WINTER CHECKLIST

[Selfsufficientwoman]

Can we all check that we are sorted ready for a very very cold winter with lots of snow, transport disruption and power cuts. (might not be so bad but prep for it anyway)>

can you see?
can you heat meals and make tea/coffee?
can you keep warm and reach your fuel easily?
can you stay warm outside?
can you get water if a mains burst & they were repairing it?
Do it now.

Can see - got torches and wind up lanterns -
Can heat meals - got camping stove with 30 cannisters which I made sure and tested out - 1 cannister lasted all day cooking for 2 various meals and lots of water boiling for tea
Can keep warm (shortly) buying 2 gas calor gas tanks and portable stove off Ebay
Keeping warm outside? - Got mylar blanket and clothes in BOB if need be
Get water - yes - Got 10 - 25gallon water containers

Basics - are also important - got loads of UHT milk, tea, coffee, tins of soup, flour and oil in case snowed in can make bread, will have my milk for tea coffee etc and if all else fails an tin of soup heated on camping stove

[dizzydays]

Thank you Mr Geek

Think I'll go for the usual cheap salt but maybe get some gritty stuff off the beach just in case. Last winter the ice was so thick it was impossible to chip and we just needed a bit of traction, so sandy stuff might work for that.



DD

[Red Doe]

When it comes to the path to the house, I do what my parents did...use the clinkers and ash from the previous night's fire. Means I have to shovel or sweep it up when the snow melts, but it does the job.

[andy prepper]

Can we all check that we are sorted ready for a very very cold winter with lots of snow, transport disruption and power cuts. (might not be so bad but prep for it anyway)>

can you see?
can you heat meals and make tea/coffee?
can you keep warm and reach your fuel easily?
can you stay warm outside?
can you get water if a mains burst & they were repairing it?
Do it now.

can see got pleanty of flashlights and glowsticks but think I need to make investment into some latterns
can heat meals on my one burner camping stove although I do need to buy some more fuel
can keep warm with my multifuel stove Ive stored most fuel in garage so that not to far from the house
keeping warm outside is must for me as its were I spend most of my time at work so stocked up with gloves , jumpers, scalfs, thermals etc do want order some new gortex boots when funds allow
got plenty bottle water but do need to get some more containers and fill them

[jansman]

We can see. We have plenty torches ,battery lanterns,and led touch lights stuck all over the house. These are great(and cheap).My Girls used them one night when a bulb went and threw tthe consumer box. It meant they could see round the house to get to the switch. We also have(absolute last resort cos it is loud)a honda 6kva generator. It can power the whole house. I got it cheap via my Brother, who picked up a load of kit from a guy whose business went belly-up. I have petrol oil and spares for it too.

Heat- the woodstove. Best money spent ever.

Cooking-the woodstove,camp stoves,kelly kettle(smashing bit of gear)and if push comes to shove,a brick rocket stove outside(look up Rocket Stove on you tube)
Its taken me ten years to get to this point,but next Spring my job will probably go south. Its what i have prepared for perhaps?

If I could offer advice to anyone who may feel overwhelmed by the preps some of us havethen it is this;make sureyou have one torch(working)and spare batteries. A cheap campstove and gas,so you can make tea and warm some tin food up. You can do that for as little as ten quid.
Heating is not so simple to deal with,but as long as there is no draught,and you have duvets/blankets,woollyhat,you can live in one room and keep warm,especially if you stay fed and hydrated. Also have a BATTERY radio(and spares) so you know whats going on. Also that room you may be forced to live in can be kept bearable ,believe it or not by a couple of burning candles. Just be safety minded!

[jansman]

Oh yes,water. Just store some. Clean out empty pop bottles and fillthem from the tap. Costs nowt.
All the above advice comes from our experience 21 yrs ago when it snowed and we lost power and water for a week. As a poor newlywed couple we had none of this. Those few simple measures would have made all the difference to us.

[preppingsu]

We can see. We have plenty torches ,battery lanterns,and led touch lights stuck all over the house. These are great(and cheap).My Girls used them one night when a bulb went and threw tthe consumer box. It meant they could see round the house to get to the switch. We also have(absolute last resort cos it is loud)a honda 6kva generator. It can power the whole house. I got it cheap via my Brother, who picked up a load of kit from a guy whose business went belly-up. I have petrol oil and spares for it too.

Heat- the woodstove. Best money spent ever.

Cooking-the woodstove,camp stoves,kelly kettle(smashing bit of gear)and if push comes to shove,a brick rocket stove outside(look up Rocket Stove on you tube)
Its taken me ten years to get to this point,but next Spring my job will probably go south. Its what i have prepared for perhaps?

If I could offer advice to anyone who may feel overwhelmed by the preps some of us havethen it is this;make sureyou have one torch(working)and spare batteries. A cheap campstove and gas,so you can make tea and warm some tin food up. You can do that for as little as ten quid.
Heating is not so simple to deal with,but as long as there is no draught,and you have duvets/blankets,woollyhat,you can live in one room and keep warm,especially if you stay fed and hydrated. Also have a BATTERY radio(and spares) so you know whats going on. Also that room you may be forced to live in can be kept bearable ,believe it or not by a couple of burning candles. Just be safety minded!

Oh yes,water. Just store some. Clean out empty pop bottles and fillthem from the tap. Costs nowt.

very good advice to anyone new to prepping

[nickdutch]

Many of (but not all of) the things that you have mentioned i have more or less sorted out for myself in one manner or another, but you also mentioned this little point:

Also that room you may be forced to live in can be kept bearable ,believe it or not by a couple of burning candles. Just be safety minded!

Now i know that candles give off heat, and in scouts we used tins and made frying pans with them and cooked pancakes off the heat of a candle, but are you really saying that candles can not only create a just noticeable difference, but can substantially increase the heat propperly? and how much by would you say?

For an average livingroom in a 2 up 2 down house, how many flames to keep the temp reasonable?

[Technik]

When it comes to the path to the house, I do what my parents did...use the clinkers and ash from the previous night's fire. Means I have to shovel or sweep it up when the snow melts, but it does the job.

I remember my grandparents used to do that

Remember guys that salt isn't very good for your car so if you intend to use it on your drive then you will need to wash the whole car and chassis right after the snow starts to melt.

[jansman]

Many of (but not all of) the things that you have mentioned i have more or less sorted out for myself in one manner or another, but you also mentioned this little point:

Also that room you may be forced to live in can be kept bearable ,believe it or not by a couple of burning candles. Just be safety minded!

Now i know that candles give off heat, and in scouts we used tins and made frying pans with them and cooked pancakes off the heat of a candle, but are you really saying that candles can not only create a just noticeable difference, but can substantially increase the heat propperly? and how much by would you say?

For an average livingroom in a 2 up 2 down house, how many flames to keep the temp reasonable?

Tom Brown(the American outdoorsman) says a small enclosed room-with you all wrapped up,can burn a couple of candles and it would be JUST enough to stop a fatal temperature.

We ain't talkin' combi boiler here,but extreme survival measures. And you will not be walking round the house half naked .avoid draughts and damp.