AIBU to think the stockpile advice suggests something to come??

Ukrainian are more capable of looking after themselves. Brits are clearly incapable of the same. We should just nominate ourselves for the Darwin awards now and immediately surrender to Russian control.

Family of mice. Very sensible mice.

People living in flats can use them on the balcony (if available) or take them outside to use. Or open the window if things would go that badly. People at Ukraine are managing to not collectively gass themselves.

We live in a flat and bought a small pocket stove (about 4£) and a package of solid fuel tablets to go with it. If nothing happens, we will take it outside and use as an experience for DD. If something would have to happen, we want to be able to boil some water (on a balcony). Not for every cuppa, but one hot meal a day or some first aid & second aid, to clean a wound at home.

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Yes, not everyone is able to do it.
The idea is that if able bodied people take a few small steps to be able to take care of themselves and their children for a few days, it leaves less people in need of an immediate help.

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BTW some dry food can be prepared with cold water. Not all, but some yes.
Couscous (30 minutes), oats (2 hours), ramen and other "ready stuff" in sachet (1 hour), will be all be ok to eat.

Portal solar powered panels are now available and portable induction stoves (often to be found in the middle aisles) are a viable alternative.

God forbid we allow the sale of gas camping stoves to adults without training.

I suggest we ban all camping trips in case people are too stupid to go on one safely.

Frankly if in a crisis, you Darwin yourself, it means there's less competition for resources...

It's a shame we don't have coke stoves and coppers any more. I think we could learn something from how our grandmothers used to survive when their villages got snowed in.

It's using something in a sensible adult way, that you wouldn't usually have to so obviously you take sensible and adult precautions with both the ring and the canisters. If you do not have adequate ventilation you obviously do not use one, you also equally obviously take sensible precautions regarding soft furnishings and curtains. A normal gas stove uses oxygen in a room. Candles are a fire risk in the wrong hands. You check the canisters are not damaged- common sense. God help us if no one has any common sense left. The guidance yes is not to use them indoors, but also says IF YOU HAVE TO to take sensible precautions.

It doesn’t have to be Armageddon. My elderly aunt and uncle got caught up in the Boxing Day floods in the north west a few years back and refused to stay with me or their kids. The house was fine but the electricity substation was flooded and they were left without power and hot water for three days. I took over my jet boil and my camping stove and they managed with food from the freezer and sponge washes.

Oh good grief.

Yes I have a couple of thermos flasks but my neighbours are all elderly (retirement bungalows) so unlikely to have camping stoves.

Have you got a thermos? You could ask a neighbour to boil up some water for you and you could keep 5 cups worth to sustain you for a day.

I've got several thermoses and i was thinking i could use them to give elderly neighbours a supply of hot water for dinks or noodles, etc. It's more efficient to boil a large amount of water in one go and have a way of storing the extra hot water, we do this when camping.

It's not new advice. This was banded around last year too. Everything you need for a power cut, Everything you need for a water cut and possibly both of above with a foot of snow. That should cover most situations.

Think back to our worse recent storms and how some was effected ( affected?) . The gov just want people to think about how they can help themselves in the hours after a major storm etc. Because has your water ever gone off and within 6 hours there's a a community water station up and running and no queue?

Yes the threat of something bigger is getting larger ( lots of war in the news, mutterings of bombing UK bases) but who knows?

How likely is it Russia will bomb a RAF base in your town this winter? Pretty low I'd guess.

How likely is a major storm to take out power to a water pumping station? Much higher than WW3 I'd guess.

We dont know where the next big storm Will hit so it's something for everyone to consider.

That's all

Everyone who normally says they will just loot their neighbours. I have 3 sons living here over 5,9 and dh. I'd rather buy my 28p pasta and 50p candels in Tesco than fight four men / teens.

No people don’t and enough people die as it is from carbon monoxide poisoning without MNers telling people to rush out and buy cheap camping stoves to use indoors.

How?It won’t for those living by in flats or houses that don’t have adequate ventilation. Carbon monoxide is invisible,odourless and builds up fast in poorly ventilated areas. Open flames can easily catch fire on curtains, paper, or counters. The burning gas uses up the oxygen in the room. Damaged tanks can leak fuel and cause a sudden blast. The fire brigade warns these units are strictly meant for the open air.

The people buying them may also realise you don't use them indoors and read the safety instructions that come with them
You also need to be careful storing gas canisters in the house
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However most people on here are not stupid lemmings who just do what they are told .

It also might save lives in a crisis. So you need to weigh that up.

You absolutely shouldn’t be using these indoors and there are a long list of safety procedures if you do. Just telling people to rush out and buy them is putting large numbers of people at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

I'm glad I don't have to wait for 'they' to suggest something I can already work out for myself is a fairly sensible idea.

Honestly if it's a couple of days you can buy crisps, nuts, and chocolate from your local corner shop with cash. Kids would love it.

My two don't. They have electric doors. So that's me and thats you.

There is quite a lot of food you can buy that keeps and doesn't need heating. And no there's no official guidance to buy camping stoves they just happen to be something a lot of people do have, including me, who have experienced power cuts in their area and/or use them for day trips, camping, etc and have at home anyway. They're £15-£20 to buy and the canisters are about £1 each. My 81 and 82 year old PILs have one as well; they're prone to power cuts where they are. I've never said everyone can/will have one. It's just a good option. Being in a flat for example is no barrier to having one. You don't need a garden for these one ring stoves, either, nor does being at uni make any difference....? They're perfectly safe to use indoors. The canisters are also perfectly safe to store indoors.

@LilyBunch25 all my independent corner shops have doors that you push open and lock with a key.

Have they suggested that?

Not everybody can store or cook on them safely.

Nuts, dried fruit, fruit cake, tinned fruit.