What preps are you doing this week? Part 3.

[Medusa]

Preps have been a bit thin on the ground this last month. The car needs a repair which was unplanned and not something which could have been prevented (I spoke too soon!). Second daughter is 21 and it's one of those months where everyone seems to have a birthday or anniversary. Money saved for Christmas has been taken up by the car repairs, but I have managed to save £100 on the monthly shopping due to my stocks of tinned food, cleaning products and extra food in the freezer needing to be eaten so it's not all bad. I've been making pies for the freezer from foraged blackberries and free apples from the trees on the field at the back of the garden which overhang and which nobody every picks. Hit the local supermarket at a great time and managed to buy heaps of mushrooms and leeks at only a few pence which I made into soups. Invested in a dutch oven for on the log burning stove to cook a few casseroles and soups using the heat from free wood. Bought my first storm lantern to add to the stocks of candles, torches and batteries.

[geordiejono]

Installed two water butts today, 210 litre then a 100 litre over flow, just picked up a further 2 210 litre butts off face bay so I will get them installed at my sons, also started with moulding candles, I have 400 tea lights made with a further 22 kgs of wax ready to go once the wick turns up. I also got two camping stoves from the council skips on Monday so at some point this week I will refill a 15kg gas cylinder and hide it behind the shed. It's been a busy week lol but still not finished, I seem to be thinking and preparing for the family, the son does not seem to worried about shift situations, that's him with three kids and ex military so it's more of a burden on me, food stocks is upto about 3 months and that's just on tinned stiuff and packets of rice and spaghetti etc, I will be into aldi on Thursday for another £10 worth.

[Decaff]

Been collecting the tomatoes from the Lottie and freezing in bags. This weekend will be a pasta sauce canning session, especially as the peppers are starting to ripen! Happy days ahead

[sethorly]

Got hold of some solar panels for recharging phones, a power bank and a battery recharger, all USB. Going to try and get them to work with each other - weather looking a bit rubbish for it though

[Deeps]

Got hold of some solar panels for recharging phones, a power bank and a battery recharger, all USB. Going to try and get them to work with each other - weather looking a bit rubbish for it though

Good stuff mate, I hope it all goes to plan for you, let us know how you go with it. Tomorrow I'll be testing and as required recharging my rechargeables, I've been a bit lazy of late on the prepping front in general, at least on the bits that require me to be proactive. I'm always adding to my tins of scran and been quite good about dehydrating, but stuff like batteries and whatnot I've been a bit of a loafer. Oh, I did get another Goretex jacket because 'apparently' my main one is not fit to be worn for anything other than walking dogs because of the smell. I'm keeping the new one for 'sunday best' and the smelly one will get worn to death but that probably says more about my personal hygiene so I'll move swiftly on......

I did put the sides on my woodstore project from last year that I basically downed tools on because Her Maj was unreasonably grumpy about my perceived lack of pace on it. A project that really had nothing to do with her and didn't affect her in any way but that was just out and out pettiness, I still need to roof it and that will be getting done V soon.

I've also got my parents into the foothills of prepping, they're in their 80's and I now make a point of a set regular visit, they seem to be more willing to have more food in the house, I've even convinced them to keep a litre of UHT milk in, 'just in case'. They're never going to be ready for any zombie apocalypse (although if my dad runs out of whisky those zombies better watch themselves ) but if I can get them better prepared for not being able to go out because of the weather then its a step in the right direction. I'm over an hour away from them although they have friends who live in the same town who are younger and look in on them.

I do need to get off my fat one and crack on with prepping stuff, I've got a pile of wood that could do with being cut to size and stowed in the new purpose (half) built woodstore for starters.

[nickdutch]

My continuing work with the church might just pay off. I am having a chat with the Vicar about the possibility of going into ministry training (3 years) and then after a few years even having a "proper" job with the Church that i can run alongside my self employed stuff thus providing me with long term financial security.
With that plus the skills that I have developed on the way (here) things could be good.

Just a quick note: I am still thinking of learning more about eating insects but haven't progressed matters much at he moment. The plan is to buy commercial prepared bugs to get me used to eating them prior to learning how to farm my own. Think about it, if I can turn 2 Kg of tesco value porridge oats into 1Kg of prime meat for burgers that would be good surely?

"Thailandunique" provides many snacks and dried bug powders to play wit until I have got up the guts to either harvest wild bugs or breed my own. Once I have my own space that will make my creepy new interest much more doable.

Its just a question of getting over the ick factor first I guess. the cricket flour bars I had from "eatgrub" were nice though.

[Brambles]

Started pulling out the winter stuff and I've realised a few essentials need replacing. The knitting needles have come out and it's full steam ahead for new fingerless gloves, hat, socks and slippers. The Brambling needs new gloves too.

[Brambles]

I got 12lb short dated butter cheap from work so I made a small batch of Ghee. It turned out really well so I think I'll make more.

9 months in and the Ghee is still good. I just opened another jar and it still smells lovely. It's been stored in a cool dark cupboard.

[junmist]

No preps for the whole month and feeling a failer as a prepper everything is on hold until my niece goes to uni ( as my sisiter is trying to start a bussinse in another county and I am in charge of my niece) havent even got a garden that I can prep by growing my own food. So fed up want to prep but feel unable to prep properly at the moment, I'm reduced to internet prepping which is no fun. Really really fed up.
Sorry but down in the dumps at the mo

[SooBee]

My continuing work with the church might just pay off. I am having a chat with the Vicar about the possibility of going into ministry training (3 years) and then after a few years even having a "proper" job with the Church that i can run alongside my self employed stuff thus providing me with long term financial security.
With that plus the skills that I have developed on the way (here) things could be good.

Just a quick note: I am still thinking of learning more about eating insects but haven't progressed matters much at he moment. The plan is to buy commercial prepared bugs to get me used to eating them prior to learning how to farm my own. Think about it, if I can turn 2 Kg of tesco value porridge oats into 1Kg of prime meat for burgers that would be good surely?

"Thailandunique" provides many snacks and dried bug powders to play wit until I have got up the guts to either harvest wild bugs or breed my own. Once I have my own space that will make my creepy new interest much more doable.

Its just a question of getting over the ick factor first I guess. the cricket flour bars I had from "eatgrub" were nice though.

It is a brave man that takes on a world that isn't all that church friendly nowadays. Enjoy the training and stand your ground gently. You have all my support.

As far as the bugs go, it is not the bugs themselves that are the problem...just some of the nasty illnesses they can carry.
I had malaria as a child so I am a little wary of mozzies.