I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

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DoktorMeot
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:07 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by DoktorMeot »

Thanks a lot for all of your replies.

Fire is definitely a worry for me. In my old tower block there were 126 flats and a fire related incident happened almost weekly. Thankfully, I've recently moved into a much smaller 6 in a block, but I remember the dread of the alarms and the emergency services (rightly) not allowing residents into or out of the building for hours on end. Not great with a kid if your not at least a little prepped.

My new flat is, well, new. Was built just a few weeks before I moved in and has been fitted with smoke/heat/co2 alarms in the open plan kitchen/living room area and the same in the hall just outside the bedroom doors. They're super sensitive - can't even cook near them which can be a pain, but ultimately happy they're like that. My worry is that I'm on the top floor and have only one door to get out. What if that exit is blocked? I'm too high up to jump out of the window......

I'm a big sap to be honest, kinda scared of real candles in the house. I've got those huge pillar battery powered candles, which look nice and fancy so are cool for non prepping reasons too. Never thought of a head torch though, I'll get one in as the kid can be a bit of a clingy koala and would be good to have my hands free!

I got some water bottles yesterday. What do you think about expiry dates on these bottles? Would you use for washing etc. after the expiry date but not drink? Or would it depend on the severity of the situation?
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by jansman »

I am not a fan of candles myself,and even less so since my dopey neighbour set fire to her bathroom with one! The advent of LED technology has ( to me) made the candle obsolete. Regarding the bottled water,just drink it if you worry about expiry.Same with stored food.Store what you eat,and eat what you store.

Arzosah mentioned washing bottles,and storing tap water.Thats what I do.To me,bottled water is the biggest con that I never thought of! :lol:
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by Arzosah »

DoktorMeot wrote: Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:06 amMy new flat is, well, new. Was built just a few weeks before I moved in and has been fitted with smoke/heat/co2 alarms in the open plan kitchen/living room area and the same in the hall just outside the bedroom doors. They're super sensitive - can't even cook near them which can be a pain, but ultimately happy they're like that. My worry is that I'm on the top floor and have only one door to get out. What if that exit is blocked? I'm too high up to jump out of the window......
Complex answers to that. In a normal situation, it's about getting yourself and your little one into a room, blocking the gaps around the door leading to the rest of the flat, and signalling to those outside that you're there and need help. If there's only six in a block, you're on the third floor, max? Which means the ladders the fire brigade have will be able to get to you, no problem. You just have to think about whether they could access the ground outside your chosen room - trees in the way? Stuff like that.

In a bigger situation (road has collapsed in a flood, big incident elsewhere, right up to shtf, etc) they might not get there in time. Its really, really unlikely, but as a thought experiment - a rope ladder! And yes, thats when the head torch would come into play :) You'd have to be able to carry your little boy down too, of course. I just used google with the search term "using rope to make a harness" - videos, wikihow, and a UK climbing forum all came up straight away. I really don't think it's likely, but learning to make knots might be a fun thing to do with your little boy - imagine the Halloween costumes you could make, you could make an articulated skeleton with knots for joints :lol: :lol: :lol: As Deeps said upthread, there's a hobby element.
You can buy rope ladders ready made, of course, I see they're even on Amazon :roll: but I'm doubtful about buying and doubtful about that being a good use of your money.
I'm a big sap to be honest, kinda scared of real candles in the house. I've got those huge pillar battery powered candles, which look nice and fancy so are cool for non prepping reasons too.
Candles *are* scary! I have sturdy candlesticks, I also have that poundland-type lantern for them to sit in safely.
I got some water bottles yesterday. What do you think about expiry dates on these bottles? Would you use for washing etc. after the expiry date but not drink? Or would it depend on the severity of the situation?
Definitely would, yes. The issue about water "expiry" is about complex plastic molecules leaching gradually into the water. Slow it down by making sure you store it in the dark, somewhere not exposed to hot/cold extremes.
Have a look round the threads on here, see what speaks to you, what you find useful. You've already been managing, now you can manage *better* :)
DoktorMeot
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:07 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by DoktorMeot »

I think I'd be a great knotter <goes to buy rope>

I've been on your website before Arzosah! I like it!
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Deeps
Posts: 5797
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by Deeps »

Water doesn't really 'expire', if its looked after it stays 'good'.

As Arzosah says, cheap lanterns work with candles, Ikea among other places do them. If you keep them out of the reach of kids and animals then it reduces the hazards. Putting something reflective behind them helps to maximise the light they throw out too, they don't throw out nearly as much light as you see on the telly. :lol:

As for getting out during a fire, have a look at this kind of thing, there's loads out there depending on budget and size.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kidde-468093-T ... ape+ladder

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Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kidde-KL3S-3-S ... B000H5S96A

Third floor jobbie :)

Only consideration is the thickness of the wall / window ledge due to thicker insulation in walls now ..

On my to do list is 2 big eye bolts in the inner wall and 2 carabineer clips to make mine work since the council cladded the outside
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kidde-KL3S-3-S ... B000H5S96A

Third floor jobbie :)

Only consideration is the thickness of the wall / window ledge due to thicker insulation in walls now ..

On my to do list is 2 big eye bolts in the inner wall and 2 carabineer clips to make mine work since the council cladded the outside
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
DoktorMeot
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:07 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by DoktorMeot »

Ah they look good. Not too expensive either.

There's 2 flats on ground, 2 on first and 2 on second - so I'm on second and that would work well I'd say.

Still going to look into knots though, think that will become my "thing"

I know water doesn't really go off, but so much chat of seeping plastic on some boards. At what point does this become an issue? Probably around expiry? It'll still be good for washing and what not though.
grenfell
Posts: 3952
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by grenfell »

Hello and welcome.
Some time ago I worked at a large house in the cortswolds and it had a rope ladder on the top (. 3rd) floor. It was bolted to one of those old cast iron radiators so seemed pretty secure although I'd be reticent about doing that with a modern rad . It was deemed unnecessary and we removed it . A little short sighted to me but I didn't have to live there. Didn't go in the skip though , it made it's way onto eBay via our house :D
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Deeps
Posts: 5797
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm

Re: I'm new here, and a new prepper too!

Post by Deeps »

DoktorMeot wrote: Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:11 am Ah they look good. Not too expensive either.

There's 2 flats on ground, 2 on first and 2 on second - so I'm on second and that would work well I'd say.

Still going to look into knots though, think that will become my "thing"

I know water doesn't really go off, but so much chat of seeping plastic on some boards. At what point does this become an issue? Probably around expiry? It'll still be good for washing and what not though.
This is hardly scientific but I've drank water out of a plastic container that I'd had for 3 or 4 years, admittedly I was hungover and really thirsty but it tasted like water should. As for the toxicity of plastic, again, I'm not claiming any expert knowledge here but I'd imagine it would require quite a lot of consumption for it to build up enough to have any effect. Make your own mind up though.

Look into water purification too, there are loads of 'off the shelf' filters, there's puritabs etc, we have a section on it on here where its regularly discussed. I've got about a 1000L sat in a pond in my back garden, that would keep us going for a wee while after being properly treated. For the more 'advanced', you can build a water filter out of an old juice bottle and charcoal and either sand or moss. Personally, I'll prefer to use my pre-purchased and tested methods, not much point being a prepper if you're not prepared. :lol: