time to get into prepping?

[Dave ward]

Hi everyone, ive recently be chatting to a fellow forum member David and we was chatting about one subject which naturally went on to the prepperedness subject. In the uk last monday we were threatened with a big storm which hit the south of the uk the hardest. Now im not much of a worry wort when it comes to this sort of thing because the media like to blow everythibg up ten fold but I did start to think (when the winds started picking up and rain was hammering down) "how long would it take if needs be to get clothing/water/food/shelter and the family out of harms way if we needed to get out asap!? Yes in a storm your better off staying in doors but say gas pipes are a threat and you have to get out? I guess what im getting at is ARE YOU PREPPERED and if so how? Lets share ideas and im making a start on my grab bag for my family ha ha

[uncleboob]

I reckon the only thing worth preparing is knowledge and skill. I imagine if some catastrophe did take place that those who had prepared would be pursued by those who had not- so probably not worth accumulating long term supplies of tins of food, paraffin and solar panels etc etc...

Did you happen to see that bbc program ' blackout' recently?

Cheers, joab

[Dave ward]

Yes baddy, very thought provoking! And very true how humans started to become animalistic and territorial. Im of the same opinion that to go over the top with prepping (and by that I mean months worth of food and generators etc) your going to become a target, im only willing to prep to the point of 48 hour items in a grab bag because I believe I would have enough supplies in the house like most of us to last 3/4 days without elec or other supples apart from water which is one thing im going to change. But to "bug out" is a decision you'd only take if your house was in danger I think. But I do believe in a emergency bag or grab bag. You dont have to bug out, it could be your supplies to have in your home should the shelfs start to look empty?

[Dave ward]

Sorry I ment yes buddy! Not baddy!! :)

[BJ]

I think most people already have the basics to hand. for example some candles for power cuts etc and sufficient food for a few days. If there was some type of incident that caused prolonged issues with power supplies etc. As with most things there will always be some who are better prepared either from a materialistic or mental standpoint.
I know of some people who wouldn't survive a weekend if the wife didn't cook for them.
I have a view that it is better to be prepared for usual emergency situations; anything else generally has some warning signs, which the observant souls would pick up on and take whatever action they deemed suited the situation.;)

[OakAshandThorn]

I agree with BJ...most folks have stuff on hand, but many will not know what to do with them when the panic sets in. I imagine that lots of people will raid the stores right before the disaster, and when supplies eventually run short, people will resort to anything to nourish themselves...including robbing their neighbors - hence the reason to keep your prepping secret. And of course, you can have all the supplies you need (or think you need), but things can still go ill if you aren't prepared mentally.
Folks who plan on bugging out had better leave very early else they be caught up in choking gridlock on the highways.

[Ashley Cawley]

I don't consider myself a prepper, but I do find the topic quite interesting, I've watched a few of the prepper TV programmes just from the perspective of being nosey and seeing what kit others consider important and think they will need to survive. I've also got an interest in off-grid/renewables so it's interesting to see various setups that people put in place, some of them are quite ingenious, some silly but it's entertaining.

When I see such programmes I often think people's game-plan is too readily to bug-out, head for the hills or the woods, when in a lot of situations I would just stay home. Now I know your given scenario (gas-leak) would force you to evacuate but in reality what would I do?... well my wife and I would to move a family members house nearby, failing that a friends house.. numerous locals to pick from, I wouldn't head for the woods in dire conditions.

The great storm of 2013 was pretty epic wasn't it? :p lol. We were out camping the night before, it was pretty damn gusty at 3AM, plenty of chestnuts down on the floor though. :o

[OakAshandThorn]

We were out camping the night before, it was pretty damn gusty at 3AM, plenty of chestnuts down on the floor though. :o
Don't tell the Ice Age squirrel, Ash :p :D.

[jus_young]

If anything, the weather conditions are far worse this weekend. We have high seas causing damage along the seafront, flooding and debris everywhere due to the wind. The temperatures have really dropped as well. Not much better tomorrow so the waterproofs will continue to get a good testing.

[Silverback]

Some folks have no choice sometimes to either bug out or bug in...In the South Yorkshire floods of 2007 thousands were displaced from their homes, many losing everything and not being able to return home for 72 hrs plus..others had no choice but to either await rescue or bug in because of the floodwaters.

In the A57 closure just 3 years ago many folks were forced to bug in their houses for at least 72 hours...... of the vehicles trapped on the A57 (in the end it was 700) the only people suffering real hardship and NEEDING evacuation to rest centres were car drivers, lorry drivers took it in their stride mainly because they are prepped for long periods away from home.

Im not basing my evidence above on snippets pulled from sensationalist media either - I was on the ground at both incidents

[FishyFolk]

Some folks have no choice sometimes to either bug out or bug in...In the South Yorkshire floods of 2007 thousands were displaced from their homes, many losing everything and not being able to return home for 72 hrs plus..others had no choice but to either await rescue or bug in because of the floodwaters.

In the A57 closure just 3 years ago many folks were forced to bug in their houses for at least 72 hours...... of the vehicles trapped on the A57 (in the end it was 700) the only people suffering real hardship and NEEDING evacuation to rest centres were car drivers, lorry drivers took it in their stride mainly because they are prepped for long periods away from home.

Im not basing my evidence above on snippets pulled from sensationalist media either - I was on the ground at both incidents

Where i am, I cant really see anything coming that would cause me to have to evacuate my home. And during a winter storm...never seen one so bad that it has even delayed traffick up here. Well, sometimes they close the bridge to the mainland for a few hours if the winds get to high. And you may be half an hour late for work sometimes as you have to shovel out your driveway to get the car out on the road.

Over on the mainlands interior they sometimes have some floods that will wash out a road.

The only thing I worry about is avalanches in winter. But I am pretty good at not being where they are a danger so that does not worry me either.

Anything else...me thinks I'll have ample warning before a war or something like that breaks out....

Anyway, as long as you keep these numpties off our road system, we'll be fine :-)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxgfFwEZjes


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_qMikzSxE0

[Dave ward]

Ive watched a few of these doomsday prepper shows and most are prepping for thinks like economy down fall or some war to breakout. For me personally, Im more likely to get stuck in traffic in winter and have to park up and walk home or sleep there the night, or have power cuts, or something of these more realistic situations. It really would be a case of being forced out of my home to bug out as most situations you'd be fine in your house instead of running to the woods :) so heres a little fun mental task.....right now this second you have to stop what your doing and "bug out" (choose your own reason why) and tell us what you have on you right now to help you carry though your plans....just a little fun. I'll start, my keyring torch, firesteel and multi tool (for my job) thats all I have

[FishyFolk]

Ive watched a few of these doomsday prepper shows and most are prepping for thinks like economy down fall or some war to breakout. For me personally, Im more likely to get stuck in traffic in winter and have to park up and walk home or sleep there the night, or have power cuts, or something of these more realistic situations. It really would be a case of being forced out of my home to bug out as most situations you'd be fine in your house instead of running to the woods :) so heres a little fun mental task.....right now this second you have to stop what your doing and "bug out" (choose your own reason why) and tell us what you have on you right now to help you carry though your plans....just a little fun. I'll start, my keyring torch, firesteel and multi tool (for my job) thats all I have

Well if the Aliens are invading, or there is a Zombie outbreak , I have my SAK in my camera bag next to the desk here. On my desk there is an now empty coke bottle. So I got a container. It was a bit nippy this morning so have a shemagh, and I am okayish dressed. for a few hours out. There is a shovel and a Mora knife in the car + a lighter in my car.

I am in luck as I just traded for a an Optimus 111 stove from my boss, and he brought it today, so that is sitting next to my desk. And it has some parrafine left in the tank.

But I would not bug out like that. I have a 3 year old in day care. So my number 1 priority would be to get to him...and then I would be 200 meters from home where all my gear is...so I have everything I would not to survive for weeks...

[Dave ward]

Wow your set for sure! Im coming to your work if I need to bug out today ha ha ive heard so many great things about mora knifes. May have to invest in one ;)

[Fraser]

Ive watched a few of these doomsday prepper shows and most are prepping for thinks like economy down fall or some war to breakout. For me personally, Im more likely to get stuck in traffic in winter and have to park up and walk home or sleep there the night, or have power cuts, or something of these more realistic situations. It really would be a case of being forced out of my home to bug out as most situations you'd be fine in your house instead of running to the woods :) so heres a little fun mental task.....right now this second you have to stop what your doing and "bug out" (choose your own reason why) and tell us what you have on you right now to help you carry though your plans....just a little fun. I'll start, my keyring torch, firesteel and multi tool (for my job) thats all I have

I have my leatherman. A couple of good torches. An Opinel #6. all on my person right now. A Mora robust and LMF fire steel in my truck. 2 or 3 cigars and a pipe and pouch of baccy. there's also the warmth and shelter that my truck would give, if I could take it.

[Dave ward]

Good items fraser, im going to have a look at these mora knifes later :) seems to be a popular choice.

[ian c]

At this moment in time I have a daysack with snares, water bottle, metal mug, paracord, poncho liner, fishing kit and a few knives with sharpening kit all inside the daysack as I was sorting some of my stuff on myself I have my wallet, keys, lighter and just under 2 ounces of bacca with papers, there is still a lot more stuff in the daysack but wont empty it to list the contents.

[surplus 6]

sitting in front of me, on the desk is my sheath knife (don't know the make as it's 30+ years old) not normally there, but doing a bit more cleaning on it, in the draw to my left is my para cord stash, fire steel, tea lights (small candles) and my ball bearing ammo for my catapults in a pouch. in my car is my rucksack with my catapults, my take down recurve bow, fleece blankets (x2) wind up torch on my key ring. in the shed are my tents, axes, saws, twin ring gas hob with grill, my trangia cooker (that reminds me I need more meths lol)
I'm half way there, but can the disaster wait until the posty delivers the arrows for my bow lol.

[Fraser]

sitting in front of me, on the desk is my sheath knife (don't know the make as it's 30+ years old) not normally there, but doing a bit more cleaning on it, in the draw to my left is my para cord stash, fire steel, tea lights (small candles) and my ball bearing ammo for my catapults in a pouch. in my car is my rucksack with my catapults, my take down recurve bow, fleece blankets (x2) wind up torch on my key ring. in the shed are my tents, axes, saws, twin ring gas hob with grill, my trangia cooker (that reminds me I need more meths lol)
I'm half way there, but can the disaster wait until the posty delivers the arrows for my bow lol.

HOLY POO! Thats more than I take camping LOL.

[Fraser]

Good items fraser, im going to have a look at these mora knifes later :) seems to be a popular choice.
Excellent kinfe at a price that wont break your heart when you lose it on a hill somewhere. Not in the same league as one of yours though.

[Dave ward]

Wow think I need to pick my game up ha ha I have a gerber folder and a pocket folding knife but with living in the UK the law states its illegal to have these on you in public. I have a multi tool on me because pf work and 9 times out of 10 I can solve issues with the screw drivers on that but its in my pocket all day :)

[Fraser]

Excellent kinfe at a price that wont break your heart when you lose it on a hill somewhere. Not in the same league as one of yours though.
OOPS! Wrong Dave. :oops:

[Dave ward]

I wondered what you ment but dint wanna say anything ha ha

[Adam Savage]

I think Sapper brings up the main disaster scenario, of flooding. Other than these floods, I can't see the UK getting much of anything major (well, not major in the grand scheme of things). Luckily (if you can call it that) those that live in flood risk areas know about it, and are usually prepared to some extent for it.
Most of the events that the stereotypical "prepper" preps for, would either come so fast and hard that no one could do much about it, no matter how prepared they were, or the event would be slow and drawn out, so almost everyone could adjust/cope.
I'm a firm believer in having the knowledge and skills, but intelligence plays a huge part. Even if you don't "know" the way to do something, you can usually figure it out :)
You should still plan ahead though, like having blankets, first aids kits, waterproofs, etc in your car/backpack. To me that's just common sense.

[Dave ward]

Totally agree! I think for the uk were more likely to have power cuts, localised flooding but with these situations we wouldnt need to panic as we'd have ample warning of flooding. The power cuts etc well, it boils down to common sense. A few candles here and there and keeping some water aside. I plan to get a emergancy bag together but just extra food and water to last a day or two because to "bug out" would just be silly unless your security is at risk or your house is in danger. Just afew bits set aside to keep ya as comfy as poss till alls well which in the uk is normally fairly quick.

[BushcraftUC]

To become prepper the first problem is money, that's why I prefer to have a maximum of knowledge in survival ( in city too ) ; there is TV show about that, in french it's called Familles Apocalypse ; but I don't know the sentence in english ; maybe " Apocalyptic family " or something like this ^^ . It's very interesting ! :)

[bigpaul]

anybody who STILL thinks this civilisation is going to go on and on without end is living in cloud cuckoo land. anyone who only keeps 3 days worth of food in the house is living in cloud cuckoo land. anyone who hasn't taken any notice of the recent massive flooding on The Somerset Levels and in the Thames Valley is living in cloud cuckoo land. anyone who dosent take note of what is happening in the Ukraine is living in cloud cuckoo land. wake up and look around you, its beginning to happen already, the time to make preparations is NOW not AFTER TSHTF.

[Tigger004]

Our Local Council " Northamptonshire" post in the local " Be prepared for an Emergency"

This explains in Bad conditions ie. flooding, that emergency services are stretched and it could take time to get to people requiring help

[Tony1948]

What's the flooding in the UK got to do with the Ukraine?I was around when we went into north Korea,nuthink happend,when we went into Suez and the French then the Ozzys and Yank went into Vetnam nout happend.I dont think in the 66year I'v been on this earth there has'ant been a conflict in the world some wair,I'v even been involved in 1or2,even in the Cubern missile crisis I still went to school the USA were about a day away from Nukin Cuba and the USSR,. I think the bigest thing to affect me was the 6day war in Egypt,befor it started Petrol was 4gal for a £1.TSHTF since I was born but we are all still hear,dont worry abut it bud it may never happon ejoy life and dont let em wide you uphave a glass of somthing.

[bigpaul]

what if Russia gets annoyed with the west and just turns off the tap on the gas pipeline, you got gas? what you gonna do if the supplies are turned off? last winter the NATIONAL stocks went down to 3 days worth...what if that runs out? just saying "don't worry about it" is what SHEEPLE do, bury your head in the sand, fine, dosent matter to me what you do. "failing to prepare is preparing to fail".

[Tony1948]

All you so cooled prepper are on the same song sheet,the what if song.:happy-clapping:

[bigpaul]

can you be so sure though? got crystal balls have you? with what is happening in the world these days from Ukraine to GM foods I wouldn't want to put my chances of survival in the hands of a sceptic.....or the government, I mean didn't they react fast to what was happening on the levels? yeah right, those people were left to fend for themselves for 2 months...........

[midas]

Well If keeping a well stocked larder,and freezer(tho would have to cook n eat first if powercut off)means I'm a prepper?or as the scout motto says "Be Prepared Than At 73,Thats me.In my villlage,there only has to be a covering of snow,and the two shops Coop n Londis are cleared out,by panic buying,Bread ,milk ,Veggies,etc.(sure they waste most of it).
Like the fact I drive a JEEP,I often get "don't know why you drive a big gas guzzler"until it snows.Then Its,if they see me going out its,"If your going??? you couldn't get me ????Coops sold out.etc."Each to his own I guess!!!

[rik_uk3]

Being prepared means you don't need to use your Jeep :)

Make a cozy from duvets for your freezer and your good for a week, a small petrol genny will 'charge' the freezer if you use if for a couple of hours a day (or less at times).

[ian c]

I would like to think that most people have some sort of food in their cupboards that would last them at least 3 days I know that in our cupboards there is enough food in tins and packets to last 4 of us at least 5 days and that is not including frozen food, otherwise we have enough fishing/ hunting kit that we all know how to use and repair if needed, I place out wires as part of rabbit control on land that I have permission.

[Midge_Fodder]

I work on the principle in a happy peace loving guy, if anyone needs a hand I'll help them out. I'm lucky I don't have gas to go out, I have a multi burner which I can run on wood. I'm not far away from a water source and I can get game if it's needed. I grow my own veg and preserve as much as I can. I also live on a hill and the water would have to raise 200 ft to get into my door. Pretty safe to say unless we are invaded and for some reason I've not already been called up for service, I'd say I'm pretty safe at home. I always have everything handy as I make the vast majority of my income outdoors. So my prepping is just the common sense type if preparing. Yeah there's a chance civilisation might end but to be honest we'd all be pretty safe, as most people want to learn your skills, and let's face it we aren't elitist sharing knoledge.

[Blood]

Really Bigpaul? That was a Really bold statement. Not looking for a forum caffufful here, just wondering why all these events have your heckles up is all

[KieranBroadfield]

Here in New Zealand, everyone is recommended to have get away kits, with water, food, clothes and all the rest.

Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunami's an all that..

Hardly anyone actually has the kits though..

I've just put ours together, now I am making taylor made ones for other people & selling them :)

[Midge_Fodder]

What is the vast bulk of the properties over there built from?

[KieranBroadfield]

What is the vast bulk of the properties over there built from?

House?

Timber...

Most of them are the timber frames then some bricks haha, they go up real quick & quite cheap.. They're not the best insulated, or best built.. I've seen some tips here. Ripping out a kitchen on a $2,000,000 house (the kitchen was on the top floor), you could see a lot of daylight between the floor and wall, about a 4 inch gap.

Most of the houses here can be picked up and transported haha. They're more like caravans.

[KieranBroadfield]

our external house walls are just under 1ft thick, from the outside of the bricks, to the inside of the plasterboard. haha,

[Midge_Fodder]

At least there's some brick used, it could be all wooden. But then it would be a false economy putting up 3 foot thick stone croft walls if an earthquake would take it out anyway.

[bigpaul]

Really Bigpaul? That was a Really bold statement. Not looking for a forum caffufful here, just wondering why all these events have your heckles up is all

Putin has already said if the West intervenes he will shut down the European Gas pipeline, so that's energy supplies through Europe, Germany to the UK. just going on my own experiences, 3 years ago we were snowed in here for nearly 4 weeks, now normal people would have been panicking after a week, because we have food stocks we just sat tight and sat it out. prepping dosent have to be about the big things all the time, it can be little often forgotten events too.

[FishyFolk]

We are all hydro-electric here in Norway, and we have plenty of gas to export to you over there...

[bigpaul]

yes at the moment, what happens when Putin turns off the tap?

[Adam Savage]

I haven't had gas at mu house for over 11 years, so it doesn't bother me :D

[bigpaul]

no me neither plus we have back up heating, lighting and cooking.

[Midge_Fodder]

I roll all of that into one, my multi-burner stove. So Putin can turn off what he likes, what he doesn't realise is we can harvest gas from digesting our rubbish and even rmanure.

[bigpaul]

yeah, we've got a wood burner too but I have extra alternative ways of heating, cooking and lighting in addition to that-just in case.

[FishyFolk]

yes at the moment, what happens when Putin turns off the tap?

We don't have any russian taps he can turn off. We have our own gas...which we don't use since we don't use gas for heating at all in Norway.

[bigpaul]

that's strange, I thought the Russian pipeline to the EU came through Norway? maybe it goes through Sweden instead.

[Midge_Fodder]

There's quite a few pipelines to be honest, and anyway if it was cut off in Russia the rest of the pipe would be viable. Russia only owns the Siberian gas not anyone else's.

[bigpaul]

if the gas pipeline was shut down in Russia nobody would be getting any, once the supply stops that's it no more gas. anyway as we haven't got gas, its not my personal problem.

[Midge_Fodder]

It wouldn't matter too much to the uk as the vast majority of our gas is harvested from landfill now anyway

[bigpaul]

you really believe that do you?? most of it is bought very expensively from EDF.

[Midge_Fodder]

No it's been stepped up lately, all super markets are now having to send their waste for processing as they must be zero landfill now. EDF are part of the Tesco group and that's how they are doing it now.

[bigpaul]

don't get me started on supermarket waste !!!:guns:

[Midge_Fodder]

Also in Lockerbie, just up the road from me there's a wood gas plant. The farmers are subsidised to grow coppice willow, that's then burned to boil water which is used to produce electricity and the wood gas is harvested and is used as domestic gas

[bigpaul]

yeah I know all about coppiced willow, I used to live in Somerset.

[Midge_Fodder]

But on the large scale it's still viable in this country to have our utilities fed by biomass. 1 reason is it the most green way to do it and another is we are producing it internally so it's a secure way. Any surplus can then be sold off to anywhere else giving us an economic gain.

[bigpaul]

We don't have any russian taps he can turn off. We have our own gas...which we don't use since we don't use gas for heating at all in Norway.

yeah you already said that!!:happy-clapping:

[Rasputin]

don't get me started on supermarket waste !!!:guns:

Hell Paul your like a fox in a henhouse, are you the prophet of doom !?

[bigpaul]

Hell Paul your like a fox in a henhouse, are you the prophet of doom !? nope, but I've been around for awhile and I've seen a lot of things and I don't like the way they are going, that's why I got into prepping in the first place, I firmly believe this is the way to go as I consider a major event is long overdue. :jumping-joy:

[Blood]

Well if the gas goes off, I no longer have to feed the barsteward money so roll on.

Entertaining thread, many thanks

[Midge_Fodder]

Well if the gas goes off, I no longer have to feed the barsteward money so roll on.

Entertaining thread, many thanks

I don't have that problem, but if we do get cut off from the gas supplies, that wood gas stove thread will be going viral.

[Blood]

Hahaha

Can't wait to sharer what I'm picking up this week!!!!!

Home made gas bottle stove! Whoop whoop!

[Midge_Fodder]

You might make it into Rude(ish) tube

[Silverback]

if they cut off the gas I'll just open up the living roof fireplace

[Rasputin]

Of course there is a problem lurkin in the background as almost 1/2 the powerstations now run on gas and so your looking at ltd power

[Midge_Fodder]

Not mine it's biomass, makes gas too lol

[Rasputin]

well Shugs, If tshtf I know where to come :evilgrin:

[Midge_Fodder]

Aye, our nuclear facility has been decommissioned, Dumfries and Galloway is 100% biomass, wind or hydro power and only people in the major towns even get a gas supply. It's all part and parcel to the Scottish governments green policy.

[Silverback]

Of course there is a problem lurkin in the background as almost 1/2 the powerstations now run on gas and so your looking at ltd power

not bothered...I have a genny

[midas]

not bothered...I have a genny

What will you run the genny on!

[bigpaul]

the old coal fired and diesel power stations have to be shut down(by EU decree) by 2016 and are not being replaced fast enough-only 2 new ones are being built and wont be online until 2022, so expect the lights to start going out within the next 2 years !!