What Preps are you doing this week? Part 13

[GeraldTheBonzai]

No 20! Definitely a bargain!

Tried both my local Lidl's - can't find those folding water containers anywhere.

They were at the end of one of the middle aisles - with the folding washing up bowls if that's helpful?! I guess they may have had them and sold out but I did have to search a bit for them. I checked online via Lidl's website to check that my local store had them in stock. I think Yorkshire Andy said that B&M may also have some. I am going to go back today to see if I can get another as they're 201 which is a real bargain for 4 quid!

I managed to get one. Last one they had.

[itsybitsy]

Tried both my local Lidl's - can't find those folding water containers anywhere.

They were at the end of one of the middle aisles - with the folding washing up bowls if that's helpful?! I guess they may have had them and sold out but I did have to search a bit for them. I checked online via Lidl's website to check that my local store had them in stock. I think Yorkshire Andy said that B&M may also have some. I am going to go back today to see if I can get another as they're 201 which is a real bargain for 4 quid!

I managed to get one. Last one they had.

Excellent!

[Frnc]

Been sorting through some weather apps for bike rides.

50% chance of rain tomorrow is meaningless. 50% chance at 10am is still meaningless. Some apps tell me it's 50% chance of 0mm.

The following apps tell you how many mm rain per hour, several days ahead.

Weatherbug
Weather Underground
Meteored
Weather Channel, but only about 48 hours ahead.
Accu is good on the day, four hour forecast. But you need to know light is almost non-existent, and moderate starts at almost non-existent.

<0.2 mm is essentially nonexistant
0.2-0.5mm is almost irrelevant to a 1 hour bike ride in summer.
0.5-1mm carry rain jacket.
1-2mm wear rain jacket if raining.
>2mm consider postponing in cooler weather.

[Arzosah]

Car looked as if it had driven through the Sahara - covered in dust and grime. As such, decided to give it a wash down with a bucket of shower water. (What a conscientious citizen I am...) Anyway, mid window clean, the neighbourhood busybody decided he needed a walk, happened to walk past the end of the drive, said good morning then asked "you do know there is a national water shortage.?.."

Asked him if he would like to come and inspect the shower water - pretty sure there were a few pubes floating around. He got a bit huffy....

I love this! I have unpleasant neighbours too, so there's an added "woo hoo"

[GeraldTheBonzai]

Been sorting through some weather apps for bike rides.

50% chance of rain tomorrow is meaningless. 50% chance at 10am is still meaningless. Some apps tell me it's 50% chance of 0mm.

The following apps tell you how many mm rain per hour, several days ahead.

Weatherbug
Weather Underground
Meteored
Weather Channel, but only about 48 hours ahead.
Accu is good on the day, four hour forecast. But you need to know light is almost non-existent, and moderate starts at almost non-existent.

<0.2 mm is essentially nonexistant
0.2-0.5mm is almost irrelevant to a 1 hour bike ride in summer.
0.5-1mm carry rain jacket.
1-2mm wear rain jacket if raining.
>2mm consider postponing in cooler weather.

A subject close to my heart, and with a prepping angle. I too have several weather apps and they never agree. Recently I picked up a copy of The Secret World Of Weather by Tristan Gooley (I have several of his books - all very good) that explains how to read the weather. As such, decided I was going to see if I could tech myself to be a weatherman.

As well as reading both his book and doing a bit of research online, I created a Gemini agent that can interpret weather. What I do, every morning, whilst making SHMBO's tea, is look out of the kitchen window, which is West facing, and try to interpret the weather. I also have a barometer on my what that shows the change in pressure over the last 12 hours. I then feed it into Gemini and tell Gemini what my interpretation for the weather is for the next day, and if there are changes coming etc. Gemini then checks the various weather forecasts, looks at the latest pressure chart from the met office, and rates my prediction.

Its a bit of fun, it takes a few minutes, but its working. I am now much more aware of the weather. Some weeks back, before the Great Sweating, we were out in the country and I noticed how the contrails were changing. Decided probably best to not walk across a big open stretch of countryside and back (but go to the pub). Sure enough the weather changed and it drizzled.

[Frnc]

Speaking of which...

Sprayed DWR on the hood and shoulders of my waterproof softshell cycling jacket. I was wiping the drips later, and I noticed a suspicious patch on the shoulder. Big patch of membrane's come right off! I won't be buying Madison again.

It's a lot harder than you might think to find a visible, hooded, decently breathable jacket at a sensible price. Ended up spending £100 and it is from BikeInn, which is actually in Spain. I've used a sister company before. RRP for this is £170. It has pit zips as well as 20,000 breathability membrane, and is 3 layer, so not the lightest, but quality. Is described more like a soft than hard shell. Hood goes over helmet, and I don't think it has a rear adjuster, so I don't know how visibility would be affected off the bike.

Jacket is https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/end ... 40751869/p

[pseudonym]

Activated new internet provider and changed all my devices over. That's my landline gone for good also.

Purchased 3 more half sovereigns to fill a tube.

[preppermike]

Following the fires I've refocused on my 'get out of the house quickly preps'. I realised the only thing prepped is a wash kit for myself and my wife, so I've started to gather the extra bits we'd need. Spare underwear, bit of cash, a credit card, spare dog lead, bowl and some food. I want to keep it lightweight but still keep us comfortable if we did have to leave and go and stay in a hotel / friends for a while. What am I missing from my bag?

I don't tend to prep for the end of the world, more mundane every day stuff.

I've also re-stocked the pantry with long life tins etc, and increased my immediately accessible water stored to 52 litres. Should keep me, wife and doggy comfortable for a few days. I'm 500m away from a brook and I have a good water filter, so i think I could cope with an extended outage. One thing I am lacking is larger containers to fetch water from the brook.

Also, yesterday I could smell burning through my upstairs window. I looked out to see my neighbour with a lit BBQ, right up against our privet hedge. I very swiftly went outside and asked if he was stupid and to move it away from the hedge! Absolutely outrageous, it was almost as if the alert the other day gave him the idea to have a BBQ.

[itsybitsy]

Following the fires I've refocused on my 'get out of the house quickly preps'. I realised the only thing prepped is a wash kit for myself and my wife, so I've started to gather the extra bits we'd need. Spare underwear, bit of cash, a credit card, spare dog lead, bowl and some food. I want to keep it lightweight but still keep us comfortable if we did have to leave and go and stay in a hotel / friends for a while. What am I missing from my bag?

I don't tend to prep for the end of the world, more mundane every day stuff.

I've also re-stocked the pantry with long life tins etc, and increased my immediately accessible water stored to 52 litres. Should keep me, wife and doggy comfortable for a few days. I'm 500m away from a brook and I have a good water filter, so i think I could cope with an extended outage. One thing I am lacking is larger containers to fetch water from the brook.

Any medicines you need
Spare glasses/contact lenses
Books/tablets/games
Phone chargers/power packs
Emergency credit card
Toiletries

[preppermike]

Following the fires I've refocused on my 'get out of the house quickly preps'. I realised the only thing prepped is a wash kit for myself and my wife, so I've started to gather the extra bits we'd need. Spare underwear, bit of cash, a credit card, spare dog lead, bowl and some food. I want to keep it lightweight but still keep us comfortable if we did have to leave and go and stay in a hotel / friends for a while. What am I missing from my bag?

I don't tend to prep for the end of the world, more mundane every day stuff.

I've also re-stocked the pantry with long life tins etc, and increased my immediately accessible water stored to 52 litres. Should keep me, wife and doggy comfortable for a few days. I'm 500m away from a brook and I have a good water filter, so i think I could cope with an extended outage. One thing I am lacking is larger containers to fetch water from the brook.

Any medicines you need
Spare glasses/contact lenses
Books/tablets/games
Phone chargers/power packs
Emergency credit card
Toiletries

I've got the credit card, toiletries. My evac plan involves the car, which under the spare wheel well, is fully stocked with most of the extras you've listed apart from books and games, I'll add a couple. Thanks for the suggestion.