What Preps are you doing this week? Part 13

[GeraldTheBonzai]

Went upstairs yesterday evening to be greeted with a persistent beeping coming from the back room. Drive failure on my synology NAS, so thats an immediate fix it job for today (currently in progress). Use the NAS for backup of all the family photos and docs, going back years, so don't want to loose anything.

I use a lot of cloud storage, such as Google and Apple. However am becoming more conscious that whilst cloud service are great, I am becoming dependant on them, so want local copies. In the event of an outage, I loose access. Also, at some point, something is going to happen to me. As such, I want to ensure that the family have access to stuff, without having to jump through loops trying to gain access from Google and Apple.

[Frnc]

Went upstairs yesterday evening to be greeted with a persistent beeping coming from the back room. Drive failure on my synology NAS, so thats an immediate fix it job for today (currently in progress). Use the NAS for backup of all the family photos and docs, going back years, so don't want to loose anything.

I use a lot of cloud storage, such as Google and Apple. However am becoming more conscious that whilst cloud service are great, I am becoming dependant on them, so want local copies. In the event of an outage, I loose access. Also, at some point, something is going to happen to me. As such, I want to ensure that the family have access to stuff, without having to jump through loops trying to gain access from Google and Apple.

I have 3 external drives. Two are about the size of a credit card, and not much thicker. The other is about the size of a packet of 10 cigs, but only half as thick.

Each update takes about 5-10 minutes using Time Machine.

Apart from that, most stuff is automatically backed up to the cloud. And a lot of it is on my phone. Again, that's mostly automatic. The phone itself syncs with the same cloud.

Details.

iCloud
Mac mini
iphone
Time Machine backups
Samsung T7 drives 1TB the credit card size
G-Technology 500GB G-DRIVE Mobile SSD

The T7s have increased massively in price, but may be cheaper elsewhere. G Tech is a bargain at £69.

[GeraldTheBonzai]

My aim is to have my own, local, set of digital resources, so that I am not dependent on the internet.

The synology NAS provides storage, but it also runs Plex (media streaming) and Kiwix (so I have a local version of wikipedia). Plus some other services such as provisioning e-books / digital library that I am slowly building up. I also have a Proxmox mini pc, that means I can virtualise things. Whenever a laptop for instance gets replaced, I image the old one then run it as a VM on proxmox, so I can still access it.

There are also several Raspberry Pi's dotted around. These are my energy / solar monitoring bits - I gather all the data from the battery bms, charge controller, shunt etc so that I can monitor my kit, see if anything needs charging up, temperatures.

At one point I used to monitor the garden and plants. Thats where GeraldTheBonsai came from - I had a prize bonsai (Gerald) that I was always forgetting to water. So I built a soil moisture monitor that connected to the Internet and Gerald would send me a message when he was thirsty..... (Past tense, unfortunately. I forgot about galvanic corrosion - the sensor eroded, gave me duff data and Gerald when the way of all the other bonsais....)

[Peter]

My aim is to have my own, local, set of digital resources, so that I am not dependent on the internet.

The synology NAS provides storage, but it also runs Plex (media streaming) and Kiwix (so I have a local version of wikipedia). Plus some other services such as provisioning e-books / digital library that I am slowly building up. I also have a Proxmox mini pc, that means I can virtualise things. Whenever a laptop for instance gets replaced, I image the old one then run it as a VM on proxmox, so I can still access it.

There are also several Raspberry Pi's dotted around. These are my energy / solar monitoring bits - I gather all the data from the battery bms, charge controller, shunt etc so that I can monitor my kit, see if anything needs charging up, temperatures.

Sorry, don’t understand any of it, glad I have a bookcase.

[Frnc]

My aim is to have my own, local, set of digital resources, so that I am not dependent on the internet.

The synology NAS provides storage, but it also runs Plex (media streaming) and Kiwix (so I have a local version of wikipedia). Plus some other services such as provisioning e-books / digital library that I am slowly building up. I also have a Proxmox mini pc, that means I can virtualise things. Whenever a laptop for instance gets replaced, I image the old one then run it as a VM on proxmox, so I can still access it.

There are also several Raspberry Pi's dotted around. These are my energy / solar monitoring bits - I gather all the data from the battery bms, charge controller, shunt etc so that I can monitor my kit, see if anything needs charging up, temperatures.

Sorry, don’t understand any of it, glad I have a bookcase.

When SHTF, paper books will be reliable. Bit heavy to bug out with though. Electronic might be useful to a degree. I did compile notes (mainly Apple Notes plus a few pdfs) about edible plants, and I sometimes save pages about knots and so on.
For bugging out, I have a couple of mini knots things that are on little plastic cards. I might take one smaller book on edible plants, or plant ID. Also a small first aid book maybe.
My evacuation plan is in several electronic forms plus printed out. Electronic is pdf, Apple Note, and Pages doc.

I've also kept some paperback novels, which could be good in a bug-in.

[Kiwififer]

Seeing I was posting about Maslow’s basic needs of food, warmth and shelter, well I need a BoB/Bug in bag check to see what I am missing, any advice is very welcome.

Rucksack.
Spare thermal clothes.
Solar panel battery charger.
Rechargeable torch.
First aid kit.
Solar panel/wind up radio.
Flints.
Paracord.
Camping tripod.
Water filtration.
Toiletries including a bar of soap.
Water bottle.
Two whistles.
Camping pots and a metal mug.
Hand axe.
Camping knife.

Food can be picked up from the kitchen and I have loads of demijohns to store water as I was making wine for a bit.

I need utensils to eat with but that wouldn’t be a problem as I would likely be bugging in and a chiminea with cooking pans if the gas went out. I also have two sleeping bags and a decent Robens tent which are easy to get down from the attic.

What am I missing?

[Frnc]

Bit the bullet and ordered a Meaco 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner. Thought I might as well get it now, so I have plenty of time to figure out how to fill the window gap, test it and so on. It comes with two window kits, but I don't want anything permanent stuck to the window. So I think I'll use the rectangular thing, and shove some thin dust sheets in the triangles at the sides.

Got it on Paypal pay in 3, so spread the cost.

Apparently shouldn't need draining much in AC mode, as most goes out with hot air.

[Frnc]

Seeing I was posting about Maslow’s basic needs of food, warmth and shelter, well I need a BoB/Bug in bag check to see what I am missing, any advice is very welcome.

Rucksack.
Spare thermal clothes.
Solar panel battery charger.
Rechargeable torch.
First aid kit.
Solar panel/wind up radio.
Flints.
Paracord.
Camping tripod.
Water filtration.
Toiletries including a bar of soap.
Water bottle.
Two whistles.
Camping pots and a metal mug.
Hand axe.
Camping knife.

Food can be picked up from the kitchen and I have loads of demijohns to store water as I was making wine for a bit.

I need utensils to eat with but that wouldn’t be a problem as I would likely be bugging in and a chiminea with cooking pans if the gas went out. I also have two sleeping bags and a decent Robens tent which are easy to get down from the attic.

What am I missing?

What is the tripod?

I'll post you my full BOB list. There's probably some stuff not on this. And plenty you might not bother with.

iPhone
head torch
keys
1.2 litre water
Map case, maps, compass, pens

Sawyer micro filter
Lifestraw water filter
water puri tabs
soft water bottles x 3

Trekking pole (needed for tent)
spare rubber tips

superglue
paracord
Swiss army knife
trowel
Impact adhesive
tent repair kit
zip ties
Leatherman Rebar
Mora Companion sheath knife
gaffa tape

quilt
Sleeping bag
small tent pole
Foam sit mat blue
Geertop tent
tent pegs
air bed
footprint (plastic sheet)
closed cell sleeping mat

Reading glasses
Apple charging plug + cable
solar charger/powerbank plus leads/cables
other maps
x3 magnifier + batteries

chapstick
Imodium
Sun cream
Midge net
Nail scissors
Breathing masks
First aid kit
insect repellant

mini torch, whistle, landyard, glasses screwdriver
mini headtorch batteries
Petzl mini head torch
solar camping lamp

toilet bag (coin towels etc)
Wash kit, toothbrush, toothpaste
Nail file

freeze dried meals
Seven Oceans ration pack

credit card magnifier
3 x mini bic lighters

freezer bags (can use to split freeze dried meals)
gas canister
1100 ml Titanium pot/mug
Soto Wind stove (in pot)
Pot hanging chain
2 sporks + spatula
gas canister stand
scrubber

notebook and pens, manuals, laminated map pens (staedtler lumocolour permanent), pencil

Clothing
boxers, hiking socks, socks,
cloth, charger plug
Clothing Winter extras
Insulated jacket plus hat & gloves
poncho
Flux jacket (waterproof)
Windproof jacket
Boots

Shades, polarised
snow and mud tips for poles, normal tips 1 pr

accessories Lime bag containing 12 x AAA batteries, Carson magnifier (uses AAAs), water puri tabs, Swiss army knife 50g, 4 x lighters, windproof matches, chapstick, meds, Imodium, 1Pkt tissues, mini carabiner.

Lime bag in Kelty lid has USBC cable, iPhone cable, micro USB cable, card magnifier, Petzl mini head torch + 13 x batteries, 4 x Duracell AAA batteries, small magnifier + 6 x 1220 batteries, 4 x 399/395 loupe batteries

Big sack liner
microfibre cloth
Top

[GeraldTheBonzai]

Also going to have to bite the bullet and find a plumber..

Stopcock in the house is jammed solid. Can't budge it and don't want to overdo it as it's very old. To add to the fun, the stopcock in the road doesn't fully close.. But once that's fixed, I can get the hot tap fixed that turns itself on...

[Frnc]

Of course you could struggle to fit all the above even in a big rucksack. Some of it is very minimal, eg waist length sleeping bag is about the size of a large apple when compressed. Air bed is short Thermarest Uberlite, very light - shoulders to knees. Sleep in insulated jacket.

If I was going on foot with all that, I have a 90 litre Decathlon rucksack, and the foam mat would be strapped on the outside. But that wouldn't even be needed in summer, especially for a few days.

I'd also ditch the quilt in summer.

Poncho is pretty redundant with a waterproof jacket, so could be ditched.

If I was going on my bike, most of it would be in panniers, and I'd use a 50 litre pack only half full.

Walking, I'd probably consider a second trekking pole.

Total weight is about 13kg.