What preps are you doing this week? part 2.

[Stasher]

Over the last week or so we have washed and brushed up the polytunnel and planted seeds, and generally prepared the soil and patches for this years frv production.

We've ramped up our cat litter stash following the arrival of a couple of young rescue cats, our elderly mogsplaesh preferred to go 'al fresco' and our litter stash would have lasted about a year. Two young animals, housebound for a couple of weeks, soon uses it up! I still can't believe we forgot about 'business'

With luck the local mouse population will be getting worried..................

[dazthechippy]

after being disorganised for so long I'm finally getting back on track...

Taking inventory of everything that's prepping related so i know what we have and what we need. Basic plan is food and water for the family for 4 weeks.

I'm finding almost everything is prepping related though and keep thinking ooh, that'd be handy.

Becoming bit of a hoarder..

[Arzosah]

Not only did I finally spring-plant my garlic (been sitting in the kitchen for ages, left it out in the rain last night and there were green tips on the outer cloves, hurray) I'd prepared a little bed for them at the end of last year, but it wasn't quite well prepared *enough*, so I marked where I put each clove with a little tiny wooden marker stick.

Very chuffed

[PreparedKent]

Swapped the new riflescope which doesn't hit a barn door for a new one, different model. This one is a hawke sport HD 3-9x40. Haven't had chance to sight it in yet but I'm feeling hopeful... Could have bunny in the pot very shortly

Also invested in my first crossbow, this one is only an 80lb pistol crossbow but I think close range this will be good for close range WROL/zombie situations. If I like this one I will invest in a more expensive powerful one. No bow hunting in UK so this will be sitting in the BOB just in case.

[Deeps]

Swapped the new riflescope which doesn't hit a barn door for a new one, different model. This one is a hawke sport HD 3-9x40. Haven't had chance to sight it in yet but I'm feeling hopeful... Could have bunny in the pot very shortly

Also invested in my first crossbow, this one is only an 80lb pistol crossbow but I think close range this will be good for close range WROL/zombie situations. If I like this one I will invest in a more expensive powerful one. No bow hunting in UK so this will be sitting in the BOB just in case.

I've got one of those wee 80lb pistols, they're certainly not toys, its maybe me but for shooting at about the 20 ft range you need to aim low, I've not fired it any further than that but if I was using it in anger I'd be wanting to change the basic plastic sight that comes with it, but for 30 quid you can't complain. If you want to sight it in, don't put too many bolts into the same small area, you can damage the flights, I know they're cheap enough but why damage them if you don't need to.

[jansman]

Today and tomorrow I shall be continuing my quest for order , and de cluttering the yard. I have got rid of all sorts of kit and tools too( the local Scouts took most of it).I just do not need half a dozen mess kits/2 tents etc etc
Cody Lundin the American survival instructor says, 'The more you know, the less you need', and I can relate to that.

[grenfell]

Today and tomorrow I shall be continuing my quest for order , and de cluttering the yard.

Funnily enough I've been doing just the same. I'll admit to being a bit of a squirrel and if something has a potential use or value then home it comes. To that I decided it was time to clear out all the scrap steel I'd accumulated not realising that I had collected or rather I took in two and a quarter tonnes. Unfortunately the price has dropped a tad to around £70 a tonne and I got just shy of £160 . Still the silver lining is of course £160 to spend on something else , a clear space and it prompted me to get the trailer back together to take it in.

[PreparedKent]

Swapped the new riflescope which doesn't hit a barn door for a new one, different model. This one is a hawke sport HD 3-9x40. Haven't had chance to sight it in yet but I'm feeling hopeful... Could have bunny in the pot very shortly

Also invested in my first crossbow, this one is only an 80lb pistol crossbow but I think close range this will be good for close range WROL/zombie situations. If I like this one I will invest in a more expensive powerful one. No bow hunting in UK so this will be sitting in the BOB just in case.

I've got one of those wee 80lb pistols, they're certainly not toys, its maybe me but for shooting at about the 20 ft range you need to aim low, I've not fired it any further than that but if I was using it in anger I'd be wanting to change the basic plastic sight that comes with it, but for 30 quid you can't complain. If you want to sight it in, don't put too many bolts into the same small area, you can damage the flights, I know they're cheap enough but why damage them if you don't need to.

Thanks for the tip, can't wait to put the crossbow together but along with sighting in New air rifle scope number 2 and the general DIY my misses wants done I just haven't had time yet

[FEISTY]

I've done nothing for ages due to getting a new job and going from weekly to monthly pay so been living off our preps till pay day at the end of the month it's been a long 6 weeks. Only good thing is new job a huge pay rise more than time and a half what I was getting plus I make my own hours as much extra work as I want. As we have been using up the preps I have noticed some of the tins from the shed have a few rust spots so I will be looking at sealing up the door a bit better but also want to get some plastic boxes to put the tins in any suggestions. I will be glad to get away from tinned food but so glad we had the stock its made this time that much easier.

Silica gel sachets are expensive. You can get silica cat litter for next to nothing - exactly the same thing (Home Bargains has it for peanuts). Make up your own sachets (some people use coffee filters - I've been making my own up with left over fabric, but prepared to experiment). The gel crystals can be dried out, eg on top of a radiator, and used again and again. I have two large bags and hardly making a dent in them - they'll last a long time, whereas the last time I spent a lot of money on sachets, they seemed to get used up in no time.

For all the folk who have camping gear, etc, if it gets a bit smelly (my daughter once borrowed a Scout rucksack once and it was fusty from the damp conditions) the only thing that will take that away is plain vinegar. Just either fill the bath (or bucket if it a smaller thing) with warm water and a cup or more of vinegar and soak for a while, then wash/rinse. The vinegar smell will go and so will the fusty smell, because the vinegar will have killed the mould spores (even if you can't see mould, you can smell it) without the damage that bleach causes. Then always dry out things thoroughly before storing in a sealed container with a large bag of silica gel.

Here endeth the lesson from Granny Grayhip .

[FEISTY]

Oops - the silica gel cat litter suggestion was prompted by your suggestion - trying to help keep the costs down.