Preparing for troubled times ahead - Advice on what is needed.....
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There is actually good advice on the uk Gov preparedness websites, but the sites seem to come and go.
Summing up they say everyone should have 2 weeks food and water at home and a 72hr go bag for each person. Including any meds, torches, a radio, first aid gear, goggles, respirator, warm clothing, if possible a tent and sleeping bags etc warm and waterproof coat.
I'd get all that as a starting point. I'd get a water filter for your go bag with carbon filters, rather than try and carry 3 days water, which at 5l a day is 15kg on your back. Maybe get a little luggage cart or a fishing cart for off-road use.
I am not a panic merchant in any way. I've tried for over 3 years to get people to prep as it was obvious to me it was the start of huge global changes.
I am very calm and level-headed, but just observably we are watching the potential beginning of WW3, still in a pandemic everyone seems to have forgotten about + warnings of another one imminent, food shortages and blackouts are likely, US Dollar about to collapse and be replaced and still there are people saying "Nah, stop being paranoid"...
They are the people who will panic if something does occur, because they'll have no food and water or be a drain on the limited state and local authority provided aid.
Surely having the basics covered is not just sensible, but almost your duty if able to do so.
Summing up they say everyone should have 2 weeks food and water at home and a 72hr go bag for each person. Including any meds, torches, a radio, first aid gear, goggles, respirator, warm clothing, if possible a tent and sleeping bags etc warm and waterproof coat.
I'd get all that as a starting point. I'd get a water filter for your go bag with carbon filters, rather than try and carry 3 days water, which at 5l a day is 15kg on your back. Maybe get a little luggage cart or a fishing cart for off-road use.
I am not a panic merchant in any way. I've tried for over 3 years to get people to prep as it was obvious to me it was the start of huge global changes.
I am very calm and level-headed, but just observably we are watching the potential beginning of WW3, still in a pandemic everyone seems to have forgotten about + warnings of another one imminent, food shortages and blackouts are likely, US Dollar about to collapse and be replaced and still there are people saying "Nah, stop being paranoid"...
They are the people who will panic if something does occur, because they'll have no food and water or be a drain on the limited state and local authority provided aid.
Surely having the basics covered is not just sensible, but almost your duty if able to do so.
Don't be too quick to advertise the fact that you are prepared with food/water/shelter and so on. There are lots of predatory people quite willing to fight you for your supplies. The real preppers are very quiet, they plan to sit still and fade into the landscape for as long as they can.
Vancouver, British Columbia, sits on a massive geological fault. The "BIG ONE" is long overdue. Perhaps a thump in the order of 7.5 or stronger. If you happened to be in the core of the city, you will find that when the window glass gets shaken out of the buildings, the city streets will be a meter deep in broken glass. Don't expect assistance for a long time, if ever.
If you were 10-15 km south towards the airport, you will be standing on an alluvial flood plane of the Fraser River. The vibration will liquify all the ground around you. Buildings will sink and the electrical grid will sink into the ground to the level of the wires.
What are the biggest local and regional threats to your survivorship?
Vancouver, British Columbia, sits on a massive geological fault. The "BIG ONE" is long overdue. Perhaps a thump in the order of 7.5 or stronger. If you happened to be in the core of the city, you will find that when the window glass gets shaken out of the buildings, the city streets will be a meter deep in broken glass. Don't expect assistance for a long time, if ever.
If you were 10-15 km south towards the airport, you will be standing on an alluvial flood plane of the Fraser River. The vibration will liquify all the ground around you. Buildings will sink and the electrical grid will sink into the ground to the level of the wires.
What are the biggest local and regional threats to your survivorship?
I don't advertise. It's solid advice. I told someone just yesterday not to get a generator for that exact reason. Like a dinner gong to the horde. The biggest natural'ish threat to us in the UK is probably tsunamis from either La Palma or a poseidon torpedo, or another underwater landslide. Lot of seismic activity the last few years from Germany eiffel field, to Scotland in a big ring over Achnaha, to Iceland, so anything could happen.
They have set up the emergency alerts for something and I'm leaving mine on. I see people saying to turn your phone off on the day they test it as defiance! Makes no sense at all. I'd rather get the alerts, see the info, have a heads up and then decide what to do with that information.
If an order comes through to sit tight at home for 2 weeks a lot of people will be in a bad way, because they refuse to even have a few extra bottles of water in the corner or under the bed. It's just silly and childish really. Like not getting a fire extinguisher because you don't believe in fires haha
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Well you'll have to forgive me for disagreeing. We live on a rural smallholding with 4 very large freezers. In the last few years there have been many strong storms that have caused power cuts for up to a week in many areas of the country. The ability to keep things like freezers, phones, milking machines, cold stores, well pumps and more going means that almost everyone out here has them. Our little propane Honda will pale into the noise of one friends 10kVA three phase diesel or the next guys industrial genset that's bigger than my shed! Not every eventuality is a Zombie apocalypse
For me, one of the biggest threats to modern life is a massive solar storm. The sun is having a busy time of late with solar storms, there is a possibility, if not now, at some time another Carrington event might happen which would fry modern tech and leave areas that it affects in a poor state of affairs. It won't affect the whole world at once, only certain areas so some areas will be OK. We just don't know where. Already australiasia has had problems with this, though thankfully not major..yet.
I keep old fashoned bulb torches and hand tools for both kitchen and repairs. Such as a spong mincer and hand drills as two examples.
I'm not saying it will happen, but we are less than halfway through the solar cycle and this latest solar max has been very eventful so far with even a g5 recently, hence the aurora visible in Cornwall.
If things go belly up with Russia, we don't have much of a chance if the big one goes up, so all prepping will be null and void! One on London, and it will reach as far as Southampton.
I don't worry about that. There isn't much point. A 3 minute warning isn't much use there.
Banking collapse, food chain, and supply problems and mental health are my things to worry about.
So I grow veg, forage, and have two or three different water filter systems with extra filters. I know my local water sources.
Plenty of candles and matches, and a wood burner.
I lived off grid for many years in the past, and I can do it again if I need to. I'm prepared.
Many don't have the skills or the items they will need to be successful, and will be stressed, scared angry and miserable. This is where mental health comes in. If you are prepared to be comfortable without modern necessities, such as the Internet, central heating and hot showers, you will be OK.
My most valuable prep is soap and water. Keeping clean and savoury and hydrated is good for physical and mental health. Follow that with pure salt, and you can preserve food.
A way to keep warm and cook.
And as many old time skills as you can learn.
After that, it's anybodies guess. It depends on the crisis.
It's a vunerable time because we are now acutely aware of how tenuous things are. It all being taken for granted before, and we got far too comfortable in a throw away society.
Big changes are comming ,like it or not, so be mentaly prepared as well as physically. That's the best prep.
Don't worry, it will all work out eventualy, painful as it may be for some.
My great grandma brought up 8 kids without electricity and the Internet, or NHS, and a hand pump for water down the street which had to be fetched daily. Made all her own and kids clothes, and lived to be 103.
So don't worry. It's all doable.
I keep old fashoned bulb torches and hand tools for both kitchen and repairs. Such as a spong mincer and hand drills as two examples.
I'm not saying it will happen, but we are less than halfway through the solar cycle and this latest solar max has been very eventful so far with even a g5 recently, hence the aurora visible in Cornwall.
If things go belly up with Russia, we don't have much of a chance if the big one goes up, so all prepping will be null and void! One on London, and it will reach as far as Southampton.
I don't worry about that. There isn't much point. A 3 minute warning isn't much use there.
Banking collapse, food chain, and supply problems and mental health are my things to worry about.
So I grow veg, forage, and have two or three different water filter systems with extra filters. I know my local water sources.
Plenty of candles and matches, and a wood burner.
I lived off grid for many years in the past, and I can do it again if I need to. I'm prepared.
Many don't have the skills or the items they will need to be successful, and will be stressed, scared angry and miserable. This is where mental health comes in. If you are prepared to be comfortable without modern necessities, such as the Internet, central heating and hot showers, you will be OK.
My most valuable prep is soap and water. Keeping clean and savoury and hydrated is good for physical and mental health. Follow that with pure salt, and you can preserve food.
A way to keep warm and cook.
And as many old time skills as you can learn.
After that, it's anybodies guess. It depends on the crisis.
It's a vunerable time because we are now acutely aware of how tenuous things are. It all being taken for granted before, and we got far too comfortable in a throw away society.
Big changes are comming ,like it or not, so be mentaly prepared as well as physically. That's the best prep.
Don't worry, it will all work out eventualy, painful as it may be for some.
My great grandma brought up 8 kids without electricity and the Internet, or NHS, and a hand pump for water down the street which had to be fetched daily. Made all her own and kids clothes, and lived to be 103.
So don't worry. It's all doable.
It's easy to spot someone with a genie round here as they still have lights when there's a power cut. But then quite a few people have them as there's a lot of farms than need power all the time.
I've still not sorted one and do wonder if I should. Just the other week a tree surgeon dropped a tree on the power and phone lines that lead to our house. Plenty of sparks but no loss of power, phone lines out but luckily repaired in a couple of hours after chatting nicely to the BTOR engineer who came out to make all the lines safe.
I recommend getting one; it's guaranteed to make sure you never get another power cut
Having a generator, and using it when it is likely to attract the wrong attention are two different things, to rule out having one based on one unlikely eventuality which could be avoided by simply not using the generator in that situation seems silly.
A realy useful prep I had to go buy this afternoon after paddling into town with all the rain we've had in the last 24 hrs.
WELLIES!
Mine had developed a hole as they are so old , which I discovered on my paddle today. Nasty wet feet, and soggy socks sent me straight to the gun and fishing shop to find a pair. Cheapest £20, most are fancy brands and between £80-£100+ for the huntin' shootin' fishin' lot from London who can afford those prices. Bit of a shock, last pair I bought were £8!
WELLIES!
Mine had developed a hole as they are so old , which I discovered on my paddle today. Nasty wet feet, and soggy socks sent me straight to the gun and fishing shop to find a pair. Cheapest £20, most are fancy brands and between £80-£100+ for the huntin' shootin' fishin' lot from London who can afford those prices. Bit of a shock, last pair I bought were £8!
I know a few guys around the county with breweries and a couple folks with distilleries... I know where I'm heading if it all goes Pete Tong 
Having rather a large collection of candle holders and making my own candles seems to keep the powercuts at bay. I often think we need to have a fake powercut to use some of them.I recommend getting one; it's guaranteed to make sure you never get another power cut
I also plan to become a cannibal in a global collapse, so I don't see there being a food shortage for me...
I needed them to get home!
Water was ankle deep.
Feet were freezing soggy and wet. Luckily, charity shop across the road had some socks too for a pound. So all was well in the end.
I don't shop online, unless I realy can't find what I need localy, and I'm trying to support local shops so this small town doesn't die.
I usualy get a locals discount, but new guy serving, and forgot to remind him.
I don't mind too much, they are very good to me generally.
I didn't say nobody should get one. Every situation is different. The guy I advised not to get one, lives on a council estate in England. It would be a terrible idea to run that there, even in a powercut that lasted a few hours, because that generator will be stolen at the very least. As I said, ringing the dinner gong for the horde and it would be.Well you'll have to forgive me for disagreeing. We live on a rural smallholding with 4 very large freezers. In the last few years there have been many strong storms that have caused power cuts for up to a week in many areas of the country. The ability to keep things like freezers, phones, milking machines, cold stores, well pumps and more going means that almost everyone out here has them. Our little propane Honda will pale into the noise of one friends 10kVA three phase diesel or the next guys industrial genset that's bigger than my shed! Not every eventuality is a Zombie apocalypse
Of course if you live in the middle of nowhere and your neighbours all have them then that's not an issue and I didn't say it was.
"Not every eventuality is a Zombie apocalypse" again, didn't say it was. I can't cover every angle as I'd be here for weeks.
"Having a generator, and using it when it is likely to attract the wrong attention are two different things, to rule out having one based on one unlikely eventuality which could be avoided by simply not using the generator in that situation seems silly." - It isn't silly where he lives. They'd take it or at the very least remember he has it for future stealing and the money it costs and fuel prices on top, could get you a decent water filter, a few months food, candles, torches, batteries, merino base layers, 100w solar panel with USB leads plus change.
As for unlikely, I disagree. Nobody knows what will happen, but many just flat refuse to take any pre-emptive measures which I do not and have never understood and as you have seen above, they even mock those that do.
My life has been up and down like a yoyo. I'm always prepared as I can be for the next hiccup.
Life has taught me to take nothing for granted.
Sometimes....like today,.... I get caught out, but I try to cover most bases. It's rare to get caught out nowadays, but these things happen. It makes good sense to do your best to be ready for anything.
Check stuff you havnt used in a while is my newest lesson.!
Replace before things get too worn, then you are covered if there is sudden failure.
Should have known, but there you are, nobody is perfect, and there will always be a hole(scuse the pun!) Somewhere.
Tube of shoo goo is next on the list of things needed so hopefully I can repair the old wellies and get a bit more use out of them before I use them to grow carrots in.
Life has taught me to take nothing for granted.
Sometimes....like today,.... I get caught out, but I try to cover most bases. It's rare to get caught out nowadays, but these things happen. It makes good sense to do your best to be ready for anything.
Check stuff you havnt used in a while is my newest lesson.!
Replace before things get too worn, then you are covered if there is sudden failure.
Should have known, but there you are, nobody is perfect, and there will always be a hole(scuse the pun!) Somewhere.
Tube of shoo goo is next on the list of things needed so hopefully I can repair the old wellies and get a bit more use out of them before I use them to grow carrots in.
I have shu glue and I've recut tread in boots before now with a craft knife. Not ideal, but it gets a bit more life out of them if you can't get them re-soled.My life has been up and down like a yoyo. I'm always prepared as I can be for the next hiccup.
Life has taught me to take nothing for granted.
Sometimes....like today,.... I get caught out, but I try to cover most bases. It's rare to get caught out nowadays, but these things happen. It makes good sense to do your best to be ready for anything.
Check stuff you havnt used in a while is my newest lesson.!
Replace before things get too worn, then you are covered if there is sudden failure.
Should have known, but there you are, nobody is perfect, and there will always be a hole(scuse the pun!) Somewhere.
Tube of shoo goo is next on the list of things needed so hopefully I can repair the old wellies and get a bit more use out of them before I use them to grow carrots in.
If where he lives is that crime ridden, I suspect the best preparation he can make is to move. If people steal so casually now it would be anarchy if things became bad.
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