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Preppers

Preparing for a torrid Summer

55 replies

stella1know · 19/04/2020 20:22

The last two Summers were crippling. This year worries me because we have the possibility of another insane summer + virus and lockdown + secondary effects on market and harvests.
-Is anyone preparing, buying goods essential to you in anticipation of harvest or logistic issues?
-Are you doing anything in the house e.g. putting up extra curtains to block out heat? In heatwaves fans are sold out so better to look for offers now.
-in the garden investing in rainwater barrels won’t help if it doesn’t rain.
Any tips appreciated and support going forward.

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bellinisurge · 19/04/2020 21:24

Good idea. A tip from US homesteader is to pin wet cloth so that it hangs in front of an open window. Never tried it. Might do this year.

torthecatlady · 20/04/2020 01:03

Interesting thought and following with interest.

As much as I would like to, we don't grow our own as we can barely keep cacti alive Hmm One day.

Already have fans which we bought a few years ago when it was so unbearably hot and they were selling out everywhere also one of those hand held fans which you have to waft to create a breeze Grin

I've stocked up on factor 50 sunscreen as I've already been spending a lot of time in the garden (I buy new each year as I'm sure I read it's less effective the older it gets).

We also have a load of those pyramid shaped ice lollies, the kind that you can keep in the cupboard and then freeze when needed. Really useful for sore throats or for general cooling down. I might buy some ice lolly moulds as well.

Barbararara · 20/04/2020 06:22

Those cupboard/freezer lollies are a good idea. Adding to my list.

I bought a small desktop air conditioner after last summer and I might look into another fan as one isn’t enough.

I don’t handle heat well at all, and last year I think I came close to drinking too much water so I’m thinking that having some rehydration salts (diorylite or similar) might be important. I probably need to chat with a pharmacist though.

I have a lot of aloe gel and sunblock. An aloe Vera plant is a good one to grow if you’re green thumbed.

I’ll be stocking up on bottled water too.

I’m expecting a rise in food prices and doing a small bit of growing though I’m not particularly good at this.

BiddyPop · 20/04/2020 09:14

I'm working on the back garden being very productive (it generally has a small patch of peas, couple of broad bean plants, and a couple of tomato plants). Simple enough things - DD is eating a lot of spring onions so I have planted a good few, 2 window boxes of salad leaves and 1 of spinach (for baby leaves) that should be "cut and come again" if I just pull a few leaves at a time, I have more tomato plants than usual (but can't get the type for the basket), and some courgettes, as well as my peas, broad beans and hopefully some French and borlotti beans. I have a small bed (about 3'x4'), 1 hanging basket, and some pots/window boxes.

I'd love to improve my rainwater catchment, especially now while the spring weather is still sending rain. But there isn't an easy solution so I just have 1 small barrel - that has been useful in the past when water mains were severely damaged by winter freezes in 2010 for toilet use etc, and as a reservoir for extra water when they were repairing it for weeks so no water in daytime and reduced pressure at night (so I would use buckets from it to flush downstairs toilet by day, and refill it by night using the same bucket from the tap).

Some kind of shade would be good out the back, we have a sail but it's too small and very difficult to get up. So I need to see what's feasible.

I still have some suncream from last year, but will organise myself when I do a big Boots order soon - I need deep conditioner for my hair and shampoo, shower gel for the family, and antibac soap, so may as well try a "click and collect" order to the local small branch which never has these things.

And I want to go through my general supplies - I am trying to use up older items at the moment, baking supplies, tinned goods, spice mixes etc, as well as everyday things. But I need to have a think about what we have been using more of as our habits changed while at home, and what we would need over summer and restocking for winter (both general and potentially virus re-emerging and causing another lockdown).

torthecatlady · 20/04/2020 16:25

I might get some more charcoal and fire lighters on my next shop as well (whenever that'll be) as I normally have a couple of bags in the shed and I'm down to my last half a bag due to lots of lockdown bbqs!

stella1know · 21/04/2020 08:00

Sold out in the last heatwaves were: ice lolly moulds, fans, air conditioning units (do they even work?). Also ice cube moulds.
Would also need extra sunscreen and insect repellant, wondering whether to buy a mosquito zapper for the ones that stray into the house. Do these work for anyone?

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BlackeyedSusan · 22/04/2020 23:16

Great idea. Thanks. Getting itchy fingers on Amazon. May get another fan.

Last year I rigged up a blind liner out of an old cream duvet hung on cable clips behind the blind. This helped loads as the blind is black/navy and the heat in the kitchen was up to 32 degrees. I need to buy a net curtain wire for it so I can open it. Will be good as extra insulation in winter too.

Fly screen would be useful.
May get an extra fan. I would have liked to have got blinds but the windows are too wide to do cheaply.

BlackeyedSusan · 22/04/2020 23:17

Flat gets to 30+ degrees as we only face one way and can't open the big windows due to children bouncing out.

BiddyPop · 23/04/2020 09:16

If the flat faces the sun, is there any smaller windows you can open (bathroom or bedroom?) and keep some doors open internally to promote the flow of air through? Or have the door to the hall open sometimes to let cooler air (as it's not facing the sun) be pulled through if you have the window open at the same time? Maybe while DCs are napping or sitting down eating so less chance of escapees?

PurpleCalm · 24/04/2020 11:23

I really struggled last summer - in fact the whole family did! It was miserable.

Is a Dyson fan or an air conditioning unit better? My relative has a Dyson fan and claims it's just the same as air con. I'm not convinced! We do have a few pedestal fans but they just blow warm air about.

stella1know · 24/04/2020 20:41

Hopefully the Sunmer wont be as bad again, we are in with a chance of a wet June. But the boikibg Summers will return so longterm prep will be worth it.

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bellinisurge · 24/04/2020 22:19

Moorland fires again (already) near us. Need to keep the window closed. Last time it happened in the middle of summer it was ghastly. Needed anything to more the air around in the house. I have an air "purifier" for my asthmatic dh but that only did so much.

ElephantLover · 25/04/2020 07:56

We are considering fixing plastic film (the one with mirror effect outside) on the south facing windows to reduce heat. Anyone tried this? We also have a huge skylight south facing which is currently 'naked' and gives me a daily migraine.

stella1know · 26/04/2020 11:53

We have reflective blinds for the skylight, but on the inside. Doesn’t wirk at all in Summer as our roof is rubbishly insulated so gets sooo hot, the heat spreads through the house.
In hot midsummer I air all the windows at dawn for an hour, it cools the house, but it doesn’t last into the afternoon, despite our house having thick walls and stAying cooler for longer. The rubbish roof and windows dont help but fixing that is a longterm investment £££¥¥¥¥

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BlackeyedSusan · 27/04/2020 02:33

We have the little top windows open over night, close them when it gets hotter outside than in. Close curtains. Ds is Autistic and contrary and does the opposite.

ElephantLover · 27/04/2020 17:37

@stella1know which blinds do you have? Link please. Thank you.

GoodDogBellaBoo · 27/04/2020 18:44

Rehydration tablets have been sold out here the last 2 summers. Our government (Sweden) mentioned a couple of weeks ago there might be a problem with drinking water if this continues, if borders are closed for long there might be a problem with getting chemicals to clean the water. They later retracted the statement not to cause panic buying of bottled water, but I know some people stocked up anyway.

foreverandalways · 27/04/2020 18:54

F

stella1know · 27/04/2020 20:44

@ElephantLover can’t help much as the blinds are 10 or 20 years old from the previous owners. Glad I didn’t get rid of them despite them being so dusty. They roll away, are made of a thick paper-like fabric, and have a metallic silver side facing outwards. As I said, the roof is rubbish and it gets deathly hot there anyway.
I find the last hot summers have been windless, making air circulation very slow. The solution would be more fans, pointing outwards, to send the old air out.

A mistake I make is I try not to open the windows, because hot air would come in, but I think I once got seriously overheated but under-oxygenated - it was awful.

Keeping the windows open at night, and fully ooen from 5am 8am helps for half the day. But only till the afternoon :(

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stella1know · 27/04/2020 22:05

The Guardian www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/27/meteorologists-say-2020-on-course-to-be-hottest-year-since-records-began says we are in for a super hot summer again but doesn't say why or where the conclusion is drawn from. I have been following more detailed sites and there isn’t a unified prediction. We might be in for a wet, damp, thundery June. Does anyone have a recommendation for weather predictions sites? I appreciate the detailed information on www.gavsweathervids.com/summer-2020-weather-forecast.php but I am not a scientist and this is really advanced meteorological stuff Grin

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ElephantLover · 28/04/2020 09:57

Thank you @stella1know

Coughsyrupsucks · 28/04/2020 11:31

I’ve bought sun block, occurred to me it might not be easy to get hold of. Lots of salad and veggies for the garden. So pleased it’s raining today, so the water barrels can fill. My Best Buy last summer was the air conditioner.

We live in a 1930s house with huge bay windows. It faces east, so the solar gain in the summer is horrendous. It’s like living in a greenhouse even with solar protective curtains. I bought an air conditioner last summer, and it pretty much kept us alive (asthmatics) when it hit 38 degrees. Before that we had 3 fans going, including a dyson one that was next to useless and cost more than the air conditioner!

spottygymbag · 28/04/2020 18:41

We're in Australia in a rented apartment so unable to add air con or a heat pump. Last summer I cut and stitched some emergency blankets (reflective ones) into a make shift curtain and strung it between two hanging plant hooks on the balcony. It blocked the sun from hitting the window and helped block out some of the effected afternoon heat. It could also pushed along the wire to one side when the wind picked up. It meant we could have the balcony doors open but didn't suffer as much.
I did similar in DD's bedroom cutting and taping some reflective cat windscreen shades to size. This could be lodged against the glass behind the blinds and was quite effective also. It could just be folded and stored under her bed as needed and had the added bonus of blocking some extra light for naps and bedtime. Downside was blocking some of the air from the window but she has a fan also.

spottygymbag · 28/04/2020 18:44

*reflected afternoon heat
*car windscreen shades
One handed with a fidgety DS in the other arm!

BlackeyedSusan · 28/04/2020 20:10

That's my normal typing never mind one handed.