Burying your head in the sand???

[Chairmouse]

Further to my post above, the same friend and his partner, and a few other friends were round for a bite and a few drinks last night. Any way I think my pal had been talking to his missus about what we had talked about, and half way through the evening she turns round and ask me why I've got all these books about survival and outdoors, and bush craft and stuff. I simply said, " you've got to be prepared", of course she laughed and came out with " what for a zombie apocalypse". Everybody had a good laugh, I said no of course not, but what about if there is a power cut, of something which puts the power grid out of action for a while, another of my friends chimed in with " or the third world war", more laughs, I said not likely these days, but what if some terrorist nutbag got hold a nuke, or if there was a solar flare which put the power grid out. Any way the conversation went on to cover pandemics, natural disasters like Yellowstone erupting, the usual stuff. And then out of the blue Sharon pipes up with, " I don't think I would like to survive something like a nuclear attack or some pandemic catastrophe", I looked at her and simply said " you might not get the choice", you would think I'd just slapped her across the face. She asked what i meant. I asked her if something catastrophic did happen would she commit suicide, she said of course not. I then pointed out that I was fairly sure in some seriously catastrophic global event there would be plenty of people who would want to survive who won't, and plenty who wouldn't want to survive who will, most of the people who would be survivors won't get the choice, I then went on to explain that prepping is not about preparing for just the big world changing events, but the smaller stuff as well, like how would you mange for a couple of days without water, she said she'd simply go to the shops, to which I replied so would every body else, what about lighting in the event of a power cut, shed go to the shops and buy a torch or some candles, so would every one else I replied. I think it got them all thinking, and that's my point.

I really think the average person has no concept about how hard things would be if the brown stuff hit the whirly thing, and it just got me thinking that perhaps I should try and convince family and friends that they should do something, or perhaps put an aid hamper together for some of them, or should the bullet be bitten and extra supplies and prep got in to cater for the inevitable influx of family and friends who would turn up on my door step in the event.

Sorry to waffle on but it got me to thinking a bit.

[Deeps]

Further to my post above, the same friend and his partner, and a few other friends were round for a bite and a few drinks last night. Any way I think my pal had been talking to his missus about what we had talked about, and half way through the evening she turns round and ask me why I've got all these books about survival and outdoors, and bush craft and stuff. I simply said, " you've got to be prepared", of course she laughed and came out with " what for a zombie apocalypse". Everybody had a good laugh, I said no of course not, but what about if there is a power cut, of something which puts the power grid out of action for a while, another of my friends chimed in with " or the third world war", more laughs, I said not likely these days, but what if some terrorist nutbag got hold a nuke, or if there was a solar flare which put the power grid out. Any way the conversation went on to cover pandemics, natural disasters like Yellowstone erupting, the usual stuff. And then out of the blue Sharon pipes up with, " I don't think I would like to survive something like a nuclear attack or some pandemic catastrophe", I looked at her and simply said " you might not get the choice", you would think I'd just slapped her across the face. She asked what i meant. I asked her if something catastrophic did happen would she commit suicide, she said of course not. I then pointed out that I was fairly sure in some seriously catastrophic global event there would be plenty of people who would want to survive who won't, and plenty who wouldn't want to survive who will, most of the people who would be survivors won't get the choice, I then went on to explain that prepping is not about preparing for just the big world changing events, but the smaller stuff as well, like how would you mange for a couple of days without water, she said she'd simply go to the shops, to which I replied so would every body else, what about lighting in the event of a power cut, shed go to the shops and buy a torch or some candles, so would every one else I replied. I think it got them all thinking, and that's my point.

I really think the average person has no concept about how hard things would be if the brown stuff hit the whirly thing, and it just got me thinking that perhaps I should try and convince family and friends that they should do something, or perhaps put an aid hamper together for some of them, or should the bullet be bitten and extra supplies and prep got in to cater for the inevitable influx of family and friends who would turn up on my door step in the event.

Sorry to waffle on but it got me to thinking a bit.

Fair play to you for persevering and for fighting your corner from a logical stance. I think that being aware of who might turn up on your doorstep would count as a prep in itself, if you've thought about who's kipping where, food and water etc then you're probably 1 step ahead. While I generally think of our preps for just the 2 of us I also know that it wouldn't be the case in reality, I've got friends etc who I wouldn't see starving if I could help it, I don't see that as being soft, I would be more than happy to tell people to sling their hook and willing to enforce it if required but I do see it almost as a duty to look after 'yours'. Its where you draw the line I suppose.

[preparedsurrey]

We have a saying in Liverpool "fur coat and no knickers"
Phil

Don't know if that varies region to region but that used to have a much different meaning where I grew up, something to do with how he/ she got said fur coat...

[yorkshirewolf]

I know quite a broad spectrum of people, some are quite well prepared for emergencies, some panic when they can't find the charger for their phone!

One lady who's a friend of my wife recently had a powercut, she was moaning about it afterwards saying she couldn't even have a cup of tea for four hours as she couldn't boil the kettle, i asked if she had a gas cooker, she said "yes, but the electric was out" so i asked why she couldn't boil water on the hob in a pan to make a brew, she went quiet for a minute then said "i didn't think of that"

Moral? you can give someone all the supplies and gear they'll ever need, but without mental preparedness and the ability to adapt and problem solve, those same people will end up in trouble.

we live in a society where everything is so easy; water? turn on a tap. Food? open a cupboard. cold? turn the heating on. a worrying amount of people can't or won't see that all those things have a huge infrastructure, and if they break down, you have to think laterally and prepare what to do.

Maybe for some it's a case of not wanting to contemplate it, perhaps 'ignorance is bliss'

[Arzosah]

Yorkshirewolf, apparently there are lots of gas hobs that need electricity to work, something about the ignition being *completely* disabled without electricity. I have a gas hob, but its an early one, no leccy needed - I switched off at the mains one day to check

However ... I do take your main point, its an issue of being willing to think outside the box.

[Decaff]

Yorkshirewolf, apparently there are lots of gas hobs that need electricity to work, something about the ignition being *completely* disabled without electricity. I have a gas hob, but its an early one, no leccy needed - I switched off at the mains one day to check

However ... I do take your main point, its an issue of being willing to think outside the box.

I have a cooker like that, no electricity = no ignition but the gas still comes through and it can be lit with a match or lighter.

[jansman]

Interesting to read what happened to chairmouse. My own bookcase is very subdued. 'My' books are out of sight. No one can comment on what they cannot see.

[yorkshirewolf]

Yorkshirewolf, apparently there are lots of gas hobs that need electricity to work, something about the ignition being *completely* disabled without electricity. I have a gas hob, but its an early one, no leccy needed - I switched off at the mains one day to check

However ... I do take your main point, its an issue of being willing to think outside the box.

Most modern gas cookers use an electric spark to light the gas, and most have some type of safety mechanism where the gas turns off automatically if the hob doesn't light.

According to the guy who did our most recent gas inspection and fitted a new hob, it's because the hobs have a thermal sensor in them, so you have to light the hob, hold the knob and let the sensor warm up or the gas cuts out, saves a gas leak if the knob is turned accidentally.

This sensor would still be warmed up if the hob was lit by a match or lighter.

I wasn't being unpleasant towards the woman, it just surprised me that it didn't even occur to try something other than flicking a switch on the kettle.

[7 lives]

Hi ,We experienced 2 flood close together ,the last one cut the village off from the outside roads.
I was very surprised at how quickly peoples attitudes changed-in a very short space of time there was resentment and anger within the village re the situation and who was to blame.Very few took responsibility for their own wellbieng-instead there was a sheep mentality of someone has to come and help us.Their was no violence other than some building of barricades ,stone throwing and verbal abuse at anyone with a 4 by 4 driving but it was a real eye opener.Based on this I would keep my mouth shut re any prepping I do.
Even close neighbours turn when their backs are up against the wall.

[Hamradioop]

sorry to her you were flooded 7Lives. People are always looking to blame some one else for the situation. I attended a meeting of the Local Flood Forum once, and it was all about one individual who had bought a house in a easy to spot flood area. When we bought our current house I searched on line for flood info on my address as we live near a brook, I found pictures of my street flooded but not the part we are in and asked my solicitor to do searches on flooding. as the Vic tim of a Flash Flood I know any where can flood. Farmers no longer seem to maintain ditches as they used to, the same way they no longer maintain Hedges. I say that as some one who grew up on a farm in the 60's as a farm hands child and saw dad Hedging and ditching over the years. Hedging almost seems to be a lost skill, but a properly laid hedge will last longer than a post and wire fence.