PowerSwitch

I've decided to start stocking up on a few basics, things that'll make life a little bit easier if/when the worst happens. I'll have a big shop in the next week or two then I figure if I get a few items each pay day, I should be stocked for winter (just in case) and ready for what might happen a few years down the line. So here's my list so far (in no order):

Veg seeds - I'll get these from BnQ, they're dirty cheap and there's nearly 15 different kinds, (I plan on starting my food growing next week)
Tinned food of all kinds - This'll be a monthly shopping thing. I'm going to pick the items with the longest life and stock up cellar with em in order to bridge the gap until my crops are set up,
Candles - I think I'll start stocking up on these until I can find a better, more long-term solution to the lighting problem,
Wind-up radio - gonna grab one of these off ebay. I figured it'd be useful to keep upto date with news services (if there are any),
Eco balls - I guess these will be useful while there's running water
Second hand jumpers - I think this'll be a monthly item. I think if I raid the second-hand shops I wont break the bank either...also need to get myself some decent hard-wearing shoes,
Gas stove with gas bottles - Gas bottles will probably be a monthly item, I just need to choose what set up to go for.

I might get a push bike next week and I'm also planning to get a few more cans of Pepper Spray off ebay, purely as a 'just in case' thing. I may also stock up on pellets for my air rifle as there's a massive rabbit population in the fields across the road.
( I'm also going to get some board games...sure why not, there's not going to be anything on tv anyway! )

Anybody got anything else to add? This list is in it's really early days at the moment, so any advice would be greatly received. Are you stocking up, if so what items are you getting?

Matches, first aid supplies, basic tool set.

Books (guides to plants to eat etc.)

You can some times get army surplus stuff cheap like clothes, medical equipment, spades, cans etc. Could be worth while looking at. Come to think of it, you might get some good stuff at 2nd hand places.

BTW, I?m not advocating a survivalist attitude here but in my experience of doing outward bound stuff, military equipment tends to last longer than civilian stuff and is cheaper.

This also depends on if you are looking at the short or long term.

roughly speaking we have the following:

- food for 3 weeks.
- 20l diesel and 120l used veg oil (my car is converted to burn both).
- 35l drinking water container, 2 dustbins collecting rainwater from the roof
- "expedition quality" water filter - will filter 50,000 litres of muddy water so you can drink it.
- meths stove and a few litres of meths
- "Kelly Kettle" - will boil 2.5 pints water in 5 mins using a few sticks!!!
- matches and "fire steel" as a backup
- candles
- 10W solar panel, lead-acid battery and LED lamps
- torches, including one which you shake to charge it.
- solar/wind-up radio
- assorted household stuff (toilet paper, cleaning stuff, etc.)
- medicines, soap, etc.
- thermal clothing
- food growing in the garden (not a lot - this is mostly just getting practice)
- an expanding library of books on survival stuff, finding wild food, organic gardening, etc.
- ?100 cash at home
- 2 bikes in good working order with spares.
- reasonable collection of tools (gardening, wood/metal working, electronics, bike repair)
- spare clothes (new and old stuff, summer and winter)
- no debt
- making friends with more neighbours and people in the village.

The biggest step of all for our preparation is that in 2 weeks I start my MSc in renewable energy. I just hope that the world doesn't fall apart before I have chance to put some of my learning into practice! Still, hopefully some of the knowledge should be useful even after any possible future drastic changes in society. Another advantage of doing the course is that I'm not dependent on keeping a job for the next year, having set money aside, and we're also getting used to living on less money full stop.

Actually, now I've put it in a list, I realise we've done quite a bit of preparation! I still don't feel very prepared though...

Way overdue for me to get my finger(s) out then

There used to be a small-ish chain of stores in the UK called ?Soldier of Fortune? which I remember from my days in cadets. You could get budget (including 2nd hand) equipment. At the time I got a feather lined sleeping bag for a cinch which lasted me years.

A quick search along these lines got me this list of distributors:
http://www.milweb.net/dealers/categories/outdoor.html

Add a 1st aid manual (if you?re think you need it). ?Where there is no Doctor? is available online free.

Mike, could you give some more info on that water filter of yours? Water is one of the main areas of preparation which I haven't much of a clue about. Where did you get yours from and how did you choose it?

loads of equipment links on my wiki...

http://peakoil.wikispaces.org/Preparing

Ballard wrote:loads of equipment links on my wiki...

http://peakoil.wikispaces.org/Preparing

i think i've just found my next torch

hatchelt wrote:Mike, could you give some more info on that water filter of yours? Water is one of the main areas of preparation which I haven't much of a clue about. Where did you get yours from and how did you choose it?

I got a Katadyn "Pocket" filter. I chose it having read a lot of reviews on different filters. It's expensive, but is rated to filter around 50,000 litres at a rate of 1 litre/min, and you can get replacement filter cartridges for it. They get used in jungles, mountains, etc. and people seem to think they last for 20 years. Given all that I thought it was a worthwhile investment, and I'm very pleased with it - it's solidly built, comes with everything you need to maintain it, and it works - I've already drunk water from my semi-stagnant warter butt!

I got it here:
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/penrith_sur ... lue&cid=55

I got 5% off, as I bought a Kelly Kettle and some thermals at the same time so it came to quite a bit. I figure it's worth converting cash into useful stuff right now, so I'm happy to spend the money on this instead of holidays/beer/DVDs - delete as appropriate

Tesco Hazlenut spread
Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate.
(I'm a chocoholic)
Wilkin & Sons "Tawny" Orange Marmalade.
Plenty of Epson printer inks and Photo quality Inkjet Paper
Marks and Spencer loop stitch socks and boxer shorts

As I'm not American, Ill skip the automatic weaponry, ten thousand rounds of ammunition and a shack in the woods and get a years zone 1 to 5 travelcard for London Transport instead.

Ballard wrote:loads of equipment links on my wiki...

http://peakoil.wikispaces.org/Preparing

There seem quite a few of these induction torches. Is the one that you've got down as the ultimate torch really the best (as far as you can tell)? or are they all much of a muchness?


Peter.

I?ve always put my own together. I have things like sticky plasters, bandages, tape, disinfectant, pain killers, scissors, thread, needles, special medication etc. Just put them all in a box with a red cross on them. I have a small box for normal out an about and bigger box for going for if I?m going far.

How about this...

A giant water butt, go to:-

http://www.queenswood.co.uk/index2.shtml

Click on 'Water Everywhere'

And scroll down until you get to the "Water Butt Tank - Giant 700ltr"

I put in 3 x 210 l butts. I intend to add two more before the winter. It sounds like a lot but we are a family of 4 and the back and front gardens are being planted. We seem to be going for long periods these summers without significant rainfall. I also think that getting several smaller butts gives you some fall back if you get a tank split open. Need to get a filter as well.

Pete M

Pete_M wrote:We seem to be going for long periods these summers without significant rainfall.

We noticed this too, as we tried to only water our vegetables with rainwater. A couple of times we ran dry and had to use tap water, so we expanded the storage a little after that - it's amazing how much you can collect when there's a thunderstorm if you have the capacity for it!

As we're in a rented house, we haven't fitted water butts - we're using two old dustbins, with a gutter modified (in a reversible manner, for when we move out) to drain into one of them. If it gets full, we just use a bucket to transfer some into the spare bin. We keep a lid on each to stop the water going green and getting mosquitos in it. The lid's inverted with holes drilled in the handle for the one which actually collects from the gutter. It's all a bit hacked together, but it works, and it cost absolutely nothing!