Designing with contingency for any future crisis/emergency

[saveasteading]

OTT perhaps but its got be thinking.

 

What if there is a power outage in an all electric house?

 

With a blank sheet of paper, what could sensibly be included to get through a couple of weeks of  national or local problems? 

Power cuts, Putin, Trump, Johnson.

Starters:

Wood burner (perhaps a coppice on site?) 

Camping stove?

Water supply? a) Drinking, b) flushing.

Generator (with some facility to plug in to the circuit?)

Transport??

 

Edited February 23 by saveasteading

[ProDave]

WBS definitely and a supply of ready wood in the shed.  In our old house we had power off for 3 or 4 days and survived like that

 

Flushing water could come from our burn but that is most definitely not drinking water.  How likely is mains supply water failure?  We have had plenty of power cuts but never a water cut.

 

We have LPG for cooking.

 

Come to mention it, our touring caravan is designed as an off grid "home" so all you really need is food and drinking water.

 

If we can't get drinking water and fuel for transport then you are into the territory of any number of "end of the world" disaster films.  There you want an underground bunker with many many months of stored food water and fuel.

[saveasteading]

14 minutes ago, ProDave said:

that is most definitely not drinking water.

There are filters for expeditions that take diseases out of water, never mind peat and sheep poo.

Or if boiled it is surely (?) safe. What is upstream of your burn that concerns you?

[SteamyTea]

19 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Camping stove?

Yes

19 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Water supply

Can get water filters for camping, then boil the water.

Dig a hole and cover it over, after emptying the bucket.

21 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Generator

Definitely. Get a gasoline one, or 3. Diesel will be used for emergency vehicles when the shit hits the fan. Not many trucks and trains use gasoline.

23 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Wood burner

Get one with a back burner to do water as well, if you must.

You can fit it outside and plumb it in in flexible. That way you don't need a chimney/flue or any certificates.

And you can burn whatever you like i.e. tyres, plastic, witches, without filling the house with toxic fumes.

 

You could also think about rearranging the house so that you can all huddle together in just one, warm room.

Get some sleeping bags and air beds, amazingly comfortable and cosy (I do a bit of camping).

 

29 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Transport

Bicycles and kayaks.

You can tow a kayak behind a bike, and I happen to have both going spare for a few quid.

Shame I went up country 2 days ago or I could have brought them up.

[SteamyTea]

23 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Come to mention it, our touring caravan is designed as an off grid "home"

Actually, a caravan or campervan is a good idea if it can be stored out the way.

Does not have to be a working one, just cosy.

 

Boats, by definition, are off grid.

Edited February 23 by SteamyTea

[Bozza]

Quite a few of us here have backup generators and changeover switches.  Not so much for a zombie apocalypse but more SSEN network failures.  Problem being petrol generators use a lot of fuel.

 

if you are thinking about full on “prepping” I would normally have suggested tin foil to make a hat, until those who were ridiculed for a prepping for a overdue pandemic turned out to be quite correct in 2020.

 

In terms of longer term major disruption / disaster - fuel in storage is a challenge (unless using long life fuel or additives).  As is the supply of medication in particular penicillin.  In reality in an apocalypse more people would die from dental infections than zombie bites. 
 

Of course being British toilet paper was the priority if everyone recalls.  I must have missed that Walking Dead episode where Rick Grimes was in a shootout over a roll of Tesco super quilted.

 

Fear not, in such a scenario the govt definitely “have a plan”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[joe90]

Generally camping stuff fits the bill but apart from those Scottish storms that brought down overhead power what in reality is the “off line” chance? Yes the further north the more chance I guess. For those with PV and batteries they are more secure for a short time. 

[SteamyTea]

I think I have just the book to help out.

 

 

 

[Roger440]

Generator is the obvious answer

 

Ive got a diesel 5 Kva unit. You can get an auto switch over panel too, so kicks in automatically in the event of loss of power.

 

Not sure what the load of an ASHP is, but i guess it would run most.

 

Whatever else i do, i wouldnt get rid of my oil boiler, even if its not the primary heating source. That needs a tiny amount of power to keep it functioning.

 

Im not "prepping", but im certainly not planning on being cold when the blackouts come. Anyone that all electric is just more vunerable.

 

 

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

There are filters for expeditions that take diseases out of water, never mind peat and sheep poo.

Or if boiled it is surely (?) safe. What is upstream of your burn that concerns you?

Next doors septic tank outflow.  I could draw above that (from the farmers field) but I strongly suspect another house further upstream has a septic tank soakaway that "leaks" into the burn.

[saveasteading]

2 minutes ago, Bozza said:

the govt definitely “have a plan”.

I don't think we will figure highly in it.  

 

Plenty of extended power cuts and water outages in SE. Overhead cables get trees on them, and water pipes break in droughts. BTW the SE ha Zero plans for water other than to connect the pipes into more houses...but that is another matter. 

[SteamyTea]

It is quite interesting how we could build in resilience to our housing stock.  I suspect that it is not very expensive to do.

Taking away the extreme examples of nuclear war, or regular missile attacks, and thinking about what has happened in the UK over the last decade.

 

Remember the floods in 2013/14

Same year we had 5 storms hit the south west in 7 days, with Hercules being the worse.

 

We had that 2018 'Beast from the East' 

 

2018 and 2022 we had a heat wave

 

In isolation none of them are unique, but because they have happened in a decade, and extreme weather events are becoming more common, and with more unpredictable consequences, we really do need to start planning for at least a few days disruption every year.

Those few days disruption may not always be the same, and may not be weather events, remember the 2000 fuel protest.

 

So what can sensibly be done.

 

As I was sitting having a coffee earlier, the RNLI had their chuggers in the cafe.  Now I support the RNLI, so felt no need to engage in conversation with them and then say they cannot have more money from me.  But it did get me thinking about communications when things go wrong.

Mobile phones are great, until they are not connecting.

But we have two radio systems that are used a lot in the UK, and most of us never use them, or even think about them.  They are the Taxi Radio system and the Marine VHF Radio system.  I think the latest Taxi Radios are become centralised, so I am talking about the older sorts.

I am not sure how much they cost to buy, and I think that you are meant to have a licence, but in a national emergency, I think you will get away with any qualifications.

A decent normal radio is also worth having, especially a wind up one.  I am not sure how much is on the short wave these days, it used to be the frequency of choice for ex-pats. 

 

The next thing is fresh water.

This is very easy and cheap, just get some 30 litre containers and fill them up each week.  Allow for 5 litres a day per person for drinking and cooking.  Easy.

If life is really bad, get one of these they work well enough when I am walking.

 

Food is very easy, tinned and dried.  The reason I don't have a freezer is that I have a number of large supermarkets nearby, and they are full of freezers, so I just buy frozen things when I need them, the rest is tinned.

Camping stoves are brilliant.  I have a tiny 3 kW one, it is ferocious.

 

If you have land, and time/interest, start growing things that you can eat.  Pick the high calorie foods, not lettuce.  Fruit trees are nice, and apples are full of goodness, and sugar.

 

The more I think about it, the less important space heating is.  Wearing thermals is good for keeping the chill off when moving, wrapping up in half decent winter walking clothing will keep you warm, and dry.  Get several different types of gloves, large loose ones and tighter thinner ones.  It is impossible to open a tin of soup in mittens.

You can sleep fully clothed, not compulsory to put the baby doll out fits on.

 

I am sure I will think up more things, most of us will already have most of the stuff we actually need as we tend to be 'out doorsy types'.

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by SteamyTea

[JohnMo]

Own well for drinking water

Own sewage system 

Plug in Generator with change over switch, big enough to run hob, water lift pump, sewage system, ASHP, and ventilation - not necessarily at the same time.

Battery that can supply whole house, not just the odd circuit.

 

We had a few hours of power cut last night, all I noticed was a slightly flicker of the lights.

 

[Roger440]

2 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Own well for drinking water

Own sewage system 

Plug in Generator with change over switch, big enough to run hob, water lift pump, sewage system, ASHP, and ventilation - not necessarily at the same time.

Battery that can supply whole house, not just the odd circuit.

 

We had a few hours of power cut last night, all I noticed was a slightly flicker of the lights.

 

 

Good work.

 

Im lacking any independant water supply. Ours is more unreliable than the electricity. Maybe, one day, they will replace the asbestos mains, rather than keep repairing them. I live in hope.

 

Given where i am, i cant imagine i need to do down far to find water. Maybe about 2 inches 😂