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Flexible and Adaptable Items

By Skean Dhude

One thing that we should always consider while prepping is that we always must make the most of our limited finances.

One way of doing that is to purchase items that can be used for several different tasks. Items that are flexible and adaptable to several different uses. It can be easier and cheaper buying items that only perform one task but frequently for a little bit more you can get a more flexible multi tool. Put together the money for each item and you may have a multi tool for less. It just needs you to do a bit of thinking when you are looking for your purchases. Have a look at the multi tools available and consider if they would meet your needs. Bear in mind that sometime specialist tools are better being specifically designed for that job. Not all the time though and that is an opportunity for us.

Expand that across the rest of your preps. We look for vehicles that can be used for more than one use; It can carry several people, it can be used for load carrying and perhaps even as a mobile home.

Even simple things should be considered. Try and standardise on batteries, this means you have the capability of recovering batteries from other units for use in more important units. You can buy in bulk and standardise on rechargeable batteries. There is nothing worse than picking up something you want to use and it has flat batteries and they are non standard. What about gas canisters and their fittings? Think about what you can standardise on across your preps.

Even when you are looking at building items, try and standardise on the basic nuts, bolts and screws. How many times have you wrecked the thread or head on something because you have not had the correct tool available for use? Same with pipe work, washers and other standard items.

One item that will eventually be in every home, if we last that long, is a 3D printer. Store in it the plans for pipe fittings, attachments, mounts not forgetting nuts, bolts, washes etc. and then produce what you need without having to go to the shops. The nearest you can get to a Star trek type replicator for a long time if ever. Buy a 3D printer, a pile of plastic and you can produce a large amount of items for home repair. As it uses plastic it doesn’t even use that much power so is a viable option for putting in as a prep. As they are relatively new they will only improve over the next few years.

It isn’t just your kit either, if you have a local group or friends who are involved, even if they don’t live next door looking to standardise is a good idea. As well as the obvious benefits such as bulk discounts, there is the other benefits involved with having the options of gaining spares from someone else. Think of the problems you can have repairing kit and then consider that a third party could have a spare part that will just be a drop in replacement for you. Then it is just down to what you can trade. The alternative is a trade for something that isn’t quite right but close and then modifying it to fit where it won’t last as long as the proper one would. Obviously a second choice.

It makes sense to standardise where you can but don’t transfer this philosophy to food and items like seeds. In those cases go for variety from a multitude of sources and if you get a bad batch of any, or all, of your items then all is not lost. A sensible risk reduction strategy.

2nd October 2013 | Category: General, Information, Thinking Ahead |

Moving closer to your goal

By Skean Dhude

In our prepping we tend to stick with what is comfortable with. We put aside what we eat, what we use and we try and keep out world from collapsing immediately. We just want to keep hold of what we have even if it is a false construct.

It won’t last though. We just can’t sustain it and we will lose one thing followed by another and another until everything from our old life is gone. Some are longer lasting than others so we may have a knife, a gun or a garden implement. Something solid and robust can last many decades but basically everything else we put aside will be gone.

The preps are only temporary anyway. To provide us a cushion for an event and to enable us to start up our longer term plans which is to move to a more sustainable method of living.

For many of us though there is a middle ground, that is to move to a more sustainable way of living now. It isn’t easy because to do so completely is both expensive and time consuming. Some of us have done it already and many more seem to be taking the plunge, usually those with the finances and think that they want to be out of the rat race.

Many of us though are stuck. We would like to get out of the rat race but we just can’t we don’t have enough money to move out to somewhere safer and we need a job to live, never mind put in place something longer term. We are caught in the rat race.

There is however a way we can improve our lot with or without money and work towards a self sufficient lifestyle. We can look at what we can do to remove ourselves from the rat race. The money you save can go towards more preps.

Examples;

Water :
If you are on water rates then you can look at capturing and filtering your own water to save on water charges. Sadly you will never get away from these charges until after an event but you can reduce their take..

Power :
Most of us missed the money that came with the high rates of feed in to the grid but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from the free solar that is around now. Many providers will provide free installation and money back which although not a great deal means that you will have an array of panels on your roof for your use when the power s gone. If that isn’t possible then consider purchasing a few panels and removing some of your power requirements. Wire your lights into a battery system and save power there. Wire your systems one by one as much as you can, solar on the roof, the garage, sheds, whatever you can. Depending on your capacity you may be able to power all but the tumble dryer, washing machine and any other heavy surge white goods. Reduce and if possible remove yourself from the grid.

Food :
Probably the one where most people are at work. Plant your own veg and fruit. Grown your own herbs in pots. Depending on the size of your garden and the location you can also look at keeping chickens, bees and goats. Every little bit helps and if you can get an allotment then you should be able to make a significant dint in your food bill. This is where most people will be able to improve on their current usage.
Go hunting, rabbits and pigeons are available for all with air rifles or shotguns although deer hunting is a bit more expensive requiring access and a FAC.

Fuel :
The most difficult. The car is a big user of fuel and the Biofuel option is still one of the best but is not suitable for every vehicle and nowadays fresh veg oil is more expensive than petrol. Unless you have access to free used oil then it doesn’t save that much and is messy. The other options are expensive and for most of us not viable. I’m looking at doing something with an alcohol engine but can’t see me travelling to London in that. Consider walking and biking while local, it’ll be better for your health as well.

Our main use of fuel in the house is for heating and cooking. It is possible to move over to alternative fuels there, the primary one of course being solar again which we can use to heat water directly for heating and we can use it to generate power for cooking via panels but for true long term requirements we should use solar ovens for cooking. If that is getting too primitive for you then you should look at using coal or wood. Coal deposits are still scattered around the UK and although not viable for mining commercially there is plenty for our use. Wood burning stoves and heaters are more common and a lot more convenient as wood is available all over the UK and most places free of charge.

Household :
Make your own soap, washing powder and household cleaning agents and you can adjust the strength for your specific uses. Not forgetting toothpaste and cutting your own hair. All significantly cheaper and building your skill set.

Defending on your capabilities there are other things you can do. What are your skill sets, are you a carpenter, a brickie, plumber. Barter for items that you can’t afford. Plenty of people are doing that now. Join them.

Once you have reduced your expenses as much as you can then you will have taken significant steps towards the lifestyle you will end up with after an event. The more you do now the less the impact will be if the time comes plus it will help you save money which can be put towards your preps and you never know, it could be the difference that gets you out of the rat race.

2nd October 2013 | Category: Food Production, General, Homestead, Power, Water |

UK Based Survival Novels on Kindle

By John

I know some survival novels can be good and others bad, also many are American and be a problematic to follow. There are exceptions like Earth Abides and Wolf and Iron.

There are some good lesser known books that are only available in paper and then some if only you can find them and pay the price.

With the advent of Kindle it has allowed what one may call self-publishing which has enabled budding authors to have their work read at very little cost.

Below are two with synopsis and my personal thoughts.

Snow By Ryan Clifford

Synopsis: Every year in the United Kingdom, around November through to February, snowfall will arrive. Usually, it is fairly localised and moderate. Nevertheless, every year when this sprinkling falls, all and sundry are taken by complete surprise and general chaos ensues. Transport links and infrastructure come under severe strain, even though the snow often quickly disappears within a few days. The BAA is on record as stating that they are overwhelmed by as little as 6 cms of snow lying at one of their airports.

So, just what would happen, if, one winter, the snow didn’t disappear, but kept falling – relentlessly – for more than just a few days?

This is one account of what the consequences might be.

Andrew Brady, a cold weather survival expert and RAF officer, is caught up in a fight for his life against the elements as the UK freezes and dies. He adopts Jane Kelly, a journalist and Chris Davies, a twelve year old whose mother has already succumbed to the cold. The story maps their struggle to escape from the UK by land and sea. It also maps the fates of everyday victims of the snow.

Will they survive? Would anyone?

My Thoughts:

This is written like a diary from the perspective of the various characters. We have had two very bad winters to my personal recollection, 1947 and 1963. Which was worse I don’t know but the story line here is all too probable though you may well be able to pull some holes in it. Basically a worthwhile read.

To The Survivors By Philip G Henley

Synopsis: An apocalypse threatens human kind. A lethal virus is detected that attacks mankind and mammals. The Government must act, and whilst the authorities struggle to find a cure, they have to plan for the worst. As the disease spreads it is not clear how many will, or will not, survive, nor what the survivors will have to do to live. They will have to cope with their grief and loneliness before they can attempt to rebuild society. They will need to find water, food, shelter, and power and then face the other threats to their survival. If they survive, there may be hope for human kind. If they survive…

This is not horror genre and there are no zombies, and no asteroids, so if you prefer these types of post-apocalyptic scenarios, look elsewhere. This is a story about surviving.

WARNING The book contains violence, death and some sexual scenes that some readers may find disturbing.

My Thoughts:

Again a plausible story from a prepper point of view. It is the main characters parents who are the preppers but they die before the story even starts. It gives one thoughts as to if our government would even think or do what the government did in this story. If they did it may well make the survivors struggle a bit easier. I doubt if any government would be so helpful. Again a worthwhile story.

Note:

Both of these novels are UK based and both provide some food for thought for preppers as to what would I do if I was in that situation.

John

25th September 2013 | Category: Books |

Just chatting

By Skean Dhude

One of the things I like to do is chat about prepping. Bouncing ideas off like minded people who are interested in the same sort of things we all all. It is always good to get a different opinion of what you are doing and a few pointers for you to consider.

This is why I encourage the prepper RVs so much. I’ve attended as many as I can, made some good friends and had some interesting discussions. The last RV in Cheshire was pretty much like that and I was given quite a few items to consider around areas of my preps I had finished with. It just goes to show how easy it is to believe you know every aspect of something and along comes someone else to make you reconsider.

Our main issue however is chatting to people who don’t know we prep. Either family members or neighbours, friends, etc. We really should at least try to get them on board.

Personally, most of my friends know I hunt and am into self reliance. They know I am a Libertarian at heart and that I hate the welfare state. Not all agree of course and it leads to some interesting discussions which although I won’t get anywhere I love insulting their gods. I rarely talk about prepping though and very few know the dark secrets in the stores I have put away.

It does however make testing my assumptions very difficult and means I can’t always get differing viewpoints. It is a known weakness and I would say that almost all of us are in this situation.

So how do we get our friends and families on board? Well, I don’t have a magic wand or technique that is gauranteed to work. Sorry.

What I do is to broach the subject, it sounds like you are starting up an criminal gang, and in many ways it is similar, where I put a topic down on the table. Usually about the price of food or the latest social engineering of the poorest among us. See how they respond. Many people will start about the way things are going and their concerns. Then I usually mention I have chickens, explain how that enables fresh eggs and no need to buy them at whatever they are at now. I then ask if they grow anything in their gardens as I am thinking of growing some of my own food. Becoming self reliant. You can talk about this for some time. Chickens, food and less reliance on the rest of society. At some stage however you want to move on to the next stage. Prepping. Don’t rush it, it may take several chats about things to sell them self reliance but at one stage it usually gets around to prepping. This is the make or break point. The word Prepping has reactions attached.

If they mention it you can ask them what they mean and see the response. Depending on that you may not want to continue and you have someone to share gardening tips with. On the other hand you can say ‘I understand that preppers are not End of the World supporters but just seem to do what we do, note the we, and are just more self sufficient by having prepared for certain events’. Point out how your grandparents were preppers and how they did things after the war and how modern society has made people soft so that they only have enough food for a few days. Remind them of the fuel strike and how quickly fuel ran out. Depending on how they respond then decide if you want to persue it or not.

Now if it isn’t mentioned you should mention it at one point and see what the response is. Leave it until you are discussing something like seeds, steer it there if you must, then mention the EU dictate on seeds and how they must be licensed. Point out what that means to us, we won’t be able to grow our own food and then say you read on a prepper forum that people were storing seeds for this eventuality and other issues like food shortages etc. Preppers are like us except they are a lot more self reliant and don’t want to be caught out by events such as fuel, power or food shortages. See how that goes and move on from there.

The big issue with this is it takes forever. I just don’t have the time. So although I have done that with friends I’m more into just jumping in nowadays. Talk about power shortages coming up and how the power bosses are going renewable. I talk about how people are moving from the city to the country to get awy from when it all collapses. The issues with our social system then I say it looks like these preppers may be on to something and explain what preppers are, just people who don’t want to be without chairs when the music stops. If that goes OK, and 9 out of 10 times it doesn’t, I’ll go on. Otherwise I just say, You are probably right nothing has happened so far and then forget it. I did have someone come back to me once when a disaster happened somewhere abroad and asked ‘Did you see that makes you think about getting ready for something like that’. Once. It shows that people remember certain things so remember that and don’t push too far.

I still believe it is worth the effort. Even at such a poor response rate. Just make sure you don’t compromise OPSEC.

24th September 2013 | Category: General |
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