Anyone planning on buying a wind up FM radio?

In addition to drinking water I keep liquid detergent bottles when empty, rinse and fill with tap water and drop of bleach, to use for loo/ handwashing etc, as they're sturdy and have a built in handle.

Also many of us have done this for years.

yes but ick!

Yes, so is the delicious M&S nutrition dense super seeded oaty sliced bread, I bought some recently with next March date.

Rye bread is long dated.

I do understand that many think this is an attempt at scaremongering by the government (especially after we've been through Covid) plus all the scandals that have gone on, so no need to be sorry about your outlook. Others will definitely share it.

It's not just the UK though, that is advising citizens to prepare. Many European countries have done this for years, we're only just dipping our toes into it now, which in my opinion is really a bit late, but better than not at all.

I think going into next summer we'll really see the impact of the fertilizer shortages, caused by the various wars, and there will be shortages of various foods or ingredients which will mean prices really go up a lot. Next year could be very uncomfortable for many. Of course it's up to you and I suspect you are better at survival than many of us who've been more comfortably off.

A few things worth checking before you buy: get one with AM as well as FM (notimagain's right, AM can carry further when local transmitters are down), and pick one that charges three ways: crank, solar and USB or batteries. Then test it at home now to check it actually picks up your local BBC station, and see how long a minute of cranking really plays for.

I got tic tacs

I bought one today on Amazon. It said there were 11 left and it would come tomorrow but now it's showing as arriving on the 29th. So I reckon there's been a sudden run on them. Mine is going to be a Xmas present for dh, who loves contingency planning. He recently bought those vacuum machines for if someone gets sth stuck in their air passage - one for the house and one for the car!

We are not talking about war famine disaster, at least I am not. Don't you want to be able to see in a powercut? Clean your teeth if the water goes off?

I was born poor raised poor still poor i can live and survive where others woulden`t .
Ive been in survival mood for 40 year im a pro.

Prepare britain for what, scaring familys and folk into buying stuff we wont use or even need.
We all know how the goverment love to feed crap to the news channels.

Sorry for my odd out look on it all.

We live very rurally and about 12 years ago we went a week without electricity in winter. We buried milk etc in the snow to keep it fresh. Since then we’ve always ensured we have a stock of batteries for lights, candles, matches, coal/wood for the multi fuel stove along with a stove top fan to spread the heat. Our hob is LPG so we can cook warm meals: porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch and a stir fry for dinner. I also discovered that if you have an empty glass lemonade bottle, fill it with hot water and wrap it in a towel to warm the bed through then it stays warm enough to use the water to get washed in the following morning.

Be aware it does expire.

I seem to have loads of mini bottles of that scattered around in various cupboards from when I used to take it everywhere during COVID.

I suppose because some people will run out of batteries or not be able to afford more one day, and having a radio that can work other ways is just a good backup? Not sure it's essential right now if you've got a battery powered radio and can afford lots of batteries though.

I wonder if there's an age effect here - the households that have battery powered radios already are probably skewed to be older, so if younger households without are buying something new, they might as well buy something with all the options from the start?

Why not just have a supply of batteries to keep a standard radio going?

Don’t forget hand gel, as hand washing wouldn’t happen if the water went off

I would feel the same if I didn’t have my kids. I just have zero desire personally to battle on through life in an environment of war/famine/disaster.

What about your life?

I have no stockpile and not getting one either.
Neither do i need a radio or tea lights.
Am i prepared for anything no im not.
If anything is to happen let it happen i have nothing to lose.

Yeah I have one that’s not that great. It only works if someone is turning it all the time which I guess might be useful in a worse case scenario situation.

It takes batteries too but those huge chunky round ones.

I have a radio that takes batteries, I'm assuming that's ok??. I've bought a power bank so hoping I could keep my phone charged and use the torch on my phone and I've bought a couple of small battery powered lamps on Amazon. I hate to say it but I'm a bit scared to be honest.

The camping blankets I posted upthread might be a good idea to use along with throws or blankets, you can use a scarf wrapped around your nose and mouth to use your face heat to warm the air or just keep your face inside the blankets. Ae you on your utility suppliers Priority services register?

aaaand here I am sat in the dark because powercut. The UPS (uninterruptible power supply) has cut in so I have got about 5 hours of router time. The camping stove is in the garage and I CBA to get it so guessing cold dinner tonight.

You can get bio ethanol heaters that don't use electric or gas, they are quite expensive though, a cheaper option is the older style portable calor gas heaters which you can still get.