Being Prepared

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Being Prepared

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Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 12:42 pm Post subject: Being Prepared

I have this feeling lurking at the back of my mind, that there is going to be a world crisis with energy sooner rather than later. That got me thinking about what we could do, to be a little more prepared if things all went belly-up.

One of the things I thought of is what I'd do without access to a computer - there is so much information which is so useful, but not much use if you can't access it.

So I'm starting a folder with print-offs of all the useful bits of information in it. I'm thinking saponification charts, useful recipes, butchering animals, plant medicines, flour making, power generation, all sorts of odd things that I don't have in books already.

Hopefully, we'll never need it, but one phrase I hate is "If only"

Anyone else think it's a good idea? What would you put in it?

oldhibberd

Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 118

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:01 pm Post subject:
Yes I've thought of it, but... I can't see the point. We live on a small vastly overpopulated island. I'm convinced that the minority who are prepared will end up being swamped by the overwhelming hoard who are not. Perhaps I'll add several miles of razor wire and a few AK47s etc.

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:03 pm Post subject:
Books. Books. Books. Books. Books.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28126
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:20 pm Post subject:
I think it is way way to early to be concerned.

oldhibberd

Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 118

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:29 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

I think it is way way to early to be concerned.

Totally disagree, it may very well already be too late!

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:32 pm Post subject:

Penny's original thought about the preservation of knowledge is very valid indeed, and you don't really have to wait for an energy crisis to develop in order to get yourself prepared for it.

But thinking about it a bit more, if I was really stressed out about the issue, I would be investing money in alternate ways of heating and powering my house. I am continually put off by the expense of this though

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:32 pm Post subject:

If its at all possible- I find myself rather in agreement with all the above- in as much as yes, I'd miss the instant info on the computer. I'm a great believer in books, I do suspect we'd be hard pushed to make a real go of anything whilst fighting off less prepared people but also I don't think its quite as imminant as we are occasionally led to believe.

I am however making sure I have enough food, water, fuel etc so if we ever wanted to hole up for a couple of weeks and pretend not to be here, we could. That could cover unseasonable snow, a bad illness, daft petrol price fluctuations or whatever, but I'd like to think I have the option of just staying put in relative comfort if I want to.

I also think the best preparation we can have for anything is to have tried new things and have as much information in our heads as possible. Thats where Downsizer is so great, I'm constantly getting not just info on what others have tried, I'm getting the inspiration to go and have a try myself. Thats proper preapration in my book!

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:49 pm Post subject:

I'd be going for energy conservation and alternative generation measures. Getting manual versions of power tools, and learning to use them. Acquiring the habit of seed saving. Keeping bees for honey, or giving up all things that require sugar (like homebrew). Practicing doing without grain products (or growing a bit of oats or barley myself and learning to mill). But if it got really bad, I don't think I'd be in a position to survive indefinitely as self-sufficient, and I don't know that I'd want to. All rather pessimistic. Oldhibberds razor wire and weaponry...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45440
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 1:53 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

I don't think I'd be in a position to survive indefinitely as self-sufficient, and I don't know that I'd want to. All rather pessimistic. Oldhibberds razor wire and weaponry...

Agree

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 2:04 pm Post subject:

And in the meantime, we can all get some practice in during the next couple of weeks if this very cold weather does hit (check out the Met Office free longer-term forecast on their website).

I'm off to (the supermarket) to stock up on freezable / non-perishable essentials, and generally replenish the storecupboard. Oh, and BTW, I'll be on a long study weekend involving farm visits and outdoor stuff in Aberdeenshire when it hits !

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 2:09 pm Post subject:
Can't find that on the met office site gil - could you post a link??

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 2:18 pm Post subject:
here's that MetOffice link https://www.met-office.gov.uk/weather/europe/uk/outlook/index.html It's on the home page in the additional features box, re finding out how weather might affect your planned activities. Currently covers period 25/1 to 3/2/06.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 5:37 pm Post subject:

My current laptop computer runs on much less than 50 watts.
Such devices are eminently usable from solar electricity.

Like jema, I think its certainly a number of years too early to start bothering about a Doomsday library, but if your call is different, I'd suggest that you store your info on CDs or DVDs. And if you want to be paranoid, make new copies every five years. (Naturally, make sure that there is one power-efficient computer around.) Somewhere along the line, you'll want to find some sort of small generator.

Meantime, save the trees. Remember that ordinary, cheap, "office" paper isn't of archival quality, and that expensive injet ink (particularly colours) does fade dramatically over a few years. Laser printing should be much longer lasting.
But I'd advocate electronic storage, as being a better use of resources, particularly storage space (and offering teriffic portability) with archival properties rather better than inkjet printing on copier paper.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 6:09 pm Post subject:

If we're talking a real doomsday scenario then keeping a PC working could be difficult, the only way to repair it may be to cannibalise another and not too many people can repair a laptop.

Assuming the problems occur slowly then I don't think people should wait that long before deciding what to do. One of the best things I can think of is buying a property with a few acres of land and looking at ways to grow your own fuels. I know there's not room in the UK for everyone, but if you are able to I would think about moving away from a town into the country. It would be great to get somewhere with a load of trees ideal for harvesting for fuel but it's more likely you would have to plant them so we're looking at 10-20 years in the future before they are useful - still too early? It'll probably take a few years to learn what grows well, to make changes to the property such as insulating it well, adding solar water heating and installing a wood burner. Again it may take 10 years so is it still too early to start worrying?

Going back to keeping useful info, Bugs and I do buy loads of books so we have a large amount of useful info ready to hand. Adding a few ring binders and printing out some of the more specialist topics would be a great idea and something worth adding to the list of things to do. However, I think one of our problems may be deciding which books the keep and which are not worth it.

Of course, one of the best things to do is to try out the ideas as you read them and have time so you remember them rather than need books or instructions. I wish I could do more of this but I made a start and will continue.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 06 6:13 pm Post subject:

[quote="Treacodactyl"]
However, I think one of our problems may be deciding which books the keep and which are not worth it.
quote]

I've always gone with the basic philosophy that every book has one point really worth remembering (occasionally there are more, but even crap books usually have one). I keep starting notebooks with compilations of those 'one things'. If I was organised, I'd compile the compilations and have a really useful book....

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