Get ready for winter / zombie apocalypse etc - the GET PREPPED THREAD!

[FunnyRunner]

Just a place to share some general ideas and tips for getting ready for a severe winter. Fingers crossed this will be a mild one but we've had a few bad ones recently so looking for ideas.

What do people think are the basic essentials to have in the house?

Online lists seem to suggest the absolute basics are:

• Food
• Bottled water
• Wind up torch and radio OR battery op plus lots of batteries
• Adequate medication for the family plus first aid kit
• Baby milk / food and pet food (if needed)
• Shovel and grit / salt for clearing paths
• Plenty of fuel and / or blankets

What foods will you be keeping in your emergency box? Ideally I want stuff that can lie down in the basement for a couple of years in a box.

If you have found any good gadgets please share links :)

Have you tried that shrink wrap stuff chubbykitty? I've no idea if it looks any good when it's on, but a few people on here seem to think it is quite effective.

Could try it yeah. It's rented but I doubt my landlady will whinge about us trying to insulate (which is just maintenance surely?). Plus that shrink wrap stuff comes off doesn't it?

Is the window visible to others chubby? If not and you don't mind how it looks then bubblewrap also works very well.

When I was a student we used cling film on all the windows and again it made a difference.

I think the idea is that it does come off in Spring so you can ope windows again.

Not trying to sound dumb but what do you do with the cling film on windows? We have really old, crap windows and lose a lot of heat that way.

We've had our winter tyres on one of the cars for 18 months. We just didn't get round to changing them. Didn't notice any difference in wear on tyres or handling of the car tbh.

Little red, am jealous of your wood, we only have about 1/2 an acre, so ours is more of a woodette! :) actually your setup sounds a lot like one of my friends...which county are you in...you're not her are you?? :o

Ok, so you lot have me spending! Just bought some glow sticks, burn dressings, water purification tabs, food supplement biscuits, water, and a spare camping gas stove and loads of gas. Totally sorted now if we get snowed in and should be fine for a good few weeks if the zombies make their move! Will send out coordinates if that happens, I also have wine so all welcome for a MN zombie-in! :o

I'm going to do some shopping this evening since I'm clearly playing catch up!

We are in deepest darkest sherwood forest. DS2 (6) is convinced that his bedroom is EXACTLY where Robin Hood used to sleep.

Funnyrunner with the cling film you just use duct tape to tape it to the window frame leaving no gaps at all so that there is then a gap between the cling film and the glass. The gap will be the depth of your window ledge. You then get a hairdryer and heat it and the clingfilm will shrink a little so that it is taut just like they used to do with body shop goodie baskets in the eighties (do they still do those?).

The stuff you can buy from DIY places works in exactly the same way but I think its probably a bit stronger.

MY DH just went into my store cupboard...looked and asked me if it was my pantry

I told him it was the start of my preparation for winter.

He asked if two packets of hob nobs, 2 packets of custard and a jar of jam plus 3 boxes of cat food would really be called a preparation for winter.

I'm not talking to him right now.

Lol jersey, tell him no, a crate of wine and a tonne of chocolate is necessary and ask if he wants to volunteer to go out in the cold to get it!

Tell him we all said he now needs to buy you a wind up radio

I can do that. I have parcel tape so will probably buy a roll of duct tape, the brown stuff in parcel tape doesn't come off Plastic windows!

Never even thought about cystitis treatment! I'm quite prone to honeymoon cystitis and I imagine with no tv we'd get bored.

I'd be the first one to die in a zombie apocalypse. Of a flaming foof. Crap

That is not the way to die in a zombie apocalypse

Just put a small pan of water on top of the woodburner to see how long it takes to boil....DH thinks I have lost the plot!!

Is it working lees mum?

sorry, silly computer spellchecked your name leesmum

Ok after 15 mins water is bloody hot...like out of tap but didn't boil...would be hot enough to make a brew/ fill pot noodle/ hot water bottle/ have a wash!! I'm impressed and it was just a basic milk pan with a saucer on top, I reckon if you had a small pan with a lid on it would be better!!

I'm going to try that on Friday. Will be interesting!

My plan next week when i go to the shop is to stock up on soup

great thread ! I feel horribly under prepared ! but I too, now have a wind up radio on my Amazon wish list !! lol !! do I need a now and arrows too ?!?! :-)

Hmm should I put a baking tray on top and have Bacon butties for supper???

whoops that should say bow and arrows !! lol !!

Another Walking Dead fan???