What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

[ukpreppergrrl]

Hand pump arrived from eBay. Bought 4 x 25 litre water containers a few weeks ago but too heavy to move or dispense from when filled. Going to change water every 3 months so needed a way of emptying.

A hand pump is always a good prep, but if your 25L water containers (plastic jerry can type thing) are like mine then have you looked at the Aeroflow caps? e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-New-25L-L ... xyYANTYVK2 You only need one cap (ok 2 just to be safe!) and you put it on whichever container you are currently dispensing from. Hump the container onto a raised block (or the a side surface in your kitchen if you can manage) and you can pour from the tap. Yup they are heavy when full, I can just about lug one from the kitchen where they're filled to the outhouse where they're stored - but I also have a trolly available should I be more incapacitated come the time I need one in earnest! I also have a number of 10L (and a few 5L) jerrys which are stored full of water alongside the 25L and whose purpose is a) to fill from the 25L if I am unable to move the 25L containers; b) or I wish to disseminate the water further afield; c) to collect water from any tankers that may be provided if the water has failed, as lugging a 25L container very far isn't going to happen! If you're filling the containers with tap water and storing them somewhere dark you don't need to change the water every 3 months. 6 months at most, most say 12 months. I add 1.5 teaspoons of thin bleach per 25L jerry can and then it definitely stores for 12 months.

[BristolPrepper]

Thanks, all good advice. I have a bad back so I won't be lugging them anywhere! Fill with a hose, empty with a pump.
Good plan on the 5 litre ones though, I'm old enough to remember stand pipes in the street and bowsers so may be some requirements to fetch water, not thought of that, will source a few. Thanks again.

[cornerstone]

I have done a mega spring clean and sort out ready to get it moved now, have included kitchen free standing shelves now and washed all the containers ready for the new refill.

[Deeps]

Been seasoning a dutch oven this afternoon, been meaning to do it for a while.

Hopefully sooner rather than later I can get into the shed to gut and make a shelf and start installing my wee solar system. Waiting on a weather/wife available (its more her shed, she's the gardener) crossover. Now that the SPL post split fixtures have been announced trying to plan a few getaways too.

[Clarebelle]

Last night I finally started softening one of the sheep skins I tanned last summer. This one is destined to be a rug in front of the little wood burning stove which will be installed in my new bedroom when it's built (building work starts next week). I tanned three skins using a kit a bought from Snowdonia taxidermy. I've got more to do this summer but I plan on using an alum bath instead.

[grenfell]

I've used alum myself on rabbit skins and it worked a treat. I followed the treatment up rubbing sour cream into the skin , something I'd seen on a tv documentary.
It was all a far cry from my first effort when I just blundered ahead without really researching the process. Knowing vaguely about the tannic acid in oak being used for tanning I soaked a skin in a vat of water and oak sawdust and chippings . Well it didn't go bad or rot but it did come out as hard as a board . Still the second effort with the alum worked and in proper prepper fashion ( not that I knew it then) I bartered some skins for freshly caught trout.

[Yorkshire Andy]

I made the mistake of popping into Lidl on my way home.. .

Cordless soldering iron from initial tests it's great!


Led rechargeable torch will also charge a phone not as good as some torches I have but can't complain for £8!


And 2 magnetic tool rails which save me rummaging in a draw for the specific screwdriver

[sniper 55]

I don't know what the lidl ones are like but some of the cheapy rechargable torches/battery banks can become live at mains voltage and can be dangerous. I would think a lidl one would be safe but it might be worth checking before touching any metal parts.

[Arzosah]

I've been having a play with my Amazon vouchers, and buying lots yaktrax and opticians tools already reported, but this week I got:
- day sack for my holibob in June that can become my hospital bag.
- 6 pack of little keyring containers that take a couple of aspirin (will be distributed to close rellies!).
- multi-pack of resusc. film, St John Ambulance branded.

Then this morning I was finishing off inventorying my medical whatnots, and realised I was v low on anti diahrrea (omigod, spelling, I can never remember that word) ... so popped into Boots and bought their stuff thats identical to Poundland stuff.

Very pleased

[jansman]

Ha ha! The English language. Diarrhoea. Tough to spell, and worse to be suffering! And a real reminder to make sure we have a remedy in the medical too! Thanks Arzosah.