Is it possible to stay put when you're near London?

[bigpaul]

I agree with what the others have said, Rachel take note of what NR says, he's been at it longer than anyone else and he (usually) makes sense! start with the food and water, start with enough SPARE food for a week, then a fortnight, then a month, then 3 months, we were snowed in a couple of years ago and I couldn't get the car out for nearly 4 weeks! don't go mad, just buy a few extra tins each time you go shopping, store what you eat-eat what you store and rotate, rotate,rotate-put the new tins at the back of the cupboard and bring the old tins to the front-eat then first.

[MaryN]

Rachel, listen to these guys they know what they are talking about. Try not to scare yourself by imagining all the "what-ifs", but make a plan that makes sense to you. If you are planning to stay put, then go round your home and make sure it can be secured. They are several topics on this Forum about home security that make very good sense.

Stay alert, stay in charge of your situation, oh, and welcome to the Forum.

[NorthernRaider]

(8 August 2013, 08:41)Rachel_K Wrote: Thanks for all the great advice.

It sounds like we really can't win! If we stay after a week, perhaps less, it's pretty certain that we'll be killed by raiders. I don't think it would be possible to hide in our house for very long with the kids.

If we leave, we have nowhere to go so we will be in the same position as the raiders but with two kids on our backs. The husband's family is closer to London than us. My family are in Lancashire and Yorkshire, both within similar distance of cities, Preston and Bradford, so although the situation may not be quite as dire for them in terms of raiders I think they will still need to get out and they won't have anything ready. Getting there on foot with two small children while everything is still up in the air would be a death sentence too I think.

Perhaps defeatist of me, but I think at the moment planning for those eventualities is beyond the scope of what I can do so maybe I should concentrate on planning for less serious but more likely situations? Perhaps more local situations where we may be confined to the house for some time (a week?) but the army may be able to remain in control, at least in the outer boroughs. Is that too hopeful? Also for local situations that may render London somewhere we need to leave but where going North would be a good option. So a plan to stay put for 5 days and see if the situation is going to get better or worse. If worse, enough supplies/equipment/a plan to make it to Lancs/Yorks.

Does that sound reasonable to plan for, for now?

Moving away from London is unfortunately not an option right now.

Lose the defeatism Rachel you have two children to plan for and defeatism is no longer an option when you have kids to care for, start invesigating, researching and planning I assure you in time you will come up with a viable plan even if its just getting rid of the car and buying a camper van to escape in. It would have been easy for me to give up trying gecause of logisyical and job problems but when NR junior was born we no longer had that luxury, we HAD to find a way to ensure his safety and survival just as you do with your two girls.
Get studying missus

[Rachel_K]

Thanks again. I will work on water and food for a week first, then a fortnight and means of escape, then supplies for longer. It's a good job I like lists, I'm making lists of lists to make now! While I'm doing that, hopefully other ideas will come to me.

[bigpaul]

being a prepper is all about lists and planning, I've just done an inventory of my stores and even surprised myself how much I've amassed!

[Lightspeed]

(8 August 2013, 10:47)Rachel_K Wrote: Thanks again. I will work on water and food for a week first, then a fortnight and means of escape, then supplies for longer. It's a good job I like lists, I'm making lists of lists to make now! While I'm doing that, hopefully other ideas will come to me.

Just a thought ( as i'm working on water systems at the moment)

As per MCavity's reply earlier, water should be your first concern.

Beardyman and i have recently been discussing filtering systems in some detail. There is a ceramic filter on the market that is used in disaster relief programs to provide safe drinking water. The ones i am using are called Supersterasyl ( 7" version). They cost less than £10 at the moment at Avonsoft and can filter up to 10,000 liters of water beforethey have to be replaced. For a family of four, consuming 2L per person per day, a single filter element could service their requirement for nearly 3 1/2 years!

NR has published som plans of how to mount these filters in plastic buckets in the water secion I think.

Avon soft are at: http://www.avonsoft.com/pages/

[Tdvsko]

I myself was living in London when I found this forum in September 2012. I realized I was in a impossible situation for survival in the location I was in. Over time and after 9 months of joining the forum I moved home with the opportunity that came up and moved many miles from London to the countryside where now I have much better prospects of survival. It was not easy it took me a good while to sort everything due to moving. Yes I have less things near me but overall after 6 weeks of being where I am I will never go back to the city. Countryside will be where I live for now on.

[Skean Dhude]

Rachel,

Before you do anything, read some articles on here and other sites. Think about your situation and what scenario you are concerned about and what you could do then ask questions. The answers may make you consider giving in but you can't two children are relying on you. You can revise your plans until you work out what is best for you.

Bear in mind not every scenario means living in London means doom.

Ask lots of questions and remember there are no stupid questions, we all have to start somewhere.

[Spandex228]

Hi I found this article and it raised some good points, firstly a lot if not all of my ideas and points I am about to suggest are from NR, or off this site.

Firstly I think the biggest step you can make in prepping is simply to admit that “you need to prepare”

Like other people have said don’t let anything on this post put you off start small and build up.

If you ever need to bug out, your Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) becomes very important, current thinking on vehicles seems to be large, IE a four wheel drive or camper van, or the much smaller micro vehicles ideal for getting in between parked or abandoned vehicles and out of tight spots which I believe in a bug out situation, in a heavy built up area, where you currently live is well worth considering. People seem to recommend having them pointing in the correct direction you intend to bug out , and have it fully fuelled with spare fuel in the boot in metal jerry can/s a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and full break down kit tow rope etc, and very well maintained. I would maybe consider a small micro car what you can get yourself the kids and your partner in and some bug out bags, but not much more.

I know you have been told the importance of having a plan and being very familiar with the roads in and out of your area, and having the correct maps.

Have you considered the contents of bug out bags for the kids and yourself, if anyone is on any sort of medication have you got some spare, to take and if anyone wears glasses have you spare. Have you spare clothes and shoes for your youngsters for your bug out bags, and what about keeping them happy when they are bored books etc, I could imagine a bag of sweets each for them may keep them happy and distracted in any unwanted situations. Could I recommend a torch for each bag, maybe a head torch to keep hands free and I like the small hand crank torches which you can operate one handed a couple of quid each from home base and dyers hard ware shops. Also a jacket for everyone, for rain and inclement weather, and a first aid kit for each bag, with food and water. Some cash also if cards and cash points become unusable

Have you considered a first aid course for yourself or partner?

Practice bugging out is worthwhile but so the kids don’t get concerned or upset, you could just call it days out or trips away, and have you considered hotels, holiday homes or camp sites as Bug Out Locations if the situation permits?

I hope your planning and prepping goes well.

[Kenneth Eames]

Rachel_K, It is possible that there are other members of this forum who live near you. I would hope that they would get in touch with you, and that together you could form a group. There is strength in numbers and it leads to confidence. Together you could plan for a possible survival situation. I hope that something good will happen for you soon. Kenneth Eames.