What Preps are you doing this week? Part 7.

[Trojanhorse]

I have been researching new leather walking boots for myself as I think whatever happens in the future a good pair of boots is needed. If we get snowed in I don't want to be out in my fabric boots.

[Yorkshire Andy]

I have been researching new leather walking boots for myself as I think whatever happens in the future a good pair of boots is needed. If we get snowed in I don't want to be out in my fabric boots.

The army cold weather haix boots are nice and comfy obviously we all have different feet shapes but worth a look

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-ARMY ... 0935.m2460

Can't beat a army surplus shop so you can see before you buy the wife's brand new pair were £100 my second hand pair were about £40 and some other poor sod had broken them in for me

[Arzosah]

Not really a prep for me, but sadly might need to be a prep for someone: my sister is making a Fiddle Quilt, to be donated to a local residential home, its to be used by people with dementia. Some are very restless, and can become quite distressed: a fiddle quilt is meant to give their hands something to do, literally something to fiddle with. When I'm ragging an article of clothing, if there's a fitting that could be re-used - a zip, a button, a buckle, a belt slider thing - I put it in my quilting stash. Never really found a use for most of it, but I've given her about half now, it feels useful too.

[jansman]

Not really a prep for me, but sadly might need to be a prep for someone: my sister is making a Fiddle Quilt, to be donated to a local residential home, its to be used by people with dementia. Some are very restless, and can become quite distressed: a fiddle quilt is meant to give their hands something to do, literally something to fiddle with. When I'm ragging an article of clothing, if there's a fitting that could be re-used - a zip, a button, a buckle, a belt slider thing - I put it in my quilting stash. Never really found a use for most of it, but I've given her about half now, it feels useful too.

That is a very interesting idea. My wife is an avid seamstress ( never without sewing / knitting/ cross stitch), and we have a small residential home along the lane from us.Couldbe an idea to ask them if they could use such a blanket.

[Arzosah]

She might really like it, jansman, and it sounds a really constructive way of calming someone with dementia. And if things go as badly as thought by the writer of the Consciousness Of Sheep blog, then it might become even more essential. Found this useful website too, with useful ideas about what's most helpful:
http://www.fiddlefingersquilts.co.uk/

[Yorkshire Andy]

Started re vamping my car winter kit..

Charity shop bargain large molle backpack with 3 decent pouches £10!

Yes it screams prepper but in the car boot it vanishes among the blank carpet and trim.. was using a tool bag but it's likely to be pinched if spotted as scrotes will think it's tools....

Cars already got plenty of day to day car based kit in it so this is purely for me / wife / kids comfort in winter

Something like In no order

Down jacket. Softie trousers...
2 woolie hats

Fingerless gloves. Ski gloves and mechanic gloves.

Generic survival tin

24hr ration pack

2 cups

Jet boil copy

Personal hygiene stuff

Down sleeping bag and breathable bivvie

Blizzard bag and a sol emergency bivvie

Yes lots of duplication but imagine a broken down car on the motorway with kids sat up the embankment for a hour waiting in rac / AA

[jansman]

She might really like it, jansman, and it sounds a really constructive way of calming someone with dementia. And if things go as badly as thought by the writer of the Consciousness Of Sheep blog, then it might become even more essential. Found this useful website too, with useful ideas about what's most helpful:
http://www.fiddlefingersquilts.co.uk/

Thanks.Ill pass that on.

[Moorland Prepper]

I've listed all my herbs and spices today and noted down what I have. Am going to do a Buy Wholefoods Online order tomorrow to top up. Then I have a 16kg bag of flour to split into smaller bags, vac pack and start processing through the freezer.

One thing that I have never done is to buy a large bag of flour and vac pack it into smaller bags. I always imagine that it would be a messy job and risk getting flour in the machine.

Yesterday I went to Lidl and got 10 bags (1.5 kilos) of their white bread flour for £5.50. I've now got about 30 kilo variously dated to September. I'll need some wholemeal soon but will get this after the Xmas rush. I might be tempted to buy a large bag and repack it. I'm just a bit puzzled how you can get air out of a bag without bits of flour.

How much longer does vaccuum packing flour extend its useful life?

[Lemne]

I've listed all my herbs and spices today and noted down what I have. Am going to do a Buy Wholefoods Online order tomorrow to top up. Then I have a 16kg bag of flour to split into smaller bags, vac pack and start processing through the freezer.

One thing that I have never done is to buy a large bag of flour and vac pack it into smaller bags. I always imagine that it would be a messy job and risk getting flour in the machine.

Yesterday I went to Lidl and got 10 bags (1.5 kilos) of their white bread flour for £5.50. I've now got about 30 kilo variously dated to September. I'll need some wholemeal soon but will get this after the Xmas rush. I might be tempted to buy a large bag and repack it. I'm just a bit puzzled how you can get air out of a bag without bits of flour.

How much longer does vaccuum packing flour extend its useful life?

I buy 16kg bags direct from the mill and then decant it into smaller brown paper bags. I bought the Kraft flat bottomed sandwich bags 24x13x8cm which hold 1.5kg perfectly. I also use a large yogurt pot with the bottom cut out as a funnel and then when filled just roll the top of the bag and put in the vac bag as normal. The bags are expensive at the moment (Covid tax) and it works out for me at £1.49 per 1.5kg bag but you get a better quality flour for the price.

From what I have read, which varies, it lasts from 2 to 5 years but some say as long as 10 years but you have to wonder what nutrients would be left at the end of 10 years.

[jennyjj01]

I might be tempted to buy a large bag and repack it. I'm just a bit puzzled how you can get air out of a bag without bits of flour.

The trick to not getting flour in the machine or, worse, embedded in the vac seal melt, is to have the flour in it's paper bag and push the opening, and probably floury end of the bag deepest into the vac bag. So any leakage would have to get sucked the full length of the bag. If the inner bag is plastic, puncture it at the top, so you draw out max air from the inner bag too.
Oh... And routinely double weld the seals a couple of mm apart.