Don't stockpile, prep. What are you up to at the moment, prepping-wise?

[bellinisurge]

Last night, watching the news, my previously a bit sceptical dh said, "I think we need to stockpile, prior to Brexit. Maybe we should have an extra box in the garage or something."
I said, we already have a box or too in the garage . I have a flourishing if small veggie garden. I have learned how to can - US style and imported an all-American pressure canner with some saved up cash. We have canned chilli and taco meat etc. I have other foods and have discovered dehydrating as well. I'm nobody's shit kicking camo monster but I have camping stuff. I have plans for toilet and water collection/purification. I have alternatives for light and heat.
It's not about Brexit, for me. Nor is it about being panicky about bad weather or whatever. It's just having other than Plan A. Just in case.
What are you up to?

Always had a bit of a fascination with prepping, and a bit of a dormant inner prepper, but looming Brexit has brought it out of hibernation.

Currently focusing on food/water, stashing some 5L bottles, stockpiling baked beans, corned beef, tomato puree, evaporated milk, and peanut butter (1 jar is 2000 calories!), mainly so at least the kids wouldn't go hungry if there were to be temporary food shortages.

Also got some solar powered lanterns which double as power banks (could charge phones a few times).

Next steps include thinking about better water collection and purification - thinking a rain barrel for our roof guttering. Those water purification tablets that sell in the 100s for a few quid.

Then hand-crank/solar radio, and camping stove plus loads of pasta/rice.

Don't have any alternatives for heat at all. I'm wondering whether I should ultimately get a small tent and sleeping bags (for use in the house!) rather than any kind of fuelled heat source. Would also be nice to have camping gear so that we could do some actual camping.

Ah, it's tricky! I don't want to go overboard, but I do want a backup plan for all the basics of survival at least. Plus I enjoy prepping, it beats aimless browsing on ebay for junk I don't need, and helps me feel calm.

@PatriciaBateman - makes me feel calm too. Just woke up to burning smell in the air- I live near the moorland fires in Manchester. I have a go bag including light face cover things. Although I doubt we'll need it, I might do a double check today that all is in place in case we do.
All the windows obviously open because it's so hot. Bloody amazing firefighters dealing with it. DD's school not closed but we'll see.

Also @PatriciaBateman - have a think about what the family will eat that won't feel so "emergency ration" esque as well. Helps, I think, with early days or very short term. Very good plan about the water too.
Hot water bottles pretty good to have too.

I'm intrigued. What are you prepping for?

Me, bad weather snowing us in - had this already. Water and power problems- had this already. I live in Manchester suburbs.
Oh yeah, and any economic nonsense that comes our way with Brexit. Be it interrupted food supply or worse.
Currently have the moorland fire not far from us. Hopefully, we won't be affected but the air stinks of fire around here.

bellinisurge You're made of fiercer stuff than me. I don't think I could cope with fires being close!

But I do think prepping is a natural drive, and I never really understand why it gets the reputation it does for being "weird".

I look at lots of the health and safety precautions (which are basically along the same sort of thinking - prep for worst!), ie. fire extinguishers, fire doors etc. But then actually people aren't a big fan of "elf and safety" either, are they? I guess we don't like to think of bad things happening.

I think it's allowing my fear of 'bad things happening' to surface that ends up channeling me into prepping. I think it's a more constructive way of dealing with the fear, rather than pushing it down or denying it. And really... we need food and water to live. Why wouldn't we store a little extra?

I'm curious what other people do for heat (no real backup plans for me here yet).

Can't use a stove that produces smoke or anything like that. I guess I'm down to wool blankets, sleeping bags, and hot water bottles if necessary (boiled on camping stove). I remember reading somewhere once that pitching a tent on top of your bed and sleeping in that all together was one way to stay warm if you had no heat.

Definitely don't listen to Dangerous Visions on radio 4 or you'll be buying shotguns, it's an interesting listen

I seem to live with a wet flannel about my person these days to keep cool. I try to rotate curtain closing and window opening to keep the sun off the interior of Bellini Towers. I often work from home and did today. If we'd had air con in the office I might have gone in!
I dug out a cheapo camping solar oven first thing and put a tomato/pasta sauce cooking in it while I worked. Never tried it before and this weather seemed like the only sort of situation i could use it. Easy and safe to use. Delicious sauce as it turned out.
Not brave enough to cook a meat stew with it but maybe I'll see if I can brew up with it. Probably about my limit!

I've listened to Dangerous Visions. Made me chuckle ! As an alternative, can I suggest Praxis Preppers Alien Invasion series on YouTube. He pulls some thought provoking stuff out of an absurd and faintly comical scenario.

@PatriciaBateman - your staying warm ideas sound pretty good to me. Wool blankets are ace.

Years and years ago I watched this bbc doccu-drama film. It involved the power going off, inturn planes crashed as air traffic control failed, the motoways all became grid locked.

Long story short. It made me realise how fragile society it. Know it sounds silly but ever since then I have been a prepper.

Always had a plan in place of what I would do. Enough food, water etc that can jiat grab and go if need be.

But what made me rethink this is with the moors fires this week. If I got a knock on my door and had to leave there and then. Would I be ready? & what would I do?

I live close to the moorland fire @Notquiteagandt and although I already have a go bag I thought it would be a good idea to have a refresh.
The air was pretty poor on Monday but we are still far enough away for an evacuation to be unlikely. But it did make me have a think.

I'm curious what other people do for heat (no real backup plans for me here yet).

We have a wooden cooking stove (never used) and an oven in the kitchen (which then 'goes' through the wall to the living room).

And we have wood (but mostly for coziness in winter... But still, it's there.)

As for readiness to leave the house ASAP. That's actually my main focus. I have a fully stashed and an emergency escape bag...

We / I could be ready to leave quickly... (But would obviously pack more if given the time.)

Right now it's excess heat and a freezer problem (dh left the door not properly closed and we've lost everything in it!) that's given me pause for thought. Usually the opposite.

Anyone care to post links to solar charge banks / crank radios etc??

I'm good on food, water, camping stuff etc but clueless on tech that would be useful

I just went onAmazon. Consider budget / functionality etc. I have a couple of hand crank radios. Some also have a charging function with a USB port. Most have torch