaper oil and the Saudi's don't want to give it. In a weird twist of fate Russia is now siding with OPEC to keep the price high as it's economy would suffer more from less oil revenue, or is that the real reason behind it? Or maybe a two pronged tactic? Any further Iran tensions will also push the price higher.

[Straight Shooter]

In the greenhouse this morning sown some cabbage, turnips and lettuce , picking tomatoes and cucumbers. The pipe fittings for the aquaponics arrived yesterday , so all set ready to get the system up and running in the bottom polytunnel and I have enough for another system where the damson tree is. Been updating Ghb and Bobs along with emergency kits and repacking in new boxed containers …….its all coming along quietly …..the elderflowers have now turned into berries and will be turned into wine and remedies against colds and flu....blackberries will be ready to turn into jam,jelly and wine …...rosehips and crab apples will be plentiful by the looks ……..some ash and oak that's been down is now ready to turn into firewood ready for this winter (although there is already enough for this winter) so its the cycle of life for SS and it all starts over.....but its my favourite time of year ….enjoying the fruits of past labours and eating the finest veg you just can't buy.... fresh and crisp ...bursting with flavour ...surely there can ne nothing that can compare ….I live like a king ! …..picture this …….todays dinner......a plate full....runner beans , peas, broad beans , potatoes , carrots and French beans ...finished off with four rashers of home cured bacon …..butter and bacon fat dressed over the lot with some fresh ground black pepper sprinkled over the top ……...I think we will survive anything .

[Pete Grey]

I have not posted for a while as we have been away in the camper, and did not always have an internet connection.

As for our preps i think we’re pretty well where we need to be considering our circumstances, age, health etc, and our SHTF plans.

This does not mean we are not keeping up our stocks, we are still adding to them as and when we see good offers to buy.

We decided to list the essentials for when TSHTF and work from there.

SHELTER, our home is as secure as i can make it without turning it into a fortress. Where possible our preps are kept in crates, they stack, can be easily checked and moved quickly.

WATER, jerrycans and backup waterbutts, give us 150 gallons, a Berkeley filter, thin bleach, sterilising tablets and the requisites to make a slow sand filter.

FOOD, both canned and dry foods, enough for 4 or 5 months with care. We have a lot of salt for when the freezer dies. We have 3 raised beds for growing vegetables, fruit trees and bushes, and a stock of seeds.

HEAT/COOKING, enough coal to last a long winter, propane, charcoal and wood.

LIGHT, solar panel and leisure batteries food led lights, windup lanterns and candles.

COMMUNICATIONS, sw radio, cb radio and walkie talkies, rechargeable batteries and solar charger.

MEDICINE, the usual OTC general colds and flu remedies etc, and our prescription medication (high blood pressure, two months supply, could be extended by reducing dose, also stock, and grow garlic and hawthorne berries to supplement same). We also have some amoxicillin but need more. We also have plastic sheeting, aprons, masks and a large stock of disinfectant if we need to make a sick room.

FIRST AID, large stocks of sterile dressings, steri-strips, wound irrigation syringes, wound wash also hydrogen peroxide, detol and methylated spirit.

TOOLS, tools for home maintenance, car maintenance, gardening tools, and personal protection safety clothing items a must, to prevent any accidents.

EDC/GHB, now a day sac topped up with extras kept in daily runabout family car. The usual stuff carried.

BOB, due to age and circumstances we will not be moving into the woods or into the hills for years to come, this is a bag to move to friends or to a hotel for a few days.

BOV, if we do need to bug out it’s the camper, see thread PGs camper van.

These are currently our plans and preps, but could be changed if and when necessary.

[Straight Shooter]

Introduced a new hive along with 25,000 bees last Wednesday (brand-new unit) the swarm and queen were free …….collecting another hive this coming Sunday along with sitting tenants …...when the landslide happened we had to move the original hive about seven miles away ( you cannot move a hive even twenty feet from their original placement on your ground ) …..so come Sunday we should be sorted (for now) honey wise clipped the queens wings so she wont't go clubbing , been busy doing all that this week prepping the stands for the hives , cleared some ground laid some new slabs …..looking goooood , made a bee box for some spare trays and smoker today ….job done and varnished up ……...….the garden is doing very good.....great cropping even though the weather is not as good as last year …..but more preparation has indeed paid off …..slugs and caterpillar's been running riot …..I tried beer in a bowl …..but they just got pissed and wanted to fight each other while listening to AC/DC highway to hell ...the bastards kept us awake till 5 am …..so I sorta introduced some table salt and a dressing of hydrogen peroxide to return to some sort of harmony and xen ……..anyone know what chut chut means in Spanish ? I do …….this Spanish guy walks up to me and says " if you don't give me your wallet I will fucking chut chut".

[Straight Shooter]

That should be chu chu .

[Pete Grey]

(19 August 2019, 12:24)Pete Grey Wrote: ................our SHTF plans....................list the essentials for when TSHTF.

LIGHT, solar panel and leisure batteries food led lights, windup lamps and candles.

Should be solar panel and leisure batteries FOR led lights.

Have acquired a couple of 12V 7AH sealed lead acid batteries of the type used in emergency lighting. One or maybe both will be used to power the CB radio making it man portable.

At only 2.5 kg per battery they will be a very useful addition.

Due to the small capacity (so a low charge rate), i will have to charge them together in parallel, i have a 1/2 amp trickle charger which should be ok, or use a 5 watt solar panel.

[Straight Shooter]

Very useful Pete , I have something similar …..a golf trolley battery ….works the CB and transceiver plus charges other bits of kit , recommended by Lightspeed …...along with idiot proof instructions also by Lightspeed …. 50 watt panel and all very portable .

[Straight Shooter]

The second hive was put into place on time last Sunday...….the first hive did try to steal the honey …..so had to fool them planting on a milled batten to hide the entrance ...drilled some small holes where the original entrance was ….holes are for cent and to small for them to get in …..the entrance is now both ends of the batten ……..yes it has worked a treat ! .

So down the bottom polytunnel I go armed to the teeth with a pile of plastic plumbing fittings …...but first things first …….. I dig out ten holes for the 4" x 4" treated timber posts then whack the posts in with a sledge all levelled in …..I fix a scaffold plank (two) along the two runs of five posts ….then cut and fix 18 mm ply sheet for the full support bed total run of 4 mtrs x 800 mm wide …..that was Tuesday ……….Wednesday I prep up the two grow bed tubs these are 1800 mm x 900 mm made from fibreglass the sil had lying about …..fitted a 40 mm tank connector into both …..then made the Bell syphons next …….cut traps into the ply for the outlet drainage and access for the fittings …….placed both tubs in place on the platform ……..Thursday ……..dug out the pit for the sump tank and dropped that sucker in (positioned the sump in line and on the end of the platform run for easy maintenance.....ran in the two drainage runs from the tubs into the sump tank …
Friday …...cut in a 40 mm tank connector into IBC tank (already cleaned ) …...the sil already cut out the top of the tank...….run in the internal feed pipe work ….then ran the feed pipe to the grow beds and clipped it to some timber posts …...then let loose with a hose pipe (filled the sump) then tested the auto bell syphons both worked perfectly …..dropped the hose into the IBC while I connected the pump in the sump ….all plumbed in and pipe all clipped solid …...so we plug in the power …….nothing...….changed fuse......nothing.....took the pump apart cleaned everything...….nothing......sil "it worked just fine last time I tried it " ….when was that then ? I ask …….oh about three years ago …..its been in the shed till now ……...ebay then ? ……… only thing now is that new pump, some clay balls for the beds and transfer the fish from the pond into the IBC...……...another job.....jobbed .