OT - Winter Contingencies

Supposed to be getting a belting winter this year.

Just been eyeballing the central heating. I've figured that In prolonged power outage I could use the Genny to power the central heating boiler, need to er... get my electrician around to (yeah right!) install a mains socket and mains plug into the lead Assumes major power outage for long periods. Purely to stop the house water system freezing over and to provide some heat.

Got my portable gas stove. And Mrs D's stocking up on the Lobby ingredients.

Plastic shovel for the car (Note to self... dig it out of garage) Ropes and shackles... Bag of grit for the 2wd and a Sack of spuds in the boot for ballast.

Oh and a Pioneers tool set shovel etc in the 101.

Candles... you just can't get a packet of bog standard candles at Tesco!

Suppose some matches may come in handy.

Dig out the parafin lamps from the caravn.

Changes of clothes, golves hats and sleeping bags handy for those long trips to the super market. No joke, Having assisted in grinding the City to a Halt two years ago. Getting stuck in traffic for a couple of hours on my way to assist in ... er.... getting the traffic going (ickle part of the job).

Bottled water (In case of mains pump failure due to long power outage)

Mobile phones charged up as often as possible but a selection of coins for the eventuality that the mobile systems sink.

Who sells road salt for the drive way??? Now I've a 2wd to consider. Can it be purchased at the local builders merchants? Not a jumbo bag , just a couple of easy carry sacks that can be bunged in the corner of the garden just incase (highligh likely). We live on a bend..(note 2 to self ensure video is on to record cars bouncing off the wall across the street.)

I remember when I lived at Ma and Pa's (read when I had hair!) being snowed in with no electric. Cooking Beans in an old saucepan on the coal fire and toasting er toast , could use our gas fire come to think of it...

Suppose it's wise to agree courses of action incase peeps do get stuck

- i.e. collecting kids, looking after parents (Stuck in super deep snow and having the annual powercut)

Get some more Antifreeze and De-icer & Super resistant screenwash.

Fingers crossed we won't need any of the above but pays to be prepared and all that.

Hugh you dusted off the call out list?

What have I missed?

Lee D

-- "I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters."

- Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)

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'76 101 Camper '64 88" IIa V8 Auto '97 Disco ES Auto LPG'd '01 Laguna

Reply to
Lee_D
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For some bizarre reason I read that as:

Got my portable gas stove. And Mrs D's stockings up in the Lobby

erm...

Reply to
Mother

Back at the start of the year they also said we were going to get a decent summer..

Paving slabs make good landy rear ballast.

Booze reserves stocked for when you are stuck at home with nothing better to do? :)

Reply to
Tom Woods

The sign outside your house saying "I'm a mad survivalist nutter, f*ck off or I'll kill you"?

I was chatting to Ray Mears a few months ago and he reckons every time there's some kind of "warning" about a severe summer, winter, flood or whatever, his book sales go through the roof.

I suggested he write a book on roofing... :-)

Reply to
Mother

During stardate Thu, 27 Oct 2005 22:53:55 +0100, Mother uttered the imortal words:

Ah you've seen the Caravan then :0)

I'm on commision..why do you think I posted this!

:0)

.....right...wheres my Ice Drill and flints.

Lee D

-- "I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters."

- Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)

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'76 101 Camper '64 88" IIa V8 Auto '97 Disco ES Auto LPG'd '01 Laguna

Reply to
Lee_D

If it's that bad, spare batteries for torches and portable radio.

De-icer for locks.

Possibly a good idea to have dry socks available when you're travelling. British winters are not always cold and dry, and damp feet will do you no good at all. And some sort of emergency food pack in the vehicle as well.

Reply to
David G. Bell

Ah, now I remember why I left England 25 years ago ....

Karen

Reply to
Karen Gallagher

What central heating !? I still have a coal fire.

Reply to
Larry

"Larry" wrote in news:djrmum$iio$2 @news8.svr.pol.co.uk:

I'm thinking ahead. 17 acres of trees to go in next year...and a new wood burner.

Derry

Reply to
Derry Argue

Carlise has just had a mini baby boom, 9 months after the floods and power outages back in January. If you use a consumable birth control method, stocks of them...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Don't foget the fuel for the genny and a few multi-outlet extension leads to reach freezers and table lamps.

I ought to do this as well. ATM I'd be messing about rewiring things.

Better off getting a gas lantern. Basic ones are about =A320 and a gas cartridge less than a fiver, a lot more light than torches or candles and much longer run times. I quite like the Camping Gaz clic fitting lanterns with piezo ignition. No looking for matches, burning fingers etc. The clic fitting means you can swap cylinders around as required. Argos (Extra) have 4 large clic cylinders for =A319.99, these will run a= lantern for 12hrs or more.

Or a zippo (plus fuel) or gas powered hob lighter (refillable plus gas).

Oh bit smelly compared to gas are these pressure lamps or wick burners? Pressure will rival a gas lantern but not a wick burner.

Aye, it gets very cold very quickly in a stationary vehicle and you don't have enough room to move about enough to keep warm. Though avoiding "long trips to the supermarket" by stocking up on non-perishable food stuffs now is probably a better idea. Batten down the hatches and sit it out...

Most supplies are gravity from the reservior, pumping stations tend to have backup generators. One reason I will resist fitting a combi boiler, no 50 gallon storage tank in the loft...

The mobile networks seem to be pretty fragile in times of "crisis". Not all bases have backup power and those that do tend not to have much more than about 6hrs. Back in January a couple of the networks were dead here for several days, none of them came back with the power.

The sheds will have it once it gets colder. Personally I just use a very gentle sprinkling of the cheapest table salt I can get. The grit doesn't serve any purpose other than making things mucky and aiding the spreading from the back of a gritter.

Yep, makes the difference between being comfortable, warm and fed or uncomfortable, cold and hungry.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Mother"

Reply to
GbH

Nothing at all interesting I'm afraid, although he is a very charming and totally unassuming chap with a (thankfully) well developed sense of humour.

Reply to
Mother

Oh, Charlotte quite liked him to, then realised a while afterwards who he was :-)

Reply to
Mother

During stardate Fri, 28 Oct 2005 11:12:29 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice" uttered the imortal words:

I started to ponder the power drain of my freezer.... then figured I could just bury the contents in some snow :0)

True enough, soups and the like where you just add water are simple enough to store and simple enough to prepare so long as you can boil water. And dare I say it those DIRTY DIRTY pot noodles :0)

Yeah guess this would be a bit OTT. Though our combi only has a tiny tank in the garage loft.

Table salt it is.. I'll get Mrs D to bung a couple of bottles on the shopping list.

-- "I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters."

- Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)

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'76 101 Camper '64 88" IIa V8 Auto '97 Disco ES Auto LPG'd '01 Laguna

Reply to
Lee_D

During stardate 28 Oct 2005 08:27:01 GMT, Derry Argue uttered the imortal words:

We found it best to fell and cut a year in advance. Gave the sap time to dry out of the wood. Otherwise the chimney quickly gets tarred up and you end up evacuating the budgie and contents of the lounge onto the lawn... calling the firebrigage when the rafters start smouldering due to the heat of the chimney.... then bol**ck**g them for taking so long to find your cottage... I recall "We've been keeping it going for you!" from me Dad.... ah childhood memories!

:0)

Lee D

-- "I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters."

- Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)

formatting link
'76 101 Camper '64 88" IIa V8 Auto '97 Disco ES Auto LPG'd '01 Laguna

Reply to
Lee_D

Once started probably no more than a couple of hundred watts. Starting how ever will need 2 to 3 times that. Those small cheap 700-800W ish two stroke generators can struggle to start a fridge/freezer, especially if there is other load at the same time.

Provided you don't get a quick thaw before the power comes back... If you don't have a generator it's probably simpler to check the freezer section of your contents insurance. B-)

Dried pasta, tins of tomatoes, few herbs, pot noodles if you must. The abilty to boil water is the most important, you can then at least have a hot drink and make up packet soups as you say.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

In message , Lee_D writes

Out last night on a MISPER shout from Cheshire police.

But yes, we're all ready to go again, roll on the ice and snow.

We've changed our meeting venue now. Moved up market a bit courtesy of the generosity of Swallow Hotels, who've given us free use of one of their conference rooms at the Old Stone House Hotel just off the A34 at the southern end of Stone.

Reply to
hugh

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