What preps are you doing this week? part 2.

[dangerman]

Carrying on with my first baby steps as a prepper ive looked at my first major prioity which is loss of income.

1. I have been more thoughtfull at work in regards to H&S, correct PPE, cut proof gloves instead of flimsy ones that make the work easier etc. Being aware of fire escape routes both at sites and at hotels if im spending a night away. Very very basic and simplistic stuff.

2. I have found a Karate club which I will begin training with this week, this I hope will give me some self deffence skills to help reduce the threat of physical harm from another human.

3. My intnention is to have 6 months wages saved for dire emergencies and to also have at least 1K cash at home in a safe secured safe at home should cash points or debit card software ever go down. Im still looking to source the safe but money wise I have;

a. Audited my accounts and budgeted, cutting out un-necessary waste, im pretty good with bills and switching etc. already.
b. I have started collecting food waste and will begin a home compost heap when I can get hold of some old pallets, the plan is to have some container gardening going on, its not going to produce a massive amount of food and will be very experimental learning curve for the first few years but every little helps.
c. Ive set aside a load of stuff for ebay selling and im always on there and on freecycle looking for stuff that might help me be more prepped.

I have found moneysavingexpert website a gold mine of info so thanks Arzosah for recommending that.

So onto the next threat;

Being burgled

I have been very lax in the past and this is really becoming apparent now. I took a look on the crime stats website, the one with the map and wow! That really opened my eyes, I thought I lived in a quite near crime free neighbourhood – wrong, 8 burglaries in the previous month within a 1 mile radius alone told me that it was only sheer luck that I hadn’t had a scrout visitor yet.

Ive read up on a few threads in this forum and visited a few Police crime prevention websites etc on home security, WMP had a good video presentation on their website which I used as the basis for my plans. I have spoken with the Mrs and we agree we need to be more secure. Simple steps have included;

1. Using the deadlock on the front door.
2. Placing the French window key out of site.
3. I have secured the garden storage box with a strong padlock, even though there is nothing In it worth stealing I don’t want it to be a potential lure.
4. I have secured and fixed a strong unfastenable latch and strong padlock on the side gate.

The next steps are;

1. Construct a set of trellis to give extra height to the walls and the gate, even though flimsy this can help as a prevention measure by nature of them being flimsey and giving no easy climb. They can be very pricey to buy in the DIY stores and garden centres so I will construct my own, both cheaper and more rewarding.
2. Install a camera in the garden to compliment the light already there.
3. Buy and install a secure fixed safe for essential documents and emergency cash.
4. Im toying with the idea of purchasing a couple of cans of Farb Gel Spray to leave a mark for the Police on anyone should they ever consider popping in for a quick visit (and it will be quick) whilst we are in, the UK legal so called 'pepper' element looks like it wouldnt stop and dying moth but the Gel concept I rather like. Obviously planting one on them and dropping the little so & so would be more pleasurable but im no good to my family inside a jail cell. I can also use them to rig up some booby traps in the garden while we are on our winter hols, is that legal? Which also brings to mind a definate future purchase which will be timer sockets for lamps so that it appears as if we are in when we are not.

Being an ex Sapper I could easily turn my garden into an impenetrable fortress for any 70t tank nearby never mind a skinny drug riddled human but in a peace time non-societal breakdown scenario Im near 100% confident that anyone casing my joint will dimiss it as a target instatntly once the work is complete. Cost is obviously an issue as the main aim is to clear all debt and save but im aiming to be squared away in the basic home security stakes by Christmas.

This is a scary scary thing for me. I'm investing in some CCTV for my house this weekend. There are bad people around, they do bad things to people for no reason. This is the sick world that we we live in.

Believe it or not I had my fence stolen on bommy night. Twelve yards of feather edge wood ripped off my battons. Utter bastards.

I think they just wanted it to keep their fire going, but it left my garden exposed and it made me feel a bit naked. Violated! Seems a bit exaggerated, but you get what I mean. Made me feel vulnerable.

I was able to draft in a friend to come and help me fix it - cost a small fortune to repair, but it was done in a few hours. I'm a fortunate man to have good people in my life.

Since then I've been thinking a lot about what home invaders have historically been capable of, what they do to protect themselves from people like me. Anyone know about the pans of water on the hob? That kind of thing.

I'm trying to work out suitable methods of protecting my family.

[Arzosah]

1. I have been more thoughtfull at work in regards to H&S, correct PPE, cut proof gloves instead of flimsy ones that make the work easier etc. Being aware of fire escape routes both at sites and at hotels if im spending a night away. Very very basic and simplistic stuff.

The simple stuff is the best to do first: the 80/20 rule tells you 20% of the work gives you 80% of the results (or something like it ).

2. I have found a Karate club which I will begin training with this week, this I hope will give me some self deffence skills to help reduce the threat of physical harm from another human.

As far as actual attacks are concerned, blokes are more in danger than women, I believe, so you're on the right track there.

I have found moneysavingexpert website a gold mine of info so thanks Arzosah for recommending that.

You're welcome! I'm glad it was useful.

I have been very lax in the past and this is really becoming apparent now. I took a look on the crime stats website, the one with the map and wow! That really opened my eyes, I thought I lived in a quite near crime free neighbourhood – wrong, 8 burglaries in the previous month within a 1 mile radius alone told me that it was only sheer luck that I hadn’t had a scrout visitor yet.

This is lazy of me, but do you have the linkie to that website?

Ive read up on a few threads in this forum and visited a few Police crime prevention websites etc on home security,

You know what, if everyone did the things recommended by official bodies like the police, fire brigade, NHS etc, or even by their insurance company, the country as a whole would be a lot more prepped.

4. Im toying with the idea of purchasing a couple of cans of Farb Gel Spray to leave a mark for the Police on anyone should they ever consider popping in for a quick visit (and it will be quick) whilst we are in, the UK legal so called 'pepper' element looks like it wouldnt stop and dying moth but the Gel concept I rather like. Obviously planting one on them and dropping the little so & so would be more pleasurable but im no good to my family inside a jail cell. I can also use them to rig up some booby traps in the garden while we are on our winter hols, is that legal? Which also brings to mind a definate future purchase which will be timer sockets for lamps so that it appears as if we are in when we are not.

Not sure about the farb gel, tbh - I was just reading a thread on ukpoliceonline, and partly it was "it depends who they are as to whether I'd arrest them" and partly it was "a 14 yr old used when his estranged father was threatening him and breaking a court order against contact, and now the child is being prosecuted".

im aiming to be squared away in the basic home security stakes by Christmas.

You're doing great!

I may do the trellis thing myself, get some spare trellis and nail it to the top of the side fence and door - its supposed to collapse, I think, to put them off balance and to alert you by the noise they then make


As for my own prepping - decluttering led to lots of storage space for winter supplies, and now, before the bad weather really strikes, I'm pruning shrubs, and pulling up weeds that have got really well established while I've been ill - I'm a bit embarrassed about how long its taking

[Deeps]

Carrying on with my first baby steps as a prepper ive looked at my first major prioity which is loss of income.

1. I have been more thoughtfull at work in regards to H&S, correct PPE, cut proof gloves instead of flimsy ones that make the work easier etc. Being aware of fire escape routes both at sites and at hotels if im spending a night away. Very very basic and simplistic stuff.

2. I have found a Karate club which I will begin training with this week, this I hope will give me some self deffence skills to help reduce the threat of physical harm from another human.

3. My intnention is to have 6 months wages saved for dire emergencies and to also have at least 1K cash at home in a safe secured safe at home should cash points or debit card software ever go down. Im still looking to source the safe but money wise I have;

a. Audited my accounts and budgeted, cutting out un-necessary waste, im pretty good with bills and switching etc. already.
b. I have started collecting food waste and will begin a home compost heap when I can get hold of some old pallets, the plan is to have some container gardening going on, its not going to produce a massive amount of food and will be very experimental learning curve for the first few years but every little helps.
c. Ive set aside a load of stuff for ebay selling and im always on there and on freecycle looking for stuff that might help me be more prepped.

I have found moneysavingexpert website a gold mine of info so thanks Arzosah for recommending that.

So onto the next threat;

Being burgled

I have been very lax in the past and this is really becoming apparent now. I took a look on the crime stats website, the one with the map and wow! That really opened my eyes, I thought I lived in a quite near crime free neighbourhood – wrong, 8 burglaries in the previous month within a 1 mile radius alone told me that it was only sheer luck that I hadn’t had a scrout visitor yet.

Ive read up on a few threads in this forum and visited a few Police crime prevention websites etc on home security, WMP had a good video presentation on their website which I used as the basis for my plans. I have spoken with the Mrs and we agree we need to be more secure. Simple steps have included;

1. Using the deadlock on the front door.
2. Placing the French window key out of site.
3. I have secured the garden storage box with a strong padlock, even though there is nothing In it worth stealing I don’t want it to be a potential lure.
4. I have secured and fixed a strong unfastenable latch and strong padlock on the side gate.

The next steps are;

1. Construct a set of trellis to give extra height to the walls and the gate, even though flimsy this can help as a prevention measure by nature of them being flimsey and giving no easy climb. They can be very pricey to buy in the DIY stores and garden centres so I will construct my own, both cheaper and more rewarding.
2. Install a camera in the garden to compliment the light already there.
3. Buy and install a secure fixed safe for essential documents and emergency cash.
4. Im toying with the idea of purchasing a couple of cans of Farb Gel Spray to leave a mark for the Police on anyone should they ever consider popping in for a quick visit (and it will be quick) whilst we are in, the UK legal so called 'pepper' element looks like it wouldnt stop and dying moth but the Gel concept I rather like. Obviously planting one on them and dropping the little so & so would be more pleasurable but im no good to my family inside a jail cell. I can also use them to rig up some booby traps in the garden while we are on our winter hols, is that legal? Which also brings to mind a definate future purchase which will be timer sockets for lamps so that it appears as if we are in when we are not.

Being an ex Sapper I could easily turn my garden into an impenetrable fortress for any 70t tank nearby never mind a skinny drug riddled human but in a peace time non-societal breakdown scenario Im near 100% confident that anyone casing my joint will dimiss it as a target instatntly once the work is complete. Cost is obviously an issue as the main aim is to clear all debt and save but im aiming to be squared away in the basic home security stakes by Christmas.

This is a scary scary thing for me. I'm investing in some CCTV for my house this weekend. There are bad people around, they do bad things to people for no reason. This is the sick world that we we live in.

Believe it or not I had my fence stolen on bommy night. Twelve yards of feather edge wood ripped off my battons. Utter bastards.

I think they just wanted it to keep their fire going, but it left my garden exposed and it made me feel a bit naked. Violated! Seems a bit exaggerated, but you get what I mean. Made me feel vulnerable.

I was able to draft in a friend to come and help me fix it - cost a small fortune to repair, but it was done in a few hours. I'm a fortunate man to have good people in my life.

Since then I've been thinking a lot about what home invaders have historically been capable of, what they do to protect themselves from people like me. Anyone know about the pans of water on the hob? That kind of thing.

I'm trying to work out suitable methods of protecting my family.

Aye, you don't have to be physically assaulted to feel outraged about being the victim of a crime. Daft as it seems, some of the more petty ones seem to provoke more anger, certainly from myself. Sorry to hear it mate.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Aye, you don't have to be physically assaulted to feel outraged about being the victim of a crime. Daft as it seems, some of the more petty ones seem to provoke more anger, certainly from myself. Sorry to hear it mate.

Tell me about it

Fitted a fixed pad bolt to mrs andys back gate tonight will add spike strip when i get it .. she seems to think that there is someone lurking waiting for me to leave at night as she has just said she heard noises down the passage just after i left this evening (but it is very windy) Theres been a few attempted break ins recently locally so set her up with a few stick on alarms... already has security lighting.... Told her to report it to the police (she is neighbour hood watch co-ordinator so has the contacts)


Going to try some basic counter, counter surveillance over the next few nights and see what i can observe ive already got a decent secluded O.P. in mind and been the typical prepper enough cammo clothing to dress and conceal a small army but knowing my luck i would arouse some suspicion


Biggest issue is trying to find a paging break beam alarm although failing that i must fix her front gate and do a blue peter with wireless doorchime and a burgular alarm reed switch

[Deeps]

Aye, you don't have to be physically assaulted to feel outraged about being the victim of a crime. Daft as it seems, some of the more petty ones seem to provoke more anger, certainly from myself. Sorry to hear it mate.

Tell me about it

Fitted a fixed pad bolt to mrs andys back gate tonight will add spike strip when i get it .. she seems to think that there is someone lurking waiting for me to leave at night as she has just said she heard noises down the passage just after i left this evening (but it is very windy) Theres been a few attempted break ins recently locally so set her up with a few stick on alarms... already has security lighting.... Told her to report it to the police (she is neighbour hood watch co-ordinator so has the contacts)


Going to try some basic counter, counter surveillance over the next few nights and see what i can observe ive already got a decent secluded O.P. in mind and been the typical prepper enough cammo clothing to dress and conceal a small army but knowing my luck i would arouse some suspicion


Biggest issue is trying to find a paging break beam alarm although failing that i must fix her front gate and do a blue peter with wireless doorchime and a burgular alarm reed switch

On her allotment she got an expensive spade nicked, she never locked her shed, just tied it shut to keep the rain out, one of my neighbours very generously gave us a bolt with a combi on it so I fitted it, I've always had a very low opinion of thieves, back in the 'good old bad old days' we used to deal with them a wee bit more robustly in the Navy, latterly I know of one instance where a guy was caught red handed but because the search wasn't official, he got away with it. I'm no spring chicken any more but if anyone wants to rob my house then its probably best if they wait until I'm out, I will be restraining at least one of them for the Police.

Angry macho bit over, nothing to see here, move along.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Aye, you don't have to be physically assaulted to feel outraged about being the victim of a crime. Daft as it seems, some of the more petty ones seem to provoke more anger, certainly from myself. Sorry to hear it mate.

Tell me about it

Fitted a fixed pad bolt to mrs andys back gate tonight will add spike strip when i get it .. she seems to think that there is someone lurking waiting for me to leave at night as she has just said she heard noises down the passage just after i left this evening (but it is very windy) Theres been a few attempted break ins recently locally so set her up with a few stick on alarms... already has security lighting.... Told her to report it to the police (she is neighbour hood watch co-ordinator so has the contacts)


Going to try some basic counter, counter surveillance over the next few nights and see what i can observe ive already got a decent secluded O.P. in mind and been the typical prepper enough cammo clothing to dress and conceal a small army but knowing my luck i would arouse some suspicion


Biggest issue is trying to find a paging break beam alarm although failing that i must fix her front gate and do a blue peter with wireless doorchime and a burgular alarm reed switch

On her allotment she got an expensive spade nicked, she never locked her shed, just tied it shut to keep the rain out, one of my neighbours very generously gave us a bolt with a combi on it so I fitted it, I've always had a very low opinion of thieves, back in the 'good old bad old days' we used to deal with them a wee bit more robustly in the Navy, latterly I know of one instance where a guy was caught red handed but because the search wasn't official, he got away with it. I'm no spring chicken any more but if anyone wants to rob my house then its probably best if they wait until I'm out, I will be restraining at least one of them for the Police.

Angry macho bit over, nothing to see here, move along.

Sad thing is if you make a shed look secure they will smash the walls in to see what the big lock is protecting...

im quiet happy to lurk in the shadows and call the police rather than go hand's on as tempting as it is ive go this far in life without a criminal record and would rather keep my finger prints and DNA profile to myself and avoid the risk of having a screwdriver or whatever shoved in my ribs should they decide that they want to get past me.. Been way too many incidents of some poor sod no longer there for their love ones due to someone wanting to pinch a £200 TV or whatever and taking exception to been "collared"

However if a line is crossed im more than happy to protect "what is mine" as the scrote who tried to mug me for my wallet found out a few years ago.. I won in spectacular fashion i bet he still limps

[Deeps]

[quote="Yorkshire Andy"

Sad thing is if you make a shed look secure they will smash the walls in to see what the big lock is protecting...

im quiet happy to lurk in the shadows and call the police rather than go hand's on as tempting as it is ive go this far in life without a criminal record and would rather keep my finger prints and DNA profile to myself and avoid the risk of having a screwdriver or whatever shoved in my ribs should they decide that they want to get past me.. Been way too many incidents of some poor sod no longer there for their love ones due to someone wanting to pinch a £200 TV or whatever and taking exception to been "collared"

However if a line is crossed im more than happy to protect "what is mine" as the scrote who tried to mug me for my wallet found out a few years ago.. I won in spectacular fashion i bet he still limps

Yeah, I know the logic of "its only property", I don't know if I'm ready to embrace it yet. It would very much depend on the circumstances but as stupid as it sounds especially for a sophisticated cat like myself I don't know if my pride would let me, I'd rather get a sore face. I've had a knife waved at me before now and I'm not trying to be all 'grrrr' but I can see in some circumstances where I would just say "take the money". I'm thrawn by nature though and still big and ugly enough (probably for not that much longer, I'm 47) to balls it out, I have in the past but again, situation dependent. I'l not be much use to the journo looking for female preppers, I'm to much of a boy.

Glad to her you 'upset' your potential mugger, occupational hazard as far as I'm concerned.

[poppypiesdad]

Easy boys and girls lets keep it on topic and legal.

Remeber stuff can be replace , lives lost can't be .

Jamie

[sniper 55]

[/quote]


Sad thing is if you make a shed look secure they will smash the walls in to see what the big lock is protecting...

im quiet happy to lurk in the shadows and call the police rather than go hand's on as tempting as it is ive go this far in life without a criminal record and would rather keep my finger prints and DNA profile to myself and avoid the risk of having a screwdriver or whatever shoved in my ribs should they decide that they want to get past me.. Been way too many incidents of some poor sod no longer there for their love ones due to someone wanting to pinch a £200 TV or whatever and taking exception to been "collared"

However if a line is crossed im more than happy to protect "what is mine" as the scrote who tried to mug me for my wallet found out a few years ago.. I won in spectacular fashion i bet he still limps [/quote]

While thats good advise, sadly the response from the police will be less than helpfull. If they come out at all and if they manage to actually catch anybody (not much chance really) The chances of any meaningful legal outcome is remote, at best your criminal will get a fine.
A place I used to be a volunteer at got burgled, we're taking thousands of pounds worth of kit, some of it very dangerous in the wrong hands stolen, the polce response.... we'll send someong out on Tuesday (the burglery happened on a Thursday) don't touch anything untill we come.
Waste of space.

[Decaff]

When I was last burgled, i had to wait over a week for the fingerprint guys to come out, this made it far more distressing as I couldn't get things back to normal in that time. Being faced with your entire life dumped on the floor every morning was awful, it also leaves you mental scars that don't heal. That was over 20 years ago now and still has the ability to send me hyperventilating if I think too much about it.