A list of things you might have looked over

[Ystranc]

Bow saw blades for when the petrol runs out for me chainsaw. Mind you,I have petrol,oil and chain oil ( and spare chains) to last 3 Winters.

I buy up all the old stock of Sandvik bow saw blades that I can find, they're infinitely better then modern Bacho blades. They're approximately .75 mm thick as opposed to the Bacho at .65 mm. They're better steel and keep their set better.

 

[Keith]

I buy up all the old stock of Sandvik bow saw blades that I can find, they're infinitely better then modern Bacho blades. They're approximately .75 mm thick as opposed to the Bacho at .65 mm. They're better steel and keep their set better.

Perhaps this is why I have never had much luck using bow saws in the past, I found them a complete waste of time & money. They seemed to bind in the cut from the start. I have had no problems with other types of saws.
Keith.

 

[Ystranc]

Possibly Keith,
I was lucky enough to be put onto using Sandvik blades as a 12 year old. I used to saw firewood for pocket money.

 

[Keith]

So I just thought we could collectively compile a list of small items that could be useful post shift that some people may not have considered.

Flares: They can be flarely expensive but provide a useful means of basic communication and illumination at a moments notice, I'd recommend ensuring you get a few parasite flares. Additionally in a situation that could potentially become hostile flares can be a good way to deter a potential aggressor without having to resort to violence.

Dog Whistle: Unfortunately many of man's surviving best friends and their offspring could end up roaming and breeding free and.... feral. Dogs are pretty hard to out run and no one wants to shoot one. so a good quality tone adjustable dog whistle with a tone high enough to deter the dog could be useful.

Spare cloth, needle and thread: There'll be no popping down to matalan post shift so the ability to repair cloths is always useful.

Board game: Especially if you've got kids or think you might do one day having a few good board game or role play game could be useful for winter evenings.

The costume of your chosen post apocalyptic insane cult: Mine is the cult of Cthulhu.

Good post Cheapshots, but I think it might be easier if members simply post a list of the equipment they have in their packs & pouches so we can all take a look & see if there is anything we have missed.
Keith.

 

[Keith]

Possibly Keith,
I was lucky enough to be put onto using Sandvik blades as a 12 year old. I used to saw firewood for pocket money.

Thanks, I will try & remember this next time I am in town & see if I can get a Sandvik blade.
Keith.

 

[Simplestuff]

Silky saw blades are expensive but they last and they cut well. The one I use at work cost £50 but I’ve had it over a year and I use it regularly. It’s still cutting well.

 

[MikeR]

Everywhere is dangerous Mike if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The world is not a safe place.
Keith.

Maybe I have been lucky or I really do move in different circles or perhaps I don't see the world in such a bad light light as you, but I can honestly say I never felt threatened or unsafe. Well, apart from when I go through JFK airport. Their armed border guards have a shoot first policy and that does scare me. That's not to say I'm not situational aware though.

 

[lonewolf]

Maybe I have been lucky or I really do move in different circles or perhaps I don't see the world in such a bad light light as you, but I can honestly say I never felt threatened or unsafe. Well, apart from when I go through JFK airport. Their armed border guards have a shoot first policy and that does scare me. That's not to say I'm not situational aware though.

JFK airport? definitely different circles!
most people are total UN-situationally aware, even just from a safety point of view.

 

[MikeR]

JFK airport? definitely different circles!
most people are total UN-situationally aware, even just from a safety point of view.

Well I'm glad to hear it. I'd hate to be in a position of constant vigilance for fear of the locals going postal.

 

[lonewolf]

its not just that, most people are so unaware just for their own safety, they spent too much time staring at their phone screens or walking around with earphones in to realise what is going on around them.
security is something a lot of people know nothing about, and are open to all sorts of crime from ATM's to muggings to getting touched up on the tube.
I have lost count of the number of open purses I have seen in supermarkets trolleys, you can tell them until your blue in the face!!
I mean, its no skin off my nose, but it just shows how unaware people are.
situational awareness is about knowing what is going on around us and taking the appropriate action if anything looks a bit "iffy", its not being paranoid, its being safe .

 

[Cheapshots]

If the government have more money I might think that reinstating national service might be an idea but given the fact we're getting another round of cuts (because the last round wasn't bad enough apparently) I doubt it'll ever happen.

 

[Alanm]

Milliput- the best kept secret in the building trade.For those who don't know of it,it is a two part epoxy resin that mixes into a putty.It sets hard as iron,and will even set under water,is heat resistant,you can file it down and paint it.Never without some in the workshop.

 

[Alanm]

Grow more fertilizer. You don't need a lot,and its cheap and keeps well in a sealed bucket.Same for slug pellets.Both essentialif you are relying on your garden.

 

[Keith]

Maybe I have been lucky or I really do move in different circles or perhaps I don't see the world in such a bad light light as you, but I can honestly say I never felt threatened or unsafe. Well, apart from when I go through JFK airport. Their armed border guards have a shoot first policy and that does scare me. That's not to say I'm not situational aware though.

Maybe it is safer in the bush in the UK than it is here. I never go bush unarmed.
Keith.

 

[hodgson]

Grow more fertilizer. You don't need a lot,and its cheap and keeps well in a sealed bucket.Same for slug pellets.Both essentialif you are relying on your garden.

Arghh!! No no, no slug pellets. The natural way is the way forward. Even the least toxic pellets kill other things that normally eat slugs. Use barriers, beer traps, let the chickens in the veggie garden in the winter, best way is a trowel and a torch, go out on the prowl at night and chop them in two
Does fertilizer grow?

 

[Keith]

Arghh!! No no, no slug pellets. The natural way is the way forward. Even the least toxic pellets kill other things that normally eat slugs. Use barriers, beer traps, let the chickens in the veggie garden in the winter, best way is a trowel and a torch, go out on the prowl at night and chop them in two
Does fertilizer grow?

Keith.

 

[MikeR]

Maybe it is safer in the bush in the UK than it is here. I never go bush unarmed.
Keith.

Have to admit in your place I would probably be armed too as it's a sensible precaution for your circumstances, not only does your wildlife kill, but you also have or had thieving druggie neighbours and it looks like you are also some distance from help. Just goes to show the very places you think should be safe are not necessarily so.
However, the UK does not have dangerous animals even of the two legged kind that require you to walk around armed, even it were legal and let's face it, the UK has little 'bush' left.
I've lived all over the UK, some good areas, some downright dodgy and have always had no issues with my safety. I believe it's all a state of mind. Just my thoughts

 

[Alanm]

Arghh!! No no, no slug pellets. The natural way is the way forward. Even the least toxic pellets kill other things that normally eat slugs. Use barriers, beer traps, let the chickens in the veggie garden in the winter, best way is a trowel and a torch, go out on the prowl at night and chop them in two
Does fertilizer grow?

Ha ha! That should read Gromore,as in the brand! Regarding slug pellets,if you were gardening for survival,you would want every force multiplier available.I don't us a lot of them,but when plants are young and vulnerable they're invaluable.I like results for my effort.

 

[The Boogie Man]

Something that I feel is often overlooked is cordage or rope and the skills to use it to its maximum benefit. It's not as glamorous as knives or guns but it's a damn site more useful.

Cordage is essential I agree. If I had the choice I would plant a good stand of Hemp, can't get better material for cordage than that. We used to grow an immense amount to supply the Royal Navy and huge Merchant fleets with ropes.

 

[Barbara]

Arghh!! No no, no slug pellets. The natural way is the way forward. Even the least toxic pellets kill other things that normally eat slugs. Use barriers, beer traps, let the chickens in the veggie garden in the winter, best way is a trowel and a torch, go out on the prowl at night and chop them in two
Does fertilizer grow?

l don't use slug pellets either but l couldn't understand why my seedlings were disappearing overnight despite barriers, copper tape, me drowning slugs in salty water and any number of other slug deterrents. Then l realised it was the mice who round here eat anything they can find. (cardboard boxes, paint labels - how will l know what colour is in the tins? They loved the horticultural fleece and even got into the cupboard and chewed my toilet rolls!) The cat is quite a good mouser but there are too many of them for him to have much influence but now l realise why he was leaving the bodies in the greenhouse for me. This year l need mouse deterrents aswell.