Lessons from 'The Beast': What will you be stocking up on this winter?

DoozerT6

So autumn is here and there are rumours of harsh weather a-coming. Now whether that comes to pass or not, especially predicted so far in advance, we'll just have to wait and see. But I'm guessing that some of us will have learned the hard way that they should have stocked up on X item during the snow back in March. So what do you regret not buying more of back then? What will you be stocking up on bit by bit this autumn/winter before any harsh weather hits?

Apart from the obvious food items, I'll be making sure I have spare lightbulbs, batteries for the torch, and matches for the candles. A little winter bag for the boot of the car (hi-vis jacket, blanket, packet of biscuits, water) to go with the emergency kit I bought in Halfords last winter. Refill the fuel container that I keep in the boot.

What else...toilet paper. I need new gloves and a hat too, now that I think of it.

What about you? What do you regret not stocking up on during the snow?

rebeve

Bread !!

Graces7

As I live far from shops etc... When we had the power cuts ( was it Ali?) I only scored 5/10 for preparedness.. Shameful as I spent five months last winter without electricity and should have known better.

My failures were matches, lighters, a working torch and a battery radio; no batteries ... have set that right now.

I have been stocking for winter for months.... would hate to be a bad islander and have to ask supplies... pasta, rice, flour ., yeast, sugar, tins of all kinds,,, and not forgetting cat and dog food . Now I have a good supply of home grown potatoes.... focussing more on ingredients. Peanut butter, coffee, tea,, Turf and can get more here if need be . chocolate of course..

always have a spare gas bottle....

Snow will not affect ferries but roads at both ends... Happy now whatever the weather throws. we missed out in March this time..

Used last winter's stocks this summer...

Graces7

DoozerT6 wrote: »

So autumn is here and there are rumours of harsh weather a-coming. Now whether that comes to pass or not, especially predicted so far in advance, we'll just have to wait and see. But I'm guessing that some of us will have learned the hard way that they should have stocked up on X item during the snow back in March. So what do you regret not buying more of back then? What will you be stocking up on bit by bit this autumn/winter before any harsh weather hits?

Apart from the obvious food items, I'll be making sure I have spare lightbulbs, batteries for the torch, and matches for the candles. A little winter bag for the boot of the car (hi-vis jacket, blanket, packet of biscuits, water) to go with the emergency kit I bought in Halfords last winter. Refill the fuel container that I keep in the boot.

What else...toilet paper. I need new gloves and a hat too, now that I think of it.

What about you? What do you regret not stocking up on during the snow?

Ah I knit lovely warm cabled traditional hats... also in team colours! every cent to charity too...

iamwhoiam

Cat litter ! The blessed cat would not go out in deep snow and crossed his legs and looked disgustingly at the newspaper . ! Eventually we put shredded paper down and he performed but I will definitely store a bag of cat litter

Lucreto

I am not doing any extra planning this year. February was a once off and I am expecting it to be mild this year just out of pure pessimism.

I bought a snow shovel in 2010 and only got its first use this year. I expecting the same to happen again.

I might get an extra bag of coal and logs depending on what the charts say.

ZX7R

I am always prepared for winter no matter what long range forcasts say.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

DoozerT6

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Cat litter ! The blessed cat would not go out in deep snow and crossed his legs and looked disgustingly at the newspaper . ! Eventually we put shredded paper down and he performed but I will definitely store a bag of cat litter

This is the sort of thing I mean, lol! Things you may not have ever thought of, but once you run out, you realise, 'damn! Why didn't I think of buying that'.

DoozerT6

ZX7R wrote: »

I am always prepared for winter no matter what long range forcasts say.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

A good strategy. I mean, we're hardly likely to get Canadian or Scandinavian-level winters, but still. No harm in having extra toilet paper and canned goods etc under the stairs.

ZX7R

DoozerT6 wrote: »

A good strategy. I mean, we're hardly likely to get Canadian or Scandinavian-level winters, but still. No harm in having extra toilet paper and canned goods etc under the stairs.

Sure is, everything can be used at a later date food wise,fuel ect can roll over till following winter

Victor Meldrew

Have made sure I'm not the only person in the gaff with hiking boots/wellies. Being the only one who could venture out to attend to the kids got old quick.....

wexie

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I mean, we're hardly likely to get Canadian or Scandinavian-level winters, but still.

I'd be delighted if we did. If the climate were to change like that it would also stop being an issue. It'd just be winter.

(oh and water containers, our well froze and we didn't have anything to store water in when it was working. Defrosting a pan of ice on the stove takes a long time and gives surprisingly little water. So I've started keeping the 5 liter water bottles we use when we're camping)

harr

Victor Meldrew wrote: »

Have made sure I'm not the only person in the gaff with hiking boots/wellies. Being the only one who could venture out to attend to the kids got old quick.....

That’s a very good point, I was the only person with good winter boots and water proofs last winter which meant I was sent out to deal with kids, clear the car or walk to the shops..

Tipperary animal lover

A camping stove and gas canisters, really helped this year when the electric was out, a few of the neighbour's came calling for hot water was pleased to help, always batch cook and fill the freezer, dinner in no time and candles candles candles and a few good books and dreamies for the cats ...

Wanderer78

Not much preparation here, was all good last winter, might get a little grit for the driveway

Tazio

These! https://www.ie.screwfix.com/building-decorating/decorating-tools/extension-poles

I saved almost 75% of my eves/guttering from the weight of the snow by using ( and breaking ) two of these pulling down snow from roof.

Also, wait ~ 20 mins before refilling a hot generator with petrol.

seamus

Changed from Oil to Gas

Was going to do it anyway, but we were hmming and hawing about whether or not to do it or just save the money. Then I ran out of oil after the beast and spent two days wrestling to get the boiler working again. Had my mind set on the changeover after that.

We were generally fine. I'd be more cognisant about what I'd do rather than what I'd stock up. On the day the snow stopped, my wife decided to go off to the shop 5 minutes away and didn't reappear for 3 hours. During which time I was the only person on the street who WASN'T out clearing the snow because I was minding the baby. So I felt like a lazy baxtard for that. She'll be told to take the baby with her next time

I'd also move my car into a better position. It was in the middle the driveway which made clearing a path either side of it a pain in the hole. I'd park it right against the wall so I have more room to swing a shovel.

Graces7

wexie wrote: »

I'd be delighted if we did. If the climate were to change like that it would also stop being an issue. It'd just be winter.

(oh and water containers, our well froze and we didn't have anything to store water in when it was working. Defrosting a pan of ice on the stove takes a long time and gives surprisingly little water. So I've started keeping the 5 liter water bottles we use when we're camping)

I will wrap up my gas bottles and connecting pipes in warm sweaters, cellotaped on... they tend to freeze. and I was given a huge water container

Someone mentioned cat litter? Min use turf ash happily on the rare occasions they do not go out.

Graces7

Tipperary animal lover wrote: »

A camping stove and gas canisters, really helped this year when the electric was out, a few of the neighbour's came calling for hot water was pleased to help, always batch cook and fill the freezer, dinner in no time and candles candles candles and a few good books and dreamies for the cats ...

That was my life for 5 months after I came here, with the delay in getting esb connected. No gas cooker connected for months either.

Nekarsulm

Getting a 2 ring gas hob, because everything is electric here.
We were off from Wednesday morning untill Saturday lunchtime with Ali.
Luckily the well and pump were on a different line.

wexie

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Luckily the well and pump were on a different line.

Huh?

Do you have 2 bills as well?

RacoonQueen

Next time I won't spend so much time actually working when almost everyone else from work is actually out playing in the snow/watching netflix.

Top floor apartment and usually have a lot of veg, batch cooked meals and meat I bulk buy from the butcher in the freezer, so was mostly fine but would have been screwed if had had a power cut. Could have just stuck it all out in the snow piled up on the balcony to keep it frozen though I guess. Just wouldn't have been able to cook anything

Nekarsulm

wexie wrote: »

Huh?

Do you have 2 bills as well?

Yep. The well is on the farmyard meter (farm has a tractor driven generator so as long as you have diesel, you have water and power to the milking machine, etc)
House is 400 yards away on its own meter.

Ideally I should look for a 7 or 8kva diesel gennie, and get a change-over switch fitted to the dwelling house as well.

kindredspirit

Oil for my skis.

sept17

I find the battery powered fairy lights are great for power cuts , like the ones you can buy in penny’s - they use 2 aa batteries, 8 packs easily available in aldi.. they’re much safer than candles, and give off great light ..

Kermit.de.frog

Sycamore Tree

Just good books.

If there is snow, I will spend hours out walking (day & night). I find the snow earlier this year so peaceful.

But when I get home, I love sitting back in front of the stove and reading a book on Polar explorers.

limnam

Nice bottle of whiskey

Graces7

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Getting a 2 ring gas hob, because everything is electric here.
We were off from Wednesday morning untill Saturday lunchtime with Ali.
Luckily the well and pump were on a different line.

wise wise perspn.. I bought a gas cooker as soon as I arrived but they wanted e350 to connect it to the canister as has to done by a professional thse day

Graces7

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I can taste and feel the particles of snow on my eyes and lips.. wonderful!

rameire

I have moved back up to Dublin from the country, so im going to invest in a JCB for when I need to head to Aldi and Lidl.

Nekarsulm

Graces7 wrote: »

wise wise perspn.. I bought a gas cooker as soon as I arrived but they wanted e350 to connect it to the canister as has to done by a professional thse day

When you say canister, do you mean a refillable tank in the garden, or the normal sized bottle?

Graces7

Nekarsulm wrote: »

When you say canister, do you mean a refillable tank in the garden, or the normal sized bottle?

ah the bottle. I have two at any one time.
except the time this summer I forgot to get the empty replaced and had to put both out by the road... There were some smirks that day... :rolleyes:

PS re the inflated charge to fit the cooker; the man was scared of crossing so was making it impossible; a far more reasonable person was found

silverharp

A proper snow shovel is great. Get the grips that you attach to shoes, you can walk normally without any risk of slipping. If there is snow on the way do a week+ shopping and stay away from supermarkets after, don’t get caught up pretending its end of times.

seamus

silverharp wrote: »

If there is snow on the way do a week+ shopping and stay away from supermarkets after, don’t get caught up pretending its end of times.

This is probably the best advice tbh.

Better off getting it wrong and having an extra weeks' food in the house, than getting sucked into the panic and sloshing through the snow to the shops. Bread can be frozen, fresh milk will keep for two weeks in the fridge. Worst case scenario, you have less shopping to do next week.

Postgrad10

I remember being in Tesco during the mass panic for Emma. Hadn't a clue how serious it was until a man in the queue beside asked me had I stocked up o everything for the storm! I pretty much laughed at him and he insisted that I go get proper provisions. I bought bags of Bird seed, milk, tea lights, coal, sticks, fire lighters and matches. All of which I still have except for the milk and Bird seed. I bought a battery powered radio and batteries in Tesco after the storm. Realised I couldn't live without my music if we didn't have power.

B0jangles

If those shoe grippers come back in I'll definitely get a couple more pairs - they are very very useful.

Wanderer78

B0jangles wrote:

If those shoe grippers come back in I'll definitely get a couple more pairs - they are very very useful.

Yea they are very handy, bought a couple of cheap pairs but snapped one or two, might purchase a more expensive set next time

Graces7

seamus wrote: »

This is probably the best advice tbh.

Better off getting it wrong and having an extra weeks' food in the house, than getting sucked into the panic and sloshing through the snow to the shops. Bread can be frozen, fresh milk will keep for two weeks in the fridge. Worst case scenario, you have less shopping to do next week.

This is standard for me out here. With gales and my increasingly poor health I keep well stocked with everything as if for a siege. NB make than ten days with milk!Maybe low fat keeps a shorter time? I keep Long Life in and also the dried milk these days is far better than before . Works for me!

Feel at peace that there is no need to go out whatever the weather , and that is what it is about surely?

PS I even have cranberry sauce and stuffing in By then there will be turkey in the freezer
West mayo offshore island.

Wildsurfer

seamus wrote: »

silverharp wrote: »

If there is snow on the way do a week+ shopping and stay away from supermarkets after, don’t get caught up pretending its end of times.

This is probably the best advice tbh.

Better off getting it wrong and having an extra weeks' food in the house, than getting sucked into the panic and sloshing through the snow to the shops. Bread can be frozen, fresh milk will keep for two weeks in the fridge. Worst case scenario, you have less shopping to do next week.

Does milk still taste ok after freezing?
Would be handy to be able to keep a few in the freezer to thaw as needed.

DJIMI TRARORE

Wildsurfer wrote:

Does milk still taste ok after freezing? Would be handy to be able to keep a few in the freezer to thaw as needed.

Taste perfect,little waterier maybe,always use a drop from the drum b4 freezing,giving it place to expand

Macy0161

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Apart from the obvious food items, I'll be making sure I have spare lightbulbs, batteries for the torch, and matches for the candles. A little winter bag for the boot of the car (hi-vis jacket, blanket, packet of biscuits, water) to go with the emergency kit I bought in Halfords last winter. Refill the fuel container that I keep in the boot.
...
What about you? What do you regret not stocking up on during the snow?

I have a mini snow shovel and blanket in the car every winter anyway. And the house is generally stocked up on stuff for the power going, as for us that means no water and no heat.

Electricity outages were more frequent when we built the house*, so we opted for a gas hob, and a fireplace in one room without a backboiler (so when the power goes I just have to take out the chimney ballon.).

*For all the criticism of the Government/ Councils/ State Agencies, mountain living is much easier now than it was 18 years ago when I moved to the mountains tbh! Roads cleared quicker, and treated any hint of frost, ESB Networks proactively managing trees etc.

Graces7

DJIMI TRARORE wrote: »

Taste perfect,little waterier maybe,always use a drop from the drum b4 freezing,giving it place to expand

when I have tried I can never get it thawed whole. Always separates , maybe try a small amount first ? I use low fat so maybe that is why? I keep Long Life in and also these days, from LIDL.. the powdered milk is user friendly

cbreeze

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Does milk still taste ok after freezing?
Would be handy to be able to keep a few in the freezer to thaw as needed.

I freeze milk in ice-cube bags so just need to pop one cube out for the mug of tea

fineso.mom

cbreeze wrote: »

I freeze milk in ice-cube bags so just need to pop one cube out for the mug of tea

Ive often frozen milk and its always been fine. The trick is to let it thaw fully ,then give it a really good shake. Also,I used to hate the powdered milk until someone told me to always make it up with water first according to the instructions. Then add it to your tea or coffee. Much better,still ptetty vile but much better ☺

Ms2011

Graces7 wrote: »

when I have tried I can never get it thawed whole. Always separates ,

I found the the same, it leaves ice crystals in the milk but I just sieved those out and it's fine.

BlackandGreen

Legit thinking of purchasing snow chains or a pair of winter tyres.

wexie

BlackandGreen wrote: »

Legit thinking of purchasing snow chains or a pair of winter tyres.

They won't help you in six foot snowdrifts

BlackandGreen

wexie wrote: »

BlackandGreen wrote: »

Legit thinking of purchasing snow chains or a pair of winter tyres.

They won't help you in six foot snowdrifts

I was able to drive on some main R roads were okay, and all the N roads in snowy but drivable conditions the morning after the heavy snow stopped. IT was hairy but in the city my car managed to keep going as long as i followed the thin tracks of previous cars. 
Snow chains would have been been a bit more reassuring.

wexie

BlackandGreen wrote: »

I was able to drive on some main R roads were okay, and all the N roads in snowy but drivable conditions the morning after the heavy snow stopped. IT was hairy but in the city my car managed to keep going as long as i followed the thin tracks of previous cars. 
Snow chains would have been been a bit more reassuring.

They're not a bad thing to have (I think they come up in Aldi/Lidl regularly enough so keep an eye out).

I don't know what the legislation is around using them here though. Wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't any. Nor would I be surprised that when it's bad enough to use them the Gardai have other things to worry about.

When the snow stopped here nothing was moving except tractors and JCB's and the likes. Took another few days before the driveway was cleared by a kind neighbour with a digger.

BlackandGreen

wexie wrote: »

BlackandGreen wrote: »

I was able to drive on some main R roads were okay, and all the N roads in snowy but drivable conditions the morning after the heavy snow stopped. IT was hairy but in the city my car managed to keep going as long as i followed the thin tracks of previous cars. 
Snow chains would have been been a bit more reassuring.

They're not a bad thing to have (I think they come up in Aldi/Lidl regularly enough so keep an eye out).

I don't know what the legislation is around using them here though. Wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't any. Nor would I be surprised that when it's bad enough to use them the Gardai have other things to worry about.

When the snow stopped here nothing was moving except tractors and JCB's and the likes. Took another few days before the driveway was cleared by a kind neighbour with a digger.

Snow socks were used by emergency services during last winters snows.