Small/cheap equipment

[Vega-J]

Hello all. I'm relatively new to this prepping and have been working on getting equipment such as candles, torches, stove etc. As money is starting to get tight can anyone recommend cheap equipment that might be useful? What sort of things could I have overlooked? I'm trying to be ready for power outages and cost of living this winter.

Thanks.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Hello all. I'm relatively new to this prepping and have been working on getting equipment such as candles, torches, stove etc. As money is starting to get tight can anyone recommend cheap equipment that might be useful? What sort of things could I have overlooked? I'm trying to be ready for power outages and cost of living this winter.

Thanks.

But cheap buy twice for example generally those £1 shop torches are generally garbage and will let you down often when you most need it ...

But you can shop smart look for reduced stuff the likes of home bargains or eBay...

Home bargains had some energiser head torches

Vs Amazon

Out of all the different torches head torches are very useful. You can cook / read / do practical tasks



Shop about for everything most have the internet you can compare prices stood in the shop before you buy

[GillyBee]

If funds are tight I would suggest starting by thinking about what you already have that could find a second life as a prep.

e.g. do you have solar garden lighting or fairy lights? Could you bring them indoors easily and how much light would they give you? Do you have a gas cooker? WIll it work if the power is out? If so you won't need to worry about getting a bistro camping stove. Do you already have scented candles in the bathroom? Do you already keep an emergency meal or two in the form of a can of stew/curry and a pack of instant rice? Do you already own a Thermos flask? A powerbank for your phone?

If you don't have anything you could repurpose and funds are very tight, then you will need to get creative. Start talking with friends or family to see if anyone has old kit they might be willing to share. I'd check for Thermos flasks or old throws/duvets as well as the obvious of lanterns and camp stoves.

In a power cut your priorities are to stay safe, warm and with enough to eat and drink. Activities to keep amused will also help. Battery torches and lanterns are much safer than candles, especially with kids or pets in the house so I would put money into these if you can. Lots of warm clothes and quilts to cuddle under will help keep you warm as would a hot water bottle. If you have advance warning about the power cut then you can fill a Thermos with hot drinks or soup and also fill a hot water bottle or two.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Hit the charity shops too it's amazing sometimes what you can find....

[Frnc]

I'll second a decent head torch and batteries.

Other things you need:

First aid kit

Some type of way to cook, or at least boil water. Eg a bistro or backpacking gas stove. Backpacking cannisters are a bit dearer, but not too bad if you shop around. Alpkit have Primus canisters from £3.99. A stove like this cost a tenner https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016ZHFOTS/. Plastic stabaliser £8, desirable but not necessarily essential https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0142TU1TO/. The advantage of these is they are highly portable if you need to bug out. Some people on here prep for that, some don't. Those who don't probably have bistro stoves which use long thin canisters/cartridges. For backpacking stoves you would need an appropriate pot, you can't use a household one with a handle.

The reason people mention flasks is you can cook in them. I use a Thermos for pasta now. Just add dry pasta and boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Saves energy.

Long term food storage, eg, pasta, tins, rice in a bag etc. Rotate in a year or two.

WATER!! Get some 10 litre containers. Know how to store water. I would add warm water and a drop of soap, rinse, steralise with Milton tablets, fill and keep away from light, eg cover with a bin bag. Change every 6 months.

Fire. Do you have smoke alarms, optical and ionisation. Maybe an escape ladder. Some are metal chains, some fabric. Keep in the box they come in, by the window.

[Vitamin c]

If you have a garden look at hobo stoves and rocket stoves both easily made with little or no cost , great for cooking or boiling water
Good luck

[jennyjj01]

Hello all. I'm relatively new to this prepping and have been working on getting equipment such as candles, torches, stove etc. As money is starting to get tight can anyone recommend cheap equipment that might be useful? What sort of things could I have overlooked? I'm trying to be ready for power outages and cost of living this winter.

Thanks.

Hi Vega,

[Edit]Reading your posts, I see you have already covered some of the bases below, including embracing solar[/Edit]
It's easy to over spend or spend on the wrong stuff, so keep revisiting what scenarios you are prepping for.
Imagine a few realistic scenarios then make some lists. Then spend on items that have the most potential to help in multiple scenarios. E.g. A decent reserve of tinned food would be useful for short power outages, lockdowns, societal breakdown etc, while a tent and rucksack might be languishing in a cupboard.

Unfortunately the prices of anything prep related are running away like crazy! Only you know your own budget.

You have already have covered these bases. Sorry.

Food inflation. Counter it by buying long life food now at today's prices. Check out the threads on here about value food ranges. A tin of beans will always be worth a tin of beans, where the 30p in your pocket might not be.

There's much potential for power cuts. Imagine the impact, which might include shops shutting.
You are going to need tinned food, light, maybe alternative cooking means, ways of staying warm (think laterally) . Remember that most gas central heating needs electricity.
You are going to need light. A small headlamp each will run longer than a big room-light.
I know someone said don't buy cheap, but poundland have some excellent headlamps, which are super cheap to run. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=youtube+pound ... qLyzBJidYY
Consider rechargeable LED lamps in preference to candles. Just a few.
There's also some good ones on amazon, although prices are running away.https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08V4T9LKC/ ... 3e53268566
Get at least a few LADDA rechargeables from Ikea. Ignore on the website where it says you must buy a charger in each order. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ladda-rech ... -50504692/ Though you'll need ONE charger. Their's is pretty cheap.
Hopefully there will be enough opportunities to charge them between power cuts.
Get at least one alternative cooking device, especially if you cook electric. OR, use flasks to timeshift your cooking. Again, prices are running away.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yinleader-Camp ... ef=sr_1_10
Food is a no cost prep if it's just an extension of your normal pantry. By buying ahead, you are defying inflation.
Ignore expensive Prepper food. Just raid Lidl.
Buy a few 2l or 5L bottles of water. Lidl have 2L water at 17p Tesco's 5L is just over £1
I've suggested you spend rather a lot. So, to save money, Dig out your toaster instead of using the grill. If you have a crock pot, dig that out instead of using the oven. Dig out a cook book instead of ordering takeaway And as I'm doing. Make some wine from tinned fruit and cancel the prosecco order. viewtopic.php?p=209597#p209597

Inflation is strangling us. You might just have started in time. It will only get more difficult to afford these survival luxuries.

[Frnc]

Hello all. I'm relatively new to this prepping and have been working on getting equipment such as candles, torches, stove etc. As money is starting to get tight can anyone recommend cheap equipment that might be useful? What sort of things could I have overlooked? I'm trying to be ready for power outages and cost of living this winter.

Thanks.

Hi Vega,
It's easy to over spend or spend on the wrong stuff, so keep revisiting what scenarios you are prepping for.
Imagine a few realistic scenarios then make some lists. Then spend on items that have the most potential to help in multiple scenarios. E.g. A decent reserve of tinned food would be useful for short power outages, lockdowns, societal breakdown etc, while a tent and rucksack might be languishing in a cupboard.

Unfortunately the prices of anything prep related are running away like crazy! Only you know your own budget.

You may already have covered these bases. Sorry.

Food inflation. Counter it by buying long life food now at today's prices. Check out the threads on here about value food ranges. A tin of beans will always be worth a tin of beans, where the 30p in your pocket might not be.

There's much potential for power cuts. Imagine the impact, which might include shops shutting.
You are going to need tinned food, light, maybe alternative cooking means, ways of staying warm (think laterally) . Remember that most gas central heating needs electricity.
You are going to need light. A small headlamp each will run longer than a big room-light.
I know someone said don't buy cheap, but poundland have some excellent headlamps, which are super cheap to run. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=youtube+pound ... qLyzBJidYY
Consider rechargeable LED lamps in preference to candles. Just a few.
There's also some good ones on amazon, although prices are running away.https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08V4T9LKC/ ... 3e53268566
Get at least a few LADDA rechargeables from Ikea. Ignore on the website where it says you must buy a charger in each order. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ladda-rech ... -50504692/ Though you'll need ONE charger. Their's is pretty cheap.
Hopefully there will be enough opportunities to charge them between power cuts.
Get at least one alternative cooking device, especially if you cook electric. OR, use flasks to timeshift your cooking. Again, prices are running away.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yinleader-Camp ... ef=sr_1_10
Food is a no cost prep if it's just an extension of your normal pantry. By buying ahead, you are defying inflation.
Ignore expensive Prepper food. Just raid Lidl.
Buy a few 2l or 5L bottles of water. Lidl have 2L water at 17p Tesco's 5L is just over £1
I've suggested you spend rather a lot. So, to save money, Dig out your toaster instead of using the grill. If you have a crock pot, dig that out instead of using the oven. Dig out a cook book instead of ordering takeaway And as I'm doing. Make some wine from tinned fruit and cancel the prosecco order.

Inflation is strangling us. You might just have started in time. It will only get more difficult to afford these survival luxuries.

Re that bistro stove. I know the canisters are a bit cheaper than backpacking ones. But, I wonder how much gas they burn per minute, how they compare. Obviously they are much bigger stoves, so, you know what I mean. They probably are efficient, as they sell in much bigger quantities than backpacking ones. Of course it depends how many you are cooking for, how much space you have, do you want portability.

[GillyBee]

This may help give a feel for bistro canister usage.

When camping, I allow for one canister per day but that is allowing for a cooked breakfast and tea & coffee for 4 people as well as main meals. Last time we went camping we chose very quick simple meals with almost no washing up, cold breaskfast & lunch and were out daytimes so only ran the kettle twice a day and they were lasting about 3 days not one.

If you are needing to provide hot water to wash dishes or yourself with then I would work with the heavier usage.
NB A stash of paper plates/bowls really keeps the washing up down if water or hot water is unobtainable along with dettol wipes to do a partial clean up of everything else before you use your limited hot water supply.

[Frnc]

This may help give a feel for bistro canister usage.

When camping, I allow for one canister per day but that is allowing for a cooked breakfast and tea & coffee for 4 people as well as main meals. Last time we went camping we chose very quick simple meals with almost no washing up, cold breaskfast & lunch and were out daytimes so only ran the kettle twice a day and they were lasting about 3 days not one.

If you are needing to provide hot water to wash dishes or yourself with then I would work with the heavier usage.
NB A stash of paper plates/bowls really keeps the washing up down if water or hot water is unobtainable along with dettol wipes to do a partial clean up of everything else before you use your limited hot water supply.

Sounds good. Couldn't say how long a backpacking one lasts, they come in 3 sizes. I guess a mid sized one would last one person at least a few days, maybe a week. Not used one for a long time (last time I camped, gas was banned, as it was a festival). Obviously most people don't take food that needs cooking for a long time.