On a dry, windy day we use the washing line for sheets, pillow cases, t shirts etc. A final airing on a clothes airer in front of the stove overnight because damp means mildew ( shudder). Heavy woollens and towels are more challenging.
Preparing for troubled times ahead - Advice on what is needed.....
- Thread starter gra_farmer
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I agree ref the comment regarding to Allotments - But i would like to think people would WANT to grow a proportion of their own food anyway - regardless of the current geo-political climate.There is no harm in dreaming of getting an allotment. The demand for allotments has outstripped supply in the last two decades With more time on our hands and so much better living conditions growing something that one can eat is always a bonus.
Barter works.
Not everyone can buy a smallholding either I agree but there is no harm in dreaming. Sometimes it becomes reality. Truly!
I am learning about town life and how houses and streets form community and the spirit that prevails in certain situations where folk who live close together rally round one another. ‘Community spirit’ is a well known phrase. I have experienced so much kindness and support from the community that I work around!
Yes the next few months are going to be an eye opener but we are heading towards spring time and warmer weather not November and in for a Beast from the East type of winter ahead. And your flat hasn’t got cockroaches or worse still bed bugs
S
Unfortunately last time I checked there was a fairly lengthy waiting list for being gifted an allotment. Which is a shame and a reality we need to accept - its definitely not a quick fix / insurance against the current issue in mainland europe.
That being said ALOT can be grown in cities in urban gardens if people REALLY want it. - Check out Vertical Gardening Blog for examples of how much stuff can be produced intensively in a small area - again no reason NOT to start now regardless of how the NATO Vs Pact showdown plays out.
Building your community is certainly something that can always be done.
A loner will not last as long as a group who have a similar view established before they need and have to I would think?
A loner will not last as long as a group who have a similar view established before they need and have to I would think?
I think that to think about what you actually use is important.
Planning for 'what if's', and 'Maybe', is a sound exercise, but the reality is that you're living right now. There's no point stocking up on 50 bags of rice if you don't eat rice, iimmc ?
Be practical, being frugal about it is no shame either. Little by little it can still build up quickly.
Learn to be adaptable, don't rely on being able to have to have specific items (maybe medications apart on that). There's always another way, another idea of how to go about things.
The basics of survival don't change much; shelter, water, food, heat, clothing, hygiene, stuff to make and stuff to keep the brain, mind and emotions contented.
A decent tool kit, a decent first aid kit, a decent hussif, alternative ways to cook and to light your home.
Makes all the difference from just surviving to living in relative comfort.
There is a tremendous satisfaction in making for yourself, in knowing how to make from first principles.
Money wise; do what Chris advised and have enough on hand that if the net crashes and the banks are compromised for a bit that you'll manage until they get things organised and accessible again.
That doesn't mean that you need massive amounts stashed under the mattress :roll: besides it doesn't earn interest there.
Enough is a great wealth, so is contentment
I think it's more of a worry for those who are responsible for the care of others, or who are themselves physically and mentally compromised in some way(s). They have a whole other level of concern to deal with.
Self reliance is a good thing, but if you only have yourself to rely on, then that's stressful too.
Urban or rural, most of us live in some kind of society, I believe that most of 'society' is benign and well meaning. Doesn't mean we get on with everybody, but on the whole we get on well enough with most. A little human contact with like minded people goes a long way to reassure everyone.
I pass along surplus or just because I've made too much using up what's grown. To be honest I'm glad to see it getting used. My friends and neighbours do so too. (I grow apples, my friend grows pears; that kind of thing. We buy in bulk at times and split it up amongst ourselves. Again, only worth it if it's something you actually use.
Sharing though, that not only gives everybody some, but it's a neat way of trying out stuff. My neighbours and I buy teas, and we all get some from the box. It adds variety for no more extra outlay, it also keeps folks quietly and gently in touch. Jams, etc., and extra veggies shared around, or bartered, is a good thing
Just now we're sharing seeds and seedlings, and making wee quilts for the Linus Project, and we're feeling shocked and incredibly sad for those poor folks in Ukraine whose lives are in turmoil. Much of their careful planning is to little avail in the face of such a situation.
The old idea of the bug-out bag is again in favour, with added back up documentation, etc.,
We haven't had a bug-out bag thread in a while.
While I mind; washing lines are very good things, especially since the rain is so much cleaner these days. Winterdykes really do add too much condensation to the house as the washing dries. 67% humidity is the magic number for mould to grow in your home.
Dehumidifiers are a good way to extract moisture and warm up a room at the same time.
Why don't we have covered walkways/carports here where we could hang up the lines beneath ? Anything that gets most of the water out of the washing out of the house, is a good thing I confess I use my tumble drier, but would happily dry everything outdoors if I could......but then, I live in the temperate climate that is the UK....and that huge Atlantic ocean along side us generates wonderful clouds, and they hit our islands first before they do mainland Europe.....so dry days are at something of a premium for a lot of the year.
Sod's law, at least we're not short of decent drinking water.
Planning for 'what if's', and 'Maybe', is a sound exercise, but the reality is that you're living right now. There's no point stocking up on 50 bags of rice if you don't eat rice, iimmc ?
Be practical, being frugal about it is no shame either. Little by little it can still build up quickly.
Learn to be adaptable, don't rely on being able to have to have specific items (maybe medications apart on that). There's always another way, another idea of how to go about things.
The basics of survival don't change much; shelter, water, food, heat, clothing, hygiene, stuff to make and stuff to keep the brain, mind and emotions contented.
A decent tool kit, a decent first aid kit, a decent hussif, alternative ways to cook and to light your home.
Makes all the difference from just surviving to living in relative comfort.
There is a tremendous satisfaction in making for yourself, in knowing how to make from first principles.
Money wise; do what Chris advised and have enough on hand that if the net crashes and the banks are compromised for a bit that you'll manage until they get things organised and accessible again.
That doesn't mean that you need massive amounts stashed under the mattress :roll: besides it doesn't earn interest there.
Enough is a great wealth, so is contentment
I think it's more of a worry for those who are responsible for the care of others, or who are themselves physically and mentally compromised in some way(s). They have a whole other level of concern to deal with.
Self reliance is a good thing, but if you only have yourself to rely on, then that's stressful too.
Urban or rural, most of us live in some kind of society, I believe that most of 'society' is benign and well meaning. Doesn't mean we get on with everybody, but on the whole we get on well enough with most. A little human contact with like minded people goes a long way to reassure everyone.
I pass along surplus or just because I've made too much using up what's grown. To be honest I'm glad to see it getting used. My friends and neighbours do so too. (I grow apples, my friend grows pears; that kind of thing. We buy in bulk at times and split it up amongst ourselves. Again, only worth it if it's something you actually use.
Sharing though, that not only gives everybody some, but it's a neat way of trying out stuff. My neighbours and I buy teas, and we all get some from the box. It adds variety for no more extra outlay, it also keeps folks quietly and gently in touch. Jams, etc., and extra veggies shared around, or bartered, is a good thing
Just now we're sharing seeds and seedlings, and making wee quilts for the Linus Project, and we're feeling shocked and incredibly sad for those poor folks in Ukraine whose lives are in turmoil. Much of their careful planning is to little avail in the face of such a situation.
The old idea of the bug-out bag is again in favour, with added back up documentation, etc.,
We haven't had a bug-out bag thread in a while.
While I mind; washing lines are very good things, especially since the rain is so much cleaner these days. Winterdykes really do add too much condensation to the house as the washing dries. 67% humidity is the magic number for mould to grow in your home.
Dehumidifiers are a good way to extract moisture and warm up a room at the same time.
Why don't we have covered walkways/carports here where we could hang up the lines beneath ? Anything that gets most of the water out of the washing out of the house, is a good thing
I confess I use my tumble drier, but would happily dry everything outdoors if I could......but then, I live in the temperate climate that is the UK....and that huge Atlantic ocean along side us generates wonderful clouds, and they hit our islands first before they do mainland Europe.....so dry days are at something of a premium for a lot of the year.Sod's law, at least we're not short of decent drinking water.
@Toddy - 'Enough is a great wealth, so is contentment.' - Best thing I've heard for ages 
To be honest - Its not going to earn much in the Bank either.
Not sure where the best place is for surplus savings these days as nearly everything apart from Hard assets looks pretty toxic.
Turning off the telly and avoiding social media will ease the situation considerably.
Almost 14,000 people had died in Ukraine's war with Russia before Thursday. Things change less dramatically than you think.
Almost 14,000 people had died in Ukraine's war with Russia before Thursday. Things change less dramatically than you think.
Fuel. For heating and cooking and drying, a little for light. This will put you in a jam before much else. I had to stock up what with all the power failures we have. To cook on a 2-burner Coleman green box, you will burn about 12 liters per month. Just to be safe, count on having at least 15, maybe even 20.
My guts like pasta so I have lots and it's easy for me to make more. Lots of different rice, lots of flours. Canned food from fruit to fish and beef to veg.
Water: Lots of it bottled. Always drain the heater. Now, melt snow but that's gross. Put black bin bags in the bath tub and fill them. Good idea but probably too little and too late when the **** hits the fan. I don't own any sort of water purification equipment at all. Should look into that.
Shelter: for 4 seasons is good enough.
Defense: I am quite well defended.
My guts like pasta so I have lots and it's easy for me to make more. Lots of different rice, lots of flours. Canned food from fruit to fish and beef to veg.
Water: Lots of it bottled. Always drain the heater. Now, melt snow but that's gross. Put black bin bags in the bath tub and fill them. Good idea but probably too little and too late when the **** hits the fan. I don't own any sort of water purification equipment at all. Should look into that.
Shelter: for 4 seasons is good enough.
Defense: I am quite well defended.
Thank you everyone, some interesting posts and a few ideas I'll follow up with.
It is interesting to see what others are thinking about, fuel and electricity is the main concern, that is mostly out of my hands and fresh vegetables.....
I work with water, mainly safeguarding resources and dealing with issues around water quality, so understand and know where water is near me, so that's sorted.
I am not quite as green / inexperienced as some people expect, I used to be a sheep farmer in my youth, which exposed me to a lot, and experience of hunting, fishing, foraging and survival skills.
My main focus immediately is to finish my raised beds and sow seeds. I have access to almost every tool possible on a farm, so lucky.
I have been looking at moving away from battery and electricity sources, mainly as like @Robson Valley power can be hit and miss with the surrounding trees.
We are particularly not interested in generators too, so old school tech where we can.
House is in limbo, so not quite where we want it to be.....hoping to get the builders in very soon to help.
The people side which @Toddy is missing for us, we are quite isolated and don't have support from family, and friends we have are nothing like us and not close distance wise......they also think we are strange for having a 80% plant based diet, let alone anything else. But I know they would come knocking, if anything happened.
Still loads to learn and welcome more ideas, some have outlined their setups which I would very much like to know more about.
Cheers Gra
It is interesting to see what others are thinking about, fuel and electricity is the main concern, that is mostly out of my hands and fresh vegetables.....
I work with water, mainly safeguarding resources and dealing with issues around water quality, so understand and know where water is near me, so that's sorted.
I am not quite as green / inexperienced as some people expect, I used to be a sheep farmer in my youth, which exposed me to a lot, and experience of hunting, fishing, foraging and survival skills.
My main focus immediately is to finish my raised beds and sow seeds. I have access to almost every tool possible on a farm, so lucky.
I have been looking at moving away from battery and electricity sources, mainly as like @Robson Valley power can be hit and miss with the surrounding trees.
We are particularly not interested in generators too, so old school tech where we can.
House is in limbo, so not quite where we want it to be.....hoping to get the builders in very soon to help.
The people side which @Toddy is missing for us, we are quite isolated and don't have support from family, and friends we have are nothing like us and not close distance wise......they also think we are strange for having a 80% plant based diet, let alone anything else. But I know they would come knocking, if anything happened.
Still loads to learn and welcome more ideas, some have outlined their setups which I would very much like to know more about.
Cheers Gra
Country folks, well the ones I know, know their neighbours, they're just kind of spread out a bit
You can get a battery charger that runs off the heat of a stove or fire. It's enough to charge your phone, or supply batteries for the led lights.
My family is pretty much vegetarian. Himself eats meat occasionally. To us a plant based diet is normal
I think if it's not, then keeping chickens is a good thing, or a carp pond, if you want to be self reliant, I mean.I would have loved to have had beehives, but where we live the first time anyone was stung by anything, my bees would have been at fault. Suburbian issue
For a while the council to the north of us offered mini windmills to folks who were prepared to pay for their set up. It was some kind of trial, but the folks who took them up on it thought they were kind of noisy, but they fair produced the electricity. If I were remote, I'd give it serious consideration if power sources were doubtful.
M
We are going to do some hives at some point, mainly for the Orchard I have planted up (40 trees planted last year, and 8 more over the last two weeks). As for the wind tribine, we really want one, as it is soooo windy where we are, but need planning permission and the council is rubbish.Country folks, well the ones I know, know their neighbours, they're just kind of spread out a bit
You can get a battery charger that runs off the heat of a stove or fire. It's enough to charge your phone, or supply batteries for the led lights.
My family is pretty much vegetarian. Himself eats meat occasionally. To us a plant based diet is normal
I would have loved to have had beehives, but where we live the first time anyone was stung by anything, my bees would have been at fault. Suburbian issue
For a while the council to the north of us offered mini windmills to folks who were prepared to pay for their set up. It was some kind of trial, but the folks who took them up on it thought they were kind of noisy, but they fair produced the electricity. If I were remote, I'd give it serious consideration if power sources were doubtful.
M
These weren't big things, they were about the size of a small outboard engine, just stuck up barely above the ridge of the house.
No more intrusive looking than satelite dishes or the old fashioned tv aerials on the wall/roof.
If you've running water nearby, even a small burn will easily supply power for electricity.
We have a burn, but it runs really low and muddy unless the rain's coming down hard.
M
FWI - Guy on the radio just said to Kyiv, stock up water in containers. Stock up food that will keep. Bandages. Plastic sheet for burns treatment. Reduce fragmentation by taping windows or putting up net curtain. The very basics, he said.
I was just downtown on a corner waiting to cross the road. There's was a bit old rainstorm headed in, preceded as they often are by a huge wind, blowing down signs, branches, leaves. Very impressive. A man with an English accent nearby said that the last time he saw a wind like this, the Berlin Wall came down. He was right, right?
Big winds in 1989. Wonder what it forebodes today.
I was just downtown on a corner waiting to cross the road. There's was a bit old rainstorm headed in, preceded as they often are by a huge wind, blowing down signs, branches, leaves. Very impressive. A man with an English accent nearby said that the last time he saw a wind like this, the Berlin Wall came down. He was right, right?
Big winds in 1989. Wonder what it forebodes today.
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I had the opportunity to live off the grid for 5 months. I had lots of prior experience with Coleman petrol lights and stoves.
Heat in a log cabin chinked with moss was an Airtite that was fed anything flammable including a 100m fish net on one occasion.
No roads. Float planes or our 23' Chestnut freighter (5' wide) canoe with a long-shaft 18 Hp Evinrude. 40+ miles by water to the road.
This thread makes me think back to how the food was rationed in one big megashop and then ferried in by float plane. Had to be canned or dry. With the dry foods like the 5lb boxes of pasta, it became a battle with the mice.
Find a copy of Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden. It's an illustrated collection of interviews with a Hidatsa woman (mid plains FN). She can tell you how to store the Trinity (corn, beans, squash).
Heat in a log cabin chinked with moss was an Airtite that was fed anything flammable including a 100m fish net on one occasion.
No roads. Float planes or our 23' Chestnut freighter (5' wide) canoe with a long-shaft 18 Hp Evinrude. 40+ miles by water to the road.
This thread makes me think back to how the food was rationed in one big megashop and then ferried in by float plane. Had to be canned or dry. With the dry foods like the 5lb boxes of pasta, it became a battle with the mice.
Find a copy of Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden. It's an illustrated collection of interviews with a Hidatsa woman (mid plains FN). She can tell you how to store the Trinity (corn, beans, squash).
Old school all the way for me, even down to a tin bath and a butter churn. I look at pre ww2 and ealier for inspiration. Round here many isolated farms only got full electricity in the late1980s, running off gennys and bottled gas when they became available for years and years.
Small scale solar bank(eccoflow) is my only nod to electric as I may have to run a nebuliser every so often.
a solar shower which gives me enough hot water to wash etc in summer, and I have a woodstove in the house.
purchased an outbacker stove at Xmas as my present to myself which With large catering kettles , gives me enough hot water to keep clean etc in the winter. Outside, stove, as inside woodburner is sadly inset, so can't easily cook on it.
Recent red zone storm experience, it all worked fine and dandy.
Solar radio kept me informed.
Spong mincer made humous and a hay box with Dutch oven and camp gas stove to get things started, warm up Dutch oven by the woodburner in the house first , bring ingredients to boil on the camp stove, stick in preheated Dutch oven and pop into haybox . A few hours later...perfectly cooked stew. A non electric slow cooker.
I collect oil lamps, and have several old household ones, aswell as oil camping lanterns. Plenty of bottles of oil stocked over the last couple of years, so I was fine and reckon I have about 7 months of careful winter light left.
Living with the rhythms of day and night help, but not always possible if working a paid job.
I grow veg, and forage for whatever I can. Nettle soup is lovely, and I dry excess veg.
A kilner jar will easily hold two packs of frozen peas, dried in the dehydrator, and will not be lost if power goes out and freezer goes west.
I dry lots of stuff, but a quick way to start is to dry frozen supermarket veg. It's already prepared and saves time.
Chopped onions, mixed veg, sweetcorn, peas, all dry well and store for a year or so in a kilner jar kept in a dark cupboard. Just bung into a stew at the beginning or soak overnight or simmer gently for 20 mins or so to rehydrate.
Water filter, I have the standard sawyer, but am presently building my own berky type filter with an redundant old baby berco water heater which has a tap already on it, and a large steel stewpot, as a water reservoir to hold prefiltered water.Just need to order the filter candles when I can afford them.
Future projects,....
Build a solar dehydrator
More raised beds
Plant more productive trees(nuts and fruit)understory of soft fruit, (permaculture forest garden)
Three sisters garden.
Electric pushbike and a solar charging station.
Chickens.(just got a great second hand hutch and feeders for £20 due to neighbour giving up with all the bird flu regulations recently. got to make a closed run and get the birds)
That's all I can do on my own.
Dick strawbrige where are you when I need you!!!
Small scale solar bank(eccoflow) is my only nod to electric as I may have to run a nebuliser every so often.
a solar shower which gives me enough hot water to wash etc in summer, and I have a woodstove in the house.
purchased an outbacker stove at Xmas as my present to myself which With large catering kettles , gives me enough hot water to keep clean etc in the winter. Outside, stove, as inside woodburner is sadly inset, so can't easily cook on it.
Recent red zone storm experience, it all worked fine and dandy.
Solar radio kept me informed.
Spong mincer made humous and a hay box with Dutch oven and camp gas stove to get things started, warm up Dutch oven by the woodburner in the house first , bring ingredients to boil on the camp stove, stick in preheated Dutch oven and pop into haybox . A few hours later...perfectly cooked stew. A non electric slow cooker.
I collect oil lamps, and have several old household ones, aswell as oil camping lanterns. Plenty of bottles of oil stocked over the last couple of years, so I was fine and reckon I have about 7 months of careful winter light left.
Living with the rhythms of day and night help, but not always possible if working a paid job.
I grow veg, and forage for whatever I can. Nettle soup is lovely, and I dry excess veg.
A kilner jar will easily hold two packs of frozen peas, dried in the dehydrator, and will not be lost if power goes out and freezer goes west.
I dry lots of stuff, but a quick way to start is to dry frozen supermarket veg. It's already prepared and saves time.
Chopped onions, mixed veg, sweetcorn, peas, all dry well and store for a year or so in a kilner jar kept in a dark cupboard. Just bung into a stew at the beginning or soak overnight or simmer gently for 20 mins or so to rehydrate.
Water filter, I have the standard sawyer, but am presently building my own berky type filter with an redundant old baby berco water heater which has a tap already on it, and a large steel stewpot, as a water reservoir to hold prefiltered water.Just need to order the filter candles when I can afford them.
Future projects,....
Build a solar dehydrator
More raised beds
Plant more productive trees(nuts and fruit)understory of soft fruit, (permaculture forest garden)
Three sisters garden.
Electric pushbike and a solar charging station.
Chickens.(just got a great second hand hutch and feeders for £20 due to neighbour giving up with all the bird flu regulations recently. got to make a closed run and get the birds)
That's all I can do on my own.
Dick strawbrige where are you when I need you!!!
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