Author Topic: Preppers and prepping tendencies  (Read 21505 times)

Morat

  • I tried to HTFU but something went ping :(
Preppers and prepping tendencies
« on: 08 December, 2018, 11:53:01 am »
Being a forum of largely independent minded and practical folk (from my reading of it anyway) is there a lurking tendency to "Prepping"? I wouldn't class myself as a full on survivalist but I've realised that I do derive quite a lot of satisfaction from a full food cupboard and I naturally like to keep my cars and bikes maintained/full of fuel/pumped up. I also make Jam and other preserves. I did enthusiastically mantain the tinned food/water reserve that the government recommended after 9/11 - but I stopped when I moved house.
Is this just sensible or should I start looking for property in remote Montana? Does anyone else wonder if they should fit a standby generator in the Garage? :)
Everyone's favourite windbreak

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #1 on: 08 December, 2018, 12:06:48 pm »
Given that we seem unable to generate enough electrons to keep our lights/tellies burning 24/7 already and that we're about to tell all the countries that we depend on to generate it for us to go fuck themselves, a generator is a prudent investment IMHO.

Whether we'll be able to buy any petrol/diesel to run it when the lights go out might be a moot point...
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #2 on: 08 December, 2018, 12:08:04 pm »
IMO it's sensible to be prepared for a couple of days' disruption - water main gone, snowpocalypse with extended power cuts etc. But trying to prepare for anything more is playing pretend, in the UK at least. We're a small island with a large urban population and a heavily industrialised society running on a just-in-time basis; heading for the hills just isn't an option for 90% of people. The people I know who have been thinking about this - mainly in the context of climate change - reckon that the best approach is to try and build community resilience rather than individual prepper stashes. Easier said than done, of course...

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #3 on: 08 December, 2018, 12:20:00 pm »
Given that we seem unable to generate enough electrons to keep our lights/tellies burning 24/7 already and that we're about to tell all the countries that we depend on to generate it for us to go fuck themselves, a generator is a prudent investment IMHO.

Whether we'll be able to buy any petrol/diesel to run it when the lights go out might be a moot point...

Is that the EU jackboot?

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #4 on: 08 December, 2018, 12:20:57 pm »
Not allowed to stock pile meds so expect me to go a bit funny.

Ben T

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #5 on: 08 December, 2018, 12:23:00 pm »
Always sensible to keep a pitchfork under the stairs to beat zombies off with.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #6 on: 08 December, 2018, 01:10:28 pm »
I'm inclined towards having a week or two of food, simply because I might get ill/injured without warning and unable to do any shopping.  We keep a few bottles of water because this house has no water storage, (we're on a water company emergency list that means they're supposed to deliver us bottled water if the supply is disrupted, because barakta can't carry that much weight home from a shop, but so far that's only happened once when some planned works didn't disrupt the supply, and not when leaks did).

Electricity isn't much help without food or communications.  I can generate enough for modest amounts of lighting using a bicycle or solar panel.

Medication... neither of us are likely to die in the medium term as a result of not having it.  Just pain and disability.

Anything more serious and we're fucked anyway.  Better to concentrate your 'prepping' on realistic threats like burglary, fire or Conservative governments.  Anybody not backed up your data recently?  Sometimes the disk fairy comes...

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #7 on: 08 December, 2018, 01:15:31 pm »
Always sensible to keep a pitchfork under the stairs to beat zombies off with.

Guns for show, knives for a pro?

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #8 on: 08 December, 2018, 02:41:16 pm »
Candles, woodburner and a few spare cylinders of bottled gas are enough to keep the household going.
Eating the entire contents of the freezer in one go will be the biggest challenge if the leccy is off for any length of time.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #9 on: 08 December, 2018, 03:18:58 pm »
I've got a big enough stash of wood and camping gaz for a week or so, though the veggie patch is a bit thin this time of year. 

As for meds - it has a long shelf life in the fridge, I can easily stock 6 months worth. Beer, I can be self-sufficient in about 2-3 weeks, just in time to celebrate the return of "normality", whatever that is.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Morat

  • I tried to HTFU but something went ping :(
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #10 on: 08 December, 2018, 03:43:42 pm »
Well in the old house we had oil central heating and open fires for heat so even with the electricity off (which would take out any central heating I can think of) there was a ready source of heat which could also be used for cooking at a pinch.
The new house is far less rural and on mains gas for heating/hot water and cooking (with electric ovens). So I guess cooking on the hob would still be possible although I'd have to light it with _gasp_ a match!

Maybe I'll cook a double batch of Marmelade this year in case the Seville Orange supply is disrupted next year :)
Everyone's favourite windbreak

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #11 on: 08 December, 2018, 05:25:25 pm »
I have plenty of pickled cucumbers  :)

Though I'm not sure they'll sustain me for that long, not high calorie density stuff  :(
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #12 on: 09 December, 2018, 10:59:00 am »
I might be misremembering or misinterpreting, but wasn't Charlotte into this kind of stuff? Certainly seem to remember her talking about her "EDC" and hunting rabbits.

Generators: Most shops and small businesses in Indian towns have a diesel generator chained up on the pavement for the daily "load shedding." It makes city centres unbearably noisy and stinky (as well as cluttering the pavements even more). Larger businesses and critical places like hospitals have large generators built into a basement or a separate building, and they tend to run far quieter and cleaner. Some people have UPSes at home but most people just make do with rechargeable LED lanterns.

Very occasionally there were water shortages too. Mains water was turned on three times a week to fill a sump from which it would be pumped to a 1,000 litre roof tank (plenty for three flats, larger buildings would have larger tanks). On one or two occasions this didn't work (maybe someone forgot to pay the man in charge of the valve, maybe something was actually broken) and then you could call out a private tanker. Far more annoying was the occasion the galoots on the ground floor went away for the weekend leaving a tap on, draining the roof tank (the tailor who had a little shop in the same building conjured up a key from somewhere and sorted it). There was also an occasion when the supply was contaminated (not that it was really safe to drink unboiled but on this occasion it was probably not safe even boiled) and the Corporation actually came round telling everyone not to use it. It turned out the people opposite had a ground well with good water and didn't mind the whole street using it in these circumstances. But I think those all count as examples of neighbourhood resilience in a community that's used to these events; no guarantee at all that similar things would happen or work here, and not just because we're not used to them.

I did enthusiastically mantain the tinned food/water reserve that the government recommended after 9/11 - but I stopped when I moved house.
I don't think I've heard of this before, probably because I was in ABROAD at the time. Hard at this distance to say whether I would have done so but I'm inclined to think I wouldn't have bothered.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

ian

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #13 on: 09 December, 2018, 05:45:00 pm »
I think we're OK for beer – we just moved two boxes from the garage to the porch which doubles as the walk-in fridge this time of year. It's all the strong stuff with distant best-before dates. Come the end of civilization, a 16.5% imperial stout will take the edge off it. Plus frankly, we have enough gin to last about a century.

I checked the canned goods and it's three tins of sardine, one little tin of anchovies, two tins of tomatoes, two tins of butter beans, three tins of Green Giant 'Salad Crisp' sweet corn and that's about it. I'm aware that selection makes me sound possibly the most middle-class person ever.

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #14 on: 09 December, 2018, 05:47:46 pm »
I think we're OK for beer – we just moved two boxes from the garage to the porch which doubles as the walk-in fridge this time of year. It's all the strong stuff with distant best-before dates. Come the end of civilization, a 16.5% imperial stout will take the edge off it. Plus frankly, we have enough gin to last about a century.

I checked the canned goods and it's three tins of sardine, one little tin of anchovies, two tins of tomatoes, two tins of butter beans, three tins of Green Giant 'Salad Crisp' sweet corn and that's about it. I'm aware that selection makes me sound possibly the most middle-class person ever.
Sounds like your cats will be ok.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #15 on: 09 December, 2018, 05:52:14 pm »
I forgot to add, I'm the only omnivore in a houseful of vegetarians - I should be the last to go
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #16 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:03:08 pm »
We've lived in the same house for the last 35 years, and I've always been convinced that we are more likely to be evacuated than other areas due to the combination of industries nearby. It's never happened. I do keep a grab bag in the spare room with a few essentials should it ever happen.
Plus in view of the idiot politicians supposedly running the country I've added a few other odds and ends to the usual stockpile, which Hopefully I'll use up during next summer.
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #17 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:06:51 pm »
While I'm reasonably insulated against manufacturing shortages, as I make most food from raw ingredients and there are always substitutes, the one thing that would hurt would be energy shortages. As our energy is heavily dependent on external supplies, that's an unfortunate possibility.

On the stocks front, I am coincidentally trying to ease back down from overstocking in everything, not for a zombie-pocalype but mostly for convenience and economy. It'd be a right bugger if I have chosen just the wrong time.

ian

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #18 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:32:04 pm »
I think we're OK for beer – we just moved two boxes from the garage to the porch which doubles as the walk-in fridge this time of year. It's all the strong stuff with distant best-before dates. Come the end of civilization, a 16.5% imperial stout will take the edge off it. Plus frankly, we have enough gin to last about a century.

I checked the canned goods and it's three tins of sardine, one little tin of anchovies, two tins of tomatoes, two tins of butter beans, three tins of Green Giant 'Salad Crisp' sweet corn and that's about it. I'm aware that selection makes me sound possibly the most middle-class person ever.
Sounds like your cats will be ok.

Not if they notice that we've run out of tuna (in spring water, of course!). There's usually a couple of tins of tuna and red salmon (the latter which I eat with a fork when no one is looking, it was the poshest thing in our house as a kid, so strictly rationed; the one benefit of being an adult is that I can snarf down as many tins of wild red skinless and boneless* salmon as I want, but I still feel that I have to hide this in case my mum appears behind me to clip me around the ear). The cats are crazy for tinned tuna, less so for salmon. Oddly, neither of them like fresh tuna.

We do buy 20 kg bags of Science Plan cat food in bulk, so actually the cats will probably be fine. We'd have learn to like cat food, I suppose.

*didn't have that back then, which meant my dad would sort through and give us kids the bits of bone and other manky bits. My memoir should be on the WH Smith's misery porn shelf.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #19 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:35:26 pm »
[…]
I checked the canned goods and it's three tins of sardine, one little tin of anchovies, two tins of tomatoes, two tins of butter beans, three tins of Green Giant 'Salad Crisp' sweet corn and that's about it.
[…]
Sounds like your cats will be ok.
Not if they notice that we've run out of tuna (in spring water, of course!).

I don't think it's the tuna the cats will be nomming...

Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #20 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:43:02 pm »
I reckon I can make a week of meals from the dry / tinned food in the cupboard, and we have some camping gas. The kids will learn to like bean surprise.

If brexit breaks the food supply I’m relying on hot wiring a fishing boat and heading to France. :demon:

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #21 on: 09 December, 2018, 06:43:18 pm »
[…]
I checked the canned goods and it's three tins of sardine, one little tin of anchovies, two tins of tomatoes, two tins of butter beans, three tins of Green Giant 'Salad Crisp' sweet corn and that's about it.
[…]
Sounds like your cats will be ok.

A couple of days on tuna and kibble until Ian reaches perfect ripeness
Not if they notice that we've run out of tuna (in spring water, of course!).

I don't think it's the tuna the cats will be nomming...

A couple of days on tuna and kibble until ian reaches perfect ripeness
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #22 on: 09 December, 2018, 08:27:15 pm »
I am already sizing up my neighbours. Plenty of dead wood about at the moment.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #23 on: 09 December, 2018, 09:09:04 pm »
David complains there's too much stuff in the cupboards, fridge and freezer.

I suppose there's 2-3 weeks supplies in hand.

I've had Sainsbury's deliveries cancelled, can't get out and David hates shopping.

I have emergency bottled water for supply failure.
We have candles and torches to use if the electricity fails though I would be unsafe with a candle and would sit in the dark if home alone with no power.

I keep a hardwired landline phone connected so we don't need mains power to make emergency phone calls. (Power failed for a few hours last winter.)

Our gas cooker can be lit with matches should the need arise.

If BT failed, we'd have to find a book...


Re: Preppers and prepping tendencies
« Reply #24 on: 09 December, 2018, 09:17:16 pm »
Since we have power cuts several time a year usually for several hours at a time and memorably one Christmas for three days we always have a supply of candles and battery torches.
We tend to have a full freezer (Mrs Pcolbeck is a batch cooker of casseroles and the like). I have an air rifle so could have a pop at the local bunny population to keep us in food.I keep thinking about stocking up on canned fruit and meat against a possible few months of chaos if we hard Brexit.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.