London Newbie, longtime low level prepper

[GettingPreppyWithIt]

Hi,

I’m a prepper by nature. I’m big on research and preparing for all eventualities from small life events to disasters. I’m currently focused on preparing for the radiative after effects of nuclear missiles. Fully aware chances of survival are negligible and survival not necessarily desirable in many cases, but like I say, it makes me feel better to prepare where I can.

My home has no basement and is not close to anywhere with a basement or a large solid structure. So I’m stuck with what I have and currently researching the old government advice from 1980 to build a makeshift in-house radiation shelter from items around the home. Just debating whether roofing lead (1.8mm), garden centre bags of soil or sandbags would be best in terms of protection (lead) or convenience and flexible use (soil). Any thoughts welcomed.

[Smudge]

London would likely be a high value target, get under the stairs and kiss your *** goodbye?

https://www.ready.gov/nuclear-explosion ... 0household.

Oh and Welcome

[GettingPreppyWithIt]

Indeed. But the nature of prepping is to prepare and hope, not to give up. The smallest nuclear missile in the centre of London, would leave the outside chance to those on the outskirts to survive. So, worth a punt imo. I’m a prepper, not a giver upper.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-ne ... d-17138323

[Smudge]

Indeed. But the nature of prepping is to prepare and hope, not to give up. The smallest nuclear missile in the centre of London, would leave the outside chance to those on the outskirts to survive. So, worth a punt imo. I’m a prepper, not a giver upper.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-ne ... d-17138323

Roger that!

[jennyjj01]

Indeed. But the nature of prepping is to prepare and hope, not to give up. The smallest nuclear missile in the centre of London, would leave the outside chance to those on the outskirts to survive. So, worth a punt imo. I’m a prepper, not a giver upper.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-ne ... d-17138323

Hi and welcome.

Dreadful that we have to prep for the unthinkable. I live in the suburbs, so hopefully not in an immediate blast zone, but cities 20 mile either side, so fallout would be likely. Remember Gamma radiation is a short instant burst and fallout is shorter lived weaker alpha radiation from falling and settling dust.

Personally, I'd give some thought to making a ready to build prep, which by it's nature would need to be in readily movable portions. You could do with something that is multi purpose too. And my answer to that is..... DrumRoll..... Water! and tinned food! And growbags + a few tarpaulins. Actually use the water and food as a radiation shield!. Water and tinned food and soil can do a decent job of filtering alpha rays. It might absorb but not be harmed by any low level alpha radiation from fallout dust that would be setting on your home. If you are close enough to have to worry about the blast and/or gamma radiation, then you are dead man walking anyway. (Shelter from gamma radiation would need lots of concrete, such as a subway, underpass, or even sheltering in the footings of a motorway bridge. Then leg it back home to assemble your fallout shelter.

Surrounding your inner sanctum, a shed inside the house or inner room, with your own stacks of bottled water and tinned food and dirt bags might give quite a good defence from the alpha radiation from fallout dust. You'd need something to keep the dust out and undisturbed too. SO. Within your home (first line of defence against fallout and blast, you throw up a solid shed structure. You surround your shed structure with bottled water and tins of food a few feet thick, and then cover that with the biggest tarps you have. Throw in a wall of growbags and topsoil and you shelter in there. In the unlikely event of surviving, you eat your way out like a larva emerging

Now... How to persuade your other half to let you build a fallout shelter in the lounge? Well. The beauty is you don't yet. Having a few bits of 3x2 timber in the garden shed and a few dozen growbags behind it would hardly be noticed.

All rather hyperthetical for me. My wall of tinned food and water would not be very high or thick based on current stock levels.

[Zedsdead]

Welcome aboard

[GettingPreppyWithIt]

Thank you. It’s been difficult to even find someone pondering such a thing. So it’s nice to hear from someone else.

Indeed. But the nature of prepping is to prepare and hope, not to give up. The smallest nuclear missile in the centre of London, would leave the outside chance to those on the outskirts to survive. So, worth a punt imo. I’m a prepper, not a giver upper.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-ne ... d-17138323

Hi and welcome.

Dreadful that we have to prep for the unthinkable. I live in the suburbs, so hopefully not in an immediate blast zone, but cities 20 mile either side, so fallout would be likely. Remember Gamma radiation is a short instant burst and fallout is shorter lived weaker alpha radiation from falling and settling dust.

Personally, I'd give some thought to making a ready to build prep, which by it's nature would need to be in readily movable portions. You could do with something that is multi purpose too. And my answer to that is..... DrumRoll..... Water! and tinned food! And growbags + a few tarpaulins. Actually use the water and food as a radiation shield!. Water and tinned food and soil can do a decent job of filtering alpha rays. It might absorb but not be harmed by any low level alpha radiation from fallout dust that would be setting on your home. If you are close enough to have to worry about the blast and/or gamma radiation, then you are dead man walking anyway. (Shelter from gamma radiation would need lots of concrete, such as a subway, underpass, or even sheltering in the footings of a motorway bridge. Then leg it back home to assemble your fallout shelter.

Surrounding your inner sanctum, a shed inside the house or inner room, with your own stacks of bottled water and tinned food and dirt bags might give quite a good defence from the alpha radiation from fallout dust. You'd need something to keep the dust out and undisturbed too. SO. Within your home (first line of defence against fallout and blast, you throw up a solid shed structure. You surround your shed structure with bottled water and tins of food a few feet thick, and then cover that with the biggest tarps you have. Throw in a wall of growbags and topsoil and you shelter in there. In the unlikely event of surviving, you eat your way out like a larva emerging

Now... How to persuade your other half to let you build a fallout shelter in the lounge? Well. The beauty is you don't yet. Having a few bits of 3x2 timber in the garden shed and a few dozen growbags behind it would hardly be noticed.

All rather hyperthetical for me. My wall of tinned food and water would not be very high or thick based on current stock levels.

[Arzosah]

Welcome, GettingPreppy and good for you for planning and working at your survival.

I don't honestly think the chances of a nuclear strike are high, but the chances of a nuclear incident of some sort - weaponising medical waste in an explosive device, for instance, or a French nuclear reactor doing a Chernobyl while the wind happens to be blowing in our direction - well, those chances are low, but they're not non-existent.

As for preps - I was going to say the same as Jenny, especially about water. Chernobyl effects in the UK lasted a long time, many years - so stationing unwanted books, and 2l bottles of water in your windows could be an excellent idea. For more serious events, the layout Jenny describes could work.

I do have one slightly crazy idea for the lesser nuclear problem such as a dirty bomb, based on how dirty my windows are, and how some of the bricks of my house are well and truly cracked - filling in holes and cracks in bricks with mortar/ concrete, whatever, so nothing can lodge in there. And if the windows are clean, there's nothing on them to accrete dust/fallout. I've never seen either of those things mentioned anywhere, so I'm sure there's been no research, and I've no idea how effective those actions might be. But they couldn't actually *hurt*, could they? I know you're supposed to replace cracked bricks, but thats not going to happen for me, so ...

Anyway, there's a lot else that might happen, especially in London. Flooding: what floor are you on? Loss of power - the country came within half a gigawatt of maximum power useage last month, preparing for water main breaks, power cuts and the like will help you prepare for the serious stuff too.

[jansman]

This is interesting. Forty years ago I did Nuclear, Biological, Chemical training with HM Royal Marines. That experience alone makes such a scenario unthinkable. I ain’t gonna stress though. IF, and it’s a BIG IF, such a situation occurs, then it’ll be the old ‘ in house ‘ shelter. I am in the country blah blah, and we have a ton of water stored , along with 6 months of grub. What will be will be.

I think the biggest, most realistic threat, is cyber attack or POSSIBLY Electromagnetic pulse attack. EMP. I have basic Faraday cages for back up LED , power packs, FM radios etc. Also, given the economic ripples, personal economic security is paramount.

[jansman]

Welcome to the forum by the way.