What Preps are you doing this week? Part 9

[Yorkshire Andy]

Don't discount a large kids paddling pool with a cover / tarp.... For cleaner water if you get time to fill it.

It'd also do well if your in area with wild fire risks

[jennyjj01]

I plan to lob BIG bin bags in my 3 big wheely bins, fill them from a hose and use that as supply of last resort

No way I would use bin liners in a rubbish bin. That is not a viable plan. Sorry,but you are adding another layer of purification to your plan.More work than needed,and guts ache waiting to happen. Bin bags,and the wheely bin are not food safe. The crap that was in your bin( unsterile) WILL migrate and that will mean more chemicals,that could well be short in supply.Nor is it sustainable. I have rainwater catchment,and a brook over the road.SHTF,how will you restore?

Understood. I did say supply of last resort. And i meant last resort. No expectation that they would be sustainable. Would only be sterilised and imbibed in the absence of anything else, and I'd expect there to be SOMETHING else unless there was widespread biological, chemical or nuclear contamination..I'd expect any of the latter in a WW3 situation.
Similar situation with existing rainwater butts which are fed from the bird poo polluted roof. Wouldn't WANT to drink it, but they have their uses.
Would be satisfactory for the fortnightly rinsing of body and clothes.

My wheelly bins are indeed very unsanitary and of course the binbags would leak. But it's 750Litres of easy storage. In any situation where clean potable water was in ample supply, the opportunity would be taken to get them spotless and close to food grade clean ASAP. Two of them are frequently pressure washed already.

But again. Fair point

[DustyDog]

Planting plenty of veg, peas, beans, broccoli, lettuce, carrots etc, more to be planted.
Looking at investing in bullion to diversify my investments, be on small scale due to finances.
Have returned to the gym to try and improve my health. So it’s been a busy month.

[jansman]

I plan to lob BIG bin bags in my 3 big wheely bins, fill them from a hose and use that as supply of last resort

No way I would use bin liners in a rubbish bin. That is not a viable plan. Sorry,but you are adding another layer of purification to your plan.More work than needed,and guts ache waiting to happen. Bin bags,and the wheely bin are not food safe. The crap that was in your bin( unsterile) WILL migrate and that will mean more chemicals,that could well be short in supply.Nor is it sustainable. I have rainwater catchment,and a brook over the road.SHTF,how will you restore?

Understood. I did say supply of last resort. And i meant last resort. No expectation that they would be sustainable. Would only be sterilised and imbibed in the absence of anything else, and I'd expect there to be SOMETHING else unless there was widespread biological, chemical or nuclear contamination..I'd expect any of the latter in a WW3 situation.
Similar situation with existing rainwater butts which are fed from the bird poo polluted roof. Wouldn't WANT to drink it, but they have their uses.
Would be satisfactory for the fortnightly rinsing of body and clothes.

My wheelly bins are indeed very unsanitary and of course the binbags would leak. But it's 750Litres of easy storage. In any situation where clean potable water was in ample supply, the opportunity would be taken to get them spotless and close to food grade clean ASAP. Two of them are frequently pressure washed already.

But again. Fair point

I have a filter at the entry to my rainwater catchment to take out the * big* stuff. The taps sit about 3” above the base, and they are covered. The water is relatively clean - indeed I often put a mug under the tap and drink it as is, when I am working outside, as it’s a long way to a tap! No ill effects. However, as mentioned by Yorkshire Andy, I also have several Millbank bags and sawyer filters, chemicals etc. although I have a larger scale sandbox filter ready to go too.

I am not into making work, and in a grid - down situation there would be enough to do, so filtration would be done on a proper scale, the Sawyers being for emergencies. I also have a brick rocket stove outside, ready to go, and it is currently being employed as a plant pot stand! There is a huge pan in the storage room, and that would be used for boiling, as chemicals won’t last forever. Wood fuel is never an issue here.

Clean water is a very underrated, and underestimated prep in my opinion. We spent 5 days without running water in early Winter 1990 , and until Severn Trent put in water bowsers, we boiled snow. Since then , there has always been 2x 25 litre containers of water in the corner of the pantry.

Regarding making your wheels bins spotless ( and I get your point there) just remember that emergency situations ALWAYS blindside you. They just happen.

[jennyjj01]

[pseudonym]

Taking a break and heading off to the woods for a long weekend with mates. A chance to practice some skills and relax around a fire.

[diamond lil]

Brilliant Pseud! enjoy yourself

[Winterprep]

I have added more rice and pasta to the stores. I’m also stocking up on all tinned goods veg,meats,fish fruit etc.

Looking to start seeds and sorting out garden stuff this weekend,still got frosts in the mornings and even snow forecast for later this week!!

We drink long life skimmed milk,not everyone’s taste. Bought 12Ltrs at Lidl today for 55p perLtr dated till July 2022 and 12 from Asda at 75p a Ltr dated Nov 2022. Asda seem to have the best dated Long life Milk of any store.

[ForgeCorvus]

Dang it Jansman, I'm so jealous* of you again. I'm going to track you down and when TSHTF, I'll be stowing away on your homestead. Ah.... You have a gun. Forget that idea. And Yorkshire Andy has security lights, so that's plan B scuppered There's a few here blessed with homestead sized properties. Prepare Ye for fending off us townies.... Oh. I know, you already have. We townies are prepping our raiding party plans

What you should do Jenny, is try to move in next door to Chateau Jansman*..... After some of the crap neighbours they've had you'd probably be welcome


*Or is that a bit too Stalker-y??

[jansman]

I have a filter at the entry to my rainwater catchment to take out the * big* stuff. ...
I have a larger scale sandbox filter ready to go too.
I also have a brick rocket stove outside, ready to go, and it is currently being employed as a plant pot stand! There is a huge pan in the storage room, and that would be used for boiling, as chemicals won’t last forever. Wood fuel is never an issue here.

Dang it Jansman, I'm so jealous* of you again. I'm going to track you down and when TSHTF, I'll be stowing away on your homestead. Ah.... You have a gun. Forget that idea. And Yorkshire Andy has security lights, so that's plan B scuppered There's a few here blessed with homestead sized properties. Prepare Ye for fending off us townies.... Oh. I know, you already have. We townies are prepping our raiding party plans

Having a prepared domestic scale water filter is awesome. Physically how big? How complex? How would it compare to Yorkshire Andy's excellent rig?

No. Seriously, you are off the scale on preparedness.

With my jealousy* in mind and bearing in mind we cover a diverse range of home sizes, I started a thread on Dealing with Space Limitations

* The jealousy is mostly tongue in cheek, but there is a real range of what we individual preppers can manage, so let's embrace that range. We have lots to teach each-other. We with a bit of space can still learn from the resourcefulness of bedsit dwellers.

I wouldn't call it a homestead by any means.ours is a victorian farmworkers cottage ,with an extraordinarily large garden.In 1995 I also purchased half of next doors garden too. As I get older , I truly wonder at the wisdom of that purchase. Next doors garden,as we call it ,is now slabbed,decked and screened by fruit trees.Its where the Summer house is.Minimal upkeep.The vegetable garden is nothing compared to what it was,and that too is being age-proofed.Raised beds and cut-off 50 gallon barrels set into weed suppressed fabric and woodchip are the order of the day.Greenhouse space is much reduced now too.

A LOT can be done in small spaces.Food can be stored,some food can be container grown.Water can be stored; a single water butt can provide a sustainable water source.Anyone ,no matter what the space can keep torches,batteries etc. All things are possible.

And yes,we have had some crap neighbours Forge!