What Preps are you doing this week

[grenfell]

I've done the paper briquettes thing many years ago. I didn't buy a machine , just made one from timber and a hydraulic car jack but eventually gave it up. For the effort there is very little return. A dustbin full of soaking paper , cold wet work plus it takes up a lot of space and time to dry them out. Drying out in the house is a bad idea and the compressing needs to be done carefully if you don't want dilute printing ink everywhere.
Just twist up your papers and throw them on the fire or stuff the tubes from toilet rolls.

[Plymtom]

I've been thinking about this on and off for a couple of hours now, and all I can come up with is rolling up, or folding it into compact, sizes and binding it somehow, old wire perhaps? the whole idea of the things was to keep the stuff in a lump so as it burns much like a log, but long winded and labour intensive.

[FEISTY]

Feisty, if I were nearby, I would have those trees down in a heatrtbeat!
Locally, my neighbours come to me if the have trees to take down, or scrap wood. A nice little system.

And speaking of neighbours. My plan earlier was to split logs. Not a chance! My neighbour two doors down had her shed broken into last night. A few tools and a bike were taken, but the scum wrecked the door. She reported it, and then came and asked if I could help. So tool kit to the rescue, along with some of my 'crap ' as Jan calls it. I stash metal, timber-all sorts. I rebuilt the door and frame, put in 2 new hasp and staples-one top, one bottom. It makes it harder to prise a door open.
On top of that I put a hinged metal bar across the middle of the door, which padlocks. On the insistence of my neighbour, I 'boarded' the window. Actually I put aviary wire over the outside, so light still gets in. The whole incident has, understandably, freaked her out.
When I had done I checked the window locks on the house, and made sure the lock on the entry gate was ok(this is where the creep(s) got in. Job done. She tried to pay me, but I believe in Karma-what goes round, comes round. Then, Lo and Behold, Jan and I are invited to dinner next week. One other plus point is that this Lady is a Nurse, who specialises in A and E. A useful friend in a crisis I would say.
Karma.

I have a few friends like that and I would neither have furnished my new house after a break up, nor kept my wee car on the road if it hadn't been for them. Not forgotten. I've since been able to return a favour or two, but it doesn't stop there. Time well spent and "crap" well used, I'd say. Don't get me wrong about trees - I love them, but sycamores are a pain. Unfortunately, one large overhanging one is in a neighbour's garden and other two frame the entrance to our drive, meaning very difficult to remove completely as they are both right beside walls that lead into our drive too. Would have big excavations to get them right out to be able to plant something more garden friendly. The seedlings seed all over our expansive stoned areas, likewise two large lawns, any bit of earth they land on and even in between the monoblock. I hate them with a passion (they're not even the most attractive trees and I consulted a knowledgeable horticultural friend because the fallen leaves all looked as if they had black spot, but that is apparently just they way they look. For a couple of years I'd disposed of them (a massive amount) instead of composting them to leaf mold because I thought they were diseased .

[FEISTY]

The next door neighbour to one of our tenanted houses had his shed broken into. They couldn't get in the door or the window easily, so they just cut their way though the shed wall (wood). No-one heard a thing. They also had to climb over a 6' fence and gate to get in and take out the stuff they stole that way too. Around that time, our tenants had their front door forced in the middle of the night. The burglars took a handbag from the lounge with purse and keys, got in one of the cars and drove away. The car has never been recovered. Our tenants slept though the door being forced and one of their cars being driven away. I'm against corporal punishment, but sometimes I think a wee birching would be in order. Security is an important prep for peace of mind. Ditto insurance.

[strayed]

Hi, this is my first post in this thread. Well this week I've moved into a new house and from the poster above I totally agree that insurance even just contents insurance as a renter is something as little as £10 a month and really takes a lot of hassle out of people taking your stuff.

Anyway I've moved preps to this new place and now have an extra room to store more so that will be an on going process.

I'm also going to prep myself and I'm looking into learning some welding at the local college. I've also started exercising more, sitting in front of a desk all day really doesn't help and if you need to bug out what's the point of all your preps if you can't carry any of it with you.

Hopefully I keep adding to the conversation on a monthly basis

[nickdutch]

Got myself a camping toaster to use on the gas stove.

[Arzosah]

Has anyone here used the machine that makes logs from old newspapers? If so is it any good and can they be burnt on any type of fire?

Just catching up ... I'd never buy any product to do that kind of thing - my grandad used to use newspaper to help get the fire started in the living room, and he rolled up sheets of newspaper on the diagonal, and then tied them in a rough knot - which means you get little loose bits of paper to catch light, and concentrated bits of paper to burn long enough for your logs or coal to catch. Then he'd put a single piece of newspaper over the fireplace to help it draw - that piece of paper *must* have caught light and flown up the chimney sometimes, but I never saw it happen

[Decaff]

Has anyone here used the machine that makes logs from old newspapers? If so is it any good and can they be burnt on any type of fire?

Just catching up ... I'd never buy any product to do that kind of thing - my grandad used to use newspaper to help get the fire started in the living room, and he rolled up sheets of newspaper on the diagonal, and then tied them in a rough knot - which means you get little loose bits of paper to catch light, and concentrated bits of paper to burn long enough for your logs or coal to catch. Then he'd put a single piece of newspaper over the fireplace to help it draw - that piece of paper *must* have caught light and flown up the chimney sometimes, but I never saw it happen

Ive never lost one up the chimney before but did have a few catch light, usually after being distracted by something else going on! Doesn't half give you a shock though.

Lots of good ideas everyone so thank you all yet again for good information.

[Ferricks]

Has anyone here used the machine that makes logs from old newspapers? If so is it any good and can they be burnt on any type of fire?

Hi Decaff - I have one and while I agree with all comments that it's a faff, it's a messy job, it's a lot of work for little return etc.etc. - it's still easily lit, easily acquired free fuel! I find it easier as a woman with a bad back (!) to use than to have to handle and manage logs on a large scale. I'm fortunate that I have my OH for that BUT it means I'm not dependent on anybody and I can fuel my own stove my own way - so it suits me to spend time making logs periodically to have a wee stock stashed.

It's whatever suits you but be aware of pros AND cons.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Got myself a camping toaster to use on the gas stove.

what type? is it any good?


ive tried this type



which with a decent sized burner with a new butane propane cartridge tends to dry the bread out till it goes solid...

and this type



no matter how low i turn the cooler burning bistro stove turns bread into carbon in about 30 seconds and sets the workshop fire alarm off