What have done towards your prep?

[Pete Grey]

I haven’t really posted anything new recently about our preps here’s why. At the age of 77 I think it’s now time to just maintain the status quo considering our age and health. Our plans are fairly comprehensive, and so our preps will not really be increased and will be kept at around this level.

So here is an update of where we are.

Our home is as secure as we can make it. Doors and windows are fitted with the best locks we could get. We have cctv cameras, all garden fencing is constantly checked and repaired as necessary, and is supplemented by spikey holly’s and firethorn’s.
After all we know our area, it’s where all our resources are, we’ve worked for many years to get house and garden to what we want. It’s where we are all set up to bug in.

Where possible the majority of our preps are kept in crates, as they stack taking up less space, and can be easily checked and moved about quickly. We try to keep each about 30lb weight so if needed they can be loaded into a vehicle quickly and easily should we need to bug out. In a bug in situation we can quickly move stuff to where it’s most convenient.

Our potable water is kept in jerrycans with backup being our waterbutts, it gives us 150 gallons, we have a Berkeley filter, with spare filters, thin bleach, sterilising tablets, these will keep it all safe. We also have plans for the collection of as much rainwater as possible should it be necessary. The jerrycans can easily be moved on our four wheeled garden cart.

Our present food stocks both canned and dry should feed us for 4 or 5 months, more with care. We have a lot of salt for when the freezers die. We have raised beds for vegetables, fruit trees and bushes, and a good stock of seeds. However we don’t know how long we will be fit enough to garden, so we have started to increase our canned and dry food stocks.

For heating we have enough coal to last a long winter (our multifuel stove can also boil water and heat saucepans).

For cooking we mainly be using propane (we have spare regulators of all types also for butane if we cane “find” any) and we do have some charcoal and some logs. It may sound silly but we have a couple of homemade rocket stoves, they burn any odd twigs or scraps of wood in an emergency, they cost us nothing and could be very useful.

For when the power goes down we have solar panels and leisure batteries (we are planning to increase them and get spare cable, connectors and charge controllers). We now have little honda generator which we will try to keep for the freezers, but household lighting (all led now) will probably have to be rationed to 2 or 3 hours of an evening. We have led strip lights in garage and workshop, these really need their own solar supply, however after dark we’re usually in the house so not really a problem. But after an event with no mains electricity I expect windup led lanterns and candle lanterns will be the norm. We also have two hundred tea lights (cheap as chips) and two hurricane lamps with some paraffin, we’ve not forgotten matches and lighters.

For communication we have sw radio (plus a spare) for national and international news, cb radio and walkie talkies are for local use, they should keep us informed of any unusual situation, rechargeable batteries, several sets for each and a separate solar charger for them. We have two 12V 7Ah batteries (kept charged) and with ready made up leads just for comms. All kept in a metal dustbin for EMP protection.

Our medical preps are the usual OTC general colds and flu remedies etc, good stocks, and the other usual pills and ointments.
Our prescription medication (high blood pressure), two months supply, could be extended by reducing dose, and can be supplemented with home grown garlic, and dried hawthorn berries (to make hawthorn tea), we will have to take our chances if we run out of meds.

For first aid we have good stocks of sterile dressings, steri-strips, micropore tape, bandages, wound irrigation syringes, wound wash also hydrogen peroxide, detol and methylated spirit. I only keep items I know we are capable of using safely (we both did a first aid course some time ago). We also have good PPE stock.

We have tools for home maintenance, car maintenance (if we have fuel), gardening tools, and protective clothing to prevent any accidents, bump cap, work gloves (you can never have too many), welding gauntlets, rubber gloves and h/d pvc apron while handling batteries or any chemicals, leather apron (while welding or when heavy cutting), goggles, ear defenders, dust masks.

EDC is now a day sac, always with me or in the car behind the driving seat. There is a GHB kept in the boot, and a crate (with extra water, food for 3 days, an esbit stove and billy can, a tarp, FAK, if we are stranded for a couple of days ). If we are out and about and an event occurs and we have to abandon the car, I will carry the GHB and and my wife will carry the EDC day sac with any other useful stuff from the car.

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

If we DO need to bug out it’s the camper, see a more detailed thread “PGs camper van”.

Our family car is a GHV and a backup BOV, there is a separate thread “The Car” with our thoughts on this.

We also have stuff cached with friends at our chosen BOL.

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