Advice on what to do next?

[scoobie]

Ok, so with what is already on hand in the cupboards, and with my preps, I've got about 3 weeks of food, and 10 days of water, plus enough puritabs for 70-odd litres of water (large fishing lake near my house)

Could probably do with adding to my FAK, but have the basics.

I have an alternative method of cooking for those 3 weeks

I've changed my car to a bigger but more economical diesel, with 40 litres cached.

I have multiple light sources, and i'm on the lookout for a tilley lamp or 2.

What should be my next area of focus for prepping? I'm not prepping for TEOTWAWKI, mainly severe weather, forced extended quarantine, disruption to utilities and fuel, and I'm internally debating the possibilities of solar storms knocking out the grid...

So...let me have your thoughts

[smileyt]

What about an alternative form of heating?
What about building a composting toilet?

Apart from that, I'm in the same boat. Have enough food for a couple of months, camping stove, wind-up lanterns, water filter, 100 litres stored water, vitamin tablets, dog and chicken food, calor gas heater. Thinking of getting an electric bike and trying to move to the outskirts of the city instead of being right in the centre. I also have quite a bit of camping gear.

Going to work on my allotment more next year.

I think my next steps are going to be bug out routes and trying to convince my parents to prep. Also I am going to put that film on the windows that stops them from smashing. And try to do some longer term food storage using mylar bags.

Would like to learn self-defence and how to use an air rifle, and radio comms, but these are longer term aims.

[smileyt]

What's FAK?

[scoobie]

First Aid Kit

[scoobie]

What about an alternative form of heating?
What about building a composting toilet?

Apart from that, I'm in the same boat. Have enough food for a couple of months, camping stove, wind-up lanterns, water filter, 100 litres stored water, vitamin tablets, dog and chicken food, calor gas heater. Thinking of getting an electric bike and trying to move to the outskirts of the city instead of being right in the centre. I also have quite a bit of camping gear.
Its a
Going to work on my allotment more next year.

I think my next steps are going to be bug out routes and trying to convince my parents to prep. Also I am going to put that film on the windows that stops them from smashing. And try to do some longer term food storage using mylar bags.

Would like to learn self-defence and how to use an air rifle, and radio comms, but these are longer term aims.

I'd love a wood burner, but it wouldn't really fit anywhere in my living room (which is the only semi suitable place for it in my house). This one is on my mind at the moment, and not sure where to go with it..at the mo, but a calor gas or similar heater is probably my only viable option

Composting toilet could be knocked up reasonably quickly, just need a supply of sawdust to sprinkle on top each time. Or I could just take a walk 50yards down the road to the wood

I've got an air rifle, and i'm a licensed radio amateur already...but I need to sort my rig setup out, and get something less bulky and more portable and a battery supply for it...I could do with learning some kind of martial art for self defense

So then so far I have:

Heating - calor gas heater
Composting toilet - I could design something, and pre-cut all the timber for it ready to go..
Sort out mobile radio comms and alternative power
Self defense class

I'm also having a bash at making bread this week, as i've never done it before!

[Carrot Cruncher]

3 weeks food is no where near enough, you need a minimum of 3 months to allow for being forced to lay low whilst the sheeple tear society apart

And its also easy to get that amount in stock, One 25kg Bag of Rice costs £15 from Makro and will provide over 300 portions (dry weight 75g / portion). Very boring if thats all you are eating but as a survival food it is hard to see a better / cheaper option. The rice can be brightened up using some of your stored tins.

[scoobie]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The food stocks are continually being added to, with the aim of 3+ months. I didn't mean I was stopping at 3 weeks Maybe should have made that clearer!

I'd probably be working from home much of the time in most of the mentioned scenarios so wouldn't need too much fuel, but again this is being added to over time when funds allow for further jerry cans and the diesel to fill them up! With the current cache, and a full tank I can probably do around 1000 miles, maybe more if I drove more economically.

I'm keeping my eye out for a portable calor gas heater, which should sort out heating needs at least in the medium term.

Thanks for the winter checklist NR, there's a few bits I need to do on there, but have covered most of it where applicable already

[buttystella]

great ideas abound on this site thanks. now to build a compost toilet on my allotment and install a woodburner in my shed.

[scotspreps]

You've identified a lake nearby that you could use as a water source but a way to transport the water would be useful. The aquaroll/waterhog/waterporter type barrel-on-a-handle rollable 40/50/30 litre water containers, or a box trolley or even a wheelbarrow will do, and any are better than lugging 20ltr cans of water by hand. A good filter/purifier such as a British Berkefeld is a better/safer long term solution than an improvised filter and puritabs.

Since your water source is a fishing lake then a supply of fishing gear might be an idea, and also a well-illustrated plant guide with a section on waterside plants suitable for food and medicine, and clear guides to poisonous plants found in the same area.

Since we're talking about watery subjects, you might want to look at hygiene alternatives too. A 12v shower can be a great morale booster, add a power source like a Weza or PowerPlus pedal generator, and a folding bucket, and you have a portable shower facility you can use for hygiene, decontamination, washing the dog or car, etc. Or you could get one of the containers with a pump and spray for much the same purpose. A supply of soap, shampoo etc, of course, and if you want or need to be really minimalist then some hand and body wipes will do for a while. And don't forget LOTS of comfy toilet rolls, not only essential but great barter goods when in short supply.

[allan]

.I could do with learning some kind of martial art for self defense


I am a 2nd dan in wado ryu karate but I would not suggest joining a martial art club to learn self defence as it take years to become proficient. look in your local paper for dedicated self defence classes you will get more benefit in the short term and then you can think about the martial arts for the long term.