What did you do to prepare today?

fodda

KrustyBurger wrote: »

Is it this place? www.beprepared.ie

That's more of a survival site Krusty........We need a pepping site with food storage and stuff like that.

evilmonkee

KrustyBurger wrote: »

Is it this place? www.beprepared.ie

Thats the place I ordered my new stuff from, I can let everyone know when I get it, if people are interested? They have good prices though. And they're clearing out purifying & neutralizing tablets, so if you make a purchase you can take one free.

ShadowFox

Brought the kids hiking mainly to test the weight in our packs and practice collecting water and purification how to set up shelters with a poncho and testing mres ill stick to wet mres rather than freeze dried ones they are a little heavyer but a lot nicer

johngalway

Firesteel.com firesteel arrived today, first things first... Off out I went with some 0000 wire wool, it does indeed work as tinder and very well too!

evilmonkee

evilmonkee wrote: »

Thats the place I ordered my new stuff from, I can let everyone know when I get it, if people are interested? .

Well, whether your interested or not here goes.

I got my order today , dispatched yesterday by courier - great delivery time, I do live in Dublin however.(shop is registered in Laois)

Contents:
1 x survival bag - as expected
1 x survival blanket - very lightweight but for <€3 it's as expected.
1 x chlorine tablets - great little packaging tub (sturdy), plenty of tablets(~75), instructions on tub
1 x neutralizing tablets - same as above (both were free as they're clearing out stock usually ~€6)
1 x instaflame 190g gas stove - as expected , cheap and cheerful. €9.99
1 x 190g gas cartridge - does what it says on the tin (hopefully!)
1 x 5 in 1 emergency whistle - matches missing from contents *
1 x camp survival kit (fishing stuff) - marked as out of stock *

* I emailed them and get a very fast response, as I received the email, I also received a refund for the cost of the fishing kit (I'm guessing I emailed faster than they got it put through). Regarding the matches they apologized (he said that the manufacturer doesnt include them but he felt this was not good enough, so they include them themselves but had forgotten) they will post them out.

Overall I'm very happy with the service, they were brilliant to get in contact with, the goods are as expected for the price and the delivery was fast.

The only issue I would have is delivery at €7.50 is a bit much unless you were purchasing a fair amount of stuff.

UPDATE: Received an email earlier today informing me that the matches had shipped via regular post. Great service IMO.

baords dyslexic

While out for a good long walk on the beach with the Wolf (we call our large dog of dubious origin the Wolf) I bumped into some lads digging bait on the beach. So stopped for a chat to intoduce the Wolf and got a lesson in how to dig lugworm and the best places to go for bait.

On the way back and on our rocky beach (walk covers shingle beach, sandy beach, and a rocky shoreline) I bumped into another local picking winkles (I think as bait as the guys a mad fisherman) and got another lesson on the best places to fish locally.

Strange really I regularly do that same walk and don't meet another living soul - the reason for going that way.

evilmonkee

evilmonkee wrote: »

UPDATE: Received an email earlier today informing me that the matches had shipped via regular post. Great service IMO.

Got my matches delivered this morning - box of 25 storm matches.

johngalway

baords dyslexic wrote: »

On the way back and on our rocky beach (walk covers shingle beach, sandy beach, and a rocky shoreline) I bumped into another local picking winkles (I think as bait as the guys a mad fisherman) and got another lesson on the best places to fish locally.

People around here have picked them for years upon years, they sell them on to middlemen I guess who resell them. I'm not completely sure of the end destination whether it's restaurants, for export or both.

Friend of mine did it for years, reckons now he'd have to be awfully hard up to go back to the shore again, real tough work, bent over most of the day, cold and always wet.

Some times of the year there's decent money out of it though.

bonniebede

Can you eat that sort of food out of Dublin bay? I'm always afraid of pollution, not to mention Sellafield. Anyone have an opinion?

bonniebede

Today I planted up a window box, thus doubling the size of my growing area.:D

Planted pea for salad shoots ( three weeks), cress, broccolli and rocket micro greens, all ready in a week.

I was thinking this sort of food could add the issing component to a storage food diet very quickly, so maybe some packets of this will go in the seed bank, along with the other more main crops. But I want to try them first. Theu could be blah.:P

Also sorting out my various bags and doing some planning for them.

baords dyslexic

bonniebede wrote: »

Can you eat that sort of food out of Dublin bay? I'm always afraid of pollution, not to mention Sellafield. Anyone have an opinion?

I'd be OK with any shellfish in our area (South Coast) since we bit the hand off the EU taking money to get the sweage sorted out. All the sh!t that used to go straight into the sea locally is now treated first so that must have improved things. One beach up untill not so long ago had a public toilet that "dumped" straight into a local river that 100yds further on hit the sea. The initial solution was a sign by the river saying not to bath in it :rolleyes: Thankfully thats all changed

Tabnabs

bonniebede wrote: »

Can you eat that sort of food out of Dublin bay? I'm always afraid of pollution, not to mention Sellafield. Anyone have an opinion?

I've seen people "harvesting" stuff from the beach below the high water mark quite regularly around Seapoint and towards Blackrock, you see them from the train. I might be worth stopping by and asking them for advice?

bonniebede

To day I sorted out the stuff I had gathered for my bags and organised one for the car (get home bag) one for the house (BOB).

Still trying to make a rational list for what I expect could happen, and what I am preparing for.

krissovo

bonniebede wrote: »

Still trying to make a rational list for what I expect could happen, and what I am preparing for.

I think this is wrong approach, well certainly the wrong angle of looking at it. To list any eventuallity and the prep required for it will melt your brain and drain your wallet, look at keeping it simple.

Start with the basics, you need to factor the following both for a static location (your home) and to be mobile to get you to a alternate location dependant on the situation.

Lets look at your static location as you have a BOB with a decent kit list to cover mobile:

Shelter - Plan for the possibility of the shell of your home to fail like broken windows or missing roof tiles. Tarps, perspex, selant, expanding foam and a few tools will plug holes simply.

Warmth - Insulation, secondary heat sources not reliant on gas electricity etc. Insulate your home and install secondary heat sources like log stoves. Plan to live in one (warm) room away from prying eyes.

Food preperation - How will you cook? See warmth, have a stove that you can with or make one.

Food - Do you store or grow your own or stock up on trade items?

Water - What will be your water plan when the taps stop flowing? Collecting and filtering

Home Defence - Passive, agressive or overt (post guards in the street etc) - I suggest passive if you are alone (single home) and overt if you form a group.

bonniebede

krissovo wrote: »

I think this is wrong approach, well certainly the wrong angle of looking at it. To list any eventuallity and the prep required for it will melt your brain and drain your wallet, look at keeping it simple.

Start with the basics, you need to factor the following both for a static location (your home) and to be mobile to get you to a alternate location dependant on the situation.

Lets look at your static location as you have a BOB with a decent kit list to cover mobile:

Shelter - Plan for the possibility of the shell of your home to fail like broken windows or missing roof tiles. Tarps, perspex, selant, expanding foam and a few tools will plug holes simply.

Warmth - Insulation, secondary heat sources not reliant on gas electricity etc. Insulate your home and install secondary heat sources like log stoves. Plan to live in one (warm) room away from prying eyes.

Food preperation - How will you cook? See warmth, have a stove that you can with or make one.

Food - Do you store or grow your own or stock up on trade items?

Water - What will be your water plan when the taps stop flowing? Collecting and filtering

Home Defence - Passive, agressive or overt (post guards in the street etc) - I suggest passive if you are alone (single home) and overt if you form a group.

I understand what you mean about trying to prepare for every eventuality driving you nuts, I am not trying to do that!
but just to put some thought into what could be useful, like suppose my car breaksdown, not the whole of society, and at the same time my mobile phone is dead. Then i would have no phone numbers to contact family or breakdown assist. In that scenario, a scrap of paper with a few essential phone numbers, and the price of a taxi in cash would be more use than a rabbit snare, fire starter kit and a tarp, if you see what I mean.

I just don't want to be ready for the end of the world but not have the resources to cope with a flat tire:)

So my thinking goes somewhat in the following manner:
1. Can i get home, without my car, in normal circumstances?
2. Can i get home without my car in abnormal circumstances?
3. If the car is stolen, can I get home, again, normal and abnormal circumstances.
4. Can I protect myself in any circumstance?

then when i get home (urban location) can i bug in for a few months? shelter heating, water, food.stored and growing

Can I bug out to other home (rural location) how to get there without a car? and once there all the same issues as above.

And defence of our home wherever we are, mostly grey man and hidden caches etc.

bonniebede

I should add that the decision to stay or go depends on the particular circumstances. Societal collapse i would rather get out of the city asap, but suppose it is a plague scenario, where loads of infected and infecting people are trying to rush out to the countryside? Better to stay put and hidden, at least for a few weeks before bugging out. It's good to have various options, gives me more flexability.

bonniebede

I have discovered fire, which might be very useful.:)

MAtches (safey) for GHB and BOB and storage, lighters ditto. Wind up or battery lantern for storage..

Tried out my new boots, very swweet only need to give slightly on one foot and they will be perfect.

Bought a small travel size can of spray deodorant, thought coud be handy to carry,fits nicely in one hand so won't over burden my EDC stuff, many uses.

kildare.17hmr

bonniebede wrote: »

I have discovered fire, which might be very useful.:)

MAtches (safey) for GHB and BOB and storage, lighters ditto. Wind up or battery lantern for storage..

Tried out my new boots, very swweet only need to give slightly on one foot and they will be perfect.

Bought a small travel size can of spray deodorant, thought coud be handy to carry,fits nicely in one hand so won't over burden my EDC stuff, many uses.

What boots did ya get? Dont rush them, break them in over a few days before you go for a hike or that in them. I usually wear boots for a week before i wear them huntin or hikin! Went hiki g durin the summer with a friend and his new boots that came out of the box the day before, his feet were in bits after it

johngalway

colonel-yum-yum wrote: »

(though I must look for a spare top up card and throw a fiver on it).

O2 (and possibly 3) give you €10 credit with a pay as you go SIM, where as the other shower charge you €10 for the SIM and give you no credit.

baords dyslexic

johngalway wrote: »

O2 (and possibly 3) give you €10 credit with a pay as you go SIM, where as the other shower charge you €10 for the SIM and give you no credit.

With 3 you have to make one chargeable call every 6 months to keep your credit for another 6 months and its easy to forget . Not sure on 02 they used to allow you to keep your credit forever and a day

bonniebede

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

What boots did ya get? Dont rush them, break them in over a few days before you go for a hike or that in them. I usually wear boots for a week before i wear them huntin or hikin! Went hiki g durin the summer with a friend and his new boots that came out of the box the day before, his feet were in bits after it

Thats what I figured. Emm boots are from trespass, goretexx, vibram sole, nubuck upper. Plain and simple.
However I am realising that I have been getting to used to sandals, mukluks around the house and lightweight shoes and boots. Need to toughen up my feet a bit.

bonniebede

Today I...
checked out lidl. not much there, got a tin of chicken meatballs might add to my storage menu to vary the meal possibilities (hat tip krissovo)
Got sugar free breath mints i don't need because they came in a nice tin. (sigh bad impulse shopper moment)

Also got two wind up hand led torch in the local garage. Probably cheap and nasty but will do to add to the collection of torches for the moment, one gone to GHB and one to BOB.

Added 2 bars cadbury's chocolate to each bag. Can't decide what would make good 72 hour rations for BOB. Any suggestions?

johngalway

baords dyslexic wrote: »

With 3 you have to make one chargeable call every 6 months to keep your credit for another 6 months and its easy to forget . Not sure on 02 they used to allow you to keep your credit forever and a day

Ah, interesting! I got two O2 SIMS to try to make a GMS trip wire alarm, haven't quite got there yet, but if O2 are the same as 3 with a time limit I'll bin that project. Must ask next time I pass a carphone warehouse.

kildare.17hmr

bonniebede wrote: »

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

What boots did ya get? Dont rush them, break them in over a few days before you go for a hike or that in them. I usually wear boots for a week before i wear them huntin or hikin! Went hiki g durin the summer with a friend and his new boots that came out of the box the day before, his feet were in bits after it

Thats what I figured. Emm boots are from trespass, goretexx, vibram sole, nubuck upper. Plain and simple.
However I am realising that I have been getting to used to sandals, mukluks around the house and lightweight shoes and boots. Need to toughen up my feet a bit.

Sound like very good boots! Take my advise, wear them everyday around the house and oing about your business and what not. Once they are broken in they will feel like slippers! Never dry them by heat so if that means a few days sitting outside on the balcany or a windowsil so be it, nothing worse than destroying a decent pair of boots believe me

bonniebede

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Sound like very good boots! Take my advise, wear them everyday around the house and oing about your business and what not. Once they are broken in they will feel like slippers! Never dry them by heat so if that means a few days sitting outside on the balcany or a windowsil so be it, nothing worse than destroying a decent pair of boots believe me

Great advice, thanks.:)

ShadowFox

bonniebede wrote: »

I understand what you mean about trying to prepare for every eventuality driving you nuts, I am not trying to do that!
but just to put some thought into what could be useful, like suppose my car breaksdown, not the whole of society, and at the same time my mobile phone is dead. Then i would have no phone numbers to contact family or breakdown assist. In that scenario, a scrap of paper with a few essential phone numbers, and the price of a taxi in cash would be more use than a rabbit snare, fire starter kit and a tarp, if you see what I mean.

I just don't want to be ready for the end of the world but not have the resources to cope with a flat tire:)

So my thinking goes somewhat in the following manner:
1. Can i get home, without my car, in normal circumstances?
2. Can i get home without my car in abnormal circumstances?
3. If the car is stolen, can I get home, again, normal and abnormal circumstances.
4. Can I protect myself in any circumstance?

then when i get home (urban location) can i bug in for a few months? shelter heating, water, food.stored and growing

Can I bug out to other home (rural location) how to get there without a car? and once there all the same issues as above.

And defence of our home wherever we are, mostly grey man and hidden caches etc.

Something that might be handy all mobile phones with or without a sim card can call 112 if you have an old phone keep it in your GHB / BOB check it every 6 months when your rotating food,water and medical supplies

krissovo wrote: »

I think this is wrong approach, well certainly the wrong angle of looking at it. To list any eventuallity and the prep required for it will melt your brain and drain your wallet, look at keeping it simple.

Start with the basics, you need to factor the following both for a static location (your home) and to be mobile to get you to a alternate location dependant on the situation.

Lets look at your static location as you have a BOB with a decent kit list to cover mobile:

Shelter - Plan for the possibility of the shell of your home to fail like broken windows or missing roof tiles. Tarps, perspex, selant, expanding foam and a few tools will plug holes simply.

Warmth - Insulation, secondary heat sources not reliant on gas electricity etc. Insulate your home and install secondary heat sources like log stoves. Plan to live in one (warm) room away from prying eyes.

Food preperation - How will you cook? See warmth, have a stove that you can with or make one.

Food - Do you store or grow your own or stock up on trade items?

Water - What will be your water plan when the taps stop flowing? Collecting and filtering

Home Defence - Passive, agressive or overt (post guards in the street etc) - I suggest passive if you are alone (single home) and overt if you form a group.

I plan to BUG IN if at all possible Ive precut marine ply to fit all the windows and doors in my house inside and out plus some other items to secure them Ive also set up low voltage CCTV thats rigged to my tv but can be rigged to a 12v monitor if needs be Solar panels/wind turbine and 4 batteries (hope to add to this this year) So far 2 to 3 weeks of extra food and drinking water ( Water is in the shed have to figure out a way to store this inside or most of it ) Also 55 gallon drums of rain water connected to the down stairs toilet for flushing
Whats left to do......
Work out how much fuel ill need for cooking/heating for a month or 2
Secure my back garden more
Emergency lighting (solar shed lights solar panel out doors lights indoors)
Hopefully get some neighbours/people interested in forming a group

bonniebede

got three tiny little led lights that go on a keyring. cheap but smart. One of my key ring, on eack on the zip tab og my bug out bags to help me find the other stuff inside the bag.

Also bought wilderness medicine and first aid pocket book, going in my bob.

And worked really hard and got exhausted and wondered how i could ever have a romantic thought about low tech self sufficiency as a way of life, hard work is, well hard work. thank God to be home with a freezer meal in the micro and the telly . Ahhh. Might as well enjoy it before it all goes. Can you imagine how disgusted your tribal youngsters will be sitting around a campfire in some distant post eotw scenario, waiting eagerly to be told of the lost wonders of our age, only to discover that while you could have been using all that magic stuff, you preferred to sitting around a campfire anyway. They'll think we were nuts. Plus sa change, i suppose...:)

bonniebede

Got an 'Allo Vera! plant to start my medicinal herbs and plants collection.

krissovo

Anyone know a good source for the key ring led lights? Plenty of links pop up on a search but I would like to find one that is proven, also seen them in my local garage but they dont look very strong.

kildare.17hmr

krissovo wrote: »

Anyone know a good source for the key ring led lights? Plenty of links pop up on a search but I would like to find one that is proven, also seen them in my local garage but they dont look very strong.

LED lenser K3 will cost ya around 10 quid if i remember right

krissovo

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

LED lenser K3 will cost ya around 10 quid if i remember right

Thanks for that, didnt realise you could get that quality for that sort of price. Do you know any that may fit in a tin?

ShadowFox

krissovo wrote: »

Anyone know a good source for the key ring led lights? Plenty of links pop up on a search but I would like to find one that is proven, also seen them in my local garage but they dont look very strong.

Ive one of these on my keys the past 2 years never a problem with it
http://www.survivalmetrics.com/id_Photon-Freedom-LED-Micro-Lights

krissovo

grapeape wrote: »

Ive one of these on my keys the past 2 years never a problem with it
http://www.survivalmetrics.com/id_Photon-Freedom-LED-Micro-Lights

0.65 cent on amazon, thank you sir!

kildare.17hmr

krissovo wrote: »

grapeape wrote: »

Ive one of these on my keys the past 2 years never a problem with it
http://www.survivalmetrics.com/id_Photon-Freedom-LED-Micro-Lights

0.65 cent on amazon, thank you sir!

link??

bonniebede

krissovo wrote: »

Anyone know a good source for the key ring led lights? Plenty of links pop up on a search but I would like to find one that is proven, also seen them in my local garage but they dont look very strong.

led lenser k3 a tenner in Northface in Dublin at th emoment, also little keyring lights at 3 or 4 for a tenner , great for searching your pack or finding the keyhole etc

Tabnabs

At Ikea today, mistakenly picked up some extra single servings of coffee and UHT milk from the free refill section. Suppose I'll have to put them in my BOB now

On another subject, a local Chinese stocked 2 euro type shop has small laser lights, apart from blinding pilots are these useful for anything?

colonel-yum-yum

Tabnabs wrote: »

On another subject, a local Chinese stocked 2 euro type shop has small laser lights, apart from blinding pilots are these useful for anything?

Blinding everyone else?

johngalway

Tabnabs wrote: »

On another subject, a local Chinese stocked 2 euro type shop has small laser lights, apart from blinding pilots are these useful for anything?

Tormenting cats?

(as in them chasing it, not blinding them!)

Tabnabs

I'm looking for dust/particle googles for my BOB and came across these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flakjak-dust-Desert-ANTI-FOG-Goggles/dp/B001O2KCPG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1326732074&sr=8-6

any thoughts or tips?

ShadowFox

Tabnabs wrote: »

I'm looking for dust/particle googles for my BOB and came across these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flakjak-dust-Desert-ANTI-FOG-Goggles/dp/B001O2KCPG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1326732074&sr=8-6

any thoughts or tips?[/QUOTE
Just make sure they arent airsoft ones as they have a lot of vents in them i got ess goggles on eBay for 25 they have ballistic lens

ShadowFox

grapeape wrote: »

Tabnabs wrote: »

I'm looking for dust/particle googles for my BOB and came across these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flakjak-dust-Desert-ANTI-FOG-Goggles/dp/B001O2KCPG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1326732074&sr=8-6

any thoughts or tips?[/QUOTE
Just make sure they arent airsoft ones as they have a lot of vents in them i got ess goggles on eBay for 25 they have ballistic lens

there are a few of them here
http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=ess+goggles+

OneGoalNoSoul

Was at home over the weekend and picked up the following. GhB/BoB is starting to take shape...

ShadowFox

Today I hit the local €2 shop and picked up mini lighters emergency candles pack of 10 an emergency milar tube tent 8ft long great ground sheet for use with a tarp or poncho or sleeping bag or shelter 12 single use super glue and 40m of rope

ShadowFox

Today I put up some razor wire on my back wall to make it more secure and added some solar security lights built a side gate and put stronger locks on it

kildare.17hmr

Busy man today fair play

bonniebede

today i did a taste-run;) on a can of chicken balls in tomato sauce from aldi, a cheap store cupboar ditem. Thought it would go with pasta, in fact it is more like a sweet and sour tase, would work better with rice. Was surprisingly tasty, wouldn't say no to this at all.

mmm. Its going on the storage menu.

Grizzly 45

Bought another Fire steel.

Doc Ruby

Planning to turn over the sods in the back garden and plant spuds later. Next question is how do I stop the puppy digging them up when I'm finished.

baords dyslexic

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Planning to turn over the sods in the back garden and plant spuds later. Next question is how do I stop the puppy digging them up when I'm finished.

Actually with spuds that can be a real pain, I've had labs that would dig up a few spuds and take them away to eat :mad:. The big problem is that a little bit of digging/scratching uncovers a lot of spuds to the light so end up with a lot of green ones.

I've always had very large gardens so found it easy enough to train the dogs not to go onto certain areas and to keep off cultivated ground, but in a back garden I don't see how that will work. Unless of course its a chiwawa

Tabnabs

Would growing them in tyres protect or elevate them better?

http://www.ecopunk.org.uk/2007/03/growing-potatoes-in-tyres.html