Anything specific to prep for in 2016?

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

So the harsh snowy winter predicted for 2015/16 hasn't materialised. And looks unlikely to for the remainder. It's been so warm here in the South East. We haven't had one power cut yet, and that's unusal. Flooding has been the big problem this year, and may still be for more people.

The likelihood of an economic crash (my favourite prepping subject) is not high for this year.

Antibiotics are good for another 10 years or so.

Anyone concerned for anything in particular for 2016?

[zombiesarecoming]

I wouldn't rule out the harsh winter just yet

Admittedly not first hand info but someone who was speaking to a very old farmer about the current warm and wet start to winter was told that this is how the winter of 1947 started and then in late January it snowed, and snowed and snowed

We have had snow plenty of times late January and into Feb before now and even late March a couple of years ago

I think economic problems are quite likely although personally business is ticking over quite steadily at the moment

I think these days the biggest threat is a combination of terrorist attacks knocking services out and damaging infrastructure and the weather doing the same

The weather has certainly been the biggest problem for a lot of people over the recent weeks

[cozietoesie]

You just don't know, do you? ( When, what, how etc etc etc.) For me, the thing to do is to integrate preparedness into everyday living rather than see it as a separate occupation. If you keep it separate, then stores go 'off' and family become uncaring - best to have it as part of what you do on a day to day basis.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

zombies, actually I think writing off a harsh winter at this point is presumptuous (of me) possibly. As there are a potential 4 months left for bad weather. It's just getting a warm christmas and new year out of the way makes it feel like we're heading for spring.

I really think economics will be ok for this year. I think 2017 might be the perfect Storm for a crash; China imploding, personal debt at an unprecedented level, Brexit.

Terrorism, or the threat, will be a black cloud this year.

Cozie, I have a small store or stuff, and I guess you're right. Being constantly, quietly prepared is the best way.

[redhat]

I think it will be interesting to watch interest rates with what is happening in the US in terms of recovery and the volatile situation in China. We are determined to get the mortgage paid off within the next three years since I refuse to give the bank any more interest than necessary. £250k to go - eek!

Its been noticeably colder here for the past couple of days. We heat using a log gasification boiler and have got through a small trailer of wood in the past couple of days. Winter may well be on its way.

[cozietoesie]

I've never thought of eg December as real hard winter - in my experience it just tends to be chilly and wet. Late January and early February are what I watch out for.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

redhat we're paying down the mortgage as quickly as we can too, but we have £380 to go! It was £500 at its highest so I feel we're going in the right direction.

[redhat]

My store cupboard is fairly run down at the moment following two weeks of everyone being at home for Christmas and not many trips out to the shop. But I am also aware that I have a habit of topping up the chest freezer and using the stuff on the top. I am determined to have a good sort out and rotate the things at the bottom up to the top. I suspect there's a lot in there which should also be thrown away such as frozen eggs from when we had a glut the summer before last. I mean to use them in cakes but we always have a decent fresh supply.

[cozietoesie]

Sell/barter the new eggs and use the old ones? I'll bet there are any number of people who would give an arm for home-laid eggs from a source they know.

[VertigoNun]

I would like to be less reliant on capitalism.

[SootyTheCat]

Winter is always worst here (East) in February. Most likely scenario I think is a long power cut due to weather, terrorism, etc. Globally I think we're well overdue a big eruption or earthquake.

[redhat]

I also think power issues are the most likely threat. Fortunately this is something that can be planned for and whilst it would always have an impact given how reliant we are, it is perfectly possible to cope without gas/electricity.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

We had quite a long power cut yesterday, was a total surprise as weather was fine.

Sooty I spent a fair amount of time being slightly concerned about the San Andreas fault before we went to california last summer . Luckily I forgot all about it once we were there

[cozietoesie]

You having any building work undertaken in the vicinity, Through? (It's notable how quickly an ill-judged JCB blade can bring on a cut in even the most favourable conditions. )

You do what you can. If there were consideration to be given to a SHTF situation, I'd be happy to contribute to a thread on the best single malt to have put by because that's rather where we would be, I suspect. (San Andreas, Yellowstone, Cascadia, Cumbre Vieja etc etc etc.)

In terms of doing what you can in 2016, I think I'd have to go with anti-microbial/antibiotic resistance and our own measures to prevent impact on ourselves and families. That's with us right now - people just haven't accepted the likely impact yet.

[SootyTheCat]

Through did you visit the earthquake trail near San Francisco?

I somehow ended up studying a course at university that included a lot about large scale natural disasters (volcanoes, earthquakes & tsunamis, asteroid impacts, rapid & extreme climate change... so many ways the earth can go wrong for us!). My conclusion was that for a really big event I hoped the asteroid directly hits my house, as afterwards would just be a period of awful dying over months rather than in seconds.

Although I hold out hope for the uncontacted tribes of Amazonia carrying on the human torch while the rest of us 'civilised' peoples beat each other to death over the last bottle of diet coke in Asda.

Anyway - I'm planning to sort out alternative heating this year. We're oil based but it needs electricity to get the boiler going. DH reckons he could hot wire it with a car battery but I'd prefer a calor gas portable heater instead! Will look for one in the end of winter sale. Longer term plan is to get a wood burner in but that sort of DIY is several years off.