LadyKaos - Member - The Prepared

Reply to: For UK members: April 23rd 3pm (1500 local) Alert Test, What do you think??? Posted May 14, 2023

hmmm… so not the best but still something, and probably not worth getting a new phone for just yet

Reply to: For UK members: April 23rd 3pm (1500 local) Alert Test, What do you think??? Posted April 24, 2023

Interesting, when I researched why it only worked for some phones I just got that you needed Android 11, so it is not as clean cut as I buy a new phone and it will just work, hmmm… thanks for letting me know From what I’ve learned so far it works through phone mast range, so it can approximately be targeted to a local area. Example: there is a danger in Liverpool and they put it through all the phone masts in Liverpool everyone who needs to receive it should receive it, however plenty of people in the immediate area around Liverpool will probably pick it up as well, and depending on the type of danger that might not be a bad thing. For the test they just put it out everywhere to see if it worked Unfortunately I have no source because I can’t remember where I read it but: What constitutes an emergency; anything that could cause an immediate threat to life or health. So probably not school closures etc… I guess we will find out more as they refine the system

For UK members: April 23rd 3pm (1500 local) Alert Test, What do you think???

AdviceNews 4

2

Posted April 23, 2023

Reply to: Has anyone used a DD tarp? Posted January 6, 2022

I have had this one for a few years: https://www.militarykit.com/products/dd-hammocks-tarp-3×3?variant=12906561896506 and it didn’t seem too expensive compared to some of the fancy light weight tarps out there, I thought it was incredibly good value for how well it’s made and it’s been well tested as a temporary shelter for use during lunch on hikes in very bad weather on mountains and such, it weighs in at a mighty 1kg once you add cordage, ridge-line, stakes etc… and once it gets wet it’s even heavier, so it’s not something I would carry with me unless I am sure I will need it and am with a large enough group to want all that space, and when I’m on my own/not exspecting to need it I bring a smaller, lighter tarp just in case as far as it’s durability is concerned tho: over the past 2 years (because of covid) a lot of family meet-ups have been in our gardens, my mum decided she was going to spent £400 on a gazebo, so I told her not to waste the money and got a second 3×3 DD tarp instead, I put it up between two 8 foot poles at the end of her garden and left it, it’s been there for the 6 months of summer (taken down in winter) through two years, sure the fabric is bleached and a bit degraded but it doesn’t leak yet

Reply to: Camper or trailer option for dodging disasters Posted January 6, 2022

see my highway maintenance post above

Reply to: Camper or trailer option for dodging disasters Posted January 6, 2022

a fake name is a good idea, I have actually been camping in an old beat up highway maintanance transit that belonged to a factory site I use to work at, in a van like that you can park anywhere because anyone who sees it thinks it is meant to be there I actually want to get my own van for camping/bug out, if I di the first thing I will add to it is highway maintanance transfers

Reply to: We Should All Be Preppers – an interesting article in the Atlantic Posted December 9, 2021

good article, thanks for the link

Reply to: Becoming hysterical during an emergency Posted December 7, 2021

at least she reacted, I’m a fire marshal at my work and the only time the alarm has been because of a real fire (some pallets of paperwork had caught because of faulty electrics) five people stayed in the factory and continued running they’re machine, I had to go and find them and convince them to leave the building, two of them argued with me and said it was probably only a drill even after I told them I had actually seen the fire this made me wonder if denying the disaster was some sort of psychological reaction?

Reply to: Only 3 nights without power and many cannot cope (Storm Arwen) Posted December 6, 2021

I don’t know your system but I am an engineer, if your heating is a closed system (like mine) and has it’s own header tank there’s nothing stopping you adding anti-freeze to it, just get a plumbers opinion because it might already have anti-freeze, they usually also have something to stop any steel pipes rusting. Short of that, draining and refilling the system isn’t to hard a task, find someone to teach you how to do it, then you’ll know, and you’ll be able to drain/fill it if you ever have a leak so win win 😉 lagging and insulation only delay the freeze, if the outside temp remains below freezing through both day and night, the pipe will eventually cool down and freeze anyway, insulation just buys you time as for the water supply to the taps, just leave them all running a little, if the water is moving it would have to be very cold to start to freeze the other option is to have a woodburning stove (or two) or some gas heaters that don’t rely on electric fitted, if you can keep the house above freezing by other means then you’re pipes wont freeze

Reply to: Only 3 nights without power and many cannot cope (Storm Arwen) Posted December 6, 2021

nor me, my toothbrush is electric but I can still use it to clean my teeth when the battery is flat, I mean, it is still a brush even if it doesn’t vibrate I do have a few ordanary toothbrushes in my BOB and in my camping gear but I don’t think I would get them out just because of a powercut

Reply to: (Official Discussion) Survival Clothing 101 Posted July 20, 2021

Quote – “I’ve heard linen is very absorbent, but so is cotton. Does linen also trap the moisture near your skin or wick it away?” Not nearly as badly, the phrase “cotton kills” is because it adsorbs water too well, retains that moisture and once it’s wet it looses almost all of it’s insulating properties, linen is much better at wicking away the moisture and can adsorb 20% of it’s weight in water before it feels damp (and before it’s heat retention properties start to fail) so I think it’s safe to say that linen doesn’t share the “cotton kills” problem Quote – “Linen is also supposed to be pretty durable.” Agreed, I swear by linen, and have done for more than five years, I can’t speak for commercially available linen clothing because I make most of mine myself, but under heavy use, linen pants last more than twice as long as standard store bought denim one’s of a similar thickness Quote – “I think they might not have been mentioned it solely because of how uncommon it is compared to cotton, wool, nylon, and polyester. I see those much more often than linen.” absolutely, linen is so hard to get, just because it’s manufacture is more costly than cotton, but in my mind it’s worth it

Reply to: (Official Discussion) Survival Clothing 101 Posted July 20, 2021

good article, cheers 🙂 although I’m surprised no one mentioned linen

Reply to: “Grey Man” vs “Hard Target” Posted July 18, 2021

agreed, good idea possibly just a standard cheap wheeled suit case that you’re BOB fit’s inside would work too, preferably one that still has old flight labels attached to it and is a little worn out, certainly in my area that’s what most people would probably use in an evacuation care would have to be taken not to let it get stolen though

Reply to: Which Go Bag backpack(s) do you like and why? Posted July 17, 2021

Sorry for the late reply Quote pnwsarah – “@Alicia and @LadyKaos, I’m really struck by the importance that both of you and TP give to internal compartments and organization as a priority in a BOB. I don’t say this to criticize or argue; mainly it’s just interesting, and it makes me wonder if I’m missing something about the value of that internal organization…. …But I can imagine that anyone with a military (or police?) background who was used to purpose-built compartments and being able to molle stuff all over the place would look at a technical pack and be like, “Oh, hellll no.”” Internal organisation..? I’ve used tactical bags as school bags, work bags, hiking day bags for nearly 10 years because they look cool, well before I started thinking about prepping I’ve never been military or police but I feel what you say about molle/palls, once you get use to using a system like that, everything you might want access to regularly goes in a pouch on the outside of the bag so you don’t need to open it to get them, in some cases you don’t even need to take it off, it just becomes easer especially when know by feel where everything always is, even in the dark, but I’m willing to give it up to save weight and have a bag that properly fits me I guess the compromise is to have a few internal pockets/external pockets and divide things in the main compartment, I got use to bags with internal organisation so I should be able to get use to living without it

Reply to: Which Go Bag backpack(s) do you like and why? Posted July 15, 2021

Quote pnwsarah – “when it comes to packs, a big filter for women tends to be, “Which brand fits ME well?” “ After all the research I’ve done of late, I totally get this 😮 and I wish it wasn’t the case, on backpacking trips I just made do with what I had (usually the cheapest thing I could find) and when it didn’t fit quite right I wasn’t that bothered, in a SHTF situation it would matter more though… I’m still new to prepping, and the learning curve for me is realizing that this is the difference between prepping and everything else I’ve ever done in my life, things have to be right and if they’re not there could be worse consequences than having to abandon a camping trip a few days early because something didn’t work out

Reply to: Anyone know of any good card multi-tools? Posted July 9, 2021

Quote – If you don’t want to use the chin straps during fair weather do you just tuck them up into the head portion of the hat? correct, providing you get a size that has plenty of room (mine has just enough room to wear a thin buff underneath to add warmth on colder days) then you just have the strap inside the hat instead

Reply to: Anyone know of any good card multi-tools? Posted July 9, 2021

Quote – How has the tilley wanderer held up for you? Really well actually, I thought it was a lot of money to pay for a hat at first but it’s lasted better than any hat I’ve ever had, I’ve worn it most days from the spring through to fall for two years. The inside is a little stained and the origanal DWR coating is long gone, but the fabric doesn’t let much water through anyway so that’s not really a problem Quote – Do you ever snap up the sides? the only real reason I could see for that was to stop the wind catching it (or for archery), the chin strap is very secure if you use it the way tilley recommend so there’s no chance of it getting blown away, although if the wind is pulling on it it, even with the sides snapped up it can get uncomfortable. Because I do a lot of day hiking in wild weather I added some snapps closer to the front on each side so it folds up to form a point (like a pirate hat LOL) that way it catches the wind a lot less, shades you’re eyes less too though, so it’s a trade off

Reply to: Anyone know of any good card multi-tools? Posted July 9, 2021

Cool, the Victorinox one looks really nice, I didn’t know they made a card tool, Thx 🙂 if the knife and scissors are made to the same quality as the swiss army knife ones I’ll definitely get one of those The metal one you mention is the first one I had, and although I did use it quite a bit for opening packaging and bottles etc… I know what you mean, most of the stuff on them is not all that useful

Reply to: Most compact folding disposable N95 masks? Posted July 9, 2021

I have them now, the JSP masks (in both N95/P2 and N100/P3) are almost exactly the same length as the 3M ones, and the 3M makes a better seal than the JSP (for me anyway) but I don’t think you would have a different experience because the problem is the nose bridge foam quality (or lack off) that JSP use also, JSP have a stiff piece of plastic inside the mask so you can’t fold it length ways, unlike the 3M ones that don’t, here’s some photo’s: (these have valves because the non-valved versions only come in packs of 10 and I only wanted a sample to try, the supplier assures me that the shape/patterns of each are the same and that the JSP filter-less mask still has the plastic stiffener) ^btw, I bought this selection to see what best fits me, and the 3M seems to be the best option, so I’ll stock up on those (because of the UK’s rapidly rising case rates) and I second what Bob says below, I’ll be sewing a mask pocket onto the inside of my jacket

Anyone know of any good card multi-tools?

Gear 10

10

Posted July 9, 2021

For UK members: April 23rd 3pm (1500 local) Alert Test, What do you think???

Anyone know of any good card multi-tools?

For UK members: April 23rd 3pm (1500 local) Alert Test, What do you think???

Anyone know of any good card multi-tools?

Millbank bags for BOB water purification?