What Preps are you doing this week? Part 9

[jansman]

Getting spares and fuel for my two Tilley lamps, ready for the possible upcoming power cuts. Looking at getting a usb rechargeable head torch too.

Bulk buying some staples like flour, pasta and rice, in case of shortages things that can be cooked on a camping style stove.

You can get rechargeable ones that also take AAAs. Petzl do at least one. You might have to buy the rechargeable battery separately. eg https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/zip ... -headlamp/
But of course you can just buy rechargeable AAAs (and a charger), that's what I have. Mine is a Black Diamond Storm 375. Uses 4 AAAs.
Shouldn't really leave alkaline batteries in devices anyway. NiMH batteries should be charged once a year even if not used.
I think the appeal of the Petzl is that climbers don't need to carry a charger, they can just plug it in, in a hut.

I am a fan of the Petzl myself. Very reliable.

[diamond lil]

Odd thing for me, but I've bought 3 big thick cookery books. Might be handy to know different ways to cook stuff.
More cat kibble and porridge oats.

[Frnc]

I am a fan of the Petzl myself. Very reliable.

I still have my classic Petzl from the 80s, the type with the big square flat battery with two metal blades at the top. Still works. I also have a tiny Petzl that uses two coin batteries. But the one on my bed is the Black Diamond wih 4 AAAs.
Had a bit of an issue getting batteries out of that. Lucky I decided to swap the alkalis for NiMH. I've put a few loops of cotton round one of the bottom ones to make it easier to get out. There is a little plastic toggle that's supposed to do it, but it's not very good. They should have designed it with a ribbon fixed at one end like in some smoke alarms.

[Le Mouse]

On the run upto winter if your piling on the miles go for all season tyres they offer more grip in bad weather... Not as good as full on winter tyres but rarely do we get biblical snow unless you live in the hills...
.they cost no more usually than the equivalent standard tyres...

I'll look into those - a lot of my miles are done early morning and / or on country lanes, so grip is very important for frosty mornings and shite weather. Thank you

[Yorkshire Andy]

On the run upto winter if your piling on the miles go for all season tyres they offer more grip in bad weather... Not as good as full on winter tyres but rarely do we get biblical snow unless you live in the hills...
.they cost no more usually than the equivalent standard tyres...

I'll look into those - a lot of my miles are done early morning and / or on country lanes, so grip is very important for frosty mornings and shite weather. Thank you

Look at

Continental cross contact (upper)

Nexen all season (mid range)

Bridgestone all seasons (more summer bias)

Maxxis as3 all season (budget area)

[Yorkshire Andy]

On the run upto winter if your piling on the miles go for all season tyres they offer more grip in bad weather... Not as good as full on winter tyres but rarely do we get biblical snow unless you live in the hills...
.they cost no more usually than the equivalent standard tyres...

I'll look into those - a lot of my miles are done early morning and / or on country lanes, so grip is very important for frosty mornings and shite weather. Thank you

Look at

Continental cross contact (upper)

Nexen all season (mid range)

Bridgestone all seasons (more summer bias)

Maxxis as3 all season (budget area)

[GillyBee]

I have been turning the compost heap out and bought some good quality charcoal from the garden centre to use in the Cobb BBQ - mostly for MrGB to play with but also gives us an off grid oven option.
I also turned out a section of the stores that was in a mess (Apparently I have too much stuff ) and boxed up a selection of tins & jars that have 2024 bbe into a BBE24 box which has been shoved out of reach for a year (unless of course we need it)
Next is thinking about a power cut cookery box. Basically half a dozen really easy long life meals for camp/powercut use. Two reasons for this idea. One is that my cupboards are too stuffed right now to be nice to navigate in bad light and the other is that it will stop various "lazy cook's favourites" from vanishing from the stash.

[jennyjj01]

Turned over the composters. Apparently I should have done so often.

Noticed that the estate's trees have been shedding their treasure, so, like a loon, I went and swept and mowed the gutter, yielding half a cubic metre of compostable gold.

Acquired. Solar panel #4 : 160W, kit complete with MPPT controller. Absolute steal BNIB at £75 the lot.

[steptoe]

Well like jenny the garden is calling me but as i torn my achilies 2 weeks ago not been able to walk no weight on it at all and the throbbing at night omg , but it has finally settled and i can now get about on crutches so done some on my hydro grow in the kitchen and potted on some herbs as i am doing lots of herbal remidies so growing as much as i can to over winter in my tunnel , next it is sorting all the parcels that came lol i ordered in so much after chatting to Andy lol he should ask amazon and ebay for a fee lol .

I got a great deal on a power station and solar panel as niece get's big bargains sometimes because of who she works for lol i knew i loved her for a reason lol .

We are going to be draining ans straining lots of herbal oils and tinctures next week and bottlering just got ot go easy on this ankle and the best part is for the life of me i can not figure out how the hell i did it .

Mrs is going to be sorting more of the stores and letting me know what else i have missed of the winter list of foods but we now have a fair stock of everything and just need a few fresh bits now and then to top us up .I am also studying for the ham licence so got loads on but as i say when your health slows you it feels like the jobs pile up fast .

Hope we are all doing well and keeping warm

[Yorkshire Andy]

https://youtu.be/-cgnKJBA-gs

Came across the hoselock Mini 10m hose needed something that I could get into the chicken coup with my 50m allotment hose was just a touch too short....

It's smaller diameter than a standard hose but it works...

Watch the video and think it'd be Handy shtf to tackle a small fire... Rather than try and drag the hose from the tap you carry the spool with you so it plays out as you go regardless of bends / trap points