Preparedness, do any practise it?

[Tourist]

There was an interesting article in the paper a couple of weeks back - Nine meals to Anarchy.

The thought being that once it all goes pear shaped, such as no more oil distribution:

Day 1: Meals 1, 2 & 3. People would lethargically sit around "because its all going to get better, isn't it"?

Day 2: Meals 4, 5 & 6. People start panic buying, just in case.

Day 3: Meals 7, 8 & 9. Looting starts because shops like Sainsco and Tesbury are running on almost empty shelves.

Day 4: .................The rise of the Police Community Support Officer (sorry, joke).

I know from some work I did some years back that we, as a country, only have 5 days worth of food in the supply chain at any given time. Thats it, 5 days, 15 meals. Big cities rely on daily replenishment of supermarket stocks because of a floor space to cost ratio. So, anyone with a £5 million quid flat in Kensington is going to be stuffed.

The nine meals scenario was sound research presented in Parliament. My own ramblings were based on academic research for a Masters Degree with co operation from some big names in the supermarket and food supply chain industry.

 

[hogstable]

I work to a 'readiness state' system, weighing up what is happening around you.If the world seems 'normal' then a low readiness state is called for. If things start to happen then the readiness state changes, eg get more food, stock up on petrol etc. Petrol strikes were a time when we just reviewed what we had as I had links with the food industry and they were really concerned (I'm sure fuel would have been restored by any means necessary though).

For example we have two jerry cans both kept empty, if we got a bit more concerned then they could be filled up an cars kept topped up. Likewise I have pondered buying a water butt and leaving it in the garage so if things happened it could be filled up with water. Handy to hopefully avoid the rush if you have your 'trigger points' and a shopping list to work to

Raganr Benson's urban survival gives a few god points too as does the FEMA website. Not too glamourous but nice to know.

 

[galew]

I had a bank card reduce my credit line from 3000 to 100 saying it was because of report from credit agency EQUAFAX, checked my credit with them, ( I thought at first that my ID might have been stolen )says everything perfect no negatives at all. Contacted the bank issuing card says that the information from EQUAFAX was given on letter they sent me. After getting the run around from them, talked to a superviser. Said could not change until the next review. Told me that they could not access my credit files, I said yes they could if I gave them permission, Told me no that they couldn't it was against the law. Lie.
I said is it because your bank dosen't have the money to loan anymore.
She assured me that the bank was stable and that it was the credit agency that they rely on only.
I believe that it is a bank problem.
Any one else had this happen to them lately.

 

[Kerne]

Which bank? Should be easy to find out if they're in trouble on the interweb.

 

[novembeRain]

Even paranoid people have enemies

Reminds me of a song, Nirvanna I think, "just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you..."

 

[galew]

Which bank? Should be easy to find out if they're in trouble on the interweb.

GE Money Bank

 

[Karl5]

I haven't done anything serious in the preparedness field, but if and when I do, it'll be along the lines of preparing my home. Much like Eric and Reds ideas.

One thing I've been thinking of, and that I haven't seen being adressed here, is sanitation.
If the garbage man isn't coming around any more, and the toilets and the running water have stopped working - How do you solve that?
Without being conspicuous to the surroundings?
Maybe it'll work if you're on a farm or cottage in the countryside, but if you're living in the city or even in a small village?

/ Karl

 

[JohnH]

I thoroughly agree with the being 'prepared' plan; not quite to the same extent as many on here and certainly not to the same extent as the 'survivalists' you find in the states.

I practice my skills regularly while out on walks with the missus, I've identified 'hides' in the local area as well as 'bolt holes' within Wales or Scotland that I would head to in the event of anything nasty befalling our country. I have snares at the ready as well as my air rifle (I need to find a manner of moulding my own pellets). My knowledge of UK flora and fauna grows daily (the missus is astoundingly excellent at that part). There's also a few boxes of 24hr Ration Packs 'squirreled' away too.

Am I a freak though? I don't think so. My wife is about to give birth and I see the world as an increasingly fragile place to bring up a child. I would just like to be prepared enough to allow my children a chance in the world. Fortune favours the prepared.

 

[Geuf]

I have 24 liters of bottled water and for maybe one week of canned food. that's basically it. I don't have the time or money right now to stock up for whatever it is that could happen.
But I have thought about it and my conclusion is that I realy want to move my life to a more independant way of living. more sustainable and les dependent of money based systems. there will always be money, and damn it is a handy system for some things. fox example taxes, wich generates a social medical system: medical insurances and so forth. But it has it's flaws. as mentioned by Tourist. It's really interesting to think about all this.

One thing I'm sure of, is that it's very wise for non smokers to stock up in sigarettes in a general crisis. I bet it's a very stable currency. lol!

 

[Fraxinus]

It is all very laudable to prepare for major socioeconomic or weather instigated situations, however, it may be something as simple as not checking the location of the fire exits in your place of work or a hotel you are at on vacation or business that causes the biggest problem. How often do you see people too preoccupied with downing the duty free to listen to the emergency procedures on a ferry or aircraft?
Being prepared is a daily exercise but a constant mindset.
Great thread though IMHO.

 

[cariboo]

It was -39 when we got up this morning. Being prepared for anything is just part of our lives. We are good for about 6 months. When the garden starts the cycle begins again.
We are very lucky to live here. I can't think of a better place to raise a child.
No phone and no grid.

It is hard work. Getting dressed up to travel the 200 feet to the out house.
We're snowed in right now. Our 1 1/2 km road has deep snow drifts. I need to weld up the tractor plow before it moves. To cold to be welding.

Unlimited solar power on these cold days but it takes an hour or so to wam up the shop.
The walls are double 6mm plastic, good for light and helps heat up the space with sunlight. When there is no sun I burn wood.

Scott

http://aki-and-scott-fireweed.blogspot.com/
http://www.caribooblades.com

 

[Walks with dogs]

My God I'm envious right now!

 

[JohnH]

As difficult as your life must be compared to mine in the UK, I am very envious. It is the type of life that I can only dream about for my children.

It was -39 when we got up this morning. Being prepared for anything is just part of our lives. We are good for about 6 months. When the garden starts the cycle begins again.
We are very lucky to live here. I can't think of a better place to raise a child.
No phone and no grid.

It is hard work. Getting dressed up to travel the 200 feet to the out house.
We're snowed in right now. Our 1 1/2 km road has deep snow drifts. I need to weld up the tractor plow before it moves. To cold to be welding.

Unlimited solar power on these cold days but it takes an hour or so to wam up the shop.
The walls are double 6mm plastic, good for light and helps heat up the space with sunlight. When there is no sun I burn wood.

Scott

http://aki-and-scott-fireweed.blogspot.com/
http://www.caribooblades.com

 

[mortalmerlin]

We have a small car based kit for a while and are building up stores of everything we use in everyday life. We already use a wood burner and have 2 years of wood in store, oil fire heating with a year's worth of oil (that will also power the Landy and generator). We have a well and lots of bottled water stored. We have had to learn quite a lot about food and water storage as well as trying to shift to making our own bread etc. We found some of the mormon sites very useful for information.

 

[lub0]

This is a great thread, been reading most of it.
Does anyone have any information on paraffin oil heaters that use a wick to ignite and not electricity? I'm having trouble finding any on google.

I want to buy 1 or 2 for emerigencies...

 

[Oblio13]

We lose our power here several times per winter. Five days is the record. And there are days when we have to use snowshoes to get to our vehicles. We have paraffin lamps, extra food in the pantry, and plenty of firewood. We live on a lake, so water's not a problem, although sometimes the ice has to be chopped through with an ax. Power outages are actually fun, at least for the first few days.

 

[lub0]

haha that does sound fun! Oblio what paraffin hardware do you use? do these lamps provide radiant heat? can they cook a meal? whats the consumption rate and how much does paraffin oil go by the litre these days?

 

[Walks with dogs]

I read "When all Hell breaks loose" by Cody Lundin last week - everyone needs a hobby. Absolutely excellent book on general preapredness without the " survival nut" mentality.

It answers all manner of questions even this ...

"One thing I've been thinking of, and that I haven't seen being adressed here, is sanitation.
If the garbage man isn't coming around any more, and the toilets and the running water have stopped working - How do you solve that?
Without being conspicuous to the surroundings?
Maybe it'll work if you're on a farm or cottage in the countryside, but if you're living in the city or even in a small village?"

Some answers: store water, conserve it, use gel handwash, collect rainwater, dig a ditch, and buy a lot of bin bags.

 

[HillBill]

I haven't done anything serious in the preparedness field, but if and when I do, it'll be along the lines of preparing my home. Much like Eric and Reds ideas.

One thing I've been thinking of, and that I haven't seen being adressed here, is sanitation.
If the garbage man isn't coming around any more, and the toilets and the running water have stopped working - How do you solve that?
Without being conspicuous to the surroundings?
Maybe it'll work if you're on a farm or cottage in the countryside, but if you're living in the city or even in a small village?

/ Karl

Burn the rubbish if you can or as much of it as you can. Dig a hole for a toilet. Water can be purified from many sources with the right stuff.

People lived this way for most of human history. They got along fine. We just have to get used to that kind of lifestyle.

 

[Broch]

Great thread especially after the recent new series of Survivors.

We live in the middle of nowhere with a bore hole, generator, wood burning stove and a wood, septic tank sanitation, and plenty of ammo! The thing to remember, if you want to stay out of sight, is no smokey fires during the day and no bright fires at night. Use an air rifle not a shotgun to hunt. Don't use a generator unless you have to (use photovoltaic and wind). Have an exit planned and some way of getting early warning of unwelcome visitors (a watch). If there is any way of disabling what you have when you go you have better chance of getting it back. For example I can disable the borehole pump so it would be very difficult for anyone else to get it working again.

Of course, it's not going to happen is it?