We need to have enough tinned food and bottled water to be self sufficient for three days

[CruCru]

There’s a thing in the Times about the Prepare campaign - people need to be prepared for risks like localised flooding, another pandemic, a mass cyberattack which cuts off the internet, disruption to UK space systems that affect GPS signals, conflict and nuclear attack.

I must admit that my first thought was that there are countries in the West Indies who have these sorts of rules - mainly in case of hurricanes. It probably would be useful to have bottled water if we had flooding and the mains water would be turned off. Am a bit horrified by the mention of nuclear war but perhaps this has been overly highlighted by the Times.

Have you seen this? What do you think?

Not sure you were on the 'bones of your arse' in comparison to others if you constantly had a week or more of food and supplies always available.

Some people are literally "on the bones of their arse" and spend the last week or few days (even more in some cases) before payday not eating or subsisting on packet soups or noodles.

And definitely wouldn't have bottled water as that would already be an unnecessary expense.

It's not very hard to imagine that not everyone in the UK constantly has 3 days worth of food in their cupboards.

This made me laugh. My thoughts exactly

It would be more constructive to say "in the event of an emergency the vulnerable should call this number or get to this meeting point"

Our Government (Sweden) has clearly said that we have to (not should) help our vulnerable neighbours and friends.

It’s our responsibility, because they might not be able to for a week or two as there are more important things to do. The booklet If crisis or war comes they sent out years ago has lists of what we have to stock at home. It’s only sensible and not a big deal anyway, so why wouldn’t you in the UK do the same? You can’t just think of yourself.

No I can't believe it of those clap for carers angels........

It’s more likely to be cyber attacks, isn’t it. Which can be bad enough.

@afterfive I listen to a podcast that's discussing the Swedish information booklets right now:

https://www.juliemcdowall.com/index.php/podcast/

It's fascinating (and disturbing) about the difference in attitudes to this between the Swedes and many people in the UK, who seem to think that any sort of basic preparation is a completely unreasonable ask, as is helping other people who may need it.

Also, that the government shouldn't be doing anything in preparation in case it makes people anxious and when (note when, not if) something bad happens, they should just be able to wave a magic wand with no forethought or resources and make everything OK again.

No it'll be cat food for Larry!

Of course not!

And the NHS Trust I did and still do work for, also didn't have to send out emails about the massive amount of PPE, toilet paper and paracetamol that suddenly went 'missing' and remind staff that anyone caught commiting workplace theft would not only be disciplined but possibly lose their job, registration and risk criminal prosecution...

No wait, that did happen 😂

@Foxyaus I read "every time travel bans are paused" as meaning that "they paused the bans on time travel". Which... I mean.... I guess a lot of people would have liked to have had access to time travel during COVID but it just seems to me that it would be the worst time possible to remove a ban on time travel.

On another note: if there is no electricity then you can't use your credit or debit cards so a part of your prepping should be to have some cash in the house.

Yes, this is what i gathered too. It’s just basics, but some people in the UK are either shocked about it or they start mumbling about covid and loo rolls.. Just take some responsibility, it’s not difficult. And there are lists if you need it.

It’s ridiculous to some of us outside of the UK who has done this for so many years to be honest.

The general attitude in the UK is normally to bury your head in the sand, shout "we're all going to die anyway" and wear your lack of preparation like a badge of honour. Then when it all goes tits up go berserk and blame the government rather than taking any personal responsibility.

To me, people mostly take a polarised position on these sorts of issues. Either they do a lot of prepping or nothing at all.

The reality is if something really bad happens then we are probably screwed. But there are lots of scenarios between "OK" and "really bad" that could play out that could be dealt with a lot better if there was more preparation, and there are more scenarios than people realise that could crop up beyond out and out apolcalypse.

People also don't really understand the dynamics of survival very well either. For example, in an apocalyptic scenario, if you are to survive then the main objective is to outlast the majority of your peers so that the competition for resources is strongly reduced. So having enough food for years isn't necessary. Just having enough food to last long enough so everyone else is dead so the competition for resources is dramatically reduced is enough.

For me there is a sensible balance between doing nothing at all and doing enough to make sure you might survive some of the less apocalyptic scenarios. I'm not going to be hollowing out the area below my house and filling it with baked beans to try to survive an nuclear attack, but I do take reasonable steps to ensure I could survive a few weeks if some more lightweight events occur, such as stocking a few extra cans and water purifying tablets. Its only going to cost you a few quid and the potential benefit to you could be enormous.

@GasPanic Spot on.

I knew my left over Cambridge diet shakes would come in handy, if I get bottled water I can live of those for about 3 months and lose weight as well

Actually that's not a bad idea, they are a complete meal with all vitamins etc so it may cure the obesity epidemic at the same time.

On a serious note, will medication need stock piling too, I am on statins and my son has inhalers, and then my DDs contraceptives, will she need to stock up on those too...just wondering what sort of preparation this is for. I also have only 6 loo rolls left for the 3 of us, so will add some more too.

It's really refreshing especially if you drink it ice cold. I started drinking it when I had gallstones. I buy the Schweppes peppermint cordial & soda water, I freeze the soda water to keep it cold all night as I go to bed really early due to ME/CFS.

@Jenasaurus DDs contraceptives? When the poster up thread said we’d all be fucked I don’t think that’s the kind of fucked she meant

Medication is an issue, although for only 3 days supply that shouldn't be an issue so long as people don't leave it until the last minute to pick up their next prescription (something I am sometimes guilty of). I need thyroxine but I can get 3 months supply at once and never had an issue picking up the next supply when I still have a month left at home but I understand its different in the UK.

I think power and water are issues. We have a log burner which you can cook on at a push and plenty of wood at the moment although could probably do with more. I am a bit hmmm at tinned food - I just rarely eat it other than food and so it would go out of date etc. Anything you get in should really be stuff you eat regularly so you can circulate it and keep it in date etc. Might be better with a box of ration packs or something. Also maybe a water filtering system might be more use - simple hikers one or some tabs you used to be able to get for the roller tanks for camping

Medication I think most on meds now know to order as soon as they are allowed to allow for time for meds to come in - so many are short at the moment that many keep a tight control on them. I know I do for my key one which is limited supply

Contraceptives…? It is probably not high on the list but I assume you are joking.

What you can do is to print out the prescriptions if they are online, for important medicines that is. There has been cases with cyber attacks and some people could not get their medicines straight unless they had a printed copy as all the information online was gone.

Or maybe it was..

🤣

Pregnancies often rise in times of national crisis..

I'd possibly seek out a shag if I thought it might be my last chance 🤣

For us it's often a balance and depends on circumstances as well.

So snow.

Been stuck, nobody can help, we can't really help anyone.

Covid, I did resilience group and prescription runs etc

Storm Arwen, that was actually my worst.

Pregnant, baby, twins. Out for ten days, lost my bloody mind.

So friends tried to help, but taking in three kids and me is not easy. Plus the animals, so we stayed here, had heat from stove. Ten days without power though was tough, way tougher than I imagined. Especially when it's cold and dark.

So I am prepared in the sense I have heat, can heat tins up, have water, but sometimes weather or circumstances mean I haven't been able to help or people haven't been able to get to me to help

I don't know if its national, but my Gp definitely encourages people to keep a month in hand. Of course with some heavy duty meds, you can't.

My medication would be a problem as I get 56 days supply in each prescription but can only order the next batch a couple of days before they run out. I have to practically beg to get them earlier if there is a bank holiday coming up.

I once ordered them earlier as I was due to be on holiday when the prescription needed renewing and I was given a new supply a week early. But the doctor then adjusted the date to renew them by one week later! Maybe I need to have a chat with the surgery?

I take tramadol as well and there is no chance of them giving me extra as they are a controlled drug and I have to sign for them each month when I collect my prescription. Luckily they are for pain relief to enable me to move so I guess I will just stay in bed!

that sounds like a good idea. Depending on the med there may be a reason but it would be worth checking.

I've done some basic prepping. Tinned food, bottled water, candles, a little wind-up radio with a torch and a port for phone charging. The food would last a long time in a real emergency, the water wouldn't, but I've also got an outdoor water butt (purchased not for prepping but to reduce the cost of watering the garden!) and some purification tablets.

My family thought it was silly until our water unexpectedly got cut off for a couple of days and nobody had to rush out to the shops. It's not just for dramatic end-of-the-world scenarios.