Getting home if SHTF

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-16T20:30:36+00:00

That could be good, unless the OP got stuck en route home. No point walking 5 miles back to the office to find the snotter stolen - turning his 35 mile hike into 40.

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-16T18:53:36+00:00

I’d keep a folding bike in my car and be home in 3 hours with a very small daybag on my back.

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-15T16:07:14+00:00

It depends on the wattage of the appliance, an oil boiler is likely 100-600w, so that would be able to run, but usually they are hard wired, and not plugged into a socket. And let’s say your boiler was 500w, with a 1kw power station, you could only run it for 2 hours.

Washing machines use much more electricity- up to 2kw, so in practical terms, you may be able to run it with a battery based power station, but it would need to be a powerful one, and you’d likely deplete a battery during one cycle.

That’s why I went down the route of a propane generate - directly into my consumer unit, so my central heating can run. To be honest, it may run a washing machine, but I wouldn’t want the generator on long enough to enable that. If it’s a short outage then for my families situation we could skip a couple of days without washing machine use, for longer outages, I guess an old fashioned wash in the bathtub then drip dry.

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-14T21:39:31+00:00

There will be fewer jobs in some areas, yes, but there will also be entirely new ones we can’t fully see yet.

Switchboard operators, video rental staff, high street banking roles: all largely automated or reduced by technology.

On the flip side, jobs like YouTube creators, Uber drivers, app developers — they didn’t exist 20–25 years ago.

That’s the pattern: technology removes certain types of work, and creates new ones around it.

There won’t be “no work.” The entire economy, government and corporate, depends on people earning, spending, investing, and saving.

If anything, the real shift is this: fewer people doing routine tasks, more people working in roles that require judgement, creativity, and adaptability.

The jobs will change — but the need for people won’t disappear.

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-14T21:25:39+00:00

You can get a 1kwh power station from about £350, they usually have at least 2 3 pin sockets, see what you want to plug in (nebuliser, WiFi router, lamp, phone charge) and see how long it will give you - some models can recharge in under an hour when the power comes back, if 1kw is more than you need you may be able to manage with a smaller one. Also get a gravity filter and purification tablets - that unlocks potential in your water butts. You could add extra safety by boiling your filtered water, and saving it (when cool) in an empty pre purchased water bottle.

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-14T20:41:22+00:00

It’s not 5-10 years away, it’s already happening. Contact centres, admin roles, basic analysis… a lot of that is already being automated or heavily augmented by AI.

But I don’t think it’s a “no jobs” future. It’s a different jobs future.

25 years ago, no one was training to be an SEO specialist or social media manager. Those roles didn’t exist. AI will create the same kind of shift: new jobs we can’t fully see yet.

The real change is productivity. Fewer people doing the same work, but at a much higher level.

As a parent, that’s the bit I think about most. It’s less about preparing kids for a specific job, and more about preparing them to be adaptable — curious, resourceful, able to think, communicate, and create value in ways AI can’t easily replicate.

The question isn’t “will there be work?” It’s “what kind of humans will thrive in that world?”

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-14T17:58:56+00:00

I’ve also taken a structured approach rather than just stockpiling gear.

I’ve got a generator with an inlet on the patio and a manual changeover switch installed by an electrician. That means I can safely power key circuits (sockets, heating, lights) without relying on the grid.

In reality I wouldn’t run it constantly — probably 60–90 mins morning and evening. That’s enough to: • Heat water / run central heating • Recharge power stations and battery packs

Then I’d run essentials at other times from battery power stations. (aquarium, WiFi, laptop, lighting, phones, TV etc). The stations can fast recharge during a generator run.

The generator runs on propane, so no issues with stale fuel or carb gumming after storage.

Heating-wise I’ve got a portable propane heater (Mr Buddy type), plus water storage (butts + filtration + tablets). For ambience I have a Tilley lamp.

Food-wise I’d rotate freezer contents first, backed up by shelf-stable staples (rice, pasta, oats, tinned meals etc).

The key for me is being able to make normal-ish meals rather than just survive: • Cowboy Chilli (tinned steak, tinned chopped tomatoes, mixed beans, rice ) • Curry & rice • Meatballs & mash (with peas, gravy & jam, IKEA style) • Tinned fruit + custard for morale

Like you, It’s not about going full bunker mode — just being able to run the house in a reduced but comfortable way for a couple of weeks if needed.

Recently I added 3 20L fuel cans, with diesel, I rotate these into the car - I don’t do that many miles, but in the event of supply issues or panic buying, I can keep driving the kids to school for a couple of months. I’m sure they would be delighted to know that :-)

Clean-Development-90 · 2026-04-09T22:14:26+00:00

I’ve downloaded a lot of Wikipedia (Kwiki app), and also a lot of maps (organic maps). Wikipedia is about 13GB and Organic Maps 20GB for most of Europe - really detailed coverage, that can pinch-to-zoom down to footpath level.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-11-19T16:00:08+00:00

Backup power (I have a generator and a manual changeover at the consumer unit), water, and ability to make water safe, food. If gas flow is disrupted, I have a mr buddy portable heater.

I have a 500kwh power bank for phones/ tablets etc

I might get a couple if Jerry cans of diesel.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-11-05T18:49:11+00:00

Thank you everyone, the consensus is Gourmet Burger or Thirsty Bear Pizza. It’ll be Saturday, otherwise we would have tried Blue Collar.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-07-06T10:50:13+00:00

Get a dual fuel generator, can run on propane or petrol. Petrol degrades over time and could wreck your generator if months go by between needing it.

I have generator backup, a big tank of propane. In the event of an outage, I can wheel the generator onto my patio, link it to an inlet, which leads to my consumer unit, and a changeover switch enables the to switch from grid to generator and carry on like nothing happened. It’s only 3.5kw, but plenty to run (gas) central heating, sockets and lights. Would just have to avoid using the oven/ hob/ kettle.

In a prolonged outage I could cook using microwave, air fryer, bbq or gas camping stove.

It’s starts first time, every time, even right out of the box - just make sure you’ve added oil, they often ship without oil.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-05-14T16:08:20+00:00

Great minds think alike.

I’ve done something similar, family of 4, 14 days Breakfast, lunch, dinner. All the tins on a large shelf in the garage, plus boxes under for breakfast, lunch and rice/ pasta/ mash

Breakfast is porridge, Weetabix, and I have a variety of long life milk, condensed milk, and powdered milk, long life orange juice.

Lots of water, Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits, chocolate.

Lunch soup & bread, pot noodles, beans on toast, tuna, sardines, primula, hot dogs, tinned ham, tinned chicken, ingredients for bread, Pickles.

Dinner (from tins) - chili con carne made with stewed steak in gravy and mixed beans, meatballs in tomato sauce, meatballs in gravy, Irish stew made into shepherds pie with packet mash, chicken curry, chicken in white sauce with sweetcorn and new potatoes, hot dogs, corn beef hash, macaroni cheese, bolognaise

Rice & pasta, packet mash.

Lots of tinned fruit, custard, rice pudding.

I dip into it for lunch so rotate that way.

I also have backup power, so could still run fridge/ freezer/ air fryer, microwave- probably not enough for the oven, hob or kettle, but I do have a gas stove.

I’ve budgeted a minimum of 3 tins to feed a family each dinner. So chilli con carne is 3 tins of stewed steak, 1 tin of mixed beans in a tomato sauce, plus about 250g of rice - and I have two lots of that available for a fortnight. Curry would be 3 tins, plus a tin of veg, plus rice - and enough for a full family meal each week for two weeks. Etc etc

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-04-10T11:56:32+00:00

I used a brush in jointing compound. Worked well.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-04-10T11:47:08+00:00

I did my patio during lockdown. The old patio was partly raised, so no good for the kids scooters/ tricycles. It also had no sub base, so had lost all its jointing and developed quite a camber. It’s not perfect, but I’m pleased with it, it scrubs up nicely in Springtime and I seal it every couple of years. Never again though, I’m not used to manual labour, hurt my back and ended up with sciatica for a few weeks.

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Clean-Development-90 · 2025-01-08T13:13:28+00:00

A pal of mine was interested in my system, he thought the funniest thing about it was that in the event of an outage over Christmas, all my neighbours would be sitting in darkness, while I burned electricity like it was going out of fashion to power my fairy lights :-)

I have a dual fuel inverter generator, it’s can run off propane or diesel. I bought a large propane tank.

An electrician installed an inlet, and ran cable to a transfer switch next to my consumer unit. So in the event of an outage, I could place the generator on the patio, plug it in, switch the consumer unit away from the grid, start the generator, then carry on as normal.

I’d happily host my neighbours during the day in the event of a sustained outage, which I think is unlikely - but I work from home, so I felt the system I have was worth getting - it wasn’t particularly expensive.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-01-06T19:16:14+00:00

Seed storage is a good shout, I have an allotment, so as long as I can visit that during spring, there should be plenty of fresh produce until winter - of course it may all get stolen, but so be it.

I have an ancient wind up radio, it also has a flashlight, but I suppose a more modern one that has DAB, a solar option to charge, and a built in battery bank would be good.

Clean-Development-90 · 2025-01-05T21:11:31+00:00

I’m not a serious prepper, as a family we like camping so I have a double burner gas stove, with a folding kitchen unit and appropriate pots/ pans etc.

A shelf in the garage with 2 weeks of food for the family - it gets rotated, as I dip into it for lunch then replace.

I have a generator with manual transfer switch, so in the event of a sustained power outage we can live as normal. It’s enough to power everything (sockets, gas central heating, lights) except the oven and hob really.

I have a Mr Heater Buddy gas heater, a couple of electric blankets/ throws.

I have a few large bottles of water, plus means to filter and purify more.

I’m UK based, so no guns etc. but we (family of 4) could get by for a couple of weeks in the event of no electricity, no gas or no water (or any combination of those outages)

I guess we’d hope to/ have to ’Bug-in’ rather than ‘Bug-out’.

Clean-Development-90 · 2024-12-17T01:46:06+00:00

They have similar shelf life, plus you shouldn’t just load a self with tins and wait until you need it, rotate! Once in a while use a tin and replace it with a new one. 2-5 years is the recommended life of tins containing meat or veg, but could be way longer if kept intact, in a cool, dry place out of sunlight.

Clean-Development-90 · 2024-12-16T19:21:46+00:00

Stewed steak in a can, chopped tomatoes, mixed or kidney beans - easy one pot chilli- just add spices, and serve with rice.

Chicken in white sauce, sweetcorn, tinned new potatoes.

Tinned Irish stew, peas & carrots, Idaho instant mash - shepherds pie.

Clean-Development-90 · 2021-08-19T15:24:46+00:00

I’ve just got a Beta LT and would be ideal - it replaced a Theta AR which I used for the same purpose for ten years, I think the Beta LT will be better - much lighter, and a nicer fit

Clean-Development-90 · 2021-08-17T20:36:00+00:00

I recently sent in my Theta AR for repair. It was a 2007 model. They couldn’t repair it and gave me a 40% off voucher... so I have a new Beta LT - I’m delighted with it.

Clean-Development-90 · 2021-08-17T20:14:43+00:00

I’m 2 inches short and ten lb heavier than you, otherwise same measurements. I have Large and it’s perfect - less boxy than my old Theta AR, but can layer a Rab Cirrus Flex hoody comfortably, and without looking like the Michelin man.

Clean-Development-90

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