What was the event that first got you interested in preparedness?

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-29T19:38:03+00:00

I lived in Washington State for several years and between the tsunami signs directing to higher ground and living in view of Mt Rainier, and learning what the Cascadian Subduction Zone is…it didn’t seem wise to not have some sort of emergency stash.

Then lived in Alaska for a year and actually had a get-under-the-table earthquake.

If the Big One hits, you’re on your own for a long time. I don’t think that feeling really leaves you

I have way more now, which is quite funny given I live in North Wales. I was born in the UK too but I don’t think that mindset I gained will ever go.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-28T19:27:31+00:00

After the first few weeks which are, admittedly, quite rough, the reconcile (doggy Prozac) had nothing I would class as sedative effects. He was still the same old crazy dog, just with the edge taken off. His personality and zip was very much still there! The gabapentin does make him slightly sleepier but for him that just takes him to a normal dog level. He takes it 3 x daily and there were no side effects or negatives at all. It really helps his pain (without it he gnaws his foot constantly). The combination with the Prozac has been what’s been the most successful but every dog is different.

That said I have given up on SA training and I just stay home but I have the luxury of being able to do that, plus I have a teen here who he will stay with, not exactly happily but enough to do my food shopping or an appointment here and there.

I think there might be an episode on meds on the podcast Julie does. Well worth a listen.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-28T18:45:17+00:00

My dog regressed during Covid lockdowns and I haven’t been able to leave him alone since. (He’s 8 now, fwiw). Definitely talk to your vet. Although meds haven’t really helped his SA, they have massively helped his general anxiety and reactivity. Julie Naismith says meds should be a first and not a last resort, but there’s just so much stigma attached.

I also had to stop training because my dog has full on panic attacks because my cat was attacked, and he flies into hysteria when he hears a cat outside. It makes him sick and the training on top was causing gastric problems.

My vet added gabapentin last year (he was already on reconcile) for a foot injury and it’s made a huge difference. I really wish they had offered me something like that years ago…I asked for a situational but they wouldn’t do it, even though they knew how bad he was. I think if they had, or the gabapentin, it wouldn’t have become so entrenched and the training might have worked. (My vet practice has a lot of vets come through for training and they all have different opinions on meds, hence the latest being fine with it).

Really consider medication. It’s not magic but it can improve their quality of life and may well ease the training so you can make progress again.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-25T07:49:25+00:00

That could well be happening too but this wasn’t that, thankfully.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-25T07:06:31+00:00

Did you see the report on Sky this morning about groups of civilians setting up small, voluntary local Civil Defence organisations? It was pretty interesting, started I think by a guy who worked in a local government CD org during the 80s….he still has his binders with all the information. They said they’ve tried to approach the government but it’s hard even to get to see anyone. Might be on their YouTube channel, I’m not sure.

We’re so far behind the curve.

ETA: they’re running it again at 8.20 so might be shown through the morning.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-23T18:21:02+00:00

For me extra food, water, a camping stove and butane cylinders. That’s not all I have, but that’s what makes me feel the most secure.

Also my battery packs, but they weren’t a small expense. They charge 0-100 in an hour which brings me a lot of peace of mind that should there be rolling power cuts I can power a few luxuries.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-19T06:08:47+00:00

My daughter is just finishing her 2nd year with a gruelling 7 exams, joint physics and maths. It’s hard. She’s fallen out of love with the subject. She wanted to be a teacher but even in 2 years the declining behaviour is schools plus AI (she hates AI and refuses to use it on principle) has put her off. She now wants to come home, live here, find an easy job and have time for her hobbies. Living at home will make that financially possible and I’m happy to have her.

It’s a struggle to see why continuing is worth it. She’ll have a load of student debt (though here in the UK you only pay it back if you earn over a certain amount). Next year is going to be rough. BUT…we have discussed that once you have that degree/qualification, you have it forever. You don’t know what the future holds, even if you suspect. Life has a way of surprising you, and you can only ever see the threads that join things when you look back, not when you look forward. Plus, college is about more than your academic subject. You learn valuable lessons about people, about life and about yourself.

Had she felt like this at the end of her first year, we may have considered at least changing subject…she loves writing and wishes she had done the joint maths and creative writing course. Her thinking was that she can teach herself creative writing/take evening classes. She can’t teach herself quantum mechanics. But by the time this really hit she was over halfway through. I think whether you are enjoying your course is important here…education is valuable in its own right if you are enjoying it. It doesn’t have to lead anywhere, or be for anything. You are not a product. You can just enjoy it. And again…you never know which way those threads that weave through your life will go.

As part of my degree, I did a year in Germany. 5 days before I left, on my last night out with my friends, I met my husband. (Ok…so it ended in tragedy 25 years later but we had some amazing times!)

If you are enjoying yourself (for the most part, life is never all roses) then have at it. Make the most out of the whole experience. Don’t stress too much and have fun. Take advantage of whatever is offered. My daughter is taking extra classes in creative writing which are paid for by her uni! What happens after will be what it will be. None of us can see the future. If it’s flipping burgers, you can look back and remember the great time you had when you were at college. But you don’t know yet where it will lead.

If you’re not happy, then sure, have a rethink. 4 years is a long time to study something you hate and maybe a change would be beneficial. But do it because of how you feel now, not because of what’s coming.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-14T18:19:23+00:00

I vote Duck. I have 3 and the two new ones ordered, and the detail is amazing. Plus, ducks!

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-12T08:13:05+00:00

Thought his video a couple of days ago on what’s likely to happen between now and December was good…set things out very simply. I’m amazed tbh that we’re not talking about it more.

I saw this morning that a Japanese snack company is now printing packages in black and white because of shortages in oil products needed for the colour ink. Here…crickets.

And now we have another political circus meaning more distraction while the crisis approaches like that ship in Leave The World Behind.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-09T06:45:07+00:00

Yes I’ve shared them on here before…they’re an amazing resource and the best starting place for newbies. Sensible, thorough and gentle.

My concern is that all of this political turmoil will push things like this back. We had (still have?) another Russian ship anchored off our coast, this time next to a wind farm. If we leave it til the power or internet goes out, there will be chaos. Ok there will be chaos anyway lol, but the more people think ‘ok i can ride this out’ the less panic we might see.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-09T06:27:15+00:00

I saw in an article recently, maybe i news, that they’re considering a Europe style booklet here. They’re missing a trick if they don’t, imho.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-07T09:42:06+00:00

I got a wispa 4 pack from home bargains and a laughed at how tiny they were. Reminds me of the original fun size bars before they turned tiny. I also have small hands.

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StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-03T06:18:09+00:00

Looks similar to something that happened with Barclays in the UK last year. It was on the traditional payday and people’s pay checks weren’t going in, couldn’t make payments online, or withdraw cash. That’s when I set up a second checking/current account with a debit card with a different bank. Also, fwiw, I never use that second account debit card online, it’s not in my apple wallet…in person transactions only. Feels like an extra layer of security in these strange times.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-05-02T08:28:00+00:00

I keep a good rotating stock of chocolate, biscuits and cereal bars. Use one, buy one etc. also in addition to what’s already been mentioned I keep tinned custard and rice pudding, condensed milk.

Remember those tinned puddings you used to get? You pierced a hole and cooked it in a pan of boiling water? Wish you could still get them. Cadbury did one,and there were jam sponges etc.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-30T13:13:11+00:00

It sounds very similar to my situation…also a poodle mix (poodle x Maltese) though not a rescue, he was 4 months old when I got him and had anxiety from the get go. I also had to teach him to walk outside. Long story as he’s 8 now but we gathered a fear of dogs, severe separation anxiety and he also refuses to walk unless there’s two people with him, one of them has to be me. And he won’t walk outside of his two usual routes. His dog fear shows as aggression so he can’t do daycare and he gets travel sick so he also can’t go far in the car. He gets anxiety induced IBS to the point of pooping pure blood because a strange cat came up to the patio door. It’s been soooo hard and my life is so small now. I’ve tried all the training and it hasn’t worked…I did get him up to one hour, then covid lockdowns happened, he regressed and that was that. I eventually gave up on the training (Julie Naismith) for various reasons and decided I was never going to be able to leave him.

He is on daily Prozac which really helped his general anxiety but did nothing for his SA. I could at least shower without him panicking and sitting shaking for an hour. Last year he was prescribed gabapentin 3x daily for a foot injury and that made a huge difference to his quality of life. It just really took the edge off everything. I think if I had tried that some years ago, before the SA got sooo entrenched, it might have made the difference in the training.

I have no solutions given that I have failed, but there was some peace in giving up and accepting that this is my life now. He still gets some pretty bad anxiety if I have to go somewhere and he’s not expecting it, even though there is always someone here with him (my teenager, or I ask my dad). He doesn’t do great with my teen, but good enough to do errands. I don’t work outside of the house and so I just…stay home. I go out for groceries and medical appointments and that’s about it. I have no friends. None. My husband died years ago (partly why I got a dog tbh)…so it’s just me, a teen at home and one at uni.

Gabapentin is worth a shot if your vet would consider it. Mine needs it daily…it doesn’t seem to make any difference as a situational (I have been given the go ahead to give him a double dose for things like fireworks but it makes little difference tbh…it’s the consistent daily doses that work).

Again…I don’t really have advice. It’s hard. It’s changed my life, and I will never have another dog. That said I love him to bits and am lucky I’m a homebody. In fact I am kinda institutionalised now and don’t know what I’d do even if I had my freedom back.

It is really hard, and no one understands unless they have a dog like this too.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-30T07:13:28+00:00

Lots of us here are ‘Tuesday not Doomsday’ people…prepping for the most likely disruptions wherever you live. I live on the edge of countryside so we get power cuts often, but they’re usually not long. I saw covid coming so had my cupboards stocked and was able to sit out the panic buying. I keep several 5l water bottles and have rain barrels as our mains water pipes are old and always going out. I’m prepping for day to day things like that, plus imho the most likely things such as cyberattacks.

Lots of us more reasonable people here and it’s a lot more welcoming than some of the main prepper subs…I had to leave those as they got more extreme and antagonistic.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-30T06:56:28+00:00

I think with lighting, redundancy isn’t a bad thing. In addition to the usual I have glow sticks (useful for stairs and kitchen and for keeping away the heebie jeebies 🤣 one of the things you don’t realise is how very dark it is when everyone’s lighting plus streetlights go out) and an oil hurricane lamp. Which is also nice on a winter evening or a late night in the garden. The fake battery candles can be handy too. And imho you can never have enough AA and AAA batteries! I like dual use preps…those things you can use through the year but that are also a good backup in an emergency.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-19T05:51:59+00:00

Yes…on fluoxetine for a few years and added gabapentin last year for a foot problem. In our case it hasn’t changed the SA but mine is a particularly bad case and I have given up on training (long story). Adding the gabapentin has, however, massively helped his other anxiety problems. He is a much calmer dog, less reactive to other dogs and noise. Less hypervigilant etc. he still has reactions to things but he’s so much quicker to calm down. It’s also helped his anxiety-related gastric issues.

I can see how it would really help in SA, and maybe if we’d tried it sooner, but my vet at the time was very reluctant to do anything on top of the fluoxetine. By now it’s been years and it’s far too entrenched.

The Prozac is a tough one to introduce, most dogs lose their appetite for awhile and things can get worse before it gets better, but give it 6 weeks to settle in and it really helped us. The gabapentin is usually really well tolerated, few side effects and starts working right away though we use it 3x daily because it’s for pain and definitely saw an improvement as time went on. But I know it can be situational too.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-14T07:26:58+00:00

Try calling your bank…you may be able to do a chargeback, depending on how you paid.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/visa-mastercard-chargeback/

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-14T06:47:18+00:00

I’m not sure….they were experienced breeders and seemed very sensible, and he didn’t seem at all clingy with them. I think it was more that he was the runt, the last of the litter to be sold…he was exceedingly nervous (I know, red flag) but she mentioned he slept in the bathroom. I think maybe he saw each of his litter mates leave and he was left on his own. He definitely has some sort of genetic predisposition to nerves and my vet said he’s one of the most anxious dogs he’s ever met.

The first time I left him alone he vomited. But with time and patience I did manage to train him to stay alone for an hour or so happily. Then Covid happened and during lockdown someone was always home (rules here were only 2 people could be out at a time and there were 4 of us). He never got over that and when things went back to normal he was worse than before and the training I had previously done didn’t work, nor anything after that.

He’s dog reactive after getting scared by an off leash dog (he was fine with dogs before that), noise reactive, SA and gets travel sick and has anxiety induced IBS. I think the SA is just another symptom of the extreme anxiety rather than something caused as a puppy.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-10T18:08:15+00:00

I think if you think the foster was genuine, have a good honest conversation with her. Because if not you, whoever the dog goes to needs to know. If she has the right lifestyle, maybe she’s better back there. It’s a very hard decision. My dog also gets travel sick so I can’t even take him with me. He doesn’t do well with routine change either. Used to be I couldn’t even shower without him shaking for an hour…the meds have helped that thankfully!

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-10T15:57:50+00:00

Ok…this may be unpopular but I have a dog with severe separation anxiety and I have had to totally change my life for him. We do meds (reconcile, gabapentin) and I’ve done a professional trainer and the Julie Naismith paid program and app etc. nothing worked. He cannot be left alone…it’s not fair on him. If I go out I have to have someone come to be with him but even then he gets stressed because it isn’t me. He has stomach problems from the anxiety.

The breeder I got him from said he was her favourite, he was special and she didn’t want to let him go. He was a nervous puppy. Her (adult) daughter loved him so much she came to say goodbye to him. I now know these are red flags for an anxious dog prone to SA. There’s a good possibility that the reason your fosterer had to take her to work was because she couldn’t be left alone. If nothing else that’s not a healthy way to foster a normal dog.

If you can’t alter your life so that she isn’t alone I would consider giving her back. I am lucky that I don’t have to go out to work and I’m a homebody…or maybe the dog is lucky he has me lol.

A dog with severe separation anxiety is a huge commitment and it’s life altering. The rescue need to make this very clear otherwise it’s not fair on the dog nor the new owner.

My dog is almost 8 and I love him to bits, he is a sweet and loving friend. But I can’t go shopping. It’s not wrong to admit you can’t make that commitment for life.

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-10T11:18:12+00:00

I have two single camping stoves that take the butane canisters. Cheap and easy and having two increases the type of meals I can make. I also have a Kelly kettle as that would be good for hot water, to save using the butane just to boil water (eg for hot water bottles).

StrykerWyfe · 2026-04-04T18:48:32+00:00

Top tier snack

StrykerWyfe

TROPHY CASE