What Preps are you doing this week? Part 11

[Yorkshire Andy]

Tomato, cucumber, sweetcorn, marrow, courgette, seeds planted in trays...

Greenhouse patched up broken window sheeted up with clear woven plastic it's rotten not worth spending lots of money on it . and chickens evicted from their winter accomodation (greenhouse)


Had a play with the big ecoflow and now charging it from solar since the sun's out ..

Not bad getting 168w input from 120w and a 50w panel in parallel

[Arzosah]

potting up "baby" strawberries and giving them away. I reckon the more food that's being grown by people in general the better. Planning to pot up chives today and sowing seeds, if they they come and I have spare I'll pass the plants on. There's a local community sharing shed where you can leave stuff you don't need and take what you can use.

That's very wise, both your actions and the community initiative, I like that.

Tomato, cucumber, sweetcorn, marrow, courgette, seeds planted in trays...

I'm hearing a lot of that at the moment, and I'm *really* jealous! I don't dare plant anything because of going away next month, for 2 weeks too.

As for my own preps, I'm trying to do anything I can without the planting, including getting pots and seed trays ready for when I get back. Yeah, poor me, going on holiday, sorry!

[jansman]

Tomato, cucumber, sweetcorn, marrow, courgette, seeds planted in trays...

Greenhouse patched up broken window sheeted up with clear woven plastic it's rotten not worth spending lots of money on it . and chickens evicted from their winter accomodation (greenhouse)


Had a play with the big ecoflow and now charging it from solar since the sun's out ..

Not bad getting 168w input from 120w and a 50w panel in parallel

We are eating perennials. Sadly no fowls anymore or rabbits. Tomato, spaghetti marrows, are doing well. Tomorrow it’s perennial cabbage and Jerusalem artichokes

[Peter]

Yorkshire: Thanks..... You used one of theirs before?
[quote=Peter post_id=235865 time=<a href="tel:1711751497">1711751497</a> user_id=8717]
Machine Mart sell jerrycans and spouts, their stuff is usually ok.

Our small family saloon is 23 years old and running on original alloys, plenty nocks and nicks and corrosion over time, only problem has been front tyres loosing pressure over a couple of weeks due to tyre side walls flexing when cornering due to corrosion on rims. Solved when had tyres taken off rims mechanic cleaned rims with emery cloth and tyres refitted using bead sealer, no problem now five years on.

Get yourself an extending wheel brace and a good jack, original equipment jacks are barely adequate.

I carry a spider wheel brace and use a trolley jack when at home..... I've got an old Leyland scissorjack somewhere that I may put in the car
[/quote]

Carry a 2-3ft steel tube which will give a lot more leverage and you can always stand on it, flatten one end as a pry bar.

I like scissor jacks (mine is a 2 ton) you can always use it to force apart railings or window bars etc.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Not me but Mrs Andy witnessed a serious road accident today let's just say her first aid training came in handy ...

[Frnc]

Mostly just doing jobs on the house. Got 4 new windows coming this month. Had one repaired. Got pointing done in the loft, side walls are only single brick! I only got it partially done, where there was big gaps. Everything seems good up there apart from a bit of condensation on one of the purlins. Am running a dehumidifier 24/7. Air should get in between the slates. Did a bit of decorating but my eyesight isn't really good enough. Checked the date on my Nido, need too check my dried egg. Need to buy more prep food, eg pasta. Oiled my bike chain, pumped the tyres and did a ride. Had to get a new washing machine as the old one died and it was about 15 years old. Had to get a new stop tap fitted, good job I pulled the old washing machine out a day early. It sprang a leak when I turned it off and took the hose off. Have spent a fortune. Still got two loans, but the interest is low enough not to be worth paying them off (I overpaid a lot a few months ago to reduce the balance and interest). But I can't spend much on prepping at the moment.

If it was the washer stop tap leaking I keep one of these on the pipe behind the washer

https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-bsp ... lsrc=aw.ds

If it leaks when removed it's a quick way bof stopping it till I can get is sorted

Does this go where the hose was, on the stop tap, or does it replace the stop tap and go on the brass pipe? I suspect the latter but not sure.

[Frnc]

Finally almost used up all my old pasta which was all slightly over best before date. Have a load of space now. Bought 2 bags of wholewheat, Jan 2026 expiry, chucked them to the back of the cupboard. Will get a few more over the next week. Am now in the habit of having pasta more often, so will get used. I make my on sauce in batches. I make enough for about 7 meals and freeze 4 in 2 tubs. 1 tube puree and 1 tin tomatoes, herbs, powdered garlic and onion. Mushrooms if I have any.

Lodgers are away so I turned the heat off yesterday and my room is still warm enough, despite it being 4° outside a bit earlier.

Running dehumidifier 24/7 cost me about £14 last month. I'll turn it off once we start having windows open more.

Emergency Grab Bag sunscreen is 3 years old, so should replace, so expensive though. There is one at Sainsburys for £5.35, almost as much as a bottle four times the size.

Garden is a mess and nothing planted, but my back is a bit iffy at the moment so I daren't do much.

[jansman]

Finally almost used up all my old pasta which was all slightly over best before date. Have a load of space now. Bought 2 bags of wholewheat, Jan 2026 expiry, chucked them to the back of the cupboard. Will get a few more over the next week. Am now in the habit of having pasta more often, so will get used. I make my on sauce in batches. I make enough for about 7 meals and freeze 4 in 2 tubs. 1 tube puree and 1 tin tomatoes, herbs, powdered garlic and onion. Mushrooms if I have any.

Lodgers are away so I turned the heat off yesterday and my room is still warm enough, despite it being 4° outside a bit earlier.

Running dehumidifier 24/7 cost me about £14 last month. I'll turn it off once we start having windows open more.

Emergency Grab Bag sunscreen is 3 years old, so should replace, so expensive though. There is one at Sainsburys for £5.35, almost as much as a bottle four times the size.

Garden is a mess and nothing planted, but my back is a bit iffy at the moment so I daren't do much.

I am pleased to say that I have * sorted* our pantry now, like yourself . Everything is in date ,indeed stored with good dates. We’ve sorted it so that everything is easy to hand and visible with great big labels ,dates ,contents etc. I’ve also made one shelf full of tinned meals she particularly likes. In an emergency such food is easy to warm up and eat. Food wise,there is easily 2 full months for one person,with the ability to get inventive with stored dry foods like pasta,rice and spuds.
My wife is not a big rice ( cooking) fan so now buys the pouches for herself,so I’ve made sure they are on a shelf in order. I have insisted though she keeps a few kilos of dry rice ( vacuumed) and well labelled in sealed box * just in case* . Pasta no problem,as she adores that.
In there I also keep the first aid box - easy to access . All replaced,dated etc. Also the box of lightbulbs ,fuses, and recharged / disposable batteries. Everything in its place!

I am reading that war may be an issue in Europe,so everything in our home is ready ,as at the least,consumables may be short/ unavailable/ expensive. Therefore we are well organised if we have shop shortages ,fuel issues etc. All good.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Does this go where the hose was, on the stop tap, or does it replace the stop tap and go on the brass pipe? I suspect the latter but not sure.

On the end where the plastic hose "nut" screws to the washing machine isolation valve

I've also a stock of random plumbing bits both Yorkshire solder fittings and push fit depending on the repair needed / associated risks you don't want to be soldering with a gas torch in some areas

[pseudonym]

More ration retort pouches:

https://preppersshop.co.uk/ration-week-deals-623-c.asp

Basically boil in the bag meals,

£2 a portion (sometimes less)

Controlled meal that I know has a long shelf life and can go longer if stored correctly.

Not for everyone I understand but great to have around.

I usually get a single pouch if it is one I haven't tried before and then reorder in bulk.

Indonesian style Spicy Rice With Pork is my latest find. Not too spicy so I add extra hot sauce.