lose lose situation?

[prppr]

Im prepping for all situations,within reason.
Im just trying to get advice for worst case scenarios.

[preppingsu]

Im prepping for all situations,within reason.
Im just trying to get advice for worst case scenarios.

Then start with what you can do now. Store food and water, make emergency plans that cover the more likely situations eg evacuation due to gas leak, flooding, power outage etc.

You may want to consider the worst case scenarios but it won't do your stress levels any good!

[prppr]

'You may want to consider the worst case scenarios but it won't do your stress levels any good!'

you're probably right. lol

[Yorkshire Andy]

Remember most pond life will be totally balloxed many struggle to make a pot noodle or cook beans on toast

Digging stuff up is a alien concept and its covered in mud .... One family friend refused to eat our veg as we add urine to the compost bin ... Which ultimately goes on the veg patch...

[Plymtom]

at least in america they can protect there property with guns. lol

I think you'll find in most American places they have to be in fear for their lives, to use deadly force, rock salt from a shotgun perhaps if they catch someone in their veggie patch, but here's the thing over there they much more likely to be attacked by people with guns, tis a double edged sword

As for the original Lose-Lose situation well, being prepared was never about sitting pretty and would only appear that way to someone in the same situation who hadn't, and there is the issue, you then have what they need, we can only win as preppers if we get through an event and restore our used preperations to pre event levels afterwards, in that sense because you can be sure at some point (maybe frequently for some of us where we get snowed in or power cuts) you will need and use your supplies, feel vindicated and continue being ready.

In a bigger disaster everyone is a victim, a good community will keep the proportion of refugees and heroes higher than the a$%^eholes, most of us have little choice but to keep our heads down and hope we have done enough, what friends we do have would be difficult to reach in a bad scenario, whether to help or be helped.
It's a painful dilemma even for a godless soul like me to decide whether to walk away from a stranger ( or close the door to a neighbour you've never had any real contact with) in need, when my first instinct is to help even when they aren't asking for it, when I see I can help at little inconvenience to myself.

I suppose another good way of looking at it and how people and perspectives change, imagine a well armed individual sat eating their 3-6 months worth of supplies, well he/she appears to have the moral high ground for the first few weeks, yet after a while they are going to turn into exactly the demon they themselves fear when they become hungry and desperate, many of us will have a plan to grow more food, hunt perhaps, but this is the UK Not Robinson Crusoe's island and will only ever work long term as a group of little communities living together, so it's not about winning at all, it's about surviving to rebuild and if we don't want to be a part of what happens after.. why prepare for the before?

[Arzosah]

Great post, Plymtom, thanks for that.

And I totally agree about preparing for the "everyday" crises first, as Su is saying - water, food, shelter, hygiene, some heat. Without the ability to take care of those basics, in a prolonged power cut for instance, survival of a major calamity becomes much less likely. Prioritise!

Remember most pond life will be totally balloxed many struggle to make a pot noodle or cook beans on toast

Digging stuff up is a alien concept and its covered in mud .... One family friend refused to eat our veg as we add urine to the compost bin ... Which ultimately goes on the veg patch...

I love this bit, Andy

Of course, in really bad situations, everything gets eaten - in Yugoslavia, during the civil wars, they were eating grass. But that shouldn't stop us doing what we can. It doesn't stop me, anyway

[prppr]

thanks for the replies.
one of my concerns for a long term event is heating.
propane gas cylinder wont last very long.
what suggestions do people have?
(typed heating into search but wouldnt work)

[damaralenoire]

TBH worrying about supplies that provide heating IMO is a waste of resources if you have sufficient number of blankets and jumpers. I have a box full of fleece blankets , wool blankets jumpers and thermal underwear, then all my candles are to provide light and my small gas cannisters are for use on my camping stove, those two items will provide some heat when in use but i am with the idea of just wrapping up ,

[unsure]

if heating is your biggest worry , then fit a wood burner or open fire .
wood warms you twice , as the saying goes .
once when you cut it and again when you burn it .
in a major event ,like a long term no government type even event , wood you could get more or less any were , from the garden fence to then local woods .

[redskies]

Wool is one of THE best natural fabrics for keeping warm. I have access to salvage from an industrial process that I turn into rugs and blankets; they're amazingly warm, and I'm working on a lightweight sleeping mat atm. Just about cracked it.

If anyone is ever up in the north, give me a shout; I'll happily supply you with materials and show you how to use them, just drop me a PM.

(You won't want to put the finished product in a prep box though, you'll keep it out and use it!)