What Preps are you doing this week

[Arzosah]

- thought I'd experiment with those 3 packs of "thermal" socks from the poundshop, I'll see what they're like.
- bought a camping pillow - deluxe, even - from the same source.
- needle threader! pack of 3 ... they'll be like gold, I tell you, gold
- Boots have a 3 for 2 on healthcare, so I stocked up on painkillers.

[TwoDo]

Purchased some apple trees. These are heirloom varieties bred to produce apples that store well. Hopefully, in a few years, this will enable me to put apples by that will keep till around march - unless the winter is extremely warm.

While I'm on the subject, here are some other things you may not know about apple trees (apologies if you already know this)

1) Not all apple varieties are self fertile, some need other apple trees or the flowers will not set fruit.
2) Some apple varieties which are not self fertile are picky and require certain other varieties in order to set fruit well.
3) Some apple varieties which are not self fertile and are picky will bloom at different times than the other apple varieties you specifically got in order to pollinate them and thus still might not set fruit well.
4) Crab apples will pollinate just about every other type of apple and seem to be in flower for a long time, it pays to keep one or two around.

[the7ps]

We are moving house so in the past few weeks preps have slowed to a stop. This gave me a chance though to look at everything I had and have a re organisation.

As soon as I buy a food/drink I mark in large black marker the use by date (on the bottom of tins so when they make their way to the kitchen visitors dont ask questions) and it was quite surprising. I took stock of everything and found that, for a varied diet, I was missing some bits.

It also gave me a chance to re jig boxes. I now have a 'barter box' per se. Although not going into the barter argument I now have a box where, when I come across bits of kit I dont need but might want (free booze from the chineese take away, bags of nails, tools given to me from work, bin bags etc etc..) they go in there. This box actually fills up quicker than any other.

I work on a MASSIVE site and it's closing down so my new hobby is wandering empty corridoors and picking up those bits people have left. Straight in the barter box. It's actually amazing what people leave behind...

[itsybitsy]

Although not going into the barter argument I now have a box where, when I come across bits of kit I dont need but might want (free booze from the chineese take away

Excuse me? Your local Chinese takeaway gives you ALCOHOL? Where do you live, precisely...?

[Alleycat]

Purchased some apple trees. These are heirloom varieties bred to produce apples that store well. Hopefully, in a few years, this will enable me to put apples by that will keep till around march - unless the winter is extremely warm.

While I'm on the subject, here are some other things you may not know about apple trees (apologies if you already know this)

1) Not all apple varieties are self fertile, some need other apple trees or the flowers will not set fruit.
2) Some apple varieties which are not self fertile are picky and require certain other varieties in order to set fruit well.
3) Some apple varieties which are not self fertile and are picky will bloom at different times than the other apple varieties you specifically got in order to pollinate them and thus still might not set fruit well.
4) Crab apples will pollinate just about every other type of apple and seem to be in flower for a long time, it pays to keep one or two around.

One of the saddest sights I see on my journeys is a lone apple tree that has been cut off from any other nearby apple tree....every spring it sets forth beautiful blossoms to entice the bees etc...every year for the last 5 years it has been unsuccessful. Its right on the edge of the factory area of the small town I live in and it used to produce lots of fruit....then the Jehovahs built a temple (in a weekend it seemed like...very impressive the team work and man power they had) right next to it, and in doing so removed a gnarly old crab apple tree, so the barren fate of the apple tree

[nickdutch]

!!! WINTER !!!


+Planning on making more cheap alcohol heating fuel in case of a power cut this winter.

+Going to get a clothes horse and possibly one of those electric powered JML DriBuddy thingies (bad for bed sheets and towels which are not recommended) to make sure that at least I can get some basic drying done if the weather is totally shoddy but I still have electricity this winter (which I am of the opinion that it will be).

+About to take a delivery of two more UV-C wands for germ killing on surfaces in different parts of the flat (toilet, bedroom etc.) to make sure that I can keep mould and infections down. As well as the usual, you would be surprised what the cat brings in without knowing it.

+Stocking up on batteries for whatever I need batteries for.

+Going to buy some more "First Defense" hand foam and nose stuff to reduce the likelihood that I will get a cold this winter so that I can carry on working unimpeded by cold and flu type health problems.

+Bought a spare toilet brush for obvious reasons.

+Have a load of rope coming for whatever rope can be used for. You always need rope even if you don't need rope you will. It's one of those things.

+About to buy more rubber for the slingshot.

+When my internet girlfriend comes down in October, going to get her to show me how she "does" a squirrel. About to get some blades for that purpose.

+About to stock up on Rice, mung beans, and brown / green lentils plus storage tubs for them in case I get snowed in this winter and either can't or can't be arsed to get to the shops. Or in case my pay cheques cant come in from America due to planes not being able to fly due to volcano, weather etc., Likewise with TP, toothbrushes, soap, sensitive tooth paste, shower gels, toilet cleaner and similar day to day essentials. Winter can be a bummer. But that's slow progress and rather bit by bit.

+going to stock up on more tea (God's gift to mankind!) and sweeteners for the winter too, plus storage containers to keep it all in too.

+about to start getting a proper first aid kit in operation.

Basically after a "dry" period, I am about to keep my arse kicked into gear and am getting back to it all again.

[nickdutch]

sorry, double posted by accident

[border reiver]

Finally got around to buying a paper shredder. i was on holiday with my family in France and we visited a Lidl. They had shredders for less then 10 euros. It fits in my shaver socket in the bathroom and works ok with 1 - 3 A4 pieces of paper at a time (which is less then their advertised 5, but it was a cheap shredder so i aint complaining). Wilkinsons was charging over 20 quid for something very similar!!

So that means that i can hide my account numbers, address details and the like from unpleasant people with ease. maybe i can use the shredded paper as a fuel and work out a way of pelleting it? I am not sure, but i will try and find a solution.

lol i do the same thing with my shreded docs but i put them in the compost bin for the worms to feed on,lol

[Huntsman]

Although not going into the barter argument I now have a box where, when I come across bits of kit I dont need but might want (free booze from the chineese take away

Excuse me? Your local Chinese takeaway gives you ALCOHOL? Where do you live, precisely...?

Made my day

[preppingsu]

Although not going into the barter argument I now have a box where, when I come across bits of kit I dont need but might want (free booze from the chineese take away

Excuse me? Your local Chinese takeaway gives you ALCOHOL? Where do you live, precisely...?

itsy will drive anywhere for alcohol!!!!!