Coronavirus

mawk

Anyone getting on the virus hype train?

I dont think its going to be a big deal, but its a good teachable moment for having some masks and a few bottles of dettol in stock

megatron989

I ordered 20 n99 masks in the new year, just before the news started to break. Lucky timing. People in work laughed when they arrived. Now they all wanna know where they can get the same.
At home we've started stocking up on long shelf life foods, basic stuff but in a pinch we could wait out a couple weeks.
Also got a suture kit about a month ago, for use in any event where the hospital system collapsed under a major emergency and someone very desperately needed a couple of ugly stitches. A major pandemic would definitely make the grade.
It all sounds ott to some but to me I'm laying sensible steps to protect me and mine in a country with glaring issues that I'd rather not be 100% reliant on. Always have a plan B, or know someone who does because if something big goes down don't expect anyone to answer when you call for help.

Tabnabs

megatron989 wrote: »

I ordered 20 n99 masks in the new year, just before the news started to break. Lucky timing.

20 days worth for an individual, or less than a week for a family of four (for example). Less than the incubation period either way.

That's the problem I am reading about from people in HK and mainland China, the masks are a disposable item and cannot be reused. When you living with the threat for days and then weeks and possibly months, then nobody has enough masks, and very, very few have the ability to sterilise the reusable masks correctly and safely.

goat2

megatron989 wrote: »

I ordered 20 n99 masks in the new year, just before the news started to break. Lucky timing. People in work laughed when they arrived. Now they all wanna know where they can get the same.
At home we've started stocking up on long shelf life foods, basic stuff but in a pinch we could wait out a couple weeks.
Also got a suture kit about a month ago, for use in any event where the hospital system collapsed under a major emergency and someone very desperately needed a couple of ugly stitches. A major pandemic would definitely make the grade.
It all sounds ott to some but to me I'm laying sensible steps to protect me and mine in a country with glaring issues that I'd rather not be 100% reliant on. Always have a plan B, or know someone who does because if something big goes down don't expect anyone to answer when you call for help.

Do you live in China, or are you expecting a big issue here

I appreciate there are other lists in the forum but what list would be relevant to a situation like this ?

Let’s says supplies needed for a 30-60 day self imposed quarantine ?

Not just food stuffs either. In fact a list of all the things you may never think of would be good too.

circadian

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I appreciate there are other lists in the forum but what list would be relevant to a situation like this ?

Let’s says supplies needed for a 30-60 day self imposed quarantine ?

Not just food stuffs either. In fact a list of all the things you may never think of would be good too.

You'll want toiletries, lots of loo roll soap etc. Cleaning supplies and disinfectant, a supply of large water bottles and possibly a capture method even if it's just makeshift for a week or two. Fuel if needed, gas, coal, turf or whatever.

I'm on the lookout for reusable masks, late to the game and they're hard to find. I do have a UV disinfecting unit that was my dad's before he died, he had a weakened immune system and was on oxygen and used this to sanitise the parts daily.

No idea how to disinfect after being out to the shops or anything, sounds like the virus will be carried on hair, clothes, shoes and literally anything else it comes into contact with. I don't see many people being able to keep it out of their homes.

I wonder what daily items will be in short supply that normally ship in from China.

zg3409

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder what daily items will be in short supply that normally ship in from China.

I am not sure in daily items but I read that DHL and other shipping companies were having difficulties as the number of flights in and out were drastically reduced, so less room for fast shipping cargo. Also the delay in return to work has delayed many items by a week. There us stories of car manufacturers stopping production for a few days due to Chinese parts not arriving, so I suspect a lot of things may have slight shortages in long term. In short term things expected by air freight in/out of china may be a few weeks delayed.. I saw an item on RTE about Chinese people returning to Ireland self quarantining themselves for 14 days out of extra precaution, even though they had not been close to the area of concern and showed no symptoms.

Aye but in terms of prepping I’d imagine we should only be concerned about daily to monthly necessities.

If any kind of public panic kicks off then there’ll be panic buying and plenty of shortages for the unprepared.

zg3409

Based on Irish storms it will be bread that goes first, or toilet roll:

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2020/0217/1115748-hong-kong/

Tabnabs

zg3409 wrote: »

Based on Irish storms it will be bread that goes first, or toilet roll:

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2020/0217/1115748-hong-kong/

You joke, but...

Armed robbers in Hong Kong made off with hundreds of toilet rolls worth more than HKD1,000 ($130; £98).

Toilet rolls are currently in short supply in Hong Kong due to shortages caused by panic-buying during the coronavirus outbreak.

Knife wielding men robbed a delivery man outside a supermarket in the Mong Kok district, police said.

Police have arrested two men and recovered some of the stolen loo rolls, local media reports said.

The armed robbery took place in Mong Kok, a district of Hong Kong with a history of "triad" crime gangs, early on Monday.

According to local reports, the robbers had threatened a delivery worker who had unloaded rolls of toilet paper outside Wellcome Supermarket.

An Apple Daily report said that 600 toilet paper rolls, valued at around HKD1,695 ($218; £167), had been stolen.

Stores across the city have seen supplies massively depleted with long queues when new stock arrives.

Despite government assurances that supplies remain unaffected by the virus outbreak, residents have been stocking up on toilet paper.

Other household products have also seen panic-buying including rice, pasta and cleaning items.

Face masks and hand sanitisers are almost impossible to get as people try to protect themselves from the coronavirus, which has already claimed more than 1,700 lives.

"A delivery man was threatened by three knife-wielding men who took toilet paper worth more than HK$1,000 ($130)," a police spokesman said.

Authorities blame false online rumours for the panic buying and say supplies of food and household goods remain stable.

There has also been some panic-buying of toilet rolls, hand sanitisers and face masks in Singapore, which has 75 confirmed coronavirus cases.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51527043

circadian

That's the same story in the post you quoted....

circadian

circadian wrote: »

That's the same story in the post you quoted....

I assume the poster included the link to pre-empt someone wanting the link.

Gangu

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I assume the poster included the link to pre-empt someone wanting the link.

It’s hard to know what you would need. We’ve two children and I’m worried.

gman2k

circadian wrote:

You'll want toiletries, lots of loo roll soap etc. Cleaning supplies and disinfectant, a supply of large water bottles and possibly a capture method even if it's just makeshift for a week or two. Fuel if needed, gas, coal, turf or whatever.

How in the name of God will coronavirus affect the water supply?

circadian

gman2k wrote: »

How in the name of God will coronavirus affect the water supply?

If you're in Dublin you'll remember 2 boil notices in recent times. The EPA has said the water quality from that resovoir isn't exactly great anyway. So the chances of Irish water making a balls up of the supply during a medical crisis is pretty high. I'd like to have a decent supply of water if the tap starts pumping out brown crap or something in the chain fails.

If it hits panic buying stages then you'll be hard pushed to get water anywhere so it's better to stockpile.

Tabnabs

How Britain became a nation of stockpilers: 'It just feels like something is going to give'
Coronavirus outbreak

First there were Brexit hoarders, now it’s coronavirus preppers. Sirin Kale talks to some of them – and to the emergency food supplier who is enjoying a boom time

James Blake, the owner of Europe’s largest emergency food supplier, is one of the few people to be doing good business out of coronavirus. Are you planning to hole up indoors while a pandemic, natural disaster or terrorist attack runs its course? Blake’s company – Emergency Food Storage UK – has got you covered, but it’s not cheap: £385 will buy you one month of food, as long as you like freeze-dried macaroni cheese and chicken-fried rice.

The prices aren’t putting Blake’s customers off. Since coronavirus emerged in China in December, he has been swamped with orders. In the last two weeks alone, Emergency Food has done as much business as it normally would in six months. Which is bad news for anyone thinking now might be a good time to stock up on some of its powdered custard apple crunch, because it’s all gone.

“This is all we have left,” says Blake, gesturing around his half-empty warehouse. (He has insisted I keep the location secret, for security reasons. He has also refused to tell me his age, for reasons that are unclear.) The shelves are mostly bare, save for some tins of spaghetti bolognese, chilli and three-bean stew. In the corner are water filtration devices: a jerrycan with built-in antibacterial filter, and smaller, more portable bottles.

We are actually in the smaller warehouse Blake uses to house his personal supplies, and orders that have yet to be filled. There was no point in showing me his main warehouse, because it’s empty.

These are busy times for his company, which has also had to contend with public fears about Brexit affecting the food supply. The £375 Brexit Box – featuring 60 main meals, a water filter and firestarter – flew off the shelves last year. Blake sources his food from a factory in Lancashire, which is working 24/7 to replenish his stock. In addition to shipping Brexit Boxes direct to consumers, Blake says that Emergency Food also supplies government departments, although he won’t reveal which. And you’ll find his freeze-dried emergency food on the RRS Sir David Attenborough, commonly known as Boaty McBoatface.

“We’re not looking at a zombie apocalypse situation,” Blake admits. “Most short-term issues can be resolved in time.” Still, “We should all just be a little more self-reliant.”

Self-reliance is the organising principle of Blake’s life: he grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons, and food preparation is an integral part of Mormon life. As a child, Blake would watch his mother store and preserve food. “Wheat was a big thing,” he says. “We would always have a few containers.” Although he left the Mormons in his 20s, some habits are hard to shake: opening a ceiling hatch, Blake reveals a secret stash of foil-lined bags of wheat.

He argues that the people buying from him are the opposite of selfish. “You’re protecting the food in the supermarket, by purchasing your supplies from a different point.” He doesn’t like the word stockpiling – but prepping won’t work either. “Prepping has a negative connotation perpetuated by the media,” he says, “because they see preppers as often quite crazy.” He favours the term “food storage”, which he sees as more neutral.

“If you think about what’s in your kitchen cupboard today,” he says, “it’s a few tins of beans, some manky rice. You might be able to cobble together food for a few days. Imagine a disaster lasting weeks before infrastructure is back up.”

It’s not just Blake’s tills that are ringing. Purveyors of antibacterial hand gel, dust masks and even facial respirators are doing brisk business. Inevitably, prices have rocketed as a result of coronavirus fears. “I’m panicked like crazy because I want to protect the people I love,” says Andrew (not his real name), a 30-year-old property developer from Essex. “But I don’t know if I want to spend £50 on a full face mask.” Perhaps he should have a word with 49-year-old Kerry Collinson, from Somerset, who already has a large box of face masks, which she purchased earlier this month.

What Andrew has stockpiled is £100 worth of food and water. And he is planning to buy more. “I know it sounds crazy,” he says, “but I’d sooner spend the money now and have it and not need it.” And he is planning to buy more.

“We are not at the point of panic,” says Prof Rebecca Katz, a public health expert at Georgetown University. Public Health England agrees. But who listens to experts?.

Stockpiling is an understandable psychological response in times of stress. “If you are told your neighbours are stockpiling, and you perceive that the goods in question are of a finite nature, then it’s not irrational to stockpile,” says Prof John Drury, an expert in crowd psychology and disasters at the University of Sussex. “For you as an individual, it makes sense to do the same.”

We have been here before. We have been here before. After 9/11, Claudia (not her real name), a 60-year-old homemaker from London, slept with a radio beside her bed. She had read articles about al-Qaida planning a chemical attack on London, and wanted to be ready to take it down to her cellar, which she had stocked with tinned food and bottled water. “I wanted to make sure that if there was an attack, we’d be OK,” she says. Of course, the attack never happened. “The food gradually came out,” Claudia says. “The water stayed there for a long time, and then we used it to water the garden.”

When Paddy Tipping was the government minister responsible for getting the UK ready for the year 2000, he had to contend with a general public anxious about the so-called millennium bug.

“Aeroplanes were going to drop out of the sky,” is one of the doomsday scenarios Tipping remembers. “The food chain would dry up and collapse. Power stations would short and not be able to provide electricity.” Some people stockpiled, worried about what would happen.

Daytime TV stalwarts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan were rapped on the knuckles by the government for an episode of This Morning that was accused of encouraging viewers to stockpile 10 weeks’ worth of food. But for the most part, the press played ball, and Tipping was able to prevent the spread of misinformation. But that was before social media. Tipping questions whether his job would be possible nowadays. “We’re not as effective at getting the message out and taking false stuff on.”

Collinson started stockpiling after seeing videos purporting to be from inside China on social media. “I kept seeing videos of dead bodies and people falling over in the street,” she says. “I think realistically 50% of them are absolute rubbish,” she adds. And yet she’s still putting emergency supplies aside. “I’m an army brat. I’ve always been brought up with that mindset of being prepared. It just seems common sense to have things on hand, just in case.”

So what should the rest of us be doing? There’s no need to hoard, Katz stresses. Instead, “have a basic preparedness plan”. That means having a month’s supply of any essential medicines, and a few days’ worth of food. It’s best to buy tinned foods that you would normally eat, rather than expensive freeze-dried meals that will only ever seem like an attractive proposition in a nuclear winter. I sampled Emergency Food’s vegetable chipotle chilli, and the texture can best be described as mulchy.

All this talk of “preparedness” sounds extreme. And yet it is true that the UK’s food situation is more insecure than many people realise. “The food sector today runs on a ‘just-in-time’ logistics system,” says Prof Tim Lang, an expert in food policy at City, University of London. “The whole idea is to not have storage.” In addition to this vulnerable supply chain, domestic food production has steadily dropped in the last three decades. Between 40-50% of our food is produced abroad. Were disaster to affect food-producing regions of Spain and north Africa, for example, our food supply would be hit. “Britain is catastrophically dependent on external sources,” Lang says.

It’s not just food supplies that are vulnerable. Last week the British press reported that the likes of Halfords, Primark and Asos were “bracing themselves” for stock shortages as the coronavirus outbreak closed Chinese factories.

Earlier generations routinely laid down food supplies in times of plenty, to stave off future want. During the second world war, the British government advised citizens to develop their own food stores – around a week’s supply was deemed adequate. Leaflets were issued with advice on which tinned foods to buy, and how best to store essentials such as flour, sugar and cereals.

Our grandmothers strained boiled fruit through muslin; they pickled vegetables and salted fish. But modern life has made us complacent. “We’ve been in a wonderful time of plenty,” says Blake. “We can just nip in the car, pop to the supermarket, and buy whatever we want. It’s a fantastic way to live. It’s wonderful.” He pauses. “As long as something doesn’t go wrong.”

How did we become so relaxed about where our next-but-one meal might come from? In the UK, Blake lays some of the blame on the 90s and New Labour, which he says “bred a culture of hope back into a society that had become hopeless. There was this feeling of ahhh – things will be different.” It was a comforting lie. “The reality is that government is government, and there is only so much you can do.”

If the 90s were one long exhale of contentment, with the end of the cold war and the apparent triumph of liberal democracy, the 2000s and 2010s were a collective intake of breath. Successive terrorist attacks and a global recession undermined our faith in a safer, more prosperous future.

All of this was brilliant news for Emergency Food Storage UK. After all, when your business model depends on people’s darkest fears, there’s nothing like a bit of global tumult to get the orders coming in. Blake founded the company in 2009 – when Twitter was in its infancy – and its growth has mirrored the rise of social media, and our concomitant loss of faith in government and the media to keep us safe and tell us the truth.

Given everything that has happened in recent years, the desire to stockpile food is understandable. When you feel like events are slipping into the abyss, stockpiling is a way to regain a sense of control. “It’s like, all of a sudden, bushfires, coronavirus, world war three with Iran,” says Andrew. “It’s the worst few months I can remember as an adult … It just feels like enough is enough, and something is going to give.”

Stockpiling may not be the answer. And freeze-dried food doesn’t taste great. But if you can afford it and have the space, a few extra tins in your cupboard is never a bad idea.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/24/zombie-apocalypse-coronavirus-stockpilers-emergency-food

aaakev

Reckon there will be a few more cases in the next few days from this school in glasnevin

Ubbquittious

I been saying for years that if a disease arrives there is no way Ireland will shut its borders on time

And here we are.

The government attitude is fcuk the health of the people, the Apple boss needs to be able to waltz in at a moment's notice and tend to his minions. Ireland keeping the wheels of commerce going till the last man

mawk

I was in Dunnes today and there was an old lady in the dry food aisle asking the young lad where to find the pasta. He told her it should be here but it's all gone.

I actually saw her have the realisation in real time that there will be food shortages and that it's serious if she gets sick. The poor woman

Outkast_IRE

All the toilet roll gone in aldi this evening . Some people with massive trolleys stacked with frozen food, canned food etc.

CelticRambler

What's with the toilet roll panic-buying? Of all our modern conveniences, it's the one thing that's dead easy to improvise no matter what apocalypse you're faced with.

aaakev

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

All the toilet roll gone in aldi this evening . Some people with massive trolleys stacked with frozen food, canned food etc.

The panic buying seems to have started

Ubbquittious

CelticRambler wrote: »

What's with the toilet roll panic-buying? Of all our modern conveniences, it's the one thing that's dead easy to improvise no matter what apocalypse you're faced with.

Daft that people would panic buy toilet paper


Many years ago when Moses was a boy
Before paper was invented
He wiped his arse with a fist of grass and walked away contented

Tea drinker

Tabnabs wrote: »

, and very, very few have the ability to sterilise the reusable masks correctly and safely.

Does UV not kill it? leave the masks outside?

riffmongous

Tea drinker wrote: »

Does UV not kill it? leave the masks outside?

That will degrade the mask quality, temperature changes, moisture, sunlight

riffmongous

circadian wrote: »

If you're in Dublin you'll remember 2 boil notices in recent times. The EPA has said the water quality from that resovoir isn't exactly great anyway. So the chances of Irish water making a balls up of the supply during a medical crisis is pretty high. I'd like to have a decent supply of water if the tap starts pumping out brown crap or something in the chain fails.

If it hits panic buying stages then you'll be hard pushed to get water anywhere so it's better to stockpile.

Well not even Irish water's fault, but these systems always need people operating and repairing them, and if the workers get sick or quarantined etc....

Outkast_IRE

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Daft that people would panic buy toilet paper


Many years ago when Moses was a boy
Before paper was invented
He wiped his arse with a fist of grass and walked away contented

The toilet paper manufacturers don't understand it either they said they are having no issues fulfilling all orders and are easily able to ramp production with no delay. Seems to just be the supermarket supply chain taken by surprise . Silly carry on

If one wanted to prep for this outbreak what would be smart provisions to stock up on?

Sunshine lollipop

Livia Crooked Thimble wrote: »

If one wanted to prep for this outbreak what would be smart provisions to stock up on?

Dettol sprays, kitchen towel to clean the area & dump. Gloves, sanitiser, tissues. Tins of food, salmon, corned beef for sandwiches etc basic needs like shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, soap. If you’ve got kids, nappies, food, formula, wipes etc

Clarence Boddiker

Does anyone stock up on frozen food, cooking and freezing dinners? Or is it a risk if electricity goes down?

riffmongous

Livia Crooked Thimble wrote: »

If one wanted to prep for this outbreak what would be smart provisions to stock up on?

If you can read german, this is what we use at the Red Cross Catastrophe Aid for a personal checklist.. https://www.diehelferwiens.at/media/file/100004_Checkliste.pdf

I'll translate some of it

Food
Mineralwater (glass bottles)
Juice and squash
Tee, coffee, cocoa

Pasta etc, rice
Wasa bread, crackers, vacuum packed bread
Flour, oatflakes

Long lasting milk (like for coffee), milk powder
Cheese with long expiration dates

Fruit and veg in jars and tins
beans in tins
Nuts and dried fruit
Potatoe powder

Finished meals,Not frozen
Ravioli, pasta sauces etc
Tinned fish
Tinned soups, also powdered (use the powders first as long as there is water)

Salt, pepper, herbs, oils, honey, jams, sugar

Health
Backup glasses
prescription medication
First aid items; plasters, bandages etc
Pain and fever meds
Disinfection products
Fever thermometer

Toothbrush, toothpaste
Soap, shower gel
Rasers
Tampons, nappies
Toiletpaper
Clothes washing fluids
Rubbish bags

General catastrophe
2 lamps with batteries or dynamo
Radio
reserve batteries
Tea lights, lighters
Camping cooker
Board games, cards
Fire blanket
Smoke detector
CO detector (cooking indoors is dangerous)

riffmongous

Clarence Boddiker wrote: »

Does anyone stock up on frozen food, cooking and freezing dinners? Or is it a risk if electricity goes down?

It's a risk alright I think, even for something like this that wont directly affect infrastructure, but however will the people and non-physical structures that maintain it. It's why when stocking up on food you can stock up on noodles and pasta etc because they are cheap, but not exclusively incase the water and power goes. Have them and use them for as long as possible but you'll need a backup

Muahahaha

CelticRambler wrote: »

What's with the toilet roll panic-buying? Of all our modern conveniences, it's the one thing that's dead easy to improvise no matter what apocalypse you're faced with.

Im kinda laughing at the whole toilet roll thing as I've got big stocks of them but not from a survivalist expectation, more from practicality. My main transport is a motorbike and as toilet roll is bulky I cant get more than one four pack home at a time when the other supermarket shopping is in my backpack, it just takes up too much space. There was times I bought too much groceries and couldnt fit the toilet roll in so had to transport it on the motorbikes fuel tank between my legs. Id say that gave some motorists a laugh watching a biker completely dressed in black leathers going around with toilet roll sitting on the motorbike and trying to keep it wedged between my knees so it didnt blow off into the ditch :pac:

So last November I saw Lidl were selling 3 ply toilet roll at a 30% discount so I decided to finally solve the problem and when I had a lend of a mates car I went in and bought 96 rolls in one swoop so Id no longer have the hassle of getting them home on a motorbike. Got a few funny looks off people as I went to the checkout with a trolley full of just toilet roll.

I havent done a stocktake but I'm defintely okay for toilet roll till at least next Christmas

zg3409

People are stocking up in fear that they may not make it to the shop at all due to travel restrictions. People are also panicking that when they next go to supermarket they may have zero toilet roll, pasta,... which is a reality if you have run out and local store is sold out. People are also filling car up, just in case. People buy bread if they think bread will run out...

What would you need for 14 days, 28days, without going out of house? Try to buy things that won't go to waste like bread, but bread can be frozen and defrosted and is low cost.

All the reports agree that the number of cases will rise. Cancellation of events will continue. All of google Ireland that can work from.home is working from home from Thursday onwards. My employer asked New York staff to work from home if possible and have had work suggested quarantine from affected areas and all Italy for weeks. There is pressure to close schools and US and UK visitors are staying away. My understanding is they are hoping to delay mass infections to a slower spread without hope of full containment and that Ireland is about 2 months behind Italy in terms of numbers and restrictions. In many cases companies and the public are ahead of the official policy, as dire economic consequences are feared and even with extreme measures it is probably too late or impossible to stop without keeping everyone home forever. I think we will need to realise those in risk groups are looking at possibly a death rate of 10% if at risk and infected. 3.2% is average fatality rate based on those confirmed infected, but may be less if medical assistance is high. The outlook looks bleak, but those in non risk groups should be OK. We should assume you need to self treat at home if possible.

Kevhog1988

Bought as few additional bits of non perishable food yesterday. It amazes me how people were running with 5 loafs of bread when if power etc went they would be gone in a freezer. the bag of flour was a far better choice.

briany

This coronavirus panic has been disturbing in that it shows to me (not that I hadn't suspected it before, but it was more hypothetical at that time) that it doesn't really take a whole lot to scratch at the veneer of civilisation. Now, I know that not everyone has acted selfishly in the supermarkets in these times, and indeed those that have are most likely in a minority, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if you, say, upped the morbidity of this disease by about 15 percent, or you substituted it for a more far-reaching disaster like sudden food shortages, fuel shortages or weeks without electricity. How long would it be before law and order collapsed and people turned on one another in a general way?

Most of us are not Mad Max or Bear Grylls. Even those with food stocked would run out of it and have to venture out looking for more. Those with a smallholding or like manner of growing their own food would have to defend that supply at some point if the situation became desperate enough. Not an easy ask depending on the numbers opposing you. Those with a hideout location with stocked food would have to wonder - how remote from other people can you really get in Ireland? Those intending to forage for wild food in the fields and along the shores would probably come into conflict with the many others who have the same idea.

Sorry for the doomy post.

aaakev

It's not doomy, it's all true! There are very few places if any remote enough to keep people away in Ireland so the cabin in the mountains type scenario is not really a realistic one for Ireland.

I moved out of a big town last year, bought a house in a small village. Always had my ideal place in my head, workshop, shed, loads of room for all my preps etc and this situation has proved we made the right decision. There was no one panicked around here that I could see, country folk seem more prepared than the majority of those I know from the bigger town.

We have loads of long life food now and a year or so worth of solid fuel for the stove that also heats the water and all the rads. What I'm lacking is water storage which my 15 year old daughter noticed today and asked could we make a rain catchment system so that's the next job! I'll start with a 205L barrel and go from there

Kevhog1988

aaakev wrote: »

It's not doomy, it's all true! There are very few places if any remote enough to keep people away in Ireland so the cabin in the mountains type scenario is not really a realistic one for Ireland.

I moved out of a big town last year, bought a house in a small village. Always had my ideal place in my head, workshop, shed, loads of room for all my preps etc and this situation has proved we made the right decision. There was no one panicked around here that I could see, country folk seem more prepared than the majority of those I know from the bigger town.

We have loads of long life food now and a year or so worth of solid fuel for the stove that also heats the water and all the rads. What I'm lacking is water storage which my 15 year old daughter noticed today and asked could we make a rain catchment system so that's the next job! I'll start with a 205L barrel and go from there

Watch your radiator system. If no power we cant light the main fire here at home.

aaakev

Yeah can turn into a bomb! Damper can be removed so heat is directed up and not over the boiler. Be surprised of your one is not the same.

I'm going to get the pump wired to a plug so I can run it off the generator if ever needed. Turf will heat the water and the generator will run the fridge and pump to heat the house

Kevhog1988

aaakev wrote: »

Yeah can turn into a bomb! Damper can be removed so heat is directed up and not over the boiler. Be surprised of your one is not the same.

I'm going to get the pump wired to a plug so I can run it off the generator if ever needed. Turf will heat the water and the generator will run the fridge and pump to heat the house

Will look into that. we also have a stove with no boiler in the sitting room so are ok to use that

GinSoaked

Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

Does anyone think its going to get worse?

I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.

aaakev

Surprised myself, this forum used to he very busy when it started and for a few years after but people just disappeared to Facebook groups.

I think it'll definitely get worse, we are just at the start in Ireland and I'm not looking forward to the peak. The uk had more deaths yesterday than we had confirmed cases and if we keep going the same way that will be us in a few weeks time

circadian

GinSoaked wrote: »

Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

Does anyone think its going to get worse?

I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.

I don't think it's a total collapse of the world scenario but it will strain international relations. War? Probably amongst some nations but nothing on a global scale. Trade wars and embargos? Pretty likely.

FrostyJack

GinSoaked wrote: »

Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

Does anyone think its going to get worse?

I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.

I completely forgot about this forum even though at the first mention of Cov-19 I checked here in December. It will get a lot worse before it get's better. I don't think bodies will be bulldozed into mass graves or people eating their children but on the economic side it is likely to be fairly rough. Until a vaccine is developed, which at best will be a 12 months to 18 months away this will not go away. The shear amount of misreporting that is floating around is ludicrous. Not just the stupid whatapps stuff going around or on Facebook. The same lies that came from hearsay at the start of the out break, like it only affects elderly or infirm people or it is the same as influenza.

The problem as long as there is no "cure", it will keep going around, so say by some miracle everyone stays locked down and it completely dies out in Ireland , it would just take one person from outside of Ireland to come and restart the contamination and we are back in lock down again. Think about it realistically, this is going to be affecting us for months if not years. So if you think the kids are going back to school in May and that is the end of it you are very wrong. If you google the Trump timeline on this you will see he denies it is a real threat until one report was released with modeled the affects in America if they do nothing, then all of sudden immediate action needs to be taken. Senators were told of this and immediately sold their shares in hotels and the likes and bought stuff from the likes of Microsoft (work from home technology). That gives you the indication the powers that be, in America anyway knew how bad this was and down played it.

Tabnabs

The FB groups, the main Irish one in particular, is full of fakenews dumping and crazy levels of panic. Pretty useless.

I've been watching and listening to the news and HSE to see updates, especially anything related to lockdowns etc. I did my "panic" shop two weeks before the queues started and had no issues with shortages.

Now is the time to blend in, but be sensible and alert to changes. I do have some concerns over petty crime and vandalism with teenagers in particular more prevalent in groups after dark. I have seen open drug taking and heard reports of teens harassing the elderly.

Hygiene and how to incorporate that into your pepping is an interesting new dimension for me, you just assume a decent quantity of soap is enough to see you through and think more about water purification and grid down scenarios. It's one to improve on for future pandemics.

GinSoaked

We've started with improved water purification, got one of these before Christmas.

I'd been wanting one for ages but persuaded my wife it was a good idea to save on all the plastic waste from bottled water and to improve the manky taste of our Irish Water (ex Waterford coco). Water taste is massively improved and I know that the particles causing the taste issues are microscopic so have every faith the filter will work at least to some extent on pathogens. If necessary we have about 400 liters (say 300 usable) water butt water that could go through it.

Tabnabs

Any details on shop and price?

GinSoaked

Tabnabs wrote: »

Any details on shop and price?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LXFEZOJ/ free delivery with Prime, you need to keep an eye on the price (camelcamelcamel.com) as its an item that fluctuates a good bit I only paid £105 £97 but its now up to £140 and not available on Prime.

The American Big Berky https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berkey-Gravity-Fed-Filter-Purification-Elements/dp/B00CYW3EVO/ is externally almost identical but they use a longer life more expensive filter.

Depending on use (home, travel, family size) there are other sizes available but the one linked is fine for a family of 4 and we've never run out of filtered water.

Edit> Also I never used the included tap and upgraded to a metal tap. This one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LGN9TJS/

Running costs with the Doulton filters work out less than €100 a year for all our drinking water. My son was previously drinking €250 worth of bottled water a year because he didn't like the taste of the tap water.

Only issue I can see so far is that in the summer I'll have to move the unit away from the window its near as the water gets warm during the day with the sun on it.

aaakev

Tabnabs wrote: »

The FB groups, the main Irish one in particular, is full of fakenews dumping and crazy levels of panic. Pretty useless.

I've been watching and listening to the news and HSE to see updates, especially anything related to lockdowns etc. I did my "panic" shop two weeks before the queues started and had no issues with shortages.

Now is the time to blend in, but be sensible and alert to changes. I do have some concerns over petty crime and vandalism with teenagers in particular more prevalent in groups after dark. I have seen open drug taking and heard reports of teens harassing the elderly.

Hygiene and how to incorporate that into your pepping is an interesting new dimension for me, you just assume a decent quantity of soap is enough to see you through and think more about water purification and grid down scenarios. It's one to improve on for future pandemics.

I know what you mean about the FB groups, stopped paying them much attention a long time ago. Some good guys on them but they are the minority.

We did the same, started stocking up and putting some stuff away when it was still just in china so no need to panic and just kept going with the normal weekly shop after that with a few small bits extra to top up.

I think you are bang on about the crime, still lots of groups going around and it's only a matter of time before trouble starts especially since everywhere is closed and they will have even less to do than normal.

This is going to change the way we all live and how we all prepare and when we come out the other side I think there may be a fair few more joining in being better prepared for big events like this, that will be a positive.

GinSoaked

aaakev wrote: »

....

We did the same, started stocking up and putting some stuff away when it was still just in china so no need to panic and just kept going with the normal weekly shop after that with a few small bits extra to top up.

....

I think that really the way to go, a few small bits extra every time you shop. The only big extra we got recently was dog food - enough for at least 6 weeks.

Also depends what you are prepping for?

Our preps are to keep life moving on at home here with as little disruption or change as possible for as long as possible. No reason why we'd need to leave the house for a month even if the power went out.