New in Scotland

[cadpat]

I just joined - living in rural Perthshire.

I started prepping about 15 years ago but recently revised my plans due to age and focussed more on home prepping and less on bugging out.

I would be interested in making contact with anybody nearby.

[jansman]

Welcome. We have quite a few Scots on the forum, so you should feel at home here. What concerns do you have?

[Arzosah]

Welcome cadpat - I'm not one of the Scots, sadly, but my plans have followed a similar trajectory to your own - much more focussed on staying at home, except in inescapable things like house fires. I'm at the opposite end of the UK, though - what local/ regional concerns do you have?

[cadpat]

I've been sitting waiting for an e-mail telling me that my post has been approved - so apologies for not replying earlier.

I'm not actually Scottish, I moved up from Lancashire in 2010. I've been doing this solo for 15 years so I'm not really used to questions such as what are my concerns?

Anyway, I'll start typing and see what comes out!

Having lived in my current location for 11 years and experienced quite a few power cuts (literally hundreds of momentary cuts), one of which lasted four days in mid-winter, I know how much we take electricity for granted. I used to have oil fuelled central heating and was looking into powering that with 12v - it wouldn't have been very complicated thanks to a connection I found by the boiler but my landlord decided to install a biomass system so that screwed up things. Not only my heating but also my investigations into using heating oil as car fuel - I know it is illegal but if the SHtF, who cares?

So, because I'm on unlimited heating included in my rent, I have let things slip a bit. I still have a wood burning stove but haven't kept a wood supply for a few years. I need to get on top of that and make some space for wood again.

I've also had lengthy internet and phone problems - almost a week without a landline or internet recently and as the mobile signal is mainly provided by a femtocell, my girlfriend and I had virtually no communications whatsoever. Even though I have long anticipated the use of an internet kill switch, again, it soon makes you realise what you take for granted. This is one of the main reasons that apart from for a few purchases, I have avoided getting into crypto.

Anyway, I have had but not really used a couple of Baofeng UV-5Rs and I just ordered a couple of the three band versions. I'm also going to take a radio ham course. I should have done this a long time ago but being an ex-military radio mechanic, I felt a bit aggrieved at having to take a course but I want to get something a bit more powerful.

Being near the middle of nowhere, I know that keeping our power on would be low priority and I don't know how actually useful the solar panels I have would be, especially in winter. There are advantages and disadvantages to living rurally.I had hoped to have bought my own place in the last years but circumstances got in the way.

Having done a lot of military field training in miserable conditions as well as Arctic survival training (all a long time ago in my distant youth), I know that morale is a major factor. I remember being taught that in survival, the most important thing to do is start a fire and make a brew. That might sound trivial but it sends a huge message to anybody who is feeling anxious and scared - 'look, we can do this!' and getting a hot drink inside feels good. It's surprising how quickly people can adapt from then on. I realise that this might not apply directly to any situation we might face but the principles can be applied.

I have adequate supplies and they are varied from MRE to freeze dried. I'm sometimes concerned that the MREs might not have kept well but I am somewhat comforted by the thought that if hungry enough, a vegetarian will eat their own pets - so unless they have turned into toxic sludge, they will be edible. I was a bit annoyed that one (now former) supplier sent me two supposed mixed cases of MREs and one was all the same menu - beef curry - that kind of threw my schedule of consumption out of the window.

Also, I am a little worried about people who don't know what they are doing getting in the way - not people from my close circle (there are very few of them anyway - neighbours and 'local leaders'.

Generally, though, whilst I have been prepping with supplies and as best I could mentally and I could really imagine SHtF, I hoped it would never become a reality. It's one thing to have a pile of supplies, it's another to start opening them and actually depending on them.

[diamond lil]

Hi, I'm down near Jedburgh, after 30 years in the Moorfoot hills. Used to powercuts and hard life up there, now decided we're too bloody old and moved to this wee village. Life is a lot easier now but less room here to store preps. Enjoy the forum!

[cadpat]

Yes, age is quite a factor. I gave quite a lot of gear away to younger relatives because of failing joints etc. If my survival would rely on me heading to the hills carrying all I need, you might as well shoot me and save a lot of bother. I was up for that when I was only ten or so years younger and had what I called a telescopic plan: home > Land Rover > tent > day sack. I don't even have the Land Rover anymore but that was down to misfortune rather than choice.

I've been giving power a lot of thought since my post earlier and been out and about around the house looking at solar and wind options but I'm surrounded by trees, buildings and access roads so there isn't a good place for anything.

[diamond lil]

I had a good stock of warm blankets and pure wool jumpers. socks etc, in the last house. Not much room here but I've kept hold of some. We at least had a coal fire in the last place so in powercuts we were fine, down here it's gas central heating and we're at their mercy.

[cadpat]

Before my oil fired boiler was removed, I figure out a way to run it using an inverter and a leisure battery. I don't know how long it would run for, basically, it would be just driving the pump once it is fired up which could drain a battery quite quickly, I suppose.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Before my oil fired boiler was removed, I figure out a way to run it using an inverter and a leisure battery. I don't know how long it would run for, basically, it would be just driving the pump once it is fired up which could drain a battery quite quickly, I suppose.

If your after a backup heater look into the 12v diesel heaters unit outside and hot air ducted in through an air brick / cat flap

[cadpat]

Thanks for the suggestion. Ordinarily, I would do something like that but there are two obstacles; firstly the house is rented and secondly, it is a listed building and all the doors and windows are original and cannot be replaced or modified.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a decommissioned wood burning stove which is still in situ and would take an hour to put back into use so for me at least, minimal heating should not be a problem if I get on top of the wood storage situation.