Mauser3006

Thanks Mark.

Thanks Mark.

Great advice. 308 and rice loaded shotgun it is then!

I've got rats in my shed where I keep most of my food. So far they haven't found their way in to any of my boxes, but have made a howling mess of the place spilling grass seed everywhere and crapping all over everything! Infuriatingly they aren't taking any of the poison that I have laid (off the shelf stuff from B+Q - probably rubbish). Does anyone have any first hand experience of getting rid of the blighters?

For the serious isolationist survivalist, free spirit or wilderness junkie: http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/country-houses-for-sale-and-property-news/remote-scottish-islands-for-sale-62328#3fG541zhCF0de8CX.01 And a snip at only £250K...

Not just food as per your question, but I suspect the following would be of use: Loo roll! Black bin bags. Matches. Candles. Salt. UHT Milk and tins, tins, tins.

Agreed, I'm out once a week and I usually bag 6-12 in a couple of hours. I've noticed that there seem to be a lots of hares about at the moment too.

Check this out! Looks pretty cool, I think that things might have gone seriously pear shaped if you needed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zsp79ea79Es The main review from another forum says ... Wilderness Survival Card - I thought it was a gimmick & after about 5 weeks of waiting I gave up & thought I had been robbed of my $2.95, but now about 7 weeks after ordering it Arrived! And a lot better then expected, steel looks good, items are sharp, feels like each item would/could do its intended job. I have not taken it apart as I got only one, but will order some more now you can order like 5 at once for about $16. Not just for survival but that time you need tweezers to remove a large thorn or sting, or have lost your last needle and need to repair your tent/tarp for a few grams worth having http://readyman.com/Free-Special-For...Survival-Card/

Mine's in my disco, but I just shove it down he gap next to the passenger seat and run the ariel out of the window on a magnetic base. It means that I can remove it quickly if I need to. If I had a Defender I'd definitely properly install it though.

~Pig Pen~ These long, lonely highways sure do grind the souls off us cowpolks

When you think of emergency communication, the first thing that comes to mind is Ham Radio. However set up costs are high and you need a licence, plus plenty of practice. The other option is Citizen Band (CB) Radio. It's lightweight, intuitive, cheap (initial setup probably under £100) and simple to use. I keep one in my 4x4 and when there's nothing on the radio, or if I'm on a long journey I'll switch it on and see who's about. I've had some very imteresting chats with truckers and other people who are probably similarly minded, I've also listened to some absolute rubbish though! Still, it's there in the vehicle and whilst there is no where near as much traffic as I'm sure there was pre-mobile telephone; I'm betting that there will be a whole load of traffic once the grid is down and old sets are dusted off! I think a set should be on everyone's self reliance list.

Same here, lovely bit of leatherwork.

Great work Spartan, but what a lot of trouble for you to go to. I really hope that someone starts to import and sell this in the UK soon so that we can avoid the import duties, refunded or otherwise. How many people are you "catering for" and how much food do you have now?

We are now about 3 weeks in and they have just started to lay. Quite small, rubbery, double-yoker eggs at the moment with very hard shells, or in one case no shell at all to speak of. As they were so timid to begin with I thought that by the end of the summer they might have braved the bottom of the garden..... two days later they practically live down there and have even handily cleared out all the leaves under the hedge for me! The dogs are getting used to them and they are now actually terrorising my two year old daughter! I can't believe the change in them. Loving it anyway!

I think you are quite right Missed. Have you taught yourself to cure meat or have you been doing it for a long time? Is it easy to do?

I've had a good look at this and Legacy Premium is clearly the way to go. It is so much cheaper than Mountain House which is stratospherically expensive. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone retailing it in the UK at present. There is one website which deals exclusively with Mountain House, based in Leeds, but when you drill into it a "6 month supply" is actually only 180 meals, i.e one meal a day. It's also £800. Mind you with a shelf life of 25 years, you will never need to replace it and it would be great security.

Lowa Hunter Extreme. The best boots I have ever owned. I suffer from cold feet and I have worn these in the field for 10 days straight and they were absolutely spot on.

Shuggy what a cracking post. The belt clip is for a phone? It looks like the Spyderco would fit in it?

Many people interested in being a little more self-reliant than the average person have an 'Every Day Carry' (EDC). Mine is a Vanguard EDC Maximiser. I carry: Leatherman Wave Leatherman additional bit kit Gerber torch Spork Spare battery for my phone Notebook Lighter Swiss Army Knife Lipsol LAIX B2W Tungsten Steel Tip Pen Sharpie black permi marker Toothbrush Ear plugs Compass Knife sharpener Cold/flu tablets Mini cyalumes Spare batteries AA and AAA Paracord Puritabs I chuck it in my bag every day and it's suprising how often I need bits. I like the idea of being a little more squared away than everyone else should I get stuck away from home. Whilst it's not a "get you home Bag" (GYHB - a topic for another day!) it's enough for the short term. What do you carry?

We have recently begun to keep chickens in a corner of the garden. Whilst the reality of cost of the setup vs the cost of eggs is ridiculous (I could buy eggs for years and still have change from what I have spent getting the hutch, fencing, hoppers, feed etc), I do like the idea of having a source of protein in the event of an interuption to normal distribution. I live in a rural area and rely upon a small Tesco in the next village, which I am sure would fail immediately should there be a fuel crisis for example. I also remain vigilant for the eventual arrival of Mr Fox....