Basic urban prepping for single person

[ThisNiftyMember]

I have been assessing the guidance that seems to be flying about at the moment and today decided to take first steps.

I have always tried to keep a couple of weeks of tinned stuff in case of snow or ice so not going overboard on that front. I have now bought 5 litres of water in a container with a carry handle and some dried foods with longer dates on them.

Wet wipes, batteries for torches and radio are sorted.

I will go through bathroom cabinet to check use by dates on cough mixture, paracetamol, throat lozenges and rehydration sachets. I may need some more antiseptic wipes.

I have spare blankets so should keep warm enough. My flat only has electric radiators so if electricity goes down it will get cold I sm in a terrace of flats so that does keep some warmth in.

Old style tin opener is in constant use anyway so no need to get one of those.

Has anyone got any suggestions of other things I need to consider?

😘

I printed out my Google contacts today. So many nunbers in my phone that I wouldn't be able to get with no power/ Internet. Not sure how I'd use them mind.

Someone said on another thread that if there a big blackout we'll be told not to flush toilets by any means becuase without electricity the pumping stations won't be able to clear it. Waste will have to go into bags. Whether that's true or ridiculous, I'm not sure.

I live in the country and we often have 3 or more days without any electricity, some times the phone masts go down as well during big storms

As soon as the power goes off, I fill the bath with water, not for drinking but for flushing and washing in case the pumping stations go down as well - which during last years storm they did

We also have a set up with a car battery for lighting , does one room but its better then sitting in complete darkness

We also have a couple of very cheap - around a tenner - portable solar panels which charge the batteries during the day , phones, battery packs and the 12volt

Portable gas stove is a must.

I have a varied tinned selection, spuds, peas and carrots, stews etc. Im not fussed with them but needs must and when they hit expiration date , I throw them in the slow cooker for a use up dinner

This is the most important about food stores, keeping the food rotated and used and replenished so dont buy food you wouldn't normally eat. We dont drink a lot of water as in tea coffee etc so I dont have litres of it sat here , but I do have purifying tablets. Same as milk, I only ever keep 3 UHT cartons and turn it into yoghurt before it comes to end of shelf life

We aslo prefer head torches to hand held, esp those with the rechargeable LED lights.

I live alone in a flat too and I’m well enough stocked. Do you drive/keep a car? I’m in a city so I don’t need a car but I was thinking about isolation if the phones are down, and now have an arrangement that a friend will call to me if that happens. I have also bought an aluminium baseball bat that I hopefully will never need. And I have an old-school paper road map just in case.

The government have prepared emergency broadcasts saying exactly that.

Would you share details about your solar panel please?

A sturdy bucket or camping toilet, builders sacks and a bag of either garden compost or kitty litter…in case toilets stop working or you lose water. You should still be able to urinate in the toilet. But line the bucket with 2 heavy duty sacks, use it for solid waste, and cover each addition with a good scoop of your material for covering. When the episode ends, knot the bags individually and dump in the ordinary bin. I would also adopt the continental/Asian practise of not throwing toilet roll into the bowl for that period, either into the normal lidded bin or into your lined bucket instead. As urine will flow into the pipes as normal without flushing (or maybe once a day add a pint of water to dilute), but the solids and the paper need to be flushed properly. So if water is a problem, have an alternative plan.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/900076775126?_skw=solar+panel&itmmeta=01M7399FAX8AKA8FQ1GDTS7DEX&hash=itemd190c1a6d6:g:ztIAAeSw8Blq8Umr&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8CHNgUiiE%2FjQhlDTaMiAde%2FFZtRWqdYafPhbcTRzoKugq54f2hCcyRL0%2F1wdpMjz5flrTNbc%2Bz7H%2FjzsjfDcFvlvUVcQ2IsNAwKQqG%2BSKMlohDGLW6fM1gqUPQxCnoidw%2FO9b2%2B%2FzpmFhUMzrz9rNk--5kBOi5omUPiZQXg8RPIKsrUaV1%2FKFxqN%2FZpGG86lHRhxejA%2BtDSxMlPqdNIbZwjbDc4fIWlE98xrigiC8mCwleLwWQnHOcMsP5e9OEnl5%2FEvrXn7q9gWgCVBOpj0GR1EsxzB7F06YJYs4Kyeisi7lu0nHP%2FEJ4bmzQnnRGS5cA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMgval6bho

It charges phones vapes and keep the car battery charged