2020 Potential Economic Collapse

[cbp125]

The pension money I have is in three little pots - it only totals about £60k, which I realise is a lot of money but its a tiddler in pension terms - its too small for some firms to even look at, even as a total.

What I'm wondering about right now is what I can buy thats useful in prepping terms, without having a fitter etc inside my house. Especially in the arena of cooking/heating. I have a little bit of most things, but drawdown gives me the chance to buy something substantial.

When I read your post, and the amount you have you wish to secure, my first thought had me laughing quite a bit, then I thought hold on a minute..... it could work.

If I had £60k to buy a prepping item, hoping to increase my funds in the future whilst protect myself from losses.... there is only one such item that could possibly fit the bill.....

A vintage WW2 tank!

They are hard to steal, difficult to damage, command quite a high resale value and could also function as part of an emergency bug out plan if "overt" was your style... and prices will definatly increase. You could also disguise it in the style of Tank Girl to "blend in" with the urban environment haha

[Arwen Thebard]

"A vintage WW2 tank!"

After I stopped LMAO it got me thinking.....that might not be such a bad investment.

But assuming that tank shells are probably quite expensive and might be quite hard to get, perhaps an APC would be more practical instead? More space and [comfort ] inside and better fuel economy.

Mrs A is gonna freak out if [when] one of them pulls onto the drive. But once I have explained the investment value im sure she will come round.

[Arzosah]

well, the zombies couldn't get me, that's for sure

[ForgeCorvus]

Lots of 'useful' stuff Here..... Including Maggie Thatcher's armoured bus.

[Arzosah]

There was an early episode of Salvage Hunters where Drew Pritchard got to drive a tank - I think the guy has his own series now - but there were some very happy big kids that day

I did originally talk about wanting to spend on something related to cooking/ heating, y'know I promise I was never trying to hint at a tank

[jansman]

There was an early episode of Salvage Hunters where Drew Pritchard got to drive a tank - I think the guy has his own series now - but there were some very happy big kids that day

I did originally talk about wanting to spend on something related to cooking/ heating, y'know I promise I was never trying to hint at a tank

Do you have any back up cooking or heating of any sort Arzosah?

[daylen]

For cooking, I have a two-ringed, propane camping stove with grill and a smaller single-ring, butane camping stove. Both of these work really well. I have a larger propane tank in the shed for use at home in an emergency and a box full of the small butane canisters. Both forms of gas and the stoves themselves are pretty affordable. They can both be used indoors with care.

I also have the ability to cook with wood using a small rocket stove and BBQ.

For heating, as well as standard gas central-heating we have a few electric oil-filled heaters and a couple of multi-fuel burning stoves. I've also considered getting a portable Calor gas heater too.

[Arzosah]

Hi jansman. I meant to quote your question, but I tried to save the draft, and the coding went barmy. Anyway ... I have a few stoves for cooking:
- very old fashioned single ring camping stove - the cartridges are hard to get these days, so I bought
- the replacement, another single ring, takes the modern cartridge thats longer and looks like an aerosol can.
- I have a rocket stove I made myself
- I have a collapsible little stove that takes fuel tablets.
- I have some *very* old cooking oil, unused but dangerously out of date, just 1.5 litres or so, that I'd like to use for lighting, or soaking cardboard in a prepared little tin and using it like that.

So, I have *lots* for cooking, though I haven't settled on any one method - which has the most compact fuel, for example? I'd go for that, and buy lots more than I have. But for heating the house, I don't, really, I'd just have to use one of these as a space heater, currently. Whatever it would be, it'd have to be something I could have delivered, I don't have the means to go fetch. All suggestions gratefully received! Should I look at a caravanning site, for instance?

[daylen]

A calor-gas heater might be the way to go. From a quick search:

"A modern full-sized Calor gas heater rated at 4.2 Kilowatts will last for 50 hours on one 15Kg gas bottle, turn it down to 2 Kilowatts (the heat output of most portable electric fires) and it will last for 105 hours."

A 15kg butane bottle isn't massively cheap to start with - £85, but refills are £45 which isn't bad.

[Arzosah]

Daylen, thanks for that, I like the sound of that.