Yep, I go with Hikermor. I add to the basic rather than double up. My own set up is almost modular. 

There are a number of non suture wound closures alternatives such as Butterfly strips, Steristrips and a fairly new to the market Zip-stitch. All available on the well known market place. I have had great success with steristrips. These can often provide a good alternative to sutures in an emergency. I’m not sure if you are considering wound closure after doing surgery, but that is a whole other ball game.

I really do think people (especially preppers) overcomplicate things. I grew up in an unheated house. We had an open fire in the living room and the kitchen was off that and provided extra heat when cooking. Many times I can recall waking up with Ice on the inside of my bedroom window. I didn’t die, but it did make me a very fast dresser!  Anyhow, I digress. From this personal experience I suggest reducing the amount of space you are trying to heat. If you have a small room, move in there. Put extra insulation up at the window, and the entry door. I have heard no mention of the good old fashioned hot water bottle. Any naked flame will produce heat as it burns you must be careful to use things safely, use candle lanterns, hurricane lamps even canning jars to keep the candle or tealight in. Hurricane lamps are better stood in large baking trays in case of leaks or tipping. Vent the room from time to time cuddle up together under blankets or sleeping bags. wear a hat. Try and keep everyone in the same room, body heat will help to keep the room warmer. Regarding water, it’s not as simple. either have a rainwater collection system or a store of water.  Considering the stupidity of some people, I should also recommend a CO detector. Over the years, I have done all of the above and come through extended periods of minus temps in a British winter where plus temps rarely rise above 7 degrees celsius.  On another note, it looks like it’s about time the infrastructure of the US needs some serious investment to update it.

Yep, walking poles are the order of the day. I also use them to fashion a shelter with a tarp. I rarely go backpacking these days, but again, I have the option if the whim takes me.

I would say it’s as bright as a 60 watt lightbulb, but the area it illuminates is smaller. It’s a good white light 

These are much better. I use one camping on a power bank and I have a few more for when the power goes out. really cheap and bright enough to read with. USB lightbulb

I don’t use any special method, just store in a canning jar in the dark. I get 2 years or so like this. In the past I have used oxygen absorbers and to be honest, I found no difference in the keeping qualities.  I do use my dehydrated foods day to day so I’m constantly rotating them anyway. Bad prepper that I am, I don’t do long term food storage, I prefer to rotate. However, I do eat what I store.

I would also make a case for 5v USB power sources. The big advantages to 5v are; availability, lower price but most important portability. A good solar panel, power banks and any number of usb lights and other gadgets can be a cheaper and more efficient option. 5v gadgets and lighting is readily available and really inexpensive. 12v not so much, you tend to have to go to a specialist motoring store, as a result of that tends to be quite a bit more costly.  A good 5v set up can cost a lot less than it’s 12v equivalent and it can and is lightweight compact and portable. At the really cheap end you only need to spend a few pounds to get some sort of lighting going. There are also solar lights, just because the label says outside, doesn’t mean they are exclusively so and we all know how cheap these sets can be.  It’s simple enough to pop them outside or on a sunny windowsill during the day then have the lights where you need them at night.    

We have Schwalbe Marathon tyres on our bikes. They are also puncture resistant and they do an E-Bike version, as we both have E-Bikes.. We also use ‘Slime’ self healing tubes. I have a good sized basket on the front of my bike and we have a trailer that fits either bike, depending on who wants to use it.  My son is a dab hand at bicycle repair. 

It takes out a lot of tears dehydrating bags of frozen onion! Onions, Peas, Sweetcorn and mixed veg (with diced carrot) work best. Once dried a kilo of any of the above will fit in a pint canning jar.  I like to dry Grated and sliced potatoes, They are very handy to make quick hash browns or a gratin. The best time saving thing to dry is cooked beans! I don’t know about you, but I’m really bad at remembering to soak beans to use in a recipe. Again a 500g bag of cooked, dried beans will fill my dehydrator.

I have a 4 tray Excalibur, it all depends on what I’m dehydrating, but to put it in context I can dry a kilo bag of frozen peas in one sitting. Frozen veg are great for dehydrating. No preparation!  

To be fair, the government has had a section on it’s website for a long time about being prepared. Preparing for Emergencies It is left up to the individual to take it on board and do something about it. I think the pandemic has been a wake up call for many people who were on the receiving end of the shortages. In my family a nephew has realised the usefulness of a well stocked pantry. In a Zoom call recently he took me on a virtual tour of his food store asking for tips and advice. He said he used to view my pantry as a mix between an Aladdin’s cave and an eccentricity. If he only knew! my stores are far more extensive than just the pantry. So, it’s not all bad news, I do believe some people will continue to maintain more of a food store and I applaud them.

Just thought I’d post a quick picture of the Leeks I dehydrated yesterday. A Kilo of leeks in a jar.

I have a Vitesse e-bike and my son has a Carrera. Both are great. They both have a range of 60 miles.  

LOL, I have the electric bike (and trailer) Don’t know about the kayak though. 

Paddle boarding the canals is getting quite popular as well. I cycle the canals quite bit, it’s the easy way to get about the city and the towpaths are usually quite quiet. 

As an old woman with a tenuous grasp on gravity these days, I have a pair of cleats too. I don’t use them often, but the option is there if I feel the need.    

It’s something that needs to be taken into consideration I think. There are many things I would ‘like’ to have in a bag but because of the possible suspicion that might fall on them, it’s not worth any possible nuisance. It’s worth staying within the law of your land.

I’m also from the UK. I live in the West Midlands in a small city. Our house is 120 year old Terrace with a small yard at the back and a bit of garden at the front, just enough that the front door isn’t on the footpath. As has already been said by Seb we are generally lucky with the weather although there are very local extremes. I have an allotment and the plan is to grow most of our veg. I had to move allotments last year so I am starting from scratch again! Before then I pretty much kept us supplied with fresh food and had enough to preserve. As Bill has mentioned, preserving is not as big here and canning supplies are difficult to get hold of and are very expensive. I imported a Presto Pressure canner from the USA more than 15 years ago, when the exchange rate was favourable and I’m so glad I did! It means I do not have to rely on the freezer. I can meats, fruit and veg for the stores and use the freezer for day to day life.  I live minutes from the canal system and this would be my route to leave the city should the need ever arise and eventually I my plan is to buy a small canal boat for weekend use and longer holidays. I could also use it as a BOL.  In general I feel safe where I live and To answer a question posted earlier, I have never felt the need to carry a weapon and I have never been in a situation where I might have needed one. Maybe it’s luck, but I think it has a lot to do with knowing your area and keeping a healthy awareness of my surroundings.  Well, that’s me! 

Oh absolutely! I have a wonder bar, it’s really handy. I would love one for my Expedition bag, but I’d probably be arrested for going equipped were I ever stopped. Little tip for getting a stubborn twist lid off; slide the end of a knife under the led and lever gently away from the jar. Seal is broken and taadaaa you can open the jar!