Why have we been told to 'stockpile' and what for?

My husband gets antsy if there’s more than one packet of frozen peas in the freezer! He’s the king of the clear out. We operate a very much just in time approach to stock, the fridge is empty the night before he does the weekly shop. We are doomed apart from the two tins of sweetcorn in the cupboard he keeps pulling out and saying are you eating these?!

What about the wind up radio, power banks or the camping gas stove? Now this "warning" has been made the prices of those are going to go up. It's not just food people are being encouraged to buy.

I can't help but feel they are having to tell us to have a reasonable level of preparedness that previous generations might have seen as common sense. Like having a pantry with storable food that will last a few days and having a torch and some plasters and antiseptic would have been pretty basic up until very recently I think?

Life changed quite rapidly in that we rely on the internet and connectivity for so much now. Food is easily ordered for the same day/accessable just around the corner for most so we're not in the habit anymore.

I reckon they're thinking that if something did happen (even just bad weather for a few days), there's going to be a whole lot of people in crisis that could be avoided by asking everyone to take a bit of responsibility for themselves, to the extent that they are able.

I wonder if I will know how to work my heating if the internet goes down as I control it through an app 😂

In the early 80s most shops still closed at lunch time on Maundy Thursday and stayed shut until the next Tuesday. Some supermarkets did open on the Saturday, but that was a bit brash and new. Things changed quickly.

Remember a few months ago when the nudging for this campaign started and people genuinely said that they would get a Just Eat / Uber eats if the supply chain or payment system went down.

In the early eighties corner shops were still everywhere. So people got their main food for Easter, but toping up was easy.

Some people seem to almost survive on Uber eats. I wonder how they would cope if power went off for a few days?

Yeah, but unless you decide to open the doors and leave them open, they’re likely to keep food frozen/cold for several days if they are large and well stocked!

Most european countries have been told tye same.

You also need to stockpile the foods you can eat cold. As the power could also be cut. You should make sure that you have plenty of coal etc and gas bottles for the barbecue at least you can use that. Think ahead and come up with menus that will provide food you can eat hot or cold. No point in having you’re freezer filled up as if there is a major power cut then all that food could go to waste. So many things to think off. It’s a frightening thought that we’re told to stock pile. I’m so scared of what is happening with all these bloody wars.You don’t get told the truth look at the lockdown shambles.

Storms, floods, civil unrest...

Yes I think there’s enough madness going on in the world that they’re trying to tell us to have something available without panicking us!

You need to recharge your batteries, you sound wound up… 😁🤣😬

I’d say it’s because of the rich idiot men being idiots and after that climate change (caused by rich idiot men too tbf)

I'm digging a shelter at the bottom of my garden, just in case....

They have been talking about stockpiling for months. I am adding one or two tins or packets to my weekly shop.

We still have some massive gaps (such as a supply of dog food) but there is enough for 3-4 days of (weird) meals that can easily be prepared using the camping stove.

I think we have a good stockpile with loads of tins, water, biscuits, we have also filled up water bottles and will recycle the water regularly to keep it fresh. When whatever happens, happens we will fill up all the sinks, bath, extra water bottles, all of our pots and pans, jugs, mixing bowls and even vases.

This should give us extra water to drink or give our cats, flush the toilet or for washing dishes or ourselves.

I think having extra pasta and rice will require a lot of water to boil, you could make stock, use soups, passata, tinned vegetables water to cook with.

I think it would be good to have a family plan in place before so you know if there is an event that for example, one person picks up child/children, would it make more sense for everyone to go to a house that is more suitable e.g. log burner, great stockpile, enough space for everyone, maybe access to a stream? Bring everything with you. Check on elderly neighbours and relatives.
I also charge my power banks up regularly and the rechargeable batteries for anything. I have asked my family to get cash in small notes and keep their cars filled with petrol too.

This 👆 How do you not know why?

Probably a stupid question but can you boil water from a water butt to drink? I have about 20 litres of bottled water. And lots of wine 😀

@Slipperyyyou would need to use a cloth filter first to get any debris out.
Then, AFAIK, yes.

Various reasons. Fridges were hacked in France and on US bases - fridges! Made to heat up to 50° casing fires.
Hacking is getting easier due to AI advances - banking, card payments, internet. Worth keeping cash and stocking emergencies. Drone attacks are becoming more prevalent too and we aren't prepared. We import most of our fossil fuels and passage could be cut - major disruption, loss of transport, power & goods.

Fortunately I would be absolutely fine without food for 3 days, having internally stockpiled for a number of years, so just need water and wine , the others can live off my copious supply of tinned olives, stuffed vine leaves and the several weeks worth of cheese I insist on having in. Just need to get some crackers and squeezy mayo which is fine for 72hrs out of the fridge once opened, that way they can have tuna mayo if they tire of cheese. Might get a couple of tins of rice pudding, can eat that cold with a dollop of jam.
Just need to charge the power banks and buy some batteries for the radio,will keep the car three quarters full for as long as I can.
Would the gas hob work without power ? Have a long handled lighter to use if the electric is off ?

6 decades? But where do you store it all? I thought 3 days was the recommendation…

Recently it came across my newsfeed of French supermarket freezers being turned up with their programme hacked and the food ruined.

i think the world will see more of this kind of crap happening.

definately was mentioned in the 80's, I remember our school giving advice also

I’m not one for prepping or conspiracy theories, but given all the tension and cyber attacks going on, at this point it just seems sensible. And 3 days isn’t much either.